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

The Texas A&M Aggies are looking to continue their NCAA Tournament run, and after a dominant performance against the higher-seeded Saint Mary's Gaels, they have advanced to the round of 32.

Finding their way into the Sweet 16 won't be easy, though, as they will have their hands full dealing with the two-seed in the region, the Houston Cougars. A team that has been there and done that plenty of times will look to play spoiler against the Aggies and first-year head coach Bucky McMillan.

Here are five things Aggie fans need to know about the Cougars before their weekend matchup.

Five Things to Know

Houston Cougars Head Coach Kelvin Sampson — Houston Cougars head coach Kelvin Sampson claps his hand while the Cougars play against the Baylor Bears in the second half at Fertitta Center. | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

Strict Defense: The Cougars have become one of the top teams under head coach Kelvin Sampson because of their ability to play elite-level defense, forcing teams into uncomfortable shot selections. They rank second in opponents' points per game, allowing an average of 62.4 per contest.

Swing the Ball Around: With that elite defense, though, there is a chink in the armor. While they only allow 11.1 assists per game, which ranks 21st in the country, their assist-to-field-goal-made ratio is .534, which ranks 214th. That will benefit the Aggies, as they are 10th in the country in assists per game, so maintaining ball movement will be critical in the matchup.

Efficient at the Line: For the Aggies, they have struggled with personal fouls on the season, ranking as one of the lower-ranked teams in fouls per game. That could spell trouble against the Cougars, who knock down their free throws at a 77.1 percent clip, which ranks 31st in the country. Playing a clean game will be paramount to pulling off the upset.

Second Half Points: While many teams see a second-half surge in their points, including the Aggies, who have a five-point difference between the first half and the second half, the Cougars remain consistent in their defense. They allow 38.4 points per half, ranking 50th in the first half and 207th after halftime. Finding a way to keep the game close and finding more offensive production in the second half could be an important piece of their winning recipe.

Defensive Opportunities: For the Aggies defense, they will be hard-pressed to force the Cougars offense into turning the ball over. They rank number one in the country in turnovers per game at 8.5 and have turnovers on only 10.9 percent of their plays, an elite rate.

The Aggies and Cougars will tip off on March 21 at 5:10 p.m. CT

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