COLLEGE STATION — Before the two-game skid, Texas A&M basketball looked like one of the hottest teams in the SEC. Now it enters Wednesday looking to regain that form.
The Aggies (17-6, 7-3) lost Saturday to Florida Saturday after losing Wednesday to Alabama. Next up is Missouri, which is coming off consecutive wins against Mississippi State and South Carolina.
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Wade Taylor IV (4) of Texas A&M drives to the basket against Curt Lewis (4) of Missouri in the first half at Mizzou Arena on February 07, 2024 in Columbia, Mo. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)
Ed Zurga/Getty Images
The Tigers (16-7, 6-4) have won three of their last four games and are now tied for fifth place in the conference.
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A&M is trying to avoid its first three-game losing streak since dropping four in a row last February. The Tigers are 3-4 on the road this season and are looking to bolster their NCAA Tournament resume against the third-place Aggies.
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Here are three things to know about the Tigers, plus a prediction of Texas A&M vs. Missouri:
Top 5 defense that struggles to defend 3-point shot
Statistically, much of what Missouri does defensively is impressive. The Tigers are fifth, allowing just 73.4 points per game. It’s third in opponent field goal percentage (41.4%) and fourth in combined opponent rebounds (31.9 per game).
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They’ve held SEC opponents under 80 points eight times this season. However, where the Tigers struggle, the Aggies excel.
As of Monday, Missouri is 15th in the conference in opponent 3-point percentage (35.6%). It’s allowed opponents to hit 217 3-pointers this season (9.4 per game), 17 more than any other SEC team.
In their most recent loss Jan. 27 to Alabama, the Tigers allowed the Tide to make 15 shots from beyond the arc. In their previous two losses, Georgia hit eight 3-pointers, while LSU made 10.
By comparison, the Aggies average 11.4 made 3-pointers per game.
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MORE: Why A&M basketball struggled offensively vs Florida
Guards lead way for Tigers
All six of Missouri’s top scorers are guards. Senior Mark Mitchell leads the way, averaging 17.6 points per game while shooting 54.1% from the field. Behind him are Jayden Stone (15.1 points), Jacob Crews (10.5 points), Anthony Robinson II (9.2 points), Trent Pierce (8.9 points) and T.O. Barrett (7.7 points).
The group is a combined 48.8% from the field and 33.8% from 3-point range.
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Similarly, four of A&M’s top five scorers are guards, with forward Rashaun Agee averaging a team-high 14.0 points per game.
Dennis Gates aims for 3rd Tournament appearance in 4 seasons
After three successful seasons leading Cleveland State in the Horizon Conference, Missouri head coach Dennis Gates appears to have picked up where he left off since joining the Tigers in 2022. The Chicago native led the Vikings to two regular-season championships one conference tournament championship, and one NCAA Tournament appearance in the 2020-21 season.
Gates left Cleveland State with a 90-50 record. Outside of a 2023-24 season when Missouri finished with just eight wins, the Tigers have made it to the NCAA Tournament twice under Gates’ leadership.
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Last season, Missouri earned a sixth seed and lost in the first round to Drake. In the 2022-23 season, the Tigers were a seven seed, beating Utah State in the first round before being upset by 15-seed Princeton.
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Nick Honor (10) of Missouri drives against Henry Coleman III (15) of Texas A&M during the second half at Mizzou Arena on February 18, 2023 in Columbia, Mo. (Photo by Jay Biggerstaff/Getty Images)
Jay Biggerstaff/Getty Images
Texas A&M basketball vs Missouri prediction
Texas A&M, 82-73. The Aggies need a bounce-back in the worst way. Nerves about possibly missing the NCAA Tournament have crept back in among fans in College Station. Luckily, Missouri’s struggles to defend the 3-point shot play into A&M’s favor. A motivated team looking to prove the Florida game was an outlier will find a way to win on its home court.
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Reach Texas A&M beat reporter Tony Catalina via email at Anthony.Catalina@statesman.com.