NCAA Basketball: Alabama, Duke, Marquette rise in latest top 25 power rankings
By Joey Loose
19. Texas A&M (4-1)
As you’ll see in the rest of these rankings, the SEC is a strong conference with numerous high-profile teams that can do significant damage. Texas A&M is certainly a team that fits that designation, proving it just over a week ago in a nice win over Ohio State. The Aggies got their season off on the wrong foot, but have fought tooth and nail to turn the tides back around, though this week may not have accomplished that goal.
Despite the final score, the Aggies had a really rough performance in a 71-54 win over Southern. That Wednesday night outing actually saw them trail by 14 points at the half in an abhorrent performance before blowing the Jaguars out in the second half. The 3-pointers were not falling for the Aggies, though Wade Taylor Jr. had 17 points and 6 assists while Zhuric Phelps added 16 points.
The Aggies averted disaster with that strong surge after halftime, with their two best players playing a major role in the bounce back. How much can we judge this team for a tough road loss with Phelps out of the lineup or a terrible half against Southern? The important thing is that the Aggies have won four straight games, though that road ahead gets tougher, facing Oregon and Creighton in the Players Era Festival next week.