Every week, we’ll be previewing Auburn Basketball’s upcoming opponents. This week, Auburn host the Texas A&M Aggies, and the Vanderbilt Commodores.
Texas A&M
The head coach in College Station is Buzz Williams, who is in his third year at the helm. He has a record of 31-23 at A&M. Before moving to Texas, he spent time at Marquette and Virginia Tech, making a few NCAA Tournament appearances.
This year, A&M has a record of 15-9, with most of that being attributed to a strong start that has collapsed in the more recent part of the season. The Aggies are on a seven-game losing streak after starting 15-2.
Players to watch for: #3, guard Jackson Quenton, and #1, guard Marcus Williams
Quenton is the leading scorer for A&M, averaging about 13 points a game. He is an efficient scorer, shooting 44.8% from the field. Williams is a more balanced lead guard. He averages about 8 points a game, and leads the Aggies in assists per game with 3.7.
Auburn hosts Texas A&M Saturday, February 12 in Auburn.
Vanderbilt
The Commodores are coached by Jerry Stackhouse, who is in his third year with the program. He’s a very impressive coach, having had a long and successful NBA career before turning to coaching, and spending several years as an assistant in the NBA.
Vandy is hovering around .500 this year with a record of 13-10, and a conference record of 5-6. Vandy presents as a team that is good, not great, beating the bad teams, losing to the good, and having close games with the middle of the pack.
Players to watch for: #2, guard Scottie Pippen Jr. and #4, forward Jordan Wright
The name “Scottie Pippen” should be familiar to basketball fans. The son of the Hall of Famer doesn’t have quite the talent of his dad, but he is a very good basketball player. He leads Vanderbilt in points per game with 18.7, assists per game with 3.7, and steals with 41. He also grabs his fair share of rebounds, pulling in 3.5 per game with a 6’3″ frame. Wright is the leading rebounder for Vanderbilt, grabbing 6.3 per game. He is an effect scorer, shooting over 40% from the field.
Auburn hosts Vanderbilt Wednesday, February 16th in Auburn.
