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After upsetting the towering St. Mary’s in the Round of 64, the Texas A&M Aggies face the Houston Cougars in the second round, a rematch of the 2024 March Madness game fans remember all too well.
As the 2 seed facing a 10 seed, Houston is the widespread favorite. The Cougars rank fifth in the country in Ken Pomeroy’s rankings, boasting the fourth-best adjusted defense and the 13th-best adjusted offense. Like the elite UH teams of old, their squad features length and energetic defenders, relying on an elite guard to run their offense (freshman phenom Kingston Flemings).
Houston and St. Mary’s have an interesting parallel: both teams play with an incredibly slow pace. The Gaels’ 64.9 adjusted tempo ranks 310th in the NCAA, while the Cougars grind games to an even slower 63.4 adjusted tempo (ranks 350th; 16th-slowest team in the nation).
This stems from both teams’ heavy emphasis on crashing the boards. The Gaels rank 12th in the nation in offensive rebounding percentage, according to Bart Torvik, while the Cougars rank 35th in the same measure.
Unlike St. Mary’s, however, Houston is an average defensive rebounding team, ranking 175th (48th percentile).
The Aggies turned the tide against the Gaels by overwhelming the bigger side with an abundance of energy. Star center Rashaun Agee, standing just 6’7, grabbed as many rebounds as the 7’1 center duo he faced. Texas A&M also grabbed 9 offensive boards despite an overwhelming size difference, and they allowed just 11 to a St. Mary’s squad that prides themselves on their rebounding excellence.
The key to an Aggie Cinderella Sweet 16 run is bringing the same intensity they showed in the opening-round matchup. Heart can beat height at the collegiate level, and heart can also upset “superior talent,” as VCU and High Point showed in their opening round shockers.
Captain Agee noted that the Aggies wanted to set the tone in their first NCAA Tournament game, forcing a 10-second violation on the first possession. He expanded, “Every game you should come out ready to hit somebody before they hit you. You have to set a standard.” Head Coach Bucky McMillan concurred, adding, “They say styles make fights, but really players make fights. I challenged our guys to take their matchups more personally. You have to fight for your baskets. Our guys took that challenge in this game. There was blood in their eyes.”
If the Aggies bring the fight and energy they brought on Thursday night, they’ll be a tough challenge to a Houston squad many analysts have in the Final Four. If the favored Cougar side wins the effort battle, however, Texas A&M will be just another team they defeat as they look to redeem their National Championship loss from last season.
Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Sam on X:@Smallred25
This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M has an ideal matchup against Houston as they chase Sweet 16
Continue reading...
As the 2 seed facing a 10 seed, Houston is the widespread favorite. The Cougars rank fifth in the country in Ken Pomeroy’s rankings, boasting the fourth-best adjusted defense and the 13th-best adjusted offense. Like the elite UH teams of old, their squad features length and energetic defenders, relying on an elite guard to run their offense (freshman phenom Kingston Flemings).
Houston and St. Mary’s have an interesting parallel: both teams play with an incredibly slow pace. The Gaels’ 64.9 adjusted tempo ranks 310th in the NCAA, while the Cougars grind games to an even slower 63.4 adjusted tempo (ranks 350th; 16th-slowest team in the nation).
This stems from both teams’ heavy emphasis on crashing the boards. The Gaels rank 12th in the nation in offensive rebounding percentage, according to Bart Torvik, while the Cougars rank 35th in the same measure.
Unlike St. Mary’s, however, Houston is an average defensive rebounding team, ranking 175th (48th percentile).
The Aggies turned the tide against the Gaels by overwhelming the bigger side with an abundance of energy. Star center Rashaun Agee, standing just 6’7, grabbed as many rebounds as the 7’1 center duo he faced. Texas A&M also grabbed 9 offensive boards despite an overwhelming size difference, and they allowed just 11 to a St. Mary’s squad that prides themselves on their rebounding excellence.
The key to an Aggie Cinderella Sweet 16 run is bringing the same intensity they showed in the opening-round matchup. Heart can beat height at the collegiate level, and heart can also upset “superior talent,” as VCU and High Point showed in their opening round shockers.
Captain Agee noted that the Aggies wanted to set the tone in their first NCAA Tournament game, forcing a 10-second violation on the first possession. He expanded, “Every game you should come out ready to hit somebody before they hit you. You have to set a standard.” Head Coach Bucky McMillan concurred, adding, “They say styles make fights, but really players make fights. I challenged our guys to take their matchups more personally. You have to fight for your baskets. Our guys took that challenge in this game. There was blood in their eyes.”
If the Aggies bring the fight and energy they brought on Thursday night, they’ll be a tough challenge to a Houston squad many analysts have in the Final Four. If the favored Cougar side wins the effort battle, however, Texas A&M will be just another team they defeat as they look to redeem their National Championship loss from last season.
Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Sam on X:@Smallred25
This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M has an ideal matchup against Houston as they chase Sweet 16
Continue reading...
