COLLEGE STATION, Texas — The No. 10 Texas A&M men’s basketball team is getting ready to host their first top-10 matchup at Reed Arena in program history. Saturday night they’ll host No. 5 Alabama, who boasts the number one scoring offense in the country, averaging 91 points per game.
“Alabama is a really good team, fast-paced team,” senior guard Zhuric Phelps said. “You know, just trying to stop them in transition things like that. Coach Johnson, he's like I say, a defensive guru, so you know he'll have us prepared, to slow those guys down.”
The Aggies are coming off a gutsy second half performance in Norman where they were down by as much as 18 points in the second half but came back to win 80-78 without star guard Wade Taylor IV. They’ll have to defend a Crimson Tide team that shoots the most threes in the league but the biggest factor in this one could be who’s able to dominate on the glass.
“We know they're talented, we're talented, but the outliers going to be rebounding who gets the most shots up,” junior forward Solomon Washington said. “So, we know that's going to be the game and that's just something we're locked in on as a team.”
Just from watching it, I think with each passing year, it seems as though from maybe a coaching standpoint, they've [Alabama] become more and more committed to the value of offensive rebounding,” head coach Buzz Williams said. “So, I'm a little partial to the category of rebounding, but I actually think that's what will determine the winning and losing.”
A&M and Alabama are two of five 2-0 teams in SEC play. The Tide are trying to win their 8th straight while the Aggies are looking for their 10thconsecutive win. So, while every SEC game is going to be a challenge, it’s imperative that the Maroon & White are able to defend their home court.
“I do think playing at home matters, but I think success in any league will always be determined by the value of road wins,” Williams said. “So the protection of home court, the environment that you play in, your success at home, all of those things are important, but [Alabama] they're as good as any team in the country.”
And of course, there’s excitement surrounding this top-10 matchup being the first for the program here at Reed.
“It’s pretty cool, bro,” senior guard Manny Obaseki said. “I mean, it's as a kid you dream of being in situations like these and it's kind of crazy that I'm a part of it. At the same time I just try to attack it as another game, just another business trip or whatever it is Just go out there and perform, you know what I'm saying, and do what we need to do in order to win that game because that's the most important thing.”
In what’s become one of the most anticipated matchups of this young season, the Aggies will host the Tide Saturday night at Reed Arena. Tipoff is set for 7pm.
