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Texas A&M Basketball: 2017-18 season preview for the Aggies

By Brad Cavallaro

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - MARCH 20: Tyler Davis
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - MARCH 20: Tyler Davis /
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OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – MARCH 20: Davis
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – MARCH 20: Davis /

Texas A&M basketball struggled mightily last season even with some top players in the SEC. Can the Aggies find that elusive PG to stabilize their loaded roster?

Texas A&M made the Sweet 16 in 2015-16 but failed to carry over any positive momentum into the following season. The Aggies could not find an answer at point guard, which wasted an otherwise talented roster in 2017-18. Robert Williams broke onto the scene and spurned a potential top-10 selection in the NBA Draft to return for his sophomore season. Admon Gilder, DJ Hogg, and Tyler Davis also established themselves as some of the top players in the SEC, but the loss of Alex Caruso and the ineligibility of JJ Caldwell loomed large.

Now that Caldwell is eligible (he does have to serve a five-game suspension first), Texas A&M should have the floor general they so desperately need. Also, when you add their 23rd ranked recruiting class to the roster, you have bolstered a once dangerously thin bench.

The Aggies return their entire core from last season and the only players of note that they lose are J.C. Hampton and Tavario Miller. Hampton was a grad transfer from Lipscomb and, unfortunately, his scoring did not translate from the Atlantic Sun. He averaged 6.7 ppg in his lone season with Texas A&M. Miller played a consistent role as a backup frontcourt player for the entirety of his Aggies career and averaged 3.1 ppg last season. Seldom used Eric Vila, Caleb Smith and Kobie Eubanks have also left the program, but all five players should be replaced fairly easily.

The Aggies should be able to play everyone at their appropriate positions and be able to withstand multiple injuries which will undoubtedly help this team. An incredibly tough schedule will test Texas A&M and ensure that they are prepared for the much-improved SEC.

This article will analyze Texas A&M’s starters, reserves, and non-conference schedule. It will conclude with a team overview where I rank the Aggies both nationally and in their conference.