Texas A&M No Giant-Slayer, But Becoming One May Prove Crucial

After a powerful seven-game successful streak, The Texas A&M Aggies could have discovered their kryptonite.

Although it has are available in many kinds all through the season — it is most up-to-date was the reigning school basketball participant of the 12 months: Kentucky big-man Oscar Tshiebwe. Of their final recreation, the Aggies put up a struggle in opposition to the Wildcats — who now sit within the prime 5 of the SEC standings — however couldn’t shut the deal within the second half, in the end resulting in their nine-point loss.

In that recreation, Aggie coach Buzz Williams accounted for Tshiebwe’s anticipated offensive efficiency, efficiently holding the SEC’s greatest shooter to simply seven factors. His impression on the glass, nevertheless, was not accounted for.

By the tip of regulation, Tshiebwe managed to seize 17 rebounds — greater than half of the complete Aggie roster, which Williams gave credit score for.

“[Tshiebwe is] so dominant on the rim,” Williams mentioned. “His offensive rebound proportion is 20.4 p.c — there are groups in our league that do not have that.”

“Clearly, we had been struggling to determine a option to cease him earlier than the ball was shot,” he added. “However if you happen to have a look at quite a lot of his baskets … a excessive proportion of [them come] off another person’s misses.”

Offensive rebounds are one other type of Aggie kryptonite.

On the season, Texas A&M is taking pictures 45.2 p.c from the ground. Although it ranks fourth within the SEC, lacking greater than half of the pictures it takes signifies that greater than half of the time, a rebounding alternative is out there — and the Aggies sit within the backside half of the convention in that regard.

Gamers like Tshiebwe haven’t been shy to reap the benefits of that truth, using their physicality and peak below the basket to generate offense.

“As greatest you possibly can, you attempt to [prepare] for it,” Williams mentioned. “We won’t mimic the physicality that [Tshiebwe] performs with [or] the stress that it causes on each ends … he is the reigning Nationwide Participant of the 12 months … and it is laborious to observe in opposition to that except he is in your workforce.”

Although Texas A&M got here out with a win in opposition to Florida within the two groups’ second outing, it was something however fairly. The Gators’ huge man Colin Castleton had his method in opposition to the Aggies, recording a double-double with 14 factors and 13 rebounds.

In response, the Aggie protection stepped up — holding Florida to its lowest level complete of the season en path to a two-point victory.

“The factor that damage us [against Florida] was that they beat us on the glass,” Williams mentioned. “They’re actually laborious to attain in opposition to … [and] they’d 17 offensive rebounds, however to carry them [down low] was actually good.”

One other key for the Aggies was outscoring the Gators within the paint, which has confirmed to be key for when the rebounding recreation doesn’t go their method. That was the case once more for Kentucky, solely in that recreation, 16 second-chance factors off of rebounds saved it out of attain for Texas A&M.

“Now we have completed a very good job by the primary 5 video games in our offensive rebound proportion,” Williams mentioned. “[Against Kentucky] was our lowest … we had been actually dangerous in these classes at this time, [but] I assumed our guys performed extremely laborious. Not less than it stayed within the vary the place we had an opportunity.”

With an upcoming matchup in opposition to the No. 15 ranked Auburn Tigers Wednesday, the Aggies will hit the street, searching for one other convention win.

Fortunately for them, Auburn’s main scorer is just not an enormous man — that may be 6-10 ahead Johni Broome. However not-so-lucky for the Aggies, he’s second in scoring, and the workforce as a complete is top-5 within the SEC for rebounding.

The sport in opposition to the Tigers might be one other alternative for the Aggies to face off in opposition to a big-time huge man, who has seemingly had their quantity so far.

“They put stress on the rim on either side of the ball,” Williams mentioned. “They play very aggressive, very quick and … [Broome] is arguably one of many higher transfers from mid-major to high-major. He’s been very impactful straight away.”

So, with convention seeding and NCAA event implications on the road, the Aggies may even look to their maroon anti-kryptonite go well with: extra factors within the paint and extra offensive rebounds, which won’t solely play an enormous issue of their matchup in opposition to the Tigers however for the remainder of the season.

And Buzz Williams has confidence in his workforce to just do that.

“I feel our guys are comfy with the ball on the rim,” Williams mentioned. “On this league, you possibly can’t end the identical method each time as a result of the size and athleticism [of the players] forces you to shoot and make completely different pictures, however … how we play offensively, we want a excessive proportion of rim pictures … we have simply bought to determine learn how to maintain [opponents] away from the rim.”

You’ll be able to observe Matt Guzman on Twitter @mattgzman

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