Texas A&M is searching for answers-and a way to stop the bleeding.
After a gut-wrenching 86-85 loss to Missouri, the Aggies have now dropped two straight, and the frustration is starting to mount. That Missouri game wasn’t just a close one-it was a heartbreaker.
Texas A&M gave up a staggering 56 points in the paint, and the interior defense that had held up earlier in the year just couldn’t match the Tigers’ size and physicality. It’s a theme that’s emerged in back-to-back losses, with Florida also exploiting the Aggies down low in a blowout win.
This SEC grind doesn’t give anyone much room to breathe, and for A&M, the margin for error is razor-thin. The Aggies started conference play strong, going 7-1 with some serious résumé-boosting wins-including tough Quad 1A road victories at Auburn, Texas, and Georgia.
But lately, the wheels have wobbled. The offense sputtered in Gainesville, and then came a tightly contested three-point loss to Alabama.
Wednesday’s one-point defeat at Missouri was the kind of game that could define a season-for better or worse.
Still, this isn’t a team that folds easily. They’ve shown they can hang with anyone in the league.
What they need now is consistency, especially on the defensive end. And they’ll get another shot to prove themselves on Saturday when they travel to face No.
19 Vanderbilt.
Vanderbilt is a tough read. At times, they’ve looked like a team ready to make a deep March run.
At others, they’ve looked pedestrian. But even without their star guard Duke Miles-who’ll miss his fifth straight game-they’ve stayed dangerous.
Miles, the team’s second-leading scorer at 16.6 points per game, has been a major loss, and they’ve also been without guard Frankie Collins since early December. Despite that, the Commodores are 4-1 without Miles in the lineup and are currently projected as a 3-seed or better in the NCAA Tournament.
That speaks volumes about their depth and adaptability.
For Texas A&M, the matchup could be a bit of a reprieve. Vanderbilt doesn’t boast the same size advantage that Florida and Missouri did, which could help the Aggies find some rhythm offensively.
But the challenge shifts to the perimeter. The Commodores are shooting a scorching 36% from three and nearly 50% from the field overall.
If A&M wants to pull off the upset, they’ll need to tighten up their perimeter defense-fast.
This is a pivotal moment in the Aggies’ season. A win on the road against a ranked opponent could reset the tone heading into the stretch run.
A loss? That would make three straight and raise more questions about how far this team can go.
Tip-off is set for Saturday at 12:00 p.m. CT on the SEC Network. Expect a battle-because both teams have plenty to prove.