Gonzaga vs Texas A&M: 2019-20 storylines for battle in College Station
Gonzaga and Texas A&M face off in an intriguing battle on Friday. What are some key storylines to look out for when they step on the court?
In a slate of very good games on this Friday night, No. 8 Gonzaga (3-0) goes on the road or the first time this season to take on Texas A&M (2-0). Considering we’re just days away from the shocking upset of No. 1 Kentucky at home against Evansville of all teams, this one shouldn’t be taken for granted in terms of upset potential.
But the Bulldogs have looked as imposing as any other team this season averaging over 100 ppg in the first three contests. The quality of opponents (North Dakota, Arkansas Pine-Bluff and Alabama State) aren’t much to talk about but they are playing without arguably their best player in senior Killian Tillie, still recovering from knee surgery. The combination of grad transfers and talented freshmen have allowed Gonzaga to “reload” rather than “rebuild”.
The Aggies are more in the “rebuild” category in their first year under new head coach Buzz Williams. They also have been playing without quality guard TJ Starks, who is also recovering from offseason surgery. Neither he or Tillie are expected to play in this game. Texas A&M was able to get by Northwestern State and Louisiana-Monroe to start the season but now welcomes a top-10 team for a huge battle.
There’s a lot going on in this game that impacts both programs now and going forward. Here are some key storylines to consider before Gonzaga and Texas A&M tips off.