Texas A&M prepares for pressure vs. West Virginia (Jan 28, 2017)
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- Texas A&M coach Billy Kennedy hopes his players have turned a corner on committing turnovers, though he cautions "the ultimate test" comes Saturday at No. 18 West Virginia.
If they are to handle their part of the SEC/Big 12 Challenge, the Aggies (11-8) must handle the full-court pressure of the Mountaineers (16-4).
"We've made some progress taking care of the ball and we've growing from it," Kennedy said. "But I don't know about being thrown in the fire now against West Virginia and their pressure."
He's especially concerned about live-ball turnovers that energize West Virginia's transition opportunities.
"I'll take a 10-second call all day," Kennedy joked. "And if we're going to throw it away, throw it in the stands and hit somebody with a musket."
Texas A&M averages 14.1 turnovers per game, which ranks 243rd among 347 teams in Division I, while West Virginia leads the nation by forcing 22.7
In beating No. 2 Kansas 85-69 on Tuesday, the Mountaineers backed off their press and generated only 13 turnovers, fearful the skilled Jayhawks could exploit openings on the back end. Because Texas A&M plays a more deliberate style and relies on its array of big men in the halfcourt, expect "Press Virginia" to go full-throttle again.
The Aggies feature 6-foot-10 center Tyler Davis (13.7 points, 6.8 rebounds) and 6-9 freshman Robert Williams (11.2 points, 6.7 rebounds), whose dynamic athleticism and 7-foot-4 wingspan make him a one-and-done candidate.
Tony Troche-Morelos, a 6-10 junior, averages eight points and five rebounds, but there's a question about the availability of 6-8 swingman DJ Hogg, (13.1 points, 5.3 assists) who's nursing a foot injury that sidelined him during Wednesday's win at Ole Miss.
"It'll be a game-time decision but we're really not expecting it," Kennedy said.
While West Virginia coach Bob Huggins deploys up to 12 players, Aggies guard Admon Gilder (12.4 points, 4.1 assists) could be in search of a breather. The sophomore played 40 minutes in each of the last two games.
Gilder leads the SEC in steals and will be matched up against the Mountaineers' defensive stopper Jevon Carter, who ranks fifth nationally (3.1 steals) while also scoring 11.9 points per game. In his last three outings, the 6-2 Carter grabbed 29 rebounds.
"JC is really athletic, so he gets in there and gets some hard rebounds," Huggins said. "But he's also not running out. We need to gang rebound because we're not as big as some of the people we're going to play."
Esa Ahmad, coming off a career-high 27-point performance against Kansas, leads the Mountaineers in scoring at 12.1 points, while 6-9 senior Nathan Adrian (10.7 points, 6.4 rebounds) has managed to defend guards and big men alike.
Both will be essential in attacking Texas A&M's 2-3 zone, though West Virginia hopes to play at a pace that doesn't allow the Aggies to set up.
"We've got to push everything without getting out of our comfort zone," Huggins said. "But we've got to pick up the pace and get them to play faster."
The Aggies own a 1-7 record against the RPI top 50 and desperately seek a marquee win. Their nonconference losses include 65-63 to USC, 67-63 to Arizona and 74-67 to UCLA.
"They've played really good people," Huggins said. "It's going to be a harder game than some people would perceive."
