For the first time since Nov. 26, the Texas A&M basketball team has felt the pain of defeat.
A&M (13-3, 2-1) is fresh off of a tough loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday that snapped their impressive nine-game winning streak. The Aggies sit 11th in both the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll and the AP Poll, released Monday.
Now, the Aggies have work to do to get back into the winning column, but in SEC men’s basketball, there’s few easy opponents. Next up is the No. 9 Kentucky Wildcats, as A&M travels to Rupp Arena for their second SEC road test of the year.
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Texas A&M is looking to start a new winning streak, while Kentucky has won three of its last four. The Wildcats last action on the court was a 95-90 win over Mississippi State.
Can the Aggies get back to their winning ways Tuesday at Rupp Arena against Kentucky in what should be a hostile road environment? Here’s what you need to know for the matchup:
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Texas A&M vs Kentucky time
Day:Â Tuesday
Start time:Â 6 p.m.
Location:Â Rupp Arena in Lexington.
How to watch Texas A&M vs Kentucky
TV channel:Â ESPN2
Livestream: Fubo, ESPN+, SEC+
Aggies navigating life without Wade Taylor IV
From never missing a game in his four-year career to missing three this season, including the last two — Texas A&M has had to learn to adapt to life without senior guard Wade Taylor IV on the floor with them. With no definitive timeline publicly known, the Aggies must find a path to success with Taylor on the sidelines.
They’ve gone 2-1 this season without their leading scorer but have fallen into 18-point and 15-point holes in the last two games, winning one and losing the other to Oklahoma and Alabama, respectively.
The burden has fallen on guard Zhuric Phelps, who has scored 34 and 24 points in the last two games, but it hasn’t been easy for him or the Aggies.
Phelps, along with Taylor, is one of only a few players on A&M’s roster who doesn’t need a play drawn up for him to get a bucket. Missing out on one of those dynamic scorers tightens the defensive constraints on Phelps as A&M struggles to score within their designed offense.
A&M is 14th in the SEC, scoring 77.4 a game, and is now facing a Kentucky team that is second behind only Alabama, averaging 89.2.
Kentucky led by trio of guards
Since SEC play opened, the Aggies have had their hands full on the defensive end. With Bryce Goodine scoring a career-high 34 points for Oklahoma off the bench and then battling it out with the conference’s best-scoring team, things don’t get any easier when A&M travels to Kentucky on Tuesday night.
The Wildcats are led by a trio of guards who average north of 12 points a game. Junior Otega Oweh, along with seniors Lamont Butler and Jaxson Robinson average 15.6, 13.9 and 12.6, respectively.
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Just south of Kentucky’s big three is senior guard Koby Brea, who averages 11.7, giving the Wildcats a wide array of scorers the Aggies will need to be prepared for.
A&M is the third-best rebounding team in the country and boasts a hard-nosed defense. The Aggies will need to be at their best in both departments if they are going to slow down the Wildcats’ potent offensive attack.
Texas A&M vs Kentucky prediction
It feels like Texas A&M is too good of a team to ever get blown out of games. The Aggies fight for every possession on both ends of the floor and are solid offensively. That being said, if they’re without their leading scorer, Taylor, for a third game in a row, it’s going to put more strain on Phelps and others to elevate their game offensively, and going into Rupp Arena is no easy task. I think it’ll be close, but A&M drops their second game in a row, 85-81.
Reach Texas A&M Beat Reporter Tony Catalina via email at ACatalina@statesman.com.
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This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas A&M vs Kentucky preview: How to watch Aggies-Wildcats
