No. 11 Texas A&M is feeling the sting of injuries and suspensions, as a productive and successful non-conference run has disintegrated into an 0-2 SEC start. Both losses were blowouts.
The Aggies were without injured starters Admon Gilder and Duane Wilson, along with suspended leading scorer D.J. Hogg, in Tuesday's 83-66 home loss to Florida. Texas A&M (11-3, 0-2) returns to Reed Arena to host LSU (9-4, 0-1) Saturday afternoon at College Station, Texas, with television coverage on SEC Network.
Hogg is expected to return against the Tigers after serving his three-game suspension for an undisclosed team rules violation. Gilder and Wilson are both dealing with knee injuries.
The personnel losses have taken a toll.
"It is a factor. That's no question," Aggies coach Billy Kennedy said. "You can't not have your best foot forward in the SEC and give yourself a chance to win night in and night out. The injuries you can't control.
"Obviously, losing Duane Wilson and Admon Gilder hurts us against a team (Florida) that is so good on the perimeter in their guard play. All of those things add up, and you have to put our best foot forward."
The Tigers are also coming off a loss, but the 74-71 setback to No. 14 Kentucky was encouraging. Duop Reath racked up his first double-double of the season and eighth in his career with 24 points and 11 rebounds.
"I felt like everybody, as a team, came out wanting to win the game," Reath said. "At the end of the day it didn't go that way. I am going to use this as a good learning experience and just move on."
Tremont Waters posted his third double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Aaron Epps scored 13.
The loss to the Gators snapped a seven-game home winning streak for the Aggies. Florida's field goal percentages of 51.6 (overall) and 60.7 (3-point) were both season highs for an A&M opponent.
The Aggies did get 12 points and 11 rebounds out of sophomore Robert Williams, his third double-double of the season and 14th of his career. Freshman Jay Jay Chandler led the Aggies in scoring with a career-high 17 points, and freshman JJ Caldwell registered a career-high nine points along with a team-high seven assists in his second career start.
Kennedy said the Aggies are prepared to take their lumps in the short term as the team gets healthy.
"This can make us better, and I believe we are going to be better," Kennedy said. "People better beat us now while we have guys injured and when we made the mistakes we did because I really believe that we are going to get this team right.
"We have a good and talented group. We are going to learn from it and that is the approach we are taking. Obviously, attitude matters, so I am going to be as positive as possible. We have good players."
The all-time series between the Aggies and Tigers is tied 18-18, with A&M winning the last three games.
