Texas A&M (13-10, 4-6 SEC) will tip off against the LSU Tigers (15-7, 6-4 SEC) at 8 p.m. Wednesday in Reed Arena.
Sophomore guard Alex Caruso said he doesn’t consider the Tigers a rival yet, but just another good opponent coming into College Station.
“For one thing, LSU is like us in that they play really good at home,” Caruso said. “LSU coming on the road is going to help us out a little bit, but they’re a team with streaky shooting guards who can really shoot it. We have to bear with it, play defense and not let them get on runs.”
The Aggies are no strangers to LSU, matching up against the Tigers 26 times before Wednesday’s game. LSU owns the series 15-11.
Last time A&M and LSU met, LSU won 68-57, thanks to a 20-point performance by graduated senior Charles Carmouche. Graduated senior Ray Turner put in a double-double performance for the Aggies, scoring 16 points and grabbing 13 rebounds.
This season, LSU has three players averaging in double figures, Johnny O’Bryant III, Jordan Mickey and Andre Stringer.
O’Bryant leads LSU in scoring, averaging 15.6 points per game. O’Bryant received SEC player of the week honors in early February thanks to a season-high 29-point performance against Kentucky.
Mickey was recruited by the Aggies but ultimately decided to sign with LSU. Mickey has been named SEC Freshman of the Week three times and leads the SEC in blocked shots.
A&M head coach Billy Kennedy talked about the success Mickey has had this season.
“[Mickey] is one of the top freshmen in the country,” Kennedy said. “[Mickey] visited [Texas A&M] when he was younger, but his brother is a wide receiver for LSU and pretty much had the inside track on getting him. He is definitely a difference maker as a freshman that many [programs] would like to have.”
LSU brought in the fifth-ranked recruiting class in the nation last year, which includes highly touted forwards Mickey and Jarell Martin.
On offense, LSU ranks third in scoring and second in rebounds, while the Aggies are last in both categories. On defense, the Tigers lead the SEC in steals and are ranked second in blocked shots per game.
The Aggies have lost six of their last seven games, but are 3-1 in league play when playing at home.