What to Watch for in Houston’s March Madness Matchup vs. Texas A&M

Cue the music.

It’s the Round of 32, and the Houston Cougars are still dancing.

Not an unfamiliar stage this program is in, but it is a familiar opponent that head coach Kelvin Sampson and Co. will be preparing for after Texas A&M gave them a scare in the 2024 NCAA Tournament down in Memphis, Tennessee, where they barely escaped 100-95 in overtime.

After the game, Sampson spoke about the ‘Bucky Ball’ style of basketball that head coach Bucky McMillan’s team is known for, and there was love and respect in his comments about the work he has done in Year 1 at A&M.

“I like the fact that the style of play is named after him,” Sampson said. “It's pretty cool to be Bucky Ball. His teams are super hard to play against because of their constant pressure. You got to be on point with your trap offense.”

That will be one of the intriguing departments Houston will emphasize, but limiting the sharpshooters the Aggies have will be the other area the defense hones in on.

Texas A&M vs Houston Preview

Heading into the Saturday contest, the Aggies are coming off a 63-50 win over the Gaels, with a solid defensive performance that opened up the offense to knock down the shots needed to capture the 13-point victory.

In that game against Saint Mary’s, A&M created 18 turnovers, which was a huge reason the game was controlled by them, but it wasn’t the only factor. It was stopping the amount of free throws taken as the No. 1 free-throw percentage team at the line, and making enough 3-pointers, that made the biggest difference.

For the Cougars, it was getting consistency from the starting five that has been the most important part of getting to 29-6 on the year. When you can go 31 of 62 from the field and 8 of 15 from three and limit the opponent to going 6 of 30 from beyond the arc and only have seven offensive rebounds, that’s the recipe to success. Another ingredient was winning the paint battle 36-16.

That’s going to be the talking point that the Aggies likely have in practice and in the film: how to stop the forward and center play to get the two big guys going inside, which will possibly open up the perimeter.

The Aggies are the No. 9 scoring offense in the nation, averaging 87.7 points per game. Getting production from the bench is another important way the Cougars need to be ready to respond, because substitutions are constantly made in the fast-paced offensive style. Controlling the tempo of the game and sticking to the assignment are of the essence.

As for Houston, the two areas in which they are elite are on the defensive end, as the No. 2 defense that allows opponents to score 62.9 points per game. Sampson’s group is also No. 1 in turnovers and No. 13 in the assist/turnover ratio, so that’s the meat and potatoes of this team.

A&M is recording 87.7 points per game, with 37.7 rebounds and 18.1 assists. From the field, they are 45.8 percent, and are 36.2 percent from downtown, to go along with going 73.7 percent from the free throw line.

On the other hand, Houston is averaging 77.1 points per game, with 36.6 rebounds and 14.7 assists. They are 77.2 percent from the line, 34.9 percent from three, and 45 percent from the field, so an interesting clash is going to be one not to miss.