FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas Basketball hosts Texas A&M on Tuesday for the first of two matches against the Aggies.
It’s a quick turnaround for the Razorbacks (14-7, 3-5 SEC) coming out of road loss near No. 17 Baylor on Saturday. Texas A&M (15-6, 7-1) is trailing No. 15 Auburn and Vanderbilt.
ESPN2 has a hint set for 6pm CT. Here’s what you need to know about Arkansas vs Texas A&M.
Final timeout:Arkansas Basketball Drops Heartbreaker on Baylor in SEC-Big 12 Challenge
more:Why Arkansas Basketball Coach Eric Musselman Says ‘We’ve Never Had A Season Like This’
Texas A&M Season Stats
Texas A&M is having a better season than expected. It got off to a lackluster start as the Aggies dropped five non-conference games. But since conference play began, Texas A&M has exploded.
The Aggies were voted No. 6 in the SEC before the season started, and are currently tied with Tennessee for No. 2. Their only conference loss was against Kentucky. They have won both games they have played since, including beating Auburn on the road to end the Tigers’ 28-game home winning streak.
Player to watch: Tyrese Radford
Senior guard Tyrese Radford has been a starting pitcher for the Aggies for several years, and Arkansas coach Eric Musselman called him “a matchup problem for everyone in the SEC.” He’s averaging 15.6 points per game against conference opponents, his sixth-best mark in the SEC. In Texas A&M’s biggest win over Auburn, Radford put up his 30 points.
Factoring in non-conference games, Radford is the Aggies’ second-leading scorer with 13.6 points per game. He trails his sophomore Wade Taylor IV with a 14.8 average. Radford is also his third-best rebounder for Texas A&M, scoring 5.3 per game.
Strong Aggie defense in SEC play
Texas A&M has been solid on both sides of the ball since conference play began, but Aggie’s defense in particular has stood out. Texas A&M has his second-best scoring defense in the league against SEC opponents, allowing an average of 61.6 points per game. The Arkansas defense allows him 69.6 per game.
The defense, combined with the Aggies’ fifth scoring offense, averaged 11.2 points over their conference opponents.
The Aggies’ conference opponents have a 37.5% shooting percentage from the field. Arkansas’ offense is inconsistent, but the Razorbacks still see him shooting 43.3 percent in league games. It takes a good night of shooting to keep up with Texas A&M.
Score prediction
Arkansas 72, Texas A&M 68 — Arkansas’ defense is off one of their best performances against Baylor. The Razorbacks performed well on defense, holding the Aggies to his usual 45.2% shooting percentage, and the offense is enough to give Arkansas a crucial home win.
Christina Long covers the Arkansas Razorbacks for Southwest Times Records and USA Today Network. You can follow her on her Twitter @Christina Long00 Or send an email to clong@swtimes.com.