COLLEGE STATION \u2014 Life in the SEC comes at you fast.<\/p>\n
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Such is the case for\u00a0Texas A&M basketball<\/a>, which entered February\u00a0atop the conference standings. However, three consecutive losses, including an 86-85 defeat Wednesday to Missouri, have left the\u00a0Aggies (17-7, 7-4) in a five-way tie for third place.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n A&M’s skid includes\u00a0losses to Florida<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Alabama<\/a>. Things don’t get any easier with a road game against No. 19 Vanderbilt up next.<\/p>\n The Commodores (20-4, 7-4) have won four of their last five games, with the only loss a one-point defeat to Oklahoma.<\/p>\n MORE:\u00a04 numbers that explain Texas A&M basketball’s success under Bucky McMillan<\/a><\/p>\n A&M is trying to avoid its first four-game losing streak since last February under former head coach Buzz Williams. Vanderbilt is 11-2 at home and looks\u00a0like one of the best teams in the conference.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Here are three things to know about the Commodores, plus a prediction of Texas A&M vs. Vanderbilt:<\/p>\n Vanderbilt top-5 on both ends<\/p>\n Identifying weaknesses to attack Saturday may prove difficult for A&M.\u00a0As of Friday, Vanderbilt is fifth in the SEC in scoring (88.7) and fifth in defense (73.8).<\/p>\n The Commodores are fourth in field goal percentage (48.6%) and opponent field goal percentage (41.6%). Beyond the arc, Vandy is third in the conference at 36.1%, while its defense ranks best in the SEC in opponent 3-point percentage at 29.6%.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Rebounding has been a struggle, where they’re tied for 13th in the conference at 36.3 boards per game. The\u00a0Aggies enter Saturday seventh, averaging 38.0 per outing.<\/p>\n