Texas A&M (14-6, 6-1 SEC) is coming off of their highly impressive 79-63 road win vs. Auburn on Wednesday night, now winning six of their last seven SEC games with eleven remaining, as the Aggies will now return to Reed Arena to take on the Vanderbilt Commodores (10-10, 3-4 SEC) on Saturday night in what is sure to be a tough battle no matter the record differential.
Sitting in the middle of the SEC standings, the Commodores are winners of two out of their last four games, including a ranked victory over Arkansas on Jan. 14th. with their recent loss to the surging Kentucky Wildcats on Tuesday, upcoming matchups against Texas A&M, and the 2nd-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide is pretty much the definition of mid-season adversity. The program is led by senior forward Liam Robbins, who stands at 7β² 0β³ and 250 lbs, averaging 13.2 ppg, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks, ranking first on the team in all three categories. Junior guard Tyrin Lawrence is second in points with 11.2, while senior guard Jordan Wright is 3rd with 10.6.
Head coach Jerry Stackhouse is in his fourth season with the Commodores, holding a 49-63 record as the planned rebuild hasnβt gone particularly well, yet a trip to the NIT last season is certainly a step in the right direction. Either way, Vanderbilt is a well-coached team with a chance to steal a win on any given night, averaging a respectable 72 ppg, shooting 42% from the field, and 33% from 3-point territory.
For the Aggies and Head coach Buzz Williams, senior guard Tyrece βBootsβ Radford has been on an absolute tear in his last two games, scoring 30 points against Auburn for a total of 52 since last Saturday in a loss to Kentucky, while the Aggie defense grabbed 8 steals and forced 13 turnovers against the Tigers, regaining momentum from their previous seven-game winning streak. What are the keys to victory on Saturday night? Neutralize Liam Robbins in the paint, and defend the perimeter to force errant outside shots early and often.
Texas A&M vs. Vanderbilt will start at 7:30 PM CT. on Saturday, Jan. 28th, and will air on the SEC Network.
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