Slumping Aggies will not be easy for LSU
Just three weeks ago, Texas A&M was sitting atop the Southeastern Conference standings with a 7-0 record.
However, the Aggies have not won a league game since beating Missouri on Jan. 23. The recent conference schedule has not been favorable for Texas A&M with three of its last four games away from College Station.
The Aggies dropped those three road games to Arkansas, Vanderbilt and Alabama. Then, Texas A&M was beaten at home last Saturday by South Carolina. So, the Aggies find themselves in fourth place – one game behind LSU, Kentucky and South Carolina.
“These losses only make me think (Texas A&M) will come in here with fire trying to turn things around,” wing Keith Hornsby said. “We need to win this game against Texas A&M.”
The Tigers’ 94-83 setback at South Carolina on Wednesday dropped them out of sole possession of first place. LSU’s three conference defeats have all come on the road against contending teams – Florida, Texas A&M and South Carolina.
The Tigers have three victories against teams with winning SEC records – Kentucky and Georgia at home and Vanderbilt on the road. So, with the exception of the Vanderbilt game, the site of the game has been a barometer of the result.
“We always emphasize defending our home court,” Hornsby said. “We probably need to put an exclamation point on this one. We are 5-0 at home in the SEC and we just have to keep it that way.”
Texas A&M may be on a four-game conference losing streak, but it has provided many problems for the Tigers recently. The Aggies have won four of the past five meetings against LSU. Texas A&M has slowed the tempo in these four defeats as the Tigers have averaged only 64 points per game.
“Texas A&M plays good team defense,” said point guard Tim Quarterman, who has been in uniform for all four of the LSU setbacks. “They are a great defensive basketball team when the opposing team makes one pass and shoots.
“Texas A&M forces the other team to shoot jumpers. You have to swing the ball and make the extra pass. In order to beat their defense, you have to make more than one pass. You can’t just settle for the first shot.”
LSU’s offense was totally ineffective in the first meeting with the Aggies this season. The Tigers shot 37 percent from the field, including 32 percent on 3-pointers. LSU, which committed a season-high 19 turnovers, got to the foul line only ten times.
“People are saying that Texas A&M is not as focused on defense as they had been during the first part of the SEC schedule,” Hornsby said. “When we have played them, they have been a tremendous defensive team. They pack it in more than most teams. Normally, it is hard to penetrate against them.”
The Aggies strength resides with post players Jalen Jones and Tyler Davis and wing Danuel House. Those three players are combining for 43 points and 18 rebounds per game. Jones has been the leader with 16 points and seven boards per contest.
“We have to clean up a few things from the South Carolina game,” LSU coach Johnny Jones said. “We had a lack of execution at the free throw line, on defense and at the offensive end at the end of the game.
“If we make our free throws in the first half, we have the lead at halftime and the game is closer in the second half. We had just two stops on Texas A&M’s last 17 possessions. Then, we were not getting the ball to the people who were scoring. The best shots have to come from the best available people.”
The midweek results simply tightened the race for the SEC championship. Seven teams are separated by two games. Texas A&M and Florida are one game behind the tri-leaders, while Georgia and Vanderbilt are just two games out of first place. Seven playing dates remain in the regular season.
Freshman Ben Simmons is experiencing a title chase for the first time in his career. These games are far different from a high school schedule filled with neutral-site tournaments.
“This (race) has been fun,” Simmons said. “I’m enjoying it. I love competing against different teams and seeing what different things they do to me. There are a bunch of good teams up here. It is hard playing this schedule, not easy at all.
“Every time we play (at home), we have to make sure we’re ready. You just can’t take it for granted that you are going to win when you are at home.”