Bounce? Texas Preview - Saturday - 7:00 ESPN-U

Alright - I think the Aggies actually make a game out of it on Saturday night and here is why:

1.) They just got killed on the road at Kansas.
2.) Everyone I have talked to this week just told me about how bad the team is.
3.) It's a rivalry game.
4.) I do not think that this group can possibly shoot the ball as poorly as they did for two consecutive games.
5.) I think we have seen enough from this group to know that they are a pretty resilient bunch, and I expect a rather large chip to be on their shoulders come 7:00 Saturday night.

I think when you add all of this up it just leads me to believe that we are are going to be pleasantly surprised on Saturday night.

I don't think the Aggies will win this game, but I think it is going to be much closer than people think.

I think it will go something like this:
- First 10 minutes -- Aggies will show a decent effort and be highly energized because Turgeon will over-preach not starting terrible for the umpteenth time in a row. Texas will be up by about 3.
- Second 10 minutes -- Texas will make a big run and establish a 10 to 12 point lead (at this point, most of you will probably change the channel), and then over the last couple of minutes the Aggies will cut it to 4 at the half.
- Third 10 minutes -- The Longhorns will re-establish themselves with Conner Atchley hitting a couple of "you must be kidding me" three point buckets. Texas will be up by 9.
- Final 10 minutes -- Old Army will rally and get back within 1 or 2 points and everyone will get all excited. AJ Abrams will then bust the Aggies' bubble and hit a couple of big buckets down the stretch. Texas wins by 4.

Here is the one thing I am hanging my hat on. The Aggies are pretty terrible shooting the ball from behind the arc. On average, they make 34.1% of their attempts, which is good enough to rank 163rd nationally and 11th in the Big 12. Who is the one team that actually shoots it worse than A&M from downtown? Your 2nd favorite team, the Texas Longhorns - UT shoots an even-worse-than-A&M 32% which is good enough for 215th nationally and 12th in the league.

If I'm the Aggies I simply sag back on Damion James and the other big bodies on the UT roster, and I force AJ Abrams, Justin Mason, Conner Atchley and the rest of Barnes' bunch to beat me by shooting over the top.

That of course is easier said than done and hanging with the Longhorns will be a pretty tall challenge.

It should be a pretty entertaining game, and I'm VERY curious to see how they bounce back.

Aggie Hoops Report Score Prediction:
Texas A&M 67
Texas 71

Other games in the Big 12 tomorrow:
Texas Tech (+18) at Missouri 12:45 Big 12 TV
Kansas (-8) at Iowa State 1:00 ESPN
Oklahoma State (+4) at Nebraska 3:00 Big 12 TV
Baylor (+8) at Oklahoma 3:00 ESPN-U
Kansas State (-6) at Colorado 5:00 Big 12 TV
Texas A&M (+13) at Texas 7:00 ESPN-U

Hope you all have a great weekend.

Carry on.
-sb