Kansas basketball: Texas A&M preview, how to watch
By Stan Unruh
Kansas basketball returns home to host Texas A&M in the Big 12-SEC Challenge. Here are a few things to know when the Jayhawks take on the Aggies.
The Kansas basketball team is set to see an old, familiar foe in Allen Fieldhouse Saturday. This version of Texas A&M basketball is far better than the last Aggie team that last made a trip to Lawrence in 2012. The Jayhawks beat that squad ( who won only 4 conference games) by 10 that night. The two teams played two more that season including a quarterfinal matchup in the Big 12 Tournament with similar outcomes.
The 2018 version of Andy Kennedy’s Aggies bring a 13-7 record to Lawrence with signature wins over West Virginia, Oklahoma State, Southern Cal and Penn State. They are strong in paint with a couple of 6-foot-10 players in junior Tyler Davis and sophomore Robert Williams. As a matter of fact, both contributed a double-double to the cause in a losing effort Tuesday at LSU.
Considering common opponents, Kansas defeated Kentucky in the Champions classic in November. The ‘Cats earned a one-point victory over the Aggies earlier this month in Lexington. The Jayhawks are a better team than the one we saw in Chicago. The Aggies have lost 6 of the past 8 games. They are not the same team that beat West Virginia by 23 points.
Here is where to watch the Jayhawks play the Aggies Saturday.
Date: January 27
Time: 3:30 p.m. CST
Location: Lawrence
Venue: Allen Fieldhouse
Television: ESPN
Streaming: WatchESPN
Listen: Jayhawk Radio Network
Keys to Victory
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The Jayhawks will be anxious to get back on the court following Tuesday’s tough setback in Norman. While the Aggie big men dominate, the team also averages 14 turnovers through 20 games. The smaller Jayhawk lineup will use their defense to create offense. I expect Devonte Graham to have a better game shooting the ball than he did against the Sooners. It would be nice to see the Jayhawks get a comfortable lead and give Graham some rest ahead of the Big Monday contest in Manhattan.
To do that, Udoka Azubuike and the rest of the Kansas basketball team must rebound. The Aggies are one of the best rebounding teams in the country. They rank #3 in the nation at 42 rebounds a contest. If the Jayhawks get beat on the glass, it will be a much closer game than necessary.