A&M is a team to watch....

[chiefhawg]

Texas A&M took Kentucky to 2 overtimes. They have a good team.

[Dr. Starcs]

Don't we need ole miss to lose another as well? (Assuming we go 2-1, to get the 2 seed)

[passinghog]

They still don't have any top 50 wins. Hopefully they lose all their remaining chances against top 50 teams and miss the tourney. Glad we won. Would've hated to lose to such a loser program.

[micali]

Dead serious. They are a very good team. How many teams in the country can overcome what they did to cut the lead late to 1 point? There probably isn't 15 teams in the country who could have done that.

If we would have rebounded better that would not have happened.  It was more on us losing that lead and Daniel House.
If there a sweet 16 we are a final 4 team.  I don't see them getting past the second round.

[reddogjcss]

A&M is a very good team. Better then there record.

[Danny J]

If we would have rebounded better that would not have happened.  It was more on us losing that lead and Daniel House.
If there a sweet 16 we are a final 4 team.  I don't see them getting past the second round.

UK barely beat them....took them two OT's to do it. They are a legit team and a dangerous tournament team with their guard and forward play.

[Pigliophile]

Yeah, A&M is a good team, but we're better.  :razorback:

[greasy_corner]

They showed grit. No moral victories, but they can leave NWA proud.

That Danuele House kid is for real.

Coach Anderson was in the middle of <poor aggie> well after the handshakes.  He was personally talking to House.  Respect.

[razorbackchamps94]

Don't we need ole miss to lose another as well? (Assuming we go 2-1, to get the 2 seed)

Hogs 1 up on OlE Miss

[razCzar]

UK barely beat them....took them two OT's to do it. They are a legit team and a dangerous tournament team with their guard and forward play.

And you can't count them out of the race for second place - their three remaining games (AU, @FL, AL) should be a cake-walk for them.  Far easier schedule than both Hogs and Rebs.

[Danny J]

And you can't count them out of the race for second place - their three remaining games (AU, @FL, AL) should be a cake-walk for them.  Far easier schedule than both Hogs and Rebs.

No doubt....I think we lose to UK, no telling what happens at USCe but it will be close and I think we have a good chance against LSU as long as their guards are not shooting well. I could see us finishing 2-1 and I could see us finishing 0-3 but I think right now if I had a gun to my head we finish 1-2. Hope I am wrong. Still though....that is 13-5 and one game better than I thought we would finish. Regardless....as long as we are a 4 seed we get the double bye. Only bad thing about a 4 is we are on the same side of the bracket as UK. So as long as we are a 2 or 3 I don't think it matters which.

[lc480]

House is a good player, but a lot of his 3 pointer were wide open looks. We didn't play the same way on defense the second half. We made TAM look like a bad high school team in the first half.

[Breems]

Don't we need ole miss to lose another as well? (Assuming we go 2-1, to get the 2 seed)

Not according to Fayettechill14's analysis here. Two more wins should suffice.

If we go 1-2 down the stretch, then Ole Miss does have to lose a game.

[ChicoHog]

House is a good player, but a lot of his 3 pointer were wide open looks. We didn't play the same way on defense the second half. We made TAM look like a bad high school team in the first half.

Agreed.  He had a few from the corner and seemed to make them all.  Still the biggest difference is shooting.  We shot well the first half, not so well the second half.  Exact opposite for A&M.  They missed so many put backs that it actually increased their offensive rebounds.  Defensively we need to do less double teaming off a hot shooter like House and block out on the weak side better when Portis or Harris go for a block.  Beard, as much as I love his hustle, takes way too many chances on defense in the half court leaving his man and double teaming or not seeing both his man and the ball.  He got burned early in the game on a back door cut because he was watching only the ball instead of both his man and the ball.  A&M played mostly zone and we made shots in the first half so they extended it.  We struggled getting those same shots in the second half so we must continue to penetrate and dish as Madden and Beard did a few times.  If they extend the zone the middle and/or high posts will be open. 

[popcornhog]

Two teams essentially swapped their best efforts and focus levels at half-time.

Hoping A&M loses another game (@Florida hopefully) so that the #2 seed is safe with us. Otherwise, I look forward to watching them in the Big Dance with us.

We've got a two game lead plus the tie breaker now.

[DeltaBoy]

I don't like them but they can make some noise....teams don't just come back like that. Very impressed by them.

To bad that first half will be forgotten.

Nope Mike and the Boyz let off the GAS and let them come back.

[lc480]

How could you ever respect a team that has boy cheerleaders???

[jbcarol]

Brent Zwerneman @BrentZwerneman  ·  13 hours ago

Texas A&M likely still on target for 1st NCAA tourney bid since 2011, despite losing 81-75 at Arkansas on Tuesday: http://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/2015/02/aggies-miss-chance-to-shine-on-national-stage-in-loss-to-no-18-arkansas ...

Heck of a comeback by A&M in trying to overcome 23-point halftime deficit at Arkansas, but Razorbacks prevail 81-75 (was 74-72 at one point)

[jbcarol]

AL.com sports @aldotcomSports  ·  3 hours ago
Cheat sheet: #Auburn stumbling into rematch with Texas A&M http://ow.ly/JLo7b 

WHAT Auburn men's basketball (12-16, 4-11 SEC) at Texas A&M (19-8, 10-5)

WHEN Tonight, 7:30 p.m. CT

WHERE Reed Arena in College Station, Texas

TV SEC Network

LINE Texas A&M by 12

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUPS

Auburn -- G K.C. Ross-Miller, G KT Harrell, G Malcolm Canada, F Jordon Granger, F Cinmeon Bowers

Texas A&M -- G Alex Caruso, G Jordan Green, G Danuel House, F Jalen Jones, F Kourtney Roberson

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Auburn -- Starting guard Antoine Mason left the team Thursday to be with his father, Anthony, who passed away this morning after suffering a heart attack earlier this month. Mason had been a go-to scoring option in recent games until failing to score a field goal for the first time this season in Tuesday's loss to LSU. Senior Malcolm Canada and freshman TJ Lang will likely see increased roles in Mason's absence. KT Harrell is the SEC's leading scorer with 17.7 points per game.

Texas A&M -- Danuel House averages 15.4 points per game to lead the Aggies this season. He scored a career-high 28 points against No. 18 Arkansas Tuesday and is seventh in the nation from the 3-point line, where he holds a 43.8 shooting percentage. Jalen Jones could also complicate things for the Tigers. The junior is averaging 13.3 points and 6.4 rebounds per contest this season.

[jbcarol]

Brent Zwerneman @BrentZwerneman  ·  1 hour ago
Texas A&M's 25-point win over Auburn (80-55) was largest in conference play for Aggies since 2008 (in Big 12 under then-coach Mark Turgeon).

9,809 here in Reed Arena tonight, not a bad crowd considering the cold and wet outside...

Bruce Pearl emotional in thanking A&M for moment of silence for Anthony Mason: 'It makes me proud that Texas A&M is part of the SEC family'

Bruce Pearl also thanked A&M equipment staff for stitching memorial ribbons on Auburn players' jerseys today in honor of Anthony Mason.

[jbcarol]

Brent Zwerneman @BrentZwerneman  ·  Feb 28

Texas A&M continues turnaround season w/ 25-point victory over Auburn, its largest in league play in 7 years: http://www.chron.com/sports/aggies/article/Aggies-continue-turnaround-with-easy-victory-over-6108498.php ...

[jbcarol]

Final from Gainesville on Senior Night:

A&M 62,  Florida 66

[jbcarol]

Dorian Finney-Smith scored 12 points before fouling out in the closing minutes, and Florida held on to beat A&M 65-62 Tuesday night despite more free-throw woes.

The Gators (15-15, 8-9) led by 14 with 1:58 to play, but missed 9 of 14 from the charity stripe before Eli Carter and Kasey Hill closed it out.

"It's happened to our team a lot this season: we have these mental lapses," said coach Billy Donovan, whose team finished 20 of 38 from the free-throw line.

Carter made a pair of free throws with 13.4 seconds remaining, and Hill sank an even bigger one that put Florida up 66-62 with 6.3 seconds to play.

A&M's Antwan Space missed a 3-pointer on the final possession with Florida playing not to foul.

The Gators won their second straight after losing six of seven and improved their chances of making the NIT. The Aggies (20-9, 11-6) had been looking to strengthen their NCAA tournament resume, but instead lost for second time in three games.

Alex Caruso led A&M with 20 points. Jalen Jones added 15 points and nine rebounds. Kourtney Roberson added 11 points, eight boards and four assists, and leading scorer Danuel House was scoreless for the first time this season.

"I thought Florida's defense was tremendous," A&M coach Billy Kennedy said. "They did a good job with Danuel House. It threw us out of our game. ... They doubled him and they were aggressive. They didn't leave him."

[jbcarol]

Brent Zwerneman @BrentZwerneman  ·  22 hours ago
Billy Kennedy said Danuel House has a hurt foot and hopes 'to get him back as soon as possible' -- declined to speculate on Sat Bama game.

[jbcarol]

Brent Zwerneman @BrentZwerneman  ·  1 hour ago
Alabama pulls off the upset in Reed Arena, 61-60 over Texas A&M in the regular-season finale.

Billy Kennedy on the availability of Danuel House (foot) moving forward: "It's something I'm not sure about. ... We hope for the best ..."

[jbcarol]

Kate Hairopoulos @khairopoulos  ·  8 hours ago
A&M's Billy Kennedy says uncertain if Danuel House (foot) will be ready 4 SEC tourney Thurs. Loss to 'Bama cost Ags chance to start play Fri

[jbcarol]

A&M men's NCAA hopes hang by a thread

Not unlike football, the men's basketball record is measured more by how it got there than what it is.

Football had every Aggie fan on cloud nine after its showing in the opener at South Carolina, so when it imploded, the team was assessed in comparison to the rout of the Gamecocks rather than where every one predicted the Aggies to finish from the very beginning.

The basketball team has fallen under that same umbrella, surprising people with its run in the first half of the Southeastern Conference schedule and then not being able to live up to that standard down the stretch.

Ironically, both teams hit bottom against Alabama, the football team with a 59-0 loss and the basketball team last week at home against the eighth-place Crimson Tide on Senior Day in a game that had more NCAA tournament implications than any other in Billy Kennedy's four-year tenure as coach at A&M.

So, should the Aggies be gauged by the team they set themselves up to be or the team that was predicted to finish ninth in the SEC. A&M fans have shoved the tied-for-third-place finish in the SEC aside and put the final 20 minutes of the regular season front and center.

It's the what-have-you-done-for-me-lately mentality.

As much as I'd like to argue that point, because the Aggies deserve acknowledgment for winning 20 games and again finishing where they did in the SEC, I'm not because those final 20 minutes, and probably more specifically the first 10 minutes of the final half honestly were disheartening...

[jbcarol]

Kate Hairopoulos @khairopoulos  ·  Mar 10
Lunardi said on conference call A&M's first game Thursday vs. Auburn/Mississippi State can only hurt. If Aggies do beat LSU, UK likely next.

[jbcarol]

Brent Zwerneman @BrentZwerneman  ·  3 hours ago

Minus Danuel House, A&M hopes SEC showing can get attention of selection committee: http://www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/article/A-M-hopes-SEC-showing-can-get-attention-of-6129084.php ... via @HoustonChron

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Texas A&M guard Danuel House put on a shooting exhibition Wednesday afternoon in Bridgestone Arena. House's shot was as sweet as ever, but the stiff walking boot shielding a badly sprained left foot is causing the Aggies angst heading into the SEC tournament.

"We only have so many guys with Danuel out," junior guard Alex Caruso said. "We've got to try and mix and match."

The fifth-seeded Aggies (20-10, 11-7 SEC), who earned a bye in the league tournament's first round, face Auburn starting about 2:30 p.m. Thursday in the second round. The Tigers defeated Mississippi State on Wednesday for the right to take on A&M.

A&M coach Billy Kennedy has emphasized all week that the Aggies believe they must win at least two games in the SEC tournament for a chance to earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011.

Winning two games in Nashville also would mean defeating No. 4 seed LSU for a third time this season, with the previous two comeback victories led by House. He sprained his foot late in the Aggies' 66-62 loss at Florida on March 3 and didn't play in A&M's 61-60 home loss to Alabama on Saturday.

[jbcarol]

Brent Zwerneman @BrentZwerneman  ·  25 minutes ago
Final box score from Auburn 66, Texas A&M 59:



Billy Kennedy: We didn't handle the magnitude of the game. We had a hard time handling the pressure, when things went bad for us.

Billy Kennedy: For whatever reason our energy level wasn't where it needed to be. ... (Auburn's) confidence was better than ours.

[jbcarol]

Kate Hairopoulos @khairopoulos  ·  19 hours ago
So should A&M feel better now that Auburn also beat LSU... Or worse?

[jbcarol]

Brent Zwerneman @BrentZwerneman  ·  Mar 13
'One of those days' in basketball turned it into another 'one of those years' for Texas A&M: http://www.chron.com/sports/aggies/article/Aggies-late-season-tumble-continues-with-loss-6130919.php ...

A&M's SEC tournament run brusquely wrapped up 40 minutes past its starting line on Thursday, prompting a subdued guard Alex Caruso to search for answers in the aftermath.

"It was just one of those days where you're playing bad basketball," Caruso reasoned following 13th-seeded Auburn's 66-59 toppling of the fifth-seeded Aggies in Bridgestone Arena.

Because it was one of those days, it suddenly turned into one of those years for Texas A&M. Based on the Aggies' recent basketball past, that's a bad thing.

A&M, fully expecting to make the NCAA tournament less than two weeks ago, likely will miss out on the NCAA postseason for a fourth consecutive season under fourth-year coach Billy Kennedy. The Aggies had made the NCAA tournament six straight years under two staffs prior to his arrival.

"We didn't handle the magnitude of the game," Kennedy said. "We had a hard time handling the pressure, when things went bad for us."

[jbcarol]

Richard Croome @rwcroome  · 
#AggieHoops Only 2 of 9 "bubble teams" won Thursday in conference tourneys. Exaggerates Ag loss

[jbcarol]

Brent Zwerneman @BrentZwerneman  ·  43 minutes ago
Pretty cool via Billy Kennedy RT @Coach_Kennedy Tuesday at 8 PM at Reed! Need the 12th Man! Student tickets on me. #GetToReed #BTHOmontana

[jbcarol]

Brent Zwerneman @BrentZwerneman  ·  12m 12 minutes ago
Texas A&M coach Billy Kennedy, who expects Danuel House back for SR season, vows Aggies make NCAA Tourney in 2016: http://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/2015/03/billy-kennedy-texas-a-expects-house-back-for-senior-season/ ...

[jbcarol]

Evan Daniels @EvanDaniels  ·  6h 6 hours ago
Texas A&M pledge J.J. Caldwell is one of best passers in the 2015 class. His vision is ridiculous.