Ending A&M's February funk won't be easy vs. No. 19 Vanderbilt

February futility is jeopardizing March Madness.

In two weeks, Texas A&M’s NCAA Basketball Tournament outlook has gone from seemingly a sure thing to tenuously unsure.

The Aggies (17-7, 7-4) are 0-for-February. They’ve endured three consecutive Southeastern Conference losses. They’ve gone from leading the SEC standings to a five-way tie for third place. Their NET ranking has fallen from No. 35 to No. 43.

“You got to figure it out,” A&M star forward Rashaun Agee said following an 86-85 loss to Missouri on Wednesday night. “Great teams alway figure it out. Battle through adversity.”

The Aggies hope to find their way out of the slump on Saturday at noon in Nashville. An SEC confrontation with Vanderbilt (20-4, 7-4) is crucial.

A Quadrant 1 win would not only stop the bleeding, but it would also significantly enhance the Aggies’ NCAA resume.

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In his second season in Nashville, Mark Byington is 40-9 with a 15-14 record in SEC play as the head coach of the Vanderbilt Commodores.

Vanderbilt is No. 19 in the AP poll and No. 15 in the NET. The Commodores have won five of their last six games. That streak includes wins over Alabama and Kentucky, which are both among the top 30 in the NET.

Vanderbilt, which is 11-2 at home, is 13th in the nation in scoring with an 88.7-point average.

Guard Tyler Tanner, who averages 18.9 points, has scored at least 19 points in each of the last five games. He has averaged 28.6 in the last three games.

The Commodores have been without their second-leading scorer, guard Duke Miles, who’s been sidelined by a knee injury.

But forward Tyler Nickel averages 14.4 points. Last year, he hit seven times from 3-point range en route to a 21-point performance in an 86-84 victory over A&M.

Vanderbilt averages 10 treys a game. The Commodores are also second in the SEC in free-throw percentage.

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Texas A&M is 2-7 all-time in Memorial Gym, including a 74-73 loss in the Aggies’ most recent visit on Jan. 13, 2024.

However, they won’t have a size advantage like A&M faced in losses to Alabama, Florida and Missouri. Center Jalen Washington, a 6-foot-10 center, is the only Vanderbilt player taller than 6-foot-7 who gets significant minutes.

That’s good news for the 6-foot-8 Agee, who’s consistently been at a height disadvantage.

Despite that, he still leads A&M with a 13.9 scoring average and with 8.8 rebounds.

Agee has been consistently reliable. He has scored in double figures in 12 of the last 13 games.

However, A&M needs more consistency from perimeter shooters. Although the Aggies average 11.6 goals from behind the arc — sixth in the country — they tend to run hot and cold. Or perhaps more accurately, torrid and frigid.

For example, they made only one of their first 19 long-range attempts in a loss to Florida, but finished with nine in an 86-67 loss.

Then, they hit 11 of 17 in the first half vs. Missouri, but converted only four of 16 in the second half.

Danny Grant, TexAgs

As a team, the Aggies are shooting 36.5 percent from 3-point range in SEC play.

They could use a boost from guard Rubén Dominguez, who has been in a slump.

Dominguez leads in 3-point goals with 70, but has hit only two of 14 (14.2 percent) during the three-game skid. He has managed just nine total points in that span.

A&M coach Bucky McMillan doesn’t seem too concerned, though.

“Shooters, you know, there’s obviously ebbs and flows with it,” McMillan said. “Maybe (he’s) a little tired. Maybe get a little bit more rest. I wouldn’t overthink it for him. I think he’ll be back and, you know, may make nine threes the next game.

“Obviously, he’s a threat. When he’s on track, he’ll really help us.”

The Aggies could use some help to break out of their February funk.