Aggies Gear Up for Top 10 Road Challenge from Wildcats

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Texas A&M men's basketball team (13-3, 2-2 SEC) faces the 8th-ranked Kentucky Wildcats (13-3, 2-1) in a 6 p.m. matchup at Rupp Arena on Tuesday. 

• Texas A&M beat the Wildcats twice last season and will be seeking its third straight victory in the series on Tuesday. 
• Kentucky holds a 13-6 advantage in the all-time series that began in the 1941-42 season. 
• Five of the Aggies' six wins over the Wildcats have come as SEC brethren. In SEC play, the Wildcats hold an 11-5 advantage. 
• Under Buzz Williams, the Aggies are 2-3 vs. the Wildcats.

 
STATISTICAL COMPARISON

Statistic	Kentucky	Opp.	Texas A&M	Opp.
FGM	31.5	26.9	26.2	21.6
FGA	64.9	64.4	60.8	55.8
FG%	.486	.417	.431	.387
3PM	10.2	7.8	6.8	8.1
3PA	27.8	27.4	21.8	26.1
3P%	.367	0.282	.309	.309
FTM	16	13.4	18.3	14.1
FTA	21.8	19	26.4	18.9
FT%	.736	.707	.692	.743
Off. Reb	11.3	10.9	17.1	11.1
Def. Reb	29.6	25.4	25.3	21.4
Rebounds	40.9	36.3	42.3	32.4
Assists	18.6	12	12.9	13.4
Steals	7.1	5.4	8.4	7.6
Blocks	4.7	2.9	4.6	5.0
Turnovers	9.7	10.9	11.9	14.6
Points	89.2	74.9	77.4	65.4

 
NEED-TO-KNOWS
SUCCESS VS. AP TOP 25: Since March of 2022, the Aggies have posted a 14-10 record against ranked teams, which is the seventh-most wins among all D1 teams in that span. The 58.3 win% ranks No. 7 among D1 teams with 20 or more games vs. ranked foes. 
ROAD WARRIORS: Since the beginning of the 2021-22 season, Texas A&M has compiled a 37-30 record away from Reed Arena (road + neutral). The Aggies' 37 wins rank No. 10 among P5 teams and just behind SEC foes Tennessee (41), Alabama (40) and Auburn (39).
TIGHT GAMES ARE NORM: Similar to 2023-24, Texas A&M has already been involved in multiple games that were one-possession contests after the under-4:00 media timeout in the second half. The Aggies are 5-3 in those games. Dating back to last season, the Aggies have been involved in 24 one-score affairs after the final media timeout (13-11 record).
JUST WEIRD: For the first time since the start of the 2022-23 season, someone not named Wade Taylor IV is the Aggies' leading scorer. With two more games under his belt, Zhuric Phelps has taken over the scoring lead from WT4, 231-204. 
LIMITING FGM: Texas A&M and Tennessee are the only SEC schools that haven't allowed more than 28 FGM in a game this season. The two teams are No. 1 and No. 2 among SEC schools in FGM defense at 20.6 (UT) and 21.6 (TAMU).
SWEET 17: Texas A&M pounds the offensive glass for a NCAA-best 17.1 offensive rebounds/G in 2024-25. 
IN THEIR DNA: Eleven SEC players have reeled in 40+ offensive rebounds - the Aggies have three of them (Coleman III, Washington, Payne). No other school has more than one.
EARNING TRIPS: Texas A&M has earned at least 20 trips to the FT line 12 times (10-2 record). The Aggies have earned 40+ FTA in three games, including 48 on Saturday vs. Alabama (3rd-most in school history). 
BOARDS ADVANTAGE: A&M has been out-rebounded just twice this season and own a 9.9/G rebound margin for the season (No. 9 nationally).
PAYNE GAIN: Pharrel Payne is the Aggies' top bench scorer at 10.8 points/G. Since the start of December, Payne is shooting an NCAA-best 82.5% (33-40) from the field (among players with at least 25 FGA). 
Payne's line vs. ALA was: 24 points (6-8 FGA, 11-15 FTA), 9 rebounds (6 offensive) and 4 blocks in 23 minutes.
 
NOTING THE TRENDS

• Senior transfer Zhuric Phelps averaged a SEC-best 29.0 points along with 7.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.0 steals in two games last week against ranked opponents. Phelps' career-high 34-point explosion on the road against No. 17 Oklahoma fueled a rally from a second-half 18-point deficit in a 80-78 win. In the second half against the Sooners, Phelps torched the Sooners for 28 points and hit the clutch 3-pointer to clinch the win with 19 seconds remaining. Against the No. 5 Crimson Tide, Phelps paced the Aggies with 24 points as they rallied from 15 points down to make it a one-possession game in the waning minutes.
• Phelps has reached double-digit points in seven straight games and 12 of 15 as an Aggie. He has 5+ rebounds in five straight games, including a season-high 10 vs. ACU (12/28). 
• Henry Coleman III tallied his first double-double of the season and 16th of his A&M career with 12 points-11 rebounds vs. Alabama. 
• Hayden Hefner has averaged 11.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists over his last five games, including 16 points and five rebounds vs. UA.
• Texas A&M has earned 40+ rebounds in 11 games, while just allowing 40+ opponent rebounds just twice.
• In SEC play, the Aggies average 8.0 turnovers while forcing 15.0./G. 
• Wade Taylor IV is averaging a 2.33 assist/turnover ratio, which is far ahead of his career best of 1.49 as a sophomore in 2022-23. 
• In three starts in place of Taylor, Manny Obaseki has averaged 6.3 points and 2.7 assists while suffering just three turnovers. 
• In his last 10 games, Minnesota transfer Pharrel Payne has hit 78.7% of his FGA while averaging 10.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks 
• The Aggies have demonstrated uncommon depth this season: 11 players average at least 10 minutes of action, including five players with at least 20:00/G. Also, 10 players average at least 4.0 points/G and eight Aggies average 3.0+ rebounds/G.                 

 
TV/RADIO

• The matchup airs on the Texas A&M Radio Network, locally on 1620 AM/94.5 FM or worldwide on the 12th Man Mobile App with Andrew Monaco and Dr. John Thornton describing the action. It is also available on SiriusXM on channels: 160 or 192.
• The game will be broadcast on ESPN2 with Karl Ravech and Jimmy Dykes providing the description.