By Brant Daughtry

We’ve been saying all year how special this team is. Now they have a banner to prove it. Hopefully the first of many. So far the formula this year has been pretty simple, start strong, build a lead, and answer any runs that your opponent may give you. Strong defense at the spots where teams like to take shots from, and an offense that’s one of the best in the country at knocking down open looks. This team has a championship makeup, and that showed on Saturday.

There was a lot of talk about Auburn’s history in Rupp, how, even given the respective history of the two programs, Auburn’s lack of success was staggering. But it never felt like that Saturday. Yes, this is a retooling Kentucky team, and yes, this Auburn team is one of the best in conference history and the best team in college basketball this year by a wide margin. But the fact that this team went into that arena and played like they needed to was such a good sign. This team had a chance to lock up a share, and they did it. With the result in Tennessee vs Alabama, they title is theirs.

There’s more work to be done though. The one thing this team hasn’t done yet is win in March, and that’s the most important time of the calendar. Game 1 of the best month in sports is up now.

Texas A&M is coached by Buzz Williams, who dresses like a doofus and occasionally tries to participate on defense but is otherwise a guy I like. His teams are very old school. They play tough, physical defense, rebound extremely well, and want to wear you out. Offense is somewhat secondary to them, but they rely heavily on their guards getting to their spots and making shots, with bigs being more focused on getting offensive rebounds and restating the sets. This year though, that shooting has been lacking compared to the past.

Texas A&M is a good team that is in a pretty significant downward spiral. They’re 20-9 overall with a 9-7 conference record. Given the state of the SEC this year, that’s not the wort you’ll see. The problem is, just two weeks ago, they were firmly in the hunt for one of the double-byes in the SEC Tournament. The Aggies, after a 9-3 start, have lost four games in a row, including a heartbreaker to Vanderbilt last week that seemed to sap a lot of the life out of them. They’re still firmly a tournament team, but they have a lot going against them right now.

They do one thing incredibly well though, and that’s rebound. They are 8th in the country in rebounding margin, and first in offensive rebounding at over 15 a game. The gap between one and two in that stat is wider than the gap between two and 14. They are aggressive on the boards, and if their guards have good shooting days, which they are capable of, it could be a very frustrating day for Auburn.

Player to Watch For:

Guard Wade Taylor IV, #4- Taylor is the biggest scoring threat the Aggies have. He’s an inconsistent shooter, but if he gets going then he’s tough to stop. He averages 15 a game and is the only real passing threat, getting about five assists a game as well. Problem with him is, since the start of conference play, he’s been pretty rough shooting the ball. He’s under 30%, and at an even 6-foot, he needs that outside shot to be effective.

Guard Zhuric Phelps, #1- Normally, given the way that a team like A&M rebounds, this is where I’d put their defensive anchor that grabs nearly 10 per game. A&M doesn’t have that guy though. There’s no dominant board man on this team, just a bunch of guys who get five or six a night. Zhuric is one of those guys, but he’s also the second biggest scoring threat on this team. He’s averaging over 14 points a game and is actually scoring more than Taylor since the start of SEC play. His shooting is also an issue, at sub-30% in conference games, but he’s a bigger body who’s able to get more going inside.

The thing is, if Auburn wasn’t the best team in the country, I would call this a relatively easy game. A&M is on a downward spiral and Auburn hasn’t lost much momentum all year. The thing is though, regardless of how down a team is, they’ll get back up for a matchup against a number one team. A&M is desperate to get up off the mat, and put themselves back in a good spot for post-season play.

The other worrying factor is the way A&M has had Auburn’s number recently. Yes, this team isn’t as good as they’ve had the past few years, but they still rebound well enough to blow a team out if those guards start hitting shots. It’s in their gym, and it’s a stye that Bruce Pearl has struggled against some, by his own admission. These games all matter still. Take nothing for granted.