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Texas A&M meets #19 Arizona in Houston Sat.
By: Dave Schoenholt - StatFox
Published: 12/16/2016  at  10:57:00 AM
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TEXAS A&M AGGIES (7-2)

ARIZONA WILDCATS (9-2)

Toyota Center – Houston, TX
Tip-off: Saturday, Noon ET
Line: N/A

#19 Arizona and Texas A&M meet in a neutral court test for both teams before moving on to conference play.

Texas A&M will hope the third time is a charm against Pac 12 opponents this season, as the Aggies’ only two losses this season have come at the hands of USC and #2 UCLA. Coach Billy Kennedy’s squad was a six-point favorite hosting USC, a game they dropped 65-63 at home on Nov. 18. The Aggies would lose to UCLA nine days later in the Wooden Classic (played in Anaheim) 74-67 (A&M +6). The Aggies have won their last three games (all at home) since the UCLA loss, all played in a six-day span last week. Their most recent win on Dec. 10 was over South Carolina State 83-76, a result that was too close for comfort given the Aggies were 32-point favorites. The Aggies are 3-3 ATS on the season and 2-1 (2-1 ATS) for neutral site games. Arizona is still without G Allonzo Trier (eligibility), however the sophomore guard is now traveling with the team. The Wildcats are still tight-lipped about his situation, but Trier was able to start traveling on Dec. 5. It is speculated that Trier eventually plays for Arizona this season, but there is no further word or strong indication that he’ll see the floor on Saturday. G Parker Jackson-Cartwright (8 PPG, 5.3 APG) remains out indefinitely with an ankle injury. Arizona most recently defeated Grand Canyon at home on Wednesday night (64-54, Ariz -17). Coach Sean Miller’s Wildcats are 2-2 (1-3 ATS) on neutral courts thus far this season, owning a season-opening win versus Michigan State against neutral court losses to Butler and Gonzaga. The last time Arizona and Texas A&M met was in December of 2008, with the Aggies winning 67-66 on a three pointer with 16 seconds remaining. That game was part of the now-defunct Big 12 – Pac 10 Hardwood Series.

Coach Miller has done a masterful job this season juggling injuries and the mysterious eligibility issues surrounding their best player, Trier, to keep Arizona in the top 25 and primed for a late season run (if they return to health and Trier returns to the court). Having to play three freshmen in the starting lineup, players that weren’t projected to play more than secondary roles but yet have evolved into Arizona’s top three scorers, is not to be overlooked. Arizona held their own on a neutral court against a veteran top-10 team in Gonzaga and hasn’t had a letdown in any game they were favored to win. The Wildcats won their only true road game this season at Missouri (79-60, Ariz -6) on Dec. 10. Seven-foot freshman F Lauri Markkanen (16.2 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 44.9% 3PT) has been the most impressive of the freshmen as a dangerous inside-outside threat. Texas A&M has one of the stronger frontcourts in the country and will be a tough matchup for Markkanen, but the Finnish big man can give almost any defense fits with his unique skill set. The freshman backcourt of Kobi Simmons (12.2 PPG) and Rawle Alkins (12.4 PPG, 4.9 RPG) is gaining confidence with added responsibility. Simmons and Alkins led the team with 19 points apiece (7-for-13 combined from three) in the Wildcats road win over Missouri. Alkins has started to evolve as a playmaker in the absence of Cartwright-Jackson, with games of six and four assists in two of his last three games. Arizona boasts another 7-footer to go along with Markkanen in Dusan Ristic (10.0 PPG, 6.4 RPG), making it one of the rare teams that can match Texas A&M’s size in the frontcourt. Ristic has succeeded in staying on the floor as he’s fouling less and his conditioning has allowed him to exceed 28 minutes in each of Arizona’s last three games. Coach Miller can’t afford to be without him for long stretches of the time, leaving Markkanen out on a proverbial island against Texas A&M’s bigs. The Aggies were able to successfully outrebound Gonzaga and boast the ninth best mark in the nation in keeping their opponents off the glass (30.0 RPG allowed). Although Arizona went wild from three at Missouri (13-for-24), chucking from beyond the arc isn’t really the Wildcats’ game (15.3 3PA, 333rd NCAA).

Texas A&M will look to grind down the Wildcats shallow roster and earn their first win over a ranked team this season. Boasting frontcourt weapons such as big Tyler Davis (14.6 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 64% FG), F Tonny Trocha-Morelos (10 PPG, 51% FG) and eye-popping freshman F Robert Williams (10.3 PPG, 2.6 BPG, 65% FG), the Aggies are a load to handle in the paint on both ends. This frontcourt talent lends to why Texas A&M shoots it 57.8% from inside the arc (10th NCAA), but also hampers the Aggies offensively when teams revert to fouling instead of giving up an easy layup (62.4% FT, 314th NCAA). Coach Kennedy’s squad doesn’t do much from beyond the arc and relies on G Admon Gilder (12.6 PPG, 4.9 APG) and DJ Hogg (12.6 PPG, 4.0 APG) to produce from the perimeter. Unfortunately neither Gilder nor Hogg are pure point guards, and the Aggies miss the steadying influence of graduated Alex Caruso. At 6’9”, Hogg is a matchup nightmare as a perimeter player, but the sophomore’s shooting pedigree hasn’t matched his numbers this season (Hogg put on a 4-for-18 shooting display against UCLA). His fellow classmate, Gilder, is an accomplished ball-hawk (2.0 SPG) but gives it right back even more often (2.6 TO). The 6’4” guard has been a steady shot-maker and creator for Texas A&M, though, shooting 50% FG or better in five of his last six games. First and foremost, though, A&M will have to establish Davis in the post, as his rare touch around the hoop opens up the entire Aggie offense. Davis is usually good suppressing foul trouble, but did have issues in the Aggies loss to USC in November and most recently at home in a win over Denver where Davis only played 12 minutes. Trocha-Morelos shows offensive sparks (11 points, nine rebounds, three triples versus UCLA) but struggles with consistency and defense. Keep an eye on Williams, who has NBA scouts raving. The 6’9” freshman has elite athleticism and does all his damage in just 20 minutes per game. Williams hasn’t missed a shot in his last three games (11-for-11 FG), although most of his attempts are dunks and putbacks. The freshman didn’t fade in games against USC and UCLA averaging 11.5 PPG and 3.5 BPG over those two contests.


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