With the support of a record-breaking crowd, A&M propelled itself to a big win over the LSU Tigers in front of a national television audience.
A big week is looming just around the corner for the Aggies, but first comes a date with the Missouri Tigers on Saturday afternoon.
A&M (16-2, 6-0 SEC) has balance all over the floor, and when one person has a bad night, someone else always seems to step up when needed. Jalen Jones has been the most consistent of the bunch this year, and pitched in a dominant 20 points in the win over LSU on Tuesday night, where he essentially stole the spotlight away from Ben Simmons.
Freshman standout Tyler Davis is coming off a big night as well, after putting up 18 points and five rebounds. The big man who has not shot a three-pointer all season continues to be dominant in the paint.
”Tyler was good,” Texas A&M coach Billy Kennedy said after the LSU win. ”He ran the floor and got layups and we got him the ball. We were able to take advantage of him inside.”
Davis said that the credit should to his head ball coach for putting him in the right position to shine in big moments.
”I just went out there and did my job, did what I was asked to do by Coach Kennedy,” Davis said after the LSU game. ”I was in the spots I was supposed to be in and my teammates found me.”
The Aggies will need the Davis from Tuesday night down low against Missouri (8-10, 1-4 SEC) freshman Kevin Puryear, who is the Tigers’ leader in the post, averaging 11.6 points per contest. Junior Wes Clark has helped the young squad in SEC play with 10.3 points per outing while shooting 40.6 percent from the floor.
The Tigers average 68.6 points per game, second worst in the SEC, and A&M’s quick-handed defense holds opponents to an SEC best 64.3 points per game. The experience versus the inexperience is what to watch for this weekend. Reed Arena is sure to be sold out once again, and that alone will make life tough for the youthful Tigers.
The action gets started on Saturday afternoon with a tip-off scheduled for 3 p.m. The game will be televised on the SEC Network.
