No title at stake, but Aggies chase history
COLLEGE STATION — Texas A&M guard Wade Taylor IV attended a Kentucky at A&M basketball game in 2017 when he was an eighth grader and he first sat in awe as fans began swaying to the Aggie War Hymn.
He sat, that is, until an A&M fan urged him to rise and join the fun.
“A lady told me to stand up and I asked her, ‘For what?’ ” Taylor recalled Friday with a grin. “She said, ‘This is something we do.’ I said, ‘OK, that’s nice.’ ”
The No. 24 Aggies (22-8, 14-3 SEC) host No. 2 Alabama (26-4, 16-1) at 11 a.m. Saturday at Reed Arena, and the Crimson Tide are certain to encounter their share of swaying and smack talk from the “Reed Rowdies” — as A&M tries rising to the occasion against one of the nation’s top teams.
The nationally televised game was nearly for the top seed in next week’s SEC tournament and for a share of the league regular-season title, but the Crimson Tide edged Auburn 90-85 in overtime Wednesday to earn the tournament’s top seed and regular-season title outright.
“We’re kind of just worried about what we’re doing here, we’re not too worried about what they have going on there,” Taylor said on whether a little air had been let out of the elation of hosting Alabama. “It would have been nice (to play for the title), but, hey, things happen.”
Meantime, in perhaps college basketball’s biggest story away from the games, Tuscaloosa, Ala., police alleged that Alabama star forward Brandon Miller took a gun to then-teammate Darius Miles, with the latter now charged with capital murder in a late-night shooting that left 23-year-old mother Jamea Jonae Harris dead Jan. 15.
Miller has not been charged with a crime and has played on for the rolling Crimson Tide. Aggies coach Buzz Williams urged A&M fans to support the home team Saturday — and leave it at that.
“It’s really important that all of our energy, all of our signs, all of our words, all of our actions are in support of our players — that’s it,” Williams said. “Some of the things that are going on that we can’t control … some of the things that are happening at other arenas, I don’t think (those) reflect the core values of Texas A&M, and we don’t need to participate.
“… Thank you in advance for being here (Saturday) and the support you’ll give our guys, but I think that should be the extent of it.”
Aggies have camped outside of Reed Arena in anticipation of A&M’s final home game of the season. The Aggies are expected to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time in five years and for the first time in four years under Williams, and are the No. 2 seed in next week’s SEC tournament in Nashville, Tenn.
“Over the last month and a half, (fans’) support and their energy has completely changed the environment at Reed, it’s become a distinct homecourt advantage and we appreciate it,” Williams said. “… To have that level of support is phenomenal.”
Williams also offered an update on versatile guard Dexter Dennis, who missed the Aggies’ 69-61 win at Mississippi on Tuesday with a sprained left knee.
“He’s rehabbing and he seems to be doing fine,” Williams said. “I’m not trying to keep anything from you, it just depends (on whether Dennis plays).”
While a league regularseason title is just out of reach, Taylor added the Aggies still have plenty to play for on the program record front. A&M’s 1980 squad under coach Shelby Metcalf finished 14-2 in the old Southwest Conference.
“We’re trying to make history; to be the only (A&M) team to win 15 (league) games no matter what conference is huge,” Taylor said.
Following a 6-5 start to the season in nonconference play, the Aggies opened SEC action with a crucial road win — one that let the players know they could set a program record this season.
“We knew when we beat Florida at Florida,” Taylor said. “We came in with the mindset to make history this year with a turnaround … and we knew this 15-game (record) could come into play.”
Alabama coach Nate Oats said despite the Crimson Tide already wrapping up their second SEC regular-season title in the past three years, the rising Aggies have their attention in the finale leading to the league tournament.
“Texas A&M is second in the league for a reason,” Oats said. “They play really hard, and we need to be better against these tough teams. I’m looking forward to us playing against a really good team.”
Alabama’s lone loss against SEC competition occurred at then-No. 10 Tennessee 68-59 on Feb. 15. A&M beat then-No. 11 Tennessee 68-63 on Feb. 21 at Reed Arena.