Aggie encore could come vs. MVSU's struggling 3-point defense
What does Texas A&M do for an encore?
In case you missed it, the Aggies lit up the Reed Arena scoreboard on Friday, connecting 18 times from behind the arc to set a program single-game high.
Rubén Dominguez even knocked down 10 to claim the individual record.
So how will A&M (4-2) follow that up against Mississippi Valley State (1-6) this week at Reed Arena?
Come 7 p.m. CT on Tuesday, could the Ags possibly make more 3-pointers?
“Our last game vs. Manhattan, regardless of the opponent, that was our first game of putting together 40 minutes of aggressive play,” Bucky McMillan told TexAgs Live on Monday. “That was the first game, in my opinion, that looked like us.
“It was 40 minutes of what it should look like.”
After scoring 109 points on Manhattan’s bottom-10 3-point defense, the Aggies will face a team that is somehow even worse at defending.
According to KenPom, the Delta Devils own the nation’s worst-rated team overall, with both the worst-rated offense and defense. They are also bottom 20 in turnovers forced and are the least experienced team in the country.
When it comes to defending deep shots, MSVU’s opponents have made 64 triples on 32.3 percent shooting from long range.
Friday’s masterclass upped A&M’s stats to 66 treys on a 35.3 percentage, and those figures are somewhat dampened by a slow shooting start to the season.
“Early in the season with a bunch of new guys, we’ve had to do some things to make sure that everybody is going to be all-in to Texas A&M,” McMillan said. “That’s the most important thing, particularly in Year 1 when we’re establishing the culture that we want. You felt a true team on the floor vs. Manhattan, I thought, with the effort and the togetherness, regardless of the opponent, and that has to continue every game.”
Dominguez and Rylan Griffen — and every other player in Maroon & White — figure to keep shooting as the Aggies look for more.
Whether Tuesday or in the future, they’ll also likely see more Mackenzie Mgbako, who played just for minutes in his A&M debut vs. Manhattan.
They might be pining for more minutes from Jamie Vinson, whose physicality has impressed in recent wins vs. Montana and Manhattan.
Winners of back-to-back games, the Aggies will assuredly welcome more positive momentum before they head to Tampa to face Florida State later this week.
“We have a chance to have such a great week for Aggie sports,” McMillan said. “We could have two great wins on Friday. We could come away on Friday, and we could all be celebrating here in College Station.”
Another “buy” game vs. MVSU provides A&M opportunities for all of that and more.
