Buckle up. It’s going to be a bumpy and physical matchup.
Texas A&M basketball is on a business trip with hopes of getting back to College Station to practice on their home floor before heading south for the Sweet Sixteen.
Houston basketball, however, is treating this moment with maturity, as head coach Kelvin Sampson mentioned after the Idaho win, and is all gas and no breaks the way they have been shooting recently, and wants to do the same thing. Get home and play close to home.
What’s the easiest way to do that? Can the offense do what it did against the Vandals? Will the Cougars respond to the pressure that the Aggies bring? Here’s what the keys are to punching a ticket to the next round of the NCAA Tournament.
Starting Five Energy
The Cougars are not going to walk out of Paycom Center with a win if they cannot get the production from the starting rotation that has been the reason opponents have struggled so much in the past against a disciplined offense and defense.
Why is that so important to bring up? Energy and endurance are going to be vital down the stretch because the Aggies have a first-year head coach who is not scared to substitute his players at a consistent rate, which is something that will have to be communicated well between the group at this stage, or there will be confusion and fatigue with the fresh legs checking into the game.
A&M is in the top 10 in the nation in bench point production so even though Houston plays a lot of its starts more than it would like to, the depth to go the distance is of the utmost importance to stick around in a game that can get away quickly. Saint Mary’s learned that the hard way after falling down 9-0 early and never having the chance to crawl back into the game and take the lead.
Obviously, it seems simple to say that the five guys that have been working their tails off since day one in the lineup, but getting the early success going will get the crowd going in a place that could favor the Aggies, who have a little shorter drive and don’t let the 12th Man take over.
Rebounding
Of course, any team that wants to fly home happy campers needs to clean the glass and reel in several boards. This Sampson program does so. McMillan’s can too. One difference between the two? Houston has more size. A&M is undersized.
Can the Cougars expose the size underneath and nail the mid-range jumpers that are widely known to be made by this roster? The Aggies lack depth in the forward position after either Rashuan Agee or Zach Clemence gets into foul trouble, so if there is a way to get that duo frustrated at hearing the whistle get called because of them, that is an upside that the Cougars must take advantage of.
If there is another game like the Idaho one, where Houston can be dominant in the rebound battle 47-32, it could be a long evening for the Maroon and White. There’s no doubt it could be won by going inside, but getting the offensive and defensive rebounds will help open the floor for guys like Kingston Flemings, Milos Uzan, and Emanuel Sharp to go to work and play their brand of basketball. Watch closely to what happens after the basketball scrapes the iron.
Tipoff between the Aggies and Cougars begins on Saturday, March 21, at 5:10 p.m. on TNT.
