COLLEGE STATION — After suffering a double-overtime loss Tuesday, things don’t get any easier for Texas A&M basketball.
The Aggies (13-4, 3-1 SEC) led Tennessee for much of regulation before a 3-minute, 58-second scoring drought in the second overtime allowed the Volunteers to capture an 87-82 win. Next up, A&M heads to Austin on Saturday to face Texas (11-6, 2-2) after its 80-64 win over No. 10 Vanderbilt.
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MORE: Texas A&M vs Tennessee: Aggies suffer first SEC loss in double-OT thriller
The Aggies have dropped their last two games against the Longhorns, including a double-overtime loss in the first round of the SEC Tournament last season. Texas has been a roller coaster. There were tough losses to Mississippi State and Arizona State, as well as impressive wins over then No. 13 Alabama and North Carolina State.
Both of the programs rivals have ushered in new coaching staffs and players. Saturday marks the beginning of a new chapter in the rivalry.
Here are three things to know, plus a prediction, ahead of Texas A&M vs. Texas:
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Texas A&M guard Wade Taylor IV (4) takes a running jumper during a second round game of the SEC Tournament between Texas and Texas A&M, March 13, 2025 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. (Photo by Matthew Maxey/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images via Getty Images)
Icon Sportswire/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Strong 3-point shooting, free throws leading way for Longhorns
Texas is middle of the pack in scoring offense, ranked eighth in the SEC at 78.5 points per game. It’s also seventh in the conference in field goal percentage at 46.3%.
However, the Longhorns have found success from 3-point range and the free-throw line. Texas is fourth in the SEC, shooting 36.2% from beyond the arc, and second in the conference from the charity stripe, hitting 74.9% of its 760 free-throw attempts.
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Guard Jordan Pope is third on the team in scoring, averaging 13.1 points per game, while leading the team with a 37% shooting percentage from beyond the arc. Four of the Longhorns’ top scorers, all averaging double-digit points per game, are shooting better than 67% from the free-throw line, with Pope leading the way at 84.6% from the stripe.
Newcomers making an impact
Sean Miller came to Austin from Xavier, bringing some familiar faces with him. The Longhorns added five players from the transfer portal, including center Lassina Traore and forward Dailyn Swain, who came with Miller from the Musketeers.
Swain is Texas’ leading scorer with 15.8 points per game. The 6-foot-8 junior from Columbus, Ohio, is averaging a team-high 28.8 minutes per game and 7.1 rebounds per game. Swain has scored in double figures in all but two games (UConn and Tennessee).
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Matas Vokietaitis joined Texas after spending last season at FAU. The 7-foot sophomore is second on the team in scoring, averaging 14.8 points while playing 23.2 minutes.
Simeon Wilcher, a newcomer from St. John’s and the brother of former A&M sharpshooter CJ Wilcher, rounds out the Longhorns’ top five scorers. Wilcher is averaging 8.8 points while shooting 38.3% from beyond the arc.
Year 1’s filled with growing pains for Sean Miller
Miller is in the middle of his 21st season as a head coach. After two stops leading Xavier, including the most recent three-year stint, the Ellwood City, Pa. native got his head coaching career started with the Musketeers in 2004.
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Miller’s most extensive time with a program came when he spent 12 seasons leading the Arizona Wildcats from 2009 to 2021. He compiled a 302-109 record and made seven NCAA Tournament appearances, including an Elite Eight in 2008 and a Sweet 16 in 2009.
Despite sustained success, year one at a new stop has been a challenge for Miller. In 2004, Xavier finished the season 17-12 and missed the NCAA Tournament. His first year at Arizona had a similar fate, finishing 16-15 in the Pac-10. The outlier was Year 1 of his second stint with Xavier in 2022, when Miller finished the regular season 27-10 and made the NCAA Tournament, earning a three-seed but losing in the regional semifinal.
Miller’s record in Year 1 is 60-37 all-time.
Texas A&M basketball vs Texas prediction
Texas A&M, 84-80. Saturday feels like a pivotal moment in the season for the Aggies. If they lose back-to-back road games, it could crush any early-season momentum built by a 3-0 start. A&M has, by and large, overachieved with a roster led by former mid-major players. Head coach Bucky McMillan has tried to temper expectations on more than one occasion. But the Aggies have been competitive all season long, and coming out of Austin with a Lone Star Showdown win would put them back on track ahead of two home games.
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Reach Texas A&M beat reporter Tony Catalina via email at Anthony.Catalina@statesman.com.