Wednesday, February 7
Auburn, Ala.
8 p.m.
Texas A&M
at
Auburn
Photo by: Thomas Campbell/Texas A&M Athletics
Up Next: Road Test at No. 8 Auburn on Wednesday
Feb 06, 2018 | Men's Basketball
Aggie Basketball Game #24:
Texas A&M (15-8; 4-6 SEC) at No. 8 Auburn (21-2; 9-1 SEC)
Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2018 • 8:00 p.m. (CT)
Auburn Arena (9,121) • Auburn, Ala.
TELEVISION: ESPN2 (For more info – 12thMan.com/TV)Tom Hart, Play-by-Play
Sean Farnham, Commentary
RADIO: WTAW 1620 AM (Bryan-College Station)
Dave South, Play-by-Play
Mike Caruso, Commentary
SATELLITE RADIO: Sirius Ch. 135 / XM Ch. 391
LIVE AUDIO/STATS: 12thman.com/live
LIVE MOBILE LIVE STATS: tamustats.com
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COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Texas A&M puts its modest two-game winning streak on the line Wednesday as the Aggies travel to the plains of Alabama for a showdown with SEC-leading Auburn. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. from Auburn Arena.
The clash with the eighth-ranked Tigers is the start of a big week for the Aggies, who will return home to host No. 24 Kentucky on Saturday. Texas A&M is 2-3 against ranked teams this season.
The contest will be televised to a national audience on ESPN2 with Tom Hart calling the play-by-play action and Sean Farnham providing commentary. Additionally, radio coverage will be available on the Aggie Sports Network, which can be heard locally in the Bryan/College Station area on WTAW (1620 AM).
The Aggies (15-8; 4-6 SEC) are coming off one of their most impressive defensive showings during their last outing, an 83-60 triumph over South Carolina in College Station last Saturday. A&M's stifling defense limited the Gamecocks to 27.5 percent shooting in the game, a season-low by an Aggie opponent.
Auburn, meanwhile, has been the surprise story of the SEC this season by racing out to a 21-2 record and climbing to the No. 8 in the Associated Press Top 25. The lofty status is the Tigers' first top-10 ranking since Auburn was ranked No. 9 on. Feb. 7, 2000, and the highest the Tigers have been ranked since checking in at No. 7 on Jan. 24, 2000.
The Tigers top the SEC standings with a 9-1 league mark under fourth-year head coach Bruce Pearl. Auburn features a hot-shooting, guard-heavy lineup. The three-guard lineup of Bryce Brown (17.0), Mustapha Heron (15.6) and Jared Harper (12.9) all average over 12 points per game this season. Florida stands out as the only other team in the SEC to have all three of its backcourt players tout averages of 12 points per game or better.
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SETTING THE SCENE / NOTABLES
• A win over the Tigers would give the Aggies their second victory over a top-10 opponent this season as A&M carded a 75-59 win over then-No. 10 USC on Nov. 26 in Los Angeles.• Junior Tyler Davis has been Texas A&M's most consistent player this season, standing out as the only Aggie to start all 23 games ... in his last six games, Davis has produced four double-doubles and is averaging 14.7 points and 11.2 rebounds per outing.
• Additionally, Davis' 11 offensive rebounds during last Tuesday's win over Arkansas were the most by an Aggie on the offensive glass since Chinemelu Elonu grabbed 11 against Baylor on Jan. 14, 2009.
• In his last six games, sophomore forward Robert Williams has averaged 14.0 points and 9.7 rebounds per contest, while shooting 75.0 percent from the floor ... the Oil City, La., native has also racked up 17 blocked shots during the span with nice assists and four steals.
SERIES HISTORY VS. AUBURN (A&M LEADS 9-4)
• Saturday will be the 14th meeting between the Aggies and Tigers on the hardwood as well as the ninth as members of the SEC.• The Aggies are 3-0 all-time at Auburn Arena, which opened in 2010.
• Last season during their lone meeting, Texas A&M defeated the Tigers 81-62 at Reed Arena ... Admon Gilder led the way for the Aggies with 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting.
• The first meeting between the schools came on Dec. 22, 1961, in Houston ... the Aggies prevailed with a 62-50 win.
• Prior to the Aggies joining the SEC, the schools most recently played a home-and-home series in back to back seasons with A&M winning 72-67 in College Station on Dec. 22, 2005, before earning a 87-58 victory in Auburn on Dec. 22, 2006.
TEXAS A&M VS. RANKED TEAMS
A&M is 2-3 vs. ranked teams this season, having carded wins over No. 11 West Virginia (Nov. 10 at Ramstein Air Base Germany) and No. 10 USC (Nov. 26 in Los Angeles) against losses vs. No. 21 Kentucky (Jan. 9 in Lexington), No. 24 Tennessee (Jan. 13 in Knoxville) and No. 5 Kansas (Jan. 27 in Lawrence).Texas A&M plays at No. 8 Auburn on Wednesday before returning home to host No. 24 Kentucky Saturday.
AGGIES RANK AMONG NATION'S BEST REBOUNDING TEAMS
Texas A&M enters the Auburn game ranking third nationally in total rebounds per game (42.22), seventh in defensive rebounds per game (29.52), 29th in offensive rebounds per game (12.7) and ninth in rebound margin (+7.5). A&M has been out-rebounded in just four games this season.A&M DEFENSE BY THE NUMBERS
Through games played on Feb. 5, Texas A&M stands out as one of the country's toughest defensive squads, checking in at seventh nationally in field goal percentage defense (38.9). Additionally, A&M is seventh in defensive rebounds per game (29.52) and fifth in blocked shots per game (6.2).Kenpom.com ranks the Aggies at No. 5 nationally in its adjusted defensive efficiency (91.9).
DAVIS - A&M'S STEADY, RELENTLESS COMPETITOR
The Aggies have seen their share of ups & downs already this season, but one thing that has not changed throughout it all has been the steady play and competitiveness of Tyler Davis. Here's a look at Tyler's season by the numbers.
- Only Aggie to start all 23 games this season
- Eight double-doubles (T-2nd in the SEC)
- 15 career double-doubles (T-2nd in the SEC)
- In all games, ranks 16th in the SEC in scoring (14.3 ppg) & 3rd in rebounding (8.9 rpg)
- In all games, leads the SEC in field goal percentage (56.9 percent)
- In SEC games only, ranks 15th in the SEC in scoring (14.5 ppg) & first in rebounding (9.5 rpg)
UP NEXT AFTER THE AUBURN GAME
The Aggies return home where they will host No. 24 Kentucky on Saturday inside Reed Arena. Tip-off is set for 7:15 p.m. with television coverage on ESPN.
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's Basketball
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/ Men's Basketball
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/ Men's BasketballMedia Availability: Bucky McMillan
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