The Oklahoma Sooners will travel to Houston to take on a former conference foe in the Texas A&M Aggies. A slow paced offense that averaged just 61 possessions in 40 minutes last season will be without their best perimeter player in Elston Turner. Something has got to give in order for this 8-2 Aggie team to keep up with the pace of the Sooners.
The Opponent
Currently, Texas A&M is averaging 74.9 points per game while shooting 49.6% from the floor. It is apparent just by the numbers that Billy Kennedy likes high percentage shots. The mentality has permeated through the team as 3-point attempts a few and far between (16.4 attempts per game) compared to other teams in the SEC. However, where this team finds an edge is in rebounding with a +3.5 margin on the year.
At times, Coach Kennedy likes to reach deep down on his bench, but it all start with Kourtney Roberson. Earning roughly 22 minutes each night, Roberson leads his team in scoring at 13.4 points per game and shoots an astounding 68.4% from the floor. At 6-9, the expectation is for this kid to patrol the paint and he does just that to the tune of a team leading 7.5 rebounds per game.
On the perimeter, a 6-8 Jamal Jones presents a tough match-up for any defender. Jones is the only other Aggie to average double digit scoring at 10.1 points per game. Look for this experienced player to use his size as an advantage early and often.
The Series
The Sooners own a 30-10 series lead of the Aggies. Yes, Texas A&M has won 9 of the last 14 meetings but it was Oklahoma who prevailed last season 65-54 in the All-College Classic.
The Game
The Oklahoma Sooners and Texas A&M Aggies will tip at 6:00 PM CST and can be found on ESPNU.