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No. 5 Tennessee vs. Texas A&M: How To Watch, Prediction, Complete Preview

Photo By Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics

Tennessee basketball returns to Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center on Saturday night where they’ll face Texas A&M just two weeks after falling to the Aggies in College Station.

Both teams have gone in opposite directions since Texas A&M defeated the Vols by double digits. Tennessee has won three straight games since the loss while the Aggies have dropped three straight games since earning their best win of the season.

Here’s everything to know ahead of the SEC matchup.

More From RTI: Everything Rick Barnes Said Before Tennessee Basketball Hosts Texas A&M

How to Watch – No. 5 Tennessee (20-6, 10-3 SEC) vs. Texas A&M (15-11, 6-7 SEC)

  • Start Time: 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT
  • Location: Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center
  • TV: ESPN. PxP: Karl Ravech. CC: Jimmy Dykes
  • Online Streaming: Watch ESPN
  • Radio (Knoxville): The Vol Network/The Vol Network App

Betting Lines

FanDuel

  • Tennessee -11.5 Texas A&M
  • Over/under 145.5

KenPom

  • Tennessee -11 Texas A&M
  • Over/under 143

What Tennessee HC Rick Barnes Said About Missouri

On Tennessee facing Texas A&M for the second time in two weeks

“It feels like a long time ago in some ways, we’ve had so many other games in between, but anytime you go through the second go round, you do have some familiarity with it. But still the prep has got to be the same. And I do know that you’ve got to do a lot better job defensively than we did the first time.”

On what they’ve seen from Texas A&M in the Aggies’ three losses since the Tennessee game

“I know one thing, they’ve played hard. You go back and look at the Alabama game where Alabama I think made 18 threes. (Texas A&M’s) effort was phenomenal. I think they what, 27 rebound offensive rebounds. And Buzz’s teams are going to play hard, but they’re going to go at it. And I think if you talk to coaches in general, it’s when you’re not making shots, it’s difficult. When you are, it makes it look easy, a little bit more room for error. But I can only tell you, they continue to play hard and aggressive and do what they do.  But our league has a lot to do with it. And the fact that you know each other so well and games are going to be decided by a couple possessions here or there.”

Probable Starters

Tennessee (via UT Game Notes)

Texas A&M (via TAMU Game Notes)

Team Statistics (via Sports Reference)

Tennessee:

Texas A&M:

Stat Leaders

Tennessee:

Points: Dalton Knecht — 20.0 PPG, 47.6 FG%, 40 3PT%

Rebounds: Jonas Aidoo — 7.4 RPG, 4.7 DRPG, 2.7 ORPG

Assists: Zakai Zeigler — 5.5 APG, 2.2 TOPG, 29.8 MPG

Texas A&M:

Points: Wade Taylor IV — 19.1 PPG, 36.7 FG%, 30.6 3PT%

Rebounds: Anderrson Garcia — 9.4 RPG, 4.8 DRPG, 4.6 ORPG

Assists: Wade Taylor IV — 3.8 APG, 2.9 TOPG, 32.6 MPG

Last Five Games

Tennessee: 

  • 72-67 win at Missouri
  • 88-53 win versus Vanderbilt
  • 92-63 win at Arkansas
  • 85-69 loss at Texas A&M
  • 88-68 win versus LSU

Texas A&M:

  • 78-71 loss versus Arkansas
  • 100-75 loss at Alabama
  • 74-73 loss at Vanderbilt
  • 85-69 win versus Tennessee
  • 79-60 win at Missouri

Prediction

Tennessee has an opportunity to get revenge for its 16-point loss at Texas A&M just two weeks prior. The Aggies have been struggling since that game while the Vols have bounced bad the way you’d hope winning their last three games against inferior opponents including two blowout wins.

But Texas A&M still isn’t a great matchup for Tennessee because of the way they rebound the ball and they slow the game’s pace down and play strong defense.

Rebounding will be the key in this one. If Tennessee holds its own on the glass then they should win with relative ease. If not it could be a tight game in the final minutes.

Jonas Aidoo and Tobe Awaka feel like two keys in this one. Not only from the rebounding aspect but also from the way Texas A&M defends and gives scoring opportunities to low post scorers.

Tennessee 74, Texas A&M 62

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