All hell will break loose when the Vanderbilt Commodores and No. 20 Texas A&M Aggies collide for the second and final time this season. Both programs will look to keep rolling and finish off their respective campaigns on a strong note.
The Aggies, in particular, will be looking to assure themselves of at least a share of the regular-season title with a win here. The Commodores, meanwhile, are looking to do so as well with a victory. But they’ll also need No. 22 Kentucky to lose their final game.
Having all of that said, let’s now take a closer look below at this SEC showdown. And while you’re at it check out our preview of Connecticut vs. SMU and West Virginia vs. Baylor.
Vanderbilt Commodores vs. Texas A&M Aggies Preview
Where: Reed Arena, College Station, TX
When: Saturday, March 5, 2016, 12:00 PM ET
Line: Vanderbilt Commodores vs. Texas A&M Aggies– view all NCAA Basketball lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the Vanderbilt Commodores (19-11, 11-6 SEC)
In that game, the Commodores had four players scoring in double-digits and it was Wade Baldwin IV who led the way with a team-high 17 points, six rebounds and seven assists across his name. Not to be outdone was the pair of Damian Jones and Jeff Roberson, who both put up 14 points apiece.
Now, the Vanderbilt is in for a hell of a matchup with the 20th-ranked and SEC-leading Texas A&M Aggies. And needless to say, expect the Commodores, who pulled off the upset against the then-No. 8 Aggies earlier this season, to continue relying on Baldwin IV and Jones to lead them from the get go.
Both are the team’s leading scorers this season with 14.4 and 14.3 points, respectively. But not to take anything away from Jones and Baldwin IV, Roberson arguably deserves most of the attention for this particular matchup. The sophomore forward has been a menace for opponents lately, averaging 16.0 points on 48.3 percent shooting in his past three contests.
Furthermore, Roberson will be looking to replicate his performance during their first meeting with Texas A&M. He delivered a game-high 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting and knocked down three treys to lead the Commodores to the resounding 77-60 triumph.
It’ll be interesting, though, if Roberson and co. can have the same kind of offensive success against the Aggies, who are allowing just 63.8 points at home this season.
Vanderbilt is 3-7 SU and ATS in its last 10 games on the road.
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Betting on the Texas A&M Aggies (23-7, 12-5 SEC)
The No. 20 Texas A&M Aggies, meanwhile, are bound to go on an offensive onslaught again. They enter this matchup as winners of their last five games and are fresh off back-to-back double-digit wins over Missouri and Auburn. In both games, the pair of Jalen Jones and Danuel House has led the charge on offense, averaging 18.0 and 16.5 points, respectively.
Expect these two senior guards to continue doing so against the Vanderbilt Commodores, who are allowing 71.3 points on the road this season. But Jones and House struggled in their previous meeting with Vanderbilt last month, combining for just 14 points on 3-for-21 shooting.
That said, the pressure is on Tyler Davis to carry some of the scoring load as well. He’s currently the third-leading scorer in the team with 11.1 points a game. Davis also has scored in double-figures in four of his last five games, including a solid double-double effort (15 points, 12 boards) in a thrilling win over Kentucky on February 20.
As for the defense, the Aggies, who are giving up 66.0 points in their past three outings, will really have to keep a close eye on Wade Baldwin IV, Jeff Roberson and Damian Jones in this one. The three combined for 50 point, 14 rebounds and 12 dimes during their first encounter this season. And if those three get it going again, the Aggies are in deep trouble.
Texas A&M is 9-1 SU and 6-4 ATS in its previous 10 home games.
Writer’s Prediction
The Aggies win, but they fail to cover the spread.
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