Conference: Big XII
Record: 9-2
Pomeroy Rankings: 34th Overall, 22nd Offense, 73rd Defense
Best Wins: 69-60 vs. Clemson (neutral court), 66-65 vs. Minnesota (neutral court)
Coach: Mark Turgeon, 210-141, 57-22 at Texas A&M (3rd season)
Key Players:
Bryan Davis: 6-9 Senior Forward: 9.1 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 1.4 BPG
Donald Sloan: 6-3 Senior Guard: 17.4 PPG, 2.5 APG, 47.4% 3FG
Scouting Texas A&M:
The Aggies are a team that is very well rounded. They are better than average in nearly every aspect, but aren't outstanding at any one thing. They even play at almost the national average pace. The one thing that they do better than most teams is attack the basket and get to the free throw line, but traditionally Hec Ed tends to neutralize an advantage like that and even swing it toward the Huskies.
Donald Sloan is a very dangerous player. He can fill it up from anywhere on the court and also does a great job of getting to the free throw line. If he gets hot he can carry the Aggies regardless of how his teammates are playing.
A&M is an experienced team, starting 3 seniors, and relying very little on underclassmen. They shouldn't get rattled coming into Bank of America Arena, as nearly half of their 11 games (5) have been away from home.
How to Beat Them:
The formula for the Huskies needs to stay like it was against Portland: play defense and take care of the ball. For all the publicity the Huskies' up and down style receives, people tend to forget that Lorenzo Romar is a defensive minded coach. Hopefully the improvement against UP was a sign of progress for the Huskies, and not due to Portland's lack of athleticism.
In terms of turnovers, the Huskies took great care of the ball last game but what was troubling was that point guards Abdul Gaddy and Venoy Overton committed 6 out of the team's 11. You expect that they're both going to commit a few with Gaddy's youth and Overton's recklessness, but 3 apeice is too many, and they've got to be more careful going forward.
If Isaiah Thomas can carry over some of his efficiency from last game to this one, by finding his teammates for open looks, Texas A&M may have a tough time keeping up with the Dawgs.
Prediction:
Huskies win: 85-78
Kenpom Says:
Huskies win: 79-73, 72% chance of a UW victory.
Viewing: 8:00 PM (Pacific Time) FSN, Bank of America Arena, Seattle WA