Florida vs. Texas A&M: Chance for SEC Supremacy
Florida basketball travels to College Station on Saturday to face Texas A&M in a crucial SEC matchup. The Gators are looking for their third-straight win as the regular season winds, but the Aggies will not hand them anything on a silver platter.
Both Florida (16-6) and Texas A&M (17-5) are 7-2 in the SEC, with the top spot in the conference on the line with just over a month left in the season. Not only do the Aggies hold that extra win, but their home record stands at 12-1, while Florida’s away record is 3-2. The game will be played, notably, at Texas A&M.
Of note, Texas A&M lost to Alabama on Wednesday night in a very close game, falling 100-97. Florida also played Alabama in the last week, but unlike the Aggies, the Gators conquered Alabama 100-77. The Gators hope to bring that momentum into the game Saturday night.
Forward Alex Condon, who finally found his breakthrough with a season-best 25 points scored against Alabama, should factor heavily into Florida’s offense. The Gators will lean heavily on their frontcourt against the Aggies, who only have one frontcourt player averaging double digits. Thomas Haugh was right there with Condon against Alabama, putting up 22 points. Haugh leads the Gators in points per game at 17.6, while Condon averages the second-most with 13.8. Florida center Rueben Chinyelu will work to keep his own streak alive, as he leads the SEC with 13 consecutive double-doubles.
On the other side, Texas A&M’s top scorers are forward Rashaun Agee (14.2 points per game) and guard Rubén Dominguez (12.4 points per game). Three other Aggies average double digits, and three of the five shoot 39% from 3 or better, so Florida’s perimeter defense will be tested.
Otherwise, both teams are stylistically very similar with tempos currently ranked within the top 60 in the country. The pair are tactically aggressive defensively, especially Texas A&M, which uses a press defense and packing the paint to push a fast-paced game with constant movement up and down the court. This approach has drained opponents throughout its SEC schedule, and it could do the same against Florida’s starting lineup. So the Gators will count on their bench to maintain speed, consistent scoring and forcing turnovers during game play. As it currently stands, the Florida bench is not very deep and the team has been heavily reliant on its starters — the Gators three consistent bench contributors average a combined, stick with us, 19 points per game.
The Gators only play one more ranked foe during the regular season, so a win against the Aggies will be one of their last opportunities to strengthen their resume for the NCAA Tournament before the SEC Tournament.
Category: Basketball, Feature Sports News, Gators Men's Basketball
