Mississippi State Basketball: Men’s Hoops vs. Texas A&M Preview
Mississippi State (8-4, 3-1 SEC) rides a two-game winning streak into Wednesday night’s matchup with the Aggies of Texas A&M (6-4, 1-3 SEC). The Bulldogs and Aggies will tip-off at 8 PM CT from the Humphrey Coliseum.
The dynamic backcourt of DJ Stewart and Iverson Molinar combined for 40 points in Saturday’s win over Vanderbilt. Molinar leads MSU in scoring at 19.2 points per game, with Stewart not far behind at 18.6.
You can watch the game on SECNetwork and listen to the game on the MSU Radio Network.
Scouting Texas A&M
Texas A&M comes into Wednesday with a record of 6-4. Head coach Buzz Williams and his squad have lost three out of four to begin conference play. The Aggies dropped a 68-54 decision to 9th-ranked Tennessee in their last outing. A&M’s lone conference win came against Auburn by a score of 68-66.
Buzz Williams continues to shuffle his lineup around, having only one player start every game. That player is Andre Gordon. Gordon averages just under 9 points and leads the team with 26 assists on the season.
The Aggies are led offensively by forward Emanuel Miller. He leads the team in both points (17.3) and rebounds (7.8). Miller is having a breakout sophomore season and has scored in double figures in 9 games. He scored a career-high 28 just two games ago against South Carolina.
Quenton Jackson is the outside threat for A&M, shooting 44% from three this season. Jackson is also the second-leading scorer at 12 points a game. Senior Savion Flagg has seen his numbers dip this season, but he provides size and experience off the bench.
Texas A&M has struggled offensively this season and ranks last in the SEC with just 66 points per game. Turnovers have also been a problem so far, as A&M averages 16.8 per game. The Aggies shoot 43% from the field and just under 30% from behind the arc.
Keys to a Bulldog Win
With Florida coming to town Saturday, it would be easy to overlook a struggling Texas A&M team. The Bulldogs cannot let that happen. Mississippi State is playing its best basketball of the season, but that can quickly be erased with a loss to Texas A&M.
If Mississippi State defends the three well, they should cruise to a W. The Aggies only make about 6 threes per game, but several teams this year have shown that they are more than capable of knocking them down against the Bulldogs. Quenton Jackson poses the biggest threat to get hot from outside and give A&M a chance.
Prediction
I expect Mississippi State to dominate on both ends of the floor in a rout of Texas A&M. The Bulldogs will extend their winning streak to three games with the 19 point win.