As the SEC standings take shape, Texas A&M is sitting in a prime position-and they know the target on their back is only getting bigger. The Aggies are set to host South Carolina on Saturday in College Station, and with momentum on their side and confidence building, this matchup has all the makings of a trap game if A&M isn’t careful.
At 15-4 overall and 5-1 in conference play, the Aggies have bounced back in a big way since their January 13 loss at Tennessee. They’ve rattled off two straight wins, including a dominant 88-68 performance over Mississippi State where they put together one of their most complete games of the season.
Just three turnovers, 18 assists, and a near-perfect 23-of-24 from the free-throw line? That’s the kind of efficiency coaches dream about.
It’s a far cry from how the season started. A&M opened the year with back-to-back losses to Oklahoma State and UCF, stumbling to a 2-2 record out of the gate. But since then, they’ve looked every bit like a team ready to punch its ticket to the NCAA Tournament for a fourth consecutive season.
“There’s an identity to who we are,” head coach Bucky McMillan said this week. “There’s a belief in what we do.”
That belief is showing up in the way they play. McMillan pointed out that even if the team starts a game 0-for-15 from beyond the arc, there’s no panic.
They’re going to keep shooting, keep trusting the system, and keep pushing the pace. That kind of mindset is hard to teach-but when it clicks, it’s powerful.
Offensively, the Aggies are lighting it up. Their 91.7 points per game ranks third in the SEC, and they’re doing it with balance and purpose.
Rashaun Agee has become a force down low, averaging 13.8 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. He was a problem for Mississippi State, dropping 23 points and pulling down 10 boards in that win.
On the perimeter, Ruben Dominguez has turned into a reliable deep threat, knocking down 3.3 triples per game on average.
But Saturday’s matchup won’t be a walk. South Carolina may not have the record A&M does (they’re 11-8 overall, 2-4 in the SEC), but they’re coming off a much-needed 85-76 win over Oklahoma that snapped a three-game losing streak. And they’ve got some confidence of their own now.
Meechie Johnson was electric in that victory, pouring in 20 points-18 of them in the second half-to help the Gamecocks pull away. Kobe Knox added 18 points, and South Carolina never trailed. That’s the kind of performance that can turn a season around if they build on it.
“I was happy for the guys,” Gamecocks head coach Lamont Paris said. “They were really excited to get a good conference win.
Just build some confidence for those guys as they move forward. Everyone needs confidence.”
South Carolina’s calling card is defense. They’re holding opponents to 72 points per game, and they’ll need every bit of that grit to slow down an Aggie offense that’s been humming.
History tells us this one could get interesting. A&M won the last meeting between the two in Columbia, 76-72, but South Carolina has had the upper hand in College Station, winning the last four matchups there. That’s not the kind of streak A&M wants to see continue-especially with their current form and SEC title hopes on the line.
Bottom line: the Aggies are rolling, but South Carolina isn’t coming in quietly. If Texas A&M wants to stay atop the conference, they’ll need to keep playing like the team that’s found its identity-and not the one that started 2-2.