Aggies try to keep rolling at Arkansas
Texas A&M started the season 6-5. The Aggies are now 15-6, but winning nine of their last 10 games — including seven of eight in Southeastern Conference play — still has not earned A&M another ranking in the Associated Press top 25.
Based on poll tallies, the Aggies check in at 36th, primarily because early-season losses to fellow unranked foes Murray State, Colorado, Boise State, Memphis and Wofford — especially that setback to Wofford at Reed Arena on Dec. 20 — left voters skeptical of A&M’s prowess.
“We still have work to do,” A&M fourth-year coach Buzz Williams said Monday. “We’re thankful we’re in the position that we’re in, and (Tuesday) night will mark the halfway point of conference play.”
The Aggies (15-6, 7-1 SEC) take on old Southwest Conference opponent Arkansas (14-7, 3-5) at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Bud Walton Arena. A&M beat then-No. 15 Auburn on the road and Vanderbilt at home last week following a nine-point loss at Kentucky. The Razorbacks, like the Aggies, are receiving votes in the AP poll.
“We just have to try to scrap wins out,” said Arkansas coach Eric Musselman, who has led the Razorbacks to consecutive Elite Eight appearances in the NCAA Tournament.
The Aggies are simply trying to squeeze back into the NCAA postseason for the first time in five years and for the first time under Williams. A&M, based on those five nonconference losses in particular, is considered firmly on the bubble for the Tournament.
ESPN early this week had the Aggies among the last four in. Williams knows the formula moving forward is simple: Keep winning and leave no doubt about a program that was ranked early in the season before the nonconference free fall.
“The effort and cohesiveness of our staff and our team has been remarkable through the first four weeks,” Williams said of the Aggies in SEC play. “We want to try and keep that juju going regardless of results, because that togetherness has led to the results.”
Arkansas holds a 107-58 advantage in the all-time series that dates to the now defunct SWC, and the Aggies have won once on the Razorbacks’ home court in the last 35 years, 87-80 in 2019 under coach Billy Kennedy. Arkansas plays at A&M on Feb. 15.
“You could argue the environments at Arkansas, Kentucky, Auburn and Tennessee would be the top four (in the SEC),” Williams said of playing the first three on the road over the past couple of weeks in strengthening his team’s hardiness.
He added that Arkansas’ 20-4 lead a year ago eight minutes into the game at Fayetteville, Ark., should earn the Aggies’ attention going into Tuesday night. A&M wound up losing 76-73 in overtime, and an Aggies victory might have meant the difference in earning an NCAA Tournament berth.
“It’ll catch you off guard,” Williams said of playing at Bud Walton Arena, “if you’re not thinking it’s the best home-court environment in the country. … (But) our players continue to do a better and better job of only hearing our voices and trying not to get lost in the environment or what comes with playing on the road.”
The Aggies return to Reed Arena on Saturday night against Georgia (14-7, 4-4), which plays at No. 25 Auburn on Wednesday night before heading to College Station.
UP NEXT TEXAS A&M AT ARKANSAS
When/where: 6 p.m. Tuesday at Fayetteville, Ark.
TV/radio: ESPN2; 92.5 FM, 97.5 FM.