Texas A&M (15-8, 6-4 SEC) outrighted earned what many consider to be its most significant win of the season after defeating No. 6 Tennessee inside a packed Reed Arena, obliterating the visitors 85-69 on Saturday night.
Behind the stellar play of star guard duo Wade Taylor IV (25 points, seven assists) and Tyrece “Boots” Radford (27 points, five assists), the Aggies are now one of the hottest teams in the SEC, while also ending the Volunteers’ five-game conference win streak.
So, how much did Saturday’s victory mean for Texas A&M concerning the NCAA Tournament? According to the latest NET rankings, the Aggies have risen nine spots from 47 to 38 while sitting above .500 in Quad 1 wins at 5-4. Also, after defeating Florida last Saturday, if the Gators continue their winning streak in SEC play, this victory will go down as a Quad 1 win toward the end of the month.
For the Aggies to continue this level of play down the stretch, Wade Taylor, and especially Tyrece Radford, who is responsive for A&M’s 12-1 record when he scores at least 20 points in a game, will need to continue attacking the basket and making their open shots from deep.
However, the Dennis Rodman-like rebounding performances from senior forward Andersson Garcia have been nothing short of game-changing, reeling in 33 boards in his last two contests. Lastly, sophomore Solomon Washington, who has stepped up in the absence of forward Julius Marble, is coming off one of his best games of the season after recording 11 points and seven rebounds.
This will take a collective team effort, and it looks like this squad is up to the task.
Texas A&M will return on the road to take on Vanderbilt on February 13 at 6:00 p.m. CT. The game will air on ESPNU.
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