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KBTX Senior Texas A&M Sportswriter(KBTX)<\/p>\nNASHVILLE, Tenn. (KBTX) – \u270f\ufe0f Inline Revision<\/p>\n
Texas A&M head coach Bucky McMillan\u2019s high-pressure, up-tempo system of basketball is designed to make opponents uncomfortable.<\/p>\n
Thursday, Nashville\u2019s Bridgestone Arena should have been annexed into the Lone Star State.<\/p>\n
The Aggies\u2019 first Southeastern Conference tournament was over before it really began as Oklahoma made itself at home in the Music City. The No. 6-seeded Aggies were bounced in the second round after an 83-63 victory by No. 11 seed Oklahoma in a game that was never really close.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re playing for a lot, like we all are,\u201d McMillan said. \u201cTo get them a third time, we had to play one of our best games, an A-plus game, because we knew they\u2019d play an A-plus game. We didn\u2019t do that.\u201d<\/p>\n
The loss, combined with a sputtering February, raises questions about how many A-plus performances this Aggie squad has left.<\/p>\n
It was a 1-for-16 shooting skid through the middle of the first half that dug a hole A&M couldn\u2019t climb out of. The Aggies have had shooting droughts before this season. Most notably, A&M couldn\u2019t hit the ocean with a beach ball in the first half of the Aggies\u2019 loss to Florida. However, the Gators also struggled offensively in that game.<\/p>\n
From the opening tip, Oklahoma settled comfortably into its offense, at one point midway through the first half shooting 71% from the field. It was every bit the performance of a team fighting for their postseason lives in the conference tournament, not dissimilar to several Aggie squads under former head coach Buzz Williams.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of teams trying to limp into the tournament,\u201d Oklahoma head coach Porter Moser said. \u201cFor years I\u2019ve been in this profession, they\u2019re constantly saying, \u2018Who\u2019s playing best right now?\u2019 This team has won eight out of 10 in the SEC, six in a row. But we\u2019re not done yet.\u201d<\/p>\n
A&M has seen the reverse swing of its high-variance offense, recovering in the second half to win games. However, more concerning Friday was A&M\u2019s confusion on defense in the first half, leading to uncontested layups and dunks. In both transition and the half-court, the Aggies looked lost at times in rotation. McMillan said one player was lost off the ball several times in the game.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe lost our man a couple of times,\u201d McMillan said. \u201cPoints per possession-wise, our transition D was actually a positive of the game\u2026 But our half-court D wasn\u2019t good, especially at the rim.\u201d<\/p>\n
Oklahoma netted 42 points in the paint and put the game away thanks to 19 offensive rebounds that led to 18 second-chance points. A&M pulled down 11 offensive rebounds but managed just one second-chance point.<\/p>\n
Ultimately, the game won\u2019t matter in the grand scheme of the season. The Aggies should still hear their name called on Selection Sunday, sending them to the NCAA Tournament in McMillan\u2019s first season in Aggieland. That, in itself, is a huge accomplishment.<\/p>\n
But can the Aggies make that berth more than a one-game or one-weekend affair? The trend of the last month, including Thursday\u2019s loss, points toward another early exit.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s where the high-variance factor of McMillan\u2019s system can turn things, McMillan said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve told you all year long, this is a group that sometimes will lose some games and feel like, \u2018How can they ever win again?\u2019 But then there\u2019s going to be some games we\u2019re going to say, \u2018How could this team ever lose?\u2019 We are what we are, in terms of, we are very reliant on perimeter shooting right now and we\u2019ve been very good on defense.\u201d<\/p>\n
So, what gives McMillan the confidence A&M can turn this around? They\u2019ve turned the tide several times before this season. Now, thanks to Thursday\u2019s loss, they\u2019ve all experienced high-level tournament play. The question remains if they can feel at home when the pressure is cranked up. <\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of these guys that have never played in the NCAA Tournament. A lot of these guys hadn\u2019t played in the SEC tournament. You know, there was a time they had never played in Reed Arena and we weren\u2019t very good there. I felt like this was the most feeling of a tournament game. I think we\u2019ll be much better in the next one. I really do.\u201d<\/p>\n
KBTX senior Texas A&M sportswriter Travis L. Brown can be reached at travis.brown@kbtx.com.<\/p>\n
KBTX Senior Texas A&M Sportswriter(KBTX)<\/p>\n
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