Something will have to give Thursday night in College Station, where unbeaten Texas A&M and unbeaten Oklahoma State meet in a rare early-season showdown between former Big 12 rivals.
The game puts two Power 4 programs on the same home floor this early in the year, a setup most teams avoid while they’re still trying to sort out rotations and build chemistry before conference play arrives.
Texas A&M has looked sharp through its first three games, rolling to a 3-0 start while winning by an average of 36.3 points. The Aggies’ latest statement came Monday in a 108-67 home win over UL Monroe, a game in which PJ Haggerty scored 22 points in 20 minutes and Jordan Pope added 19 points in 19 minutes.
Tyshawn Archie chipped in 12 points off the bench, and A&M controlled the game from start to finish. The Aggies never trailed, forced 21 turnovers and limited UL Monroe to 33.8% shooting. Their reserves were a major factor, piling up 53 points.
“We want to play four phases of basketball, which is full-court D, half-court D, full-court offense, half-court offense,” Texas A&M coach Bucky McMillan said. “That’s why it usually takes our teams a little bit longer than most to get to where we’re going. But when we get there, it’s a problem for other teams.”
Oklahoma State has been just as convincing in its own right, opening 2-0 and coming off a 118-68 home win over Queens University on Friday. The Cowboys got a balanced scoring night, led by Andrija Grbovic’s 17 points off the bench. He hit 5 of 6 from 3-point range.
Parker Robinson finished with 14 points, Julius Halaifonua had 13, Latrell Allmond scored 12, Jordan Burks added 11 and Ryan Crotty finished with 10. Oklahoma State shot 16 of 28 from deep, good for 57.1%.
Steve Lutz knows the challenge gets steeper now. Texas A&M’s pressure is coming, and he expects his team to have to handle it without losing its shape.
“Anytime they press as much as Texas A&M does, it’s going to be different for us,” Lutz said. “We’re going to have to be able to embrace their chaos but at the same time be disciplined with what we’re doing and make sure that we get good shots.”
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Oklahoma State May Need Answers From Its Depth Against Texas Tech
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The bigger concern is on the other side of the roster, where linebacker Tate Romney and offensive lineman Desmond Magiya are both in doubt for Saturday. With Texas Tech dealing with its own injury list, Oklahoma State may still have a chance to lean on its depth chart in a game where the margins could be decided by who is available when kickoff arrives. [Read more 🡒]