Texas A&M Looks To 'Keep Effort Alive' In Road Trip To Arkansas
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Texas A&M Aggies men's basketball coach Buzz Williams knows there's only one way to garner respect among national voters; keep winning until further notice.
“We still have work to do,” Williams said Monday. “We’re thankful we’re in the position that we’re in, and (Tuesday) night will mark the halfway point of conference play.”
The Aggies started the season off 6-5 with a pair of early losses to Colorado and Murray State. Finishing 8-5 in nonconference play, most bracketologists had Texas A&M on the outside looking in regarding seeding in March's NCAA Tournament.
Something clicked for the program once conference play began. The Aggies (15-6, 7-1 SEC) have won nine of their last 10 games, including massive upsets over programs like then-No. 20 Missouri and then-No. 15 Auburn on the road.
Still, the early blunders against nonconference opponents have hurt the program's demeanor entering the halfway point of SEC play. A good way to prove this version of Texas A&M is sustainable? Pick up a win on the road against Arkansas Tuesday evening at Bud Walton Arena at 6 p.m.
“I think playing on the road has become even more difficult in the time we’ve been here and I do think a part of that is the environment, whether that’s the crowd, for sure, but all of the things that go into a game day environment,” Williams said.
Arkansas finds itself in a similar situation as Texas A&M. After starting the season off as a preseason favorite to win the SEC, the Razorbacks (14-7, 3-5 SEC) dropped a pair of easy wins to Vanderbilt and Missouri.
The difference between the two schools? Nonconference wins. Arkansas went 11-1 to begin the year, with its only loss coming to then-No. 10 Creighton. As for Texas A&M, which finished 8-5 in nonconference games, four of the losses came to programs that currently aren't projected to make the "Big Dance."
Williams said the Aggies still control their destiny. In a sense, he's right. In the last bubble rankings provided by ESPN, Texas A&M was listed as one of the last four teams in. In large part, that's due to the program's consistency against SEC foes both at Reed Arena and away from College Station.
“The effort and cohesiveness of our staff and our team has been remarkable through the first four weeks,” Williams said. “We want to try and keep that juju going regardless of results because that togetherness has led to the results.”
Arkansas could provide challenges for Texas A&M on both sides of the court. The Razorbacks boast one of the best defensive units in the SEC, holding opponents to 65.1 points per game and 41.3 percent from the field. The Hogs also feature a trio of talented guards in Ricky Council IV, Anthony Black, and Davonte Davis, all of whom are averaging over 12 points per game.
“They have three ultra, ultra-talented perimeter players that you could argue is the best perimeter in the country,” Williams said. “I think that’s why they’ve had the success they’ve had and been ranked as high as they’ve been ranked throughout the year.”
All time, Arkansas holds a 107-58 advantage dating back to Southwest Conference days. Last season, the Aggies jumped out to a 20-4 lead in the first half, but failed to capitalize in the second, leading to an eventual 76-73 overtime loss at Bud Walton Arena.
Williams said a win last year could have been the difference between making the NCAA Tournament and the NIT Tournament in New York City. This time around, the Aggies best be ready for a back-and-forth showdown that could feature multiple lead changes before the final buzzer.
“You have to be really, really tight in a lot of different ways in order to have a chance to win on the road," Williams said. "So far, I think we’re progressing in the right way.”
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