A&M's next chance to earn respect comes in Quad 1 clash vs. Memphis

All Texas A&M basketball opponents are respected. Some are just held in a little bit higher esteem.

Count Memphis among them.

The Tigers (6-2) — who visit Reed Arena on Sunday at 3 p.m. — are a traditional power with explosive players and a celebrity head coach in former NBA star Penny Hardaway.

“They’re very mature. And they’re coached by Penny Hardaway,” said A&M senior guard Jace Carter. “When you have a coach like that, it’s definitely a confidence boost just because you know who’s got your back.”

But the Tigers will also face a confident opponent that demands respect too.

The No. 21 Aggies (7-2) look to continue the torrid shooting they demonstrated on Wednesday in an 89-64 drubbing of DePaul.

The Aggies also have a well-esteemed coach who has their back… or, more accurately, Buzz Williams has them on a path back to the NCAA Tournament.

A victory over Memphis would go a long way toward ensuring the Aggies get there and how high they could be seeded.

“It’s a Quad 1 game,” A&M sophomore forward Solomon Washington said. “They’re a really good team. They’re going to finish at the top of their conference. We’re going to do the same in our conference. This game is really important. It’s going to help us towards the end of the season.”

Quadrant 1 victories don’t come easily, though.

Williams made sure the Aggies are fully aware of what they’re facing.

Among those they’re facing is guard Jahvon Quinerly, a transfer from Alabama who averages 12 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists.

He scored 22 points against A&M in the SEC Tournament championship game last season.

Perhaps having experience against him will help the Aggies prepare. Or perhaps not.

“All of our experience with him is him just absolutely just whipping our ass,” Williams said. “That’s the experience. I don’t know if that’s necessarily good or not.

“He is ultra-talented. Their team is one of the best teams in regards to talent that’s been to Reed Arena in a long time. They have four 1,000-point scorers on their team. They’re unbelievable.

“They beat Missouri at Missouri by 15 in the first week of the season. He’s one of them, but they have nine of them that are good enough to play anywhere in the country.”

Memphis has an impressive resume. The Tigers have also posted victories over then-No. 20 Arkansas, Michigan and VCU.

Of course, the Aggies have a gaudy resume, too, with Quad 1 victories over NET top 25-ranked Iowa State and Ohio State.

Guard Wade Taylor IV leads the Aggies with an 18.0 scoring average. Forward Henry Coleman III is off to a remarkable start, averaging 14.3 points and 9.1 rebounds.

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Memphis defeated A&M a year ago, 83-79.

The Aggies have been without guard Tyrece “Boots” Radford, who averages 13 points, for the last three games. But Carter has stepped up to average 10 points during that span.

Carter had 14 points — including a dozen from 3-point range — in the dismantling of DePaul. He helped the Aggies break out of a mini-slump to shoot 53 percent from the floor and 45.2 percent (14-of-31) from 3-point range.

“We have the ability to make shots,” Carter said. “We know we can make shots. I think we just have to just do it. As corny as it is, I think it’s just back to our work.

“I definitely think us making shots wasn’t a surprise to us. We didn’t go back to the locker room like, ‘Man, we’re hitting everything tonight.’ It was just like, ‘About time. This is how we should be playing.’”

If the Aggies play that way against Memphis, they could notch another huge victory that would earn them even more respect.