Arkansas vs Texas A&M: 2019-20 college basketball game preview, TV schedule
Texas A&M hits the road to Fayetteville to take on Arkansas to open up SEC Basketball play this weekend. Who has the advantage in this match-up?
TV Schedule: Saturday, January 4, 2020 | 6PM CST | SEC Network
Location: Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, AR
SEC basketball gets underway this weekend when the Texas A&M travels to Fayetteville to take on Arkansas. Both teams are breaking in new coaches and appear to have bright futures on the horizon, however, the Aggies and Razorbacks appear to be on two very different trajectories in the 2019-20 season.
Arkansas, under fiery head coach Eric Musselman, is 11-1 on the season and coming into SEC play with a lot of momentum after a resume-boosting 71-64 win over Indiana at Assembly Hall last weekend. The Razorbacks have exceeded expectations thus far in year one of the Musselman-era and have their sights set on a potential NCAA Tournament bid.
The Hogs are one of the most undersized teams in the country, but they play small ball and they play it well. Musselman has been a creative genius overcoming the lack of size through non-conference play, utilizing a talented four-guard lineup anchored by a pair of stars in Mason Jones and Isaiah Joe.
Jones as taken his game to a new level under Musselman and has been Arkansas’ go-to-guy down the stretch of games where he has come through for the Razorbacks more often than not. He leads the team in both scoring (19.7ppg) and rebounding (6.2ppg).
Joe is widely regarded as one of the elite three-point shooters in the country. He is well on his way to connecting on 100+ from long distance again this season and has expanded his game to include more drives and mid-range jumpers. He is second on the team in scoring at 17.4ppg.
The supporting cast has performed well for the Hogs. Grad-transfer, Jimmy Whitt, has been a revelation for Arkansas, averaging 13.5 points and nearly 6 rebounds per contest from the point guard position. The mid-range specialist has been a valuable third option offensively.
After a cold start to the season, sophomore guard Desi Sills has heated up as of late and is chipping in nearly ten points per game of is own. He and sixth man Jalen Harris have played critical roles as slashers and tough perimeter defenders.
The front-court may be undersized, but they have been effective through non-conference play. 6’6″ senior Adrio Bailey is the de-facto center, and despite giving up inches and pounds in nearly every game, he rates as one of the best defenders and rim protectors in the country. He is the glue-guy that brings an infectious energy to the team.
Back-up forward 6’8″ sophomore Reggie Chaney is an important piece off the bench. He has the size and strength to match-up well with opponents’ front lines and has done a commendable job on the boards and around the rim.
Texas A&M, on the other hand, currently sits at 6-5 heading into SEC play under new coach Buzz Williams. The Aggies got off to a dismal start, with a four-game losing streak after Thanksgiving that included a trip to Orlando where they fell to Harvard, Temple, and Fairfield.
While it has not necessarily been pretty since then, A&M has something to build on after winning three straight games including a nice home victory over Oregon State.
Senior forward Josh Nebo leads the way for the Aggies in points (11.4) and rebounds (7.2). He is flanked by talented junior guard Savion Flagg who is averaging 11.3 points per game of his own and has been a thorn in the side of the Razorbacks in the past.
Texas A&M is looking for more consistency in SEC play from the back-court trio of Jay Jay Chandler, Wendell Mitchell, and Quenton Jackson. They are certainly going to need it if they plan to get out of Fayetteville with a win.
The Aggies have struggled, to put it mildly, offensively so far this season averaging just 57.7 points per game. That ranks 343rd in the country. They also rank 289th in turnovers per game and 350th in three-point percentage.
On paper, that does not bode well against an Arkansas team that ranks near the top in the country in nearly every defensive category, sans rebounding. If stats were all that mattered, though, there would be no reason to actually play the games.
Buzz Williams is a tremendous coach and will likely have his guys sold on a fresh start approach heading into league play on a three-game winning streak. While Arkansas has lit up the scoreboard a few times this season, they have also had some clunkers offensively. The Aggies’ best chance will be to turn this into a slowed down, low scoring slug-fest that zaps some energy out of the arena.
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That will not be easy. Arkansas recently announced this game as a sell-out and are expecting over 18,000 Razorback faithful in attendance who have really rallied around the team and hopped on the Muss-Bus.
The Razorbacks are undefeated at home this season, and Texas A&M will be playing their first true road game of the year in what is sure to be a rocking Bud Walton Arena. Advantage Arkansas.