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

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NASHVILLE, TN – MARCH 12: Hogg /

Non-conference schedule

Nov. 10 – West Virginia (Neutral Site)

Nov. 20-21 – Legends Classic (Oklahoma State, Penn State/Pittsburgh)

Nov. 26 – at USC

Dec. 5 – Arizona (Neutral Site)

Dec. 19 – Northern Kentucky

Dec. 21 – Buffalo

Jan. 27 – at Kansas

Texas A&M has assembled one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the country. They lead off with a neutral site game against West Virginia on opening night and the Aggies will be at a major disadvantage. Starting point guard JJ Caldwell is suspended, meaning a team that has struggled with turnovers is playing the best turnover-causing defense without their best ball handler.

The Aggies then play in the Legends Classic, which does not have any likely NCAA tournament teams. Texas A&M should be favored against all three teams, but Penn State looks to be the best of the group. Sophomores Tony Carr, Mike Watkins, and Lamar Stevens are great building blocks, but the Nittany Lions feel like a NIT squad.

An end of November road game at USC is the second major test of the early season. USC returns their key contributors from last season including NBA prospects Bennie Boatwright and Chimezie Metu. The Trojans’ depth and high-powered offense could give Texas A&M problems, but the Aggies could have a major advantage on the glass as Davis and Williams are much more physical than USC’s frontcourt players.

The next Texas A&M game to circle on your calendar is the Dec. 5 game against Arizona. The Wildcats will likely be without Rawle Alkins, but they still have potential All-Americans Allonzo Trier and DeAndre Ayton. Arizona has a case to be ranked No. 1 in the country, so this game will clearly test Texas A&M.

Northern Kentucky and Buffalo are two of the better mid-major teams and should both hover around the RPI top-100. Buffalo returns two double-figure scorers in C.J. Massinburg and Nick Perkins while Northern Kentucky returns eight of their top nine scorers. While Texas A&M has much more talent, it would be unwise to look past these potential sleeper squads.

Finally, the Aggies travel to Phog Allen to play Kansas in the Big 12- SEC challenge in late January. Kansas is also a projected top-5 team and playing them on the road will be an arduous task. After this gauntlet, the Aggies will certainly be tested before SEC play begins.