No. 13 Texas A&M ventures to Dallas looking to avoid early setback

Back on the road.

Fresh off a win at Ohio State, No. 13 Texas A&M (2-0) travels to Dallas for a Tuesday non-conference basketball game against former Southwest Conference foe SMU (3-0). Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. CT.

"There were a lot of good things that we can hopefully build on," head coach Buzz Williams told TexAgs Radio on Monday. "Obviously, it's a quick turnaround. SMU has already played three games."

A&M and SMU used to meet twice annually as members of the SWC. A year ago, the Ags defeated SMU in College Station, 83-64, but this will be A&M's first visit to Dallas since 2009.

This trip up I-45 ought to be special for at least one Aggie.

Wade Taylor IV's 21 points in Columbus were crucial in the A&M victory, as were the 21 and 20 from Tyrece Radford and Henry Coleman III, respectively.

Moody Coliseum is 19 from where Taylor attended high school at Lancaster and 16 from where Manny Obaseki attended John Paul II. Friends and family are expected to be in attendance.

"He has a winner gene," Williams said of Taylor. "He made a lot of plays that you can't coach that were winning plays in a really tough environment that without those plays, we don't have a chance to win."

Still, the crowd — and a couple of homecomings — cannot distract from the opponent at hand.

"They're the fastest team that we've ever played since we've been here," Williams said of SMU. "They bring a completely different type of problem than what we did against Ohio State."

These Ponies can run, but how fast is up for debate.

"The three games of data that we have this year are diametrically opposed to how they played last year," Williams said. "Who they were last year, and their roster? Not the same. How they played? Not the same. There is very little carryover."

Brooke Homfeld, TexAgs

In last season’s 83-64 victory over SMU, Henry Coleman III topped the scoring column with 23 points and five boards.

This year, the Mustangs are unbeaten but have yet to play a power-conference opponent.

Wins vs. Southwestern Assemblies of God (82-63), Western Illinois (90-53) and Lamar (78-67) have allowed them to ease into 2023-2024.

Still, SMU is projected to finish seventh in the 14-team AAC. A&M's goal should be to avoid a setback vs. a team currently ranked No. 189 in the RPI and No. 209 in NET.

Such early-season lulls have occurred during the Williams era.

"I don't know how many teams in Power 5 are going to play back-to-back road games in the first week of the season," Williams said. "It does prepare you because it gives you a rep of what's coming."

Friday's triumph could be a sign of reversing any pre-existing negative trends.

Tuesday might help confirm a discontinuation of that narrative.