Texas A&M (12-2) defeated rival Texas 80-60 on Saturday night, as the Aggies look like one of the best teams in the country despite being among a stacked SEC in one of the odder years in the conference.
Coach Buzz Williams deserves credit for bringing back most of last season’s team while bringing in Zhuric Phelps, Pharrel Payne, and CJ Wilcher from the transfer portal, which has significantly impacted the team offensively and defensively.
Focusing on A&M’s defense, the Aggies limited Texas to 34% from the field and 7-26 from beyond the arc while disrupting nearly every offensive possession and limiting star freshman guard Tre Johnson to 2-13 for 11 points.
After the game, the Aggies unsurprisingly rose in the NET rankings, while A&M’s elite defense now ranks among the time units in the country. Thanks to 247Sports’ Carter Karels, here is a comprehensive look at where Texas A&M ranks in every critical defensive metric:
- 5th in defensive rating
- 12th in field goal % defense
- 17th in points per game allowed
- 26th in 3-point field goal % defense
Texas A&M’s early schedule is demanding. It starts with Oklahoma on the road on Wednesday, followed by home and road matchups against Alabama and Kentucky over the next week and a half. However, if A&M’s defense continues to hold things down, every game is up for the taking.
Texas A&M will head to Norman to face Oklahoma on Wednesday, Jan. 8. The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.
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