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Winter Weather Impacts Start Time for Texas A&M vs. South Carolina

Entering the weekend, the Aggies are 5-1 in the conference and hope to earn its sixth win over the Gamecocks.
Kolton Becker|
Texas A&M Aggies head coach Bucky McMillan reacts during the first half against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Reed Arena.
Texas A&M Aggies head coach Bucky McMillan reacts during the first half against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Reed Arena. | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

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Texas A&M AggiesSouth Carolina Gamecocks

Get your popcorn ready.

This weekend features another great matchup when Texas A&M welcomes South Carolina to College Station.

However, with severe winter weather expected to hit Texas and multiple other states on Saturday, the Aggies moved the start time up to 12 p.m. CT.

The Aggies are rolling into the seventh conference game of the season with a 15-4 record, hoping to add to the win column, but it starts with preparing for the 11-8 Gamecocks.

Coach Lamont Paris leads his team into Reed Arena after a big 85-76 win over the Sooners, while coach Bucky McMillan helped his program get a home win over the Bulldogs.

ESPN Analytics is giving A&M the edge to earn another win with an 83.2 percent chance to win. Dating back to 2013, the series has been dominated by South Carolina, which has won 10 of the 16 matchups. It hasn’t been favorable for A&M at home or on the road, going 3-5 at both destinations.

Do the Aggies continue to play with the confidence they have been showing all season, despite the highs and lows? Does that identity once again show up at home in front of the 12th Man? Or will the Gamecocks spoil the afternoon with a stellar shooting performance?

A&M vs South Carolina Preview

As the conference slate rolls on and the Gamecocks are the next test the Aggies face, there are several parts of this game to pay attention to: one offense on paper has been more electric than the other, but any given day, the defense can make it go sideways.

For A&M, their offense is scoring 91.7 points per game, shooting 48 percent from the field, reeling in 37.8 rebounds, while recording 19.7 assists, 3.4 blocks, and 9.3 steals. On the other side of the spectrum is South Carolina, which is scoring 78.8 points per game, shooting 46 percent from the field, hauling in 34.5 rebounds, and posting 14.8 assists, 2,5 blocks, and 5.4 steals.

A few departments that separate the Aggies from the Gamecocks are scoring offense, assists per game, bench points per game, free throw attempts per game, free throws made, three-point attempts, three-pointers per game, and steals per game.

A&M is No. 3 in bench points per game, No. 6 in assists per game, No. 8 in scoring offense, No. 10 in three pointers per game, No. 17 in three point attempts, No. 19 in free throws made per game, No. 20 in free throw attempts, and No. 22 in steals.

As for South Carolina, they are No. 14 in the SEC in offense, No. 16 in combined team rebounds and blocked shots, but No. 4 in defense. An area they do thrive in is getting to the charity stripe, as they are No. 1 in the SEC in team free-throw percentage.

It appears the key to this game will be how A&M’s defense handles discipline as South Carolina gets sent to the free-throw line, and whether their offense can stick to the game plan they prepped for. If South Carolina can find ways to draw the whistle and make the most of their trips to the line, it might be a tight game.

Players To Watch

Who is the leader and voice of the locker room for the Gamecocks? It is Meechie Johnson, who hopes to have another terrific day on the court, as he is the leading scorer on the roster with 15.1 points per game.

Two of his other teammates, who have been there for him to distribute the ball to, are Mike Sharavjamts and Elijah Strong, who are the only other two players averaging double digits.

As for A&M, forward Rashaun Agee is the captain and has been the backbone of the team, averaging 13.8 points per game to go along with 8.8 rebounds. He’s had plenty of help from his teammates as four other active players are averaging double digits, including Ruben Dominguez, Rylan Griffen, Marcus Hill, and Pop Isaacs.

Which stars will highlight the afternoon and contribute the most to add another win to the resume? To find out, the game on the SEC Network begins at noon on Saturday, January 22.

Published
Kolton Becker
KOLTON BECKER

Kolton Becker is a journalist for Texas A&M Aggies and Houston Cougars On SI from Port Lavaca, Texas. He is a graduate from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural communications and journalism and a minor in sport management. As a former sports reporter with TexAgs and The Battalion, he has covered Texas A&M football, basketball, baseball, softball, volleyball, track & field, cross country, swim & dive and equestrian. In his spare time, he loves to hunt, fish, cook, do play-by-play announcing at high school sporting events, spend time with family/friends as well as be involved with his local church.

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