NCAA Basketball: Purdue, Marquette rise in latest top 25 power ranking
By Joey Loose
12. Texas A&M (4-0)
Recent contenders in the SEC, things are certainly going pretty well at Texas A&M. The Aggies finished near the top of the standings last season and could have the team to repeat the feat this season. This program has already been tested away from home and played some great offensive basketball, though the defense wasn’t exactly pulling its weight in Florida this week.
The Aggies took their unblemished record down to the ESPN Events Invitational, beginning with an 89-77 win over Penn State on Thanksgiving. Henry Coleman III had 24 points while Wade Taylor IV added 23 points in a solid showing for the Aggies. Texas A&M was really tested the following day and lost their first game of the season, falling 96-89 to a feisty Florida Atlantic team. Taylor exploded for 35 points and the Aggies shot well from all over the court, but the Owls just outshot and outplayed them.
We didn’t mention Tyrece Radford, but he’s another very important part of an Aggies team that can absolutely make some noise this season. There’s no shame in losing to Florida Atlantic with what they returned from last season, though Texas A&M has had two shoddy showings on the defensive end in this tournament. They’ll certainly be further challenged next week, with the third place game against Iowa State on Sunday and then a tricky road contest at rival Virginia, part of the ACC/SEC Challenge.