5 Things Houston Fans Need to Know About Texas A&M

Five things fans of the Houston Cougars need to know ahead of their round of 32 matchup against the Texas A&M Aggies

Houston Cougars head coach Kelvin Sampson coaches against the Colorado Buffaloes in the second half at Fertitta Center. | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

The Houston Cougars are the definition of consistency, finding ways to dominate lower-seeded teams in the early opening rounds of the NCAA Tournament. After a blowout win against the Idaho Vandals, they have moved on to the round of 32.

Looking to move on to the Sweet 16, where head coach Kelvin Sampson's teams have become mainstays, they will have to get past in-state foe the Texas A&M Aggies, who are looking to start a Cinderella run and have already beaten one team seeded higher than them.

Here are five things Cougar fans need to know ahead of their round of 32 matchup with the Aggies.

Five Things to Know About Texas A&M

Texas A&M Aggies head coach Bucky McMillan reacts during the second half against the Kentucky Wildcats at Reed Arena. | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

• High-Scoring Team: The Aggies are one of the top offenses in the country, ranking sixth in points per game, averaging 87 per contest. A lot of their production comes in the second half of games, where they rank sixth in points after the break with 45.4, but they will also come out of the gate hot as well, scoring an average of 40.4 points in the first half of games.

• Entire Roster Production: The Aggies don't rely on just their starters and maybe one to two players off the bench to win them games. They have 10 players who average 10 or more minutes per game, with nine averaging 15 or more. With a deep rotation, legs will stay fresh to keep up with their fast-paced offense.

• Will Allow Points: With the Aggies putting up points in bunches and pushing the pace of games to maintain their offensive style of pressuring opposing defenses, they surrender points to their opponents at a high clip as well. They ranked 28th in the country in opponents' points per game at 78.7, and that number is even higher in the second half of games, where they surrender 41.8 points, which ranks 319th.

• Ball Security: Due to their offensive style, the Aggies can be prone to turnovers, ranking 119th with 10.8 per game. With the Cougars pressuring opposing teams and forcing them into uncomfortable situations that lead to turnovers or bad shots, forcing the Aggies into turnovers will be a big key to their game plan.

• Knocking Down Free Throws: The Cougars are one of the top free-throw shooting teams in the country, knocking them down 77.1 percent of the time, which plays a key role in the matchup as the Aggies average 19.2 fouls per game, which ranks 315th in the country. 22.3 percent of their plays result in a personal foul, so taking points at the line when they are given to them will be critical for a Cougars win.

The Cougars will face off against the Aggies on March 21 at 5:10 p.m. CT.