Scouting Report: Texas A&M
by Warden11 on Mar 12, 2010 7:25 AM CST
in Basketball
21 comments
The 4th seeded Aggies beat the Cornhuskers for the right to face the regular season champs in the semi-finals later today. Texas A&M is 23-8 on the year and were 11-5 in Big 12 play, the cupcakes are home so Kansas had better be ready to play if they want to win the Big 12 Tournament. KenPom has Texas A&M ranked at 20, the 39th best adjusted offense and 23rd best adjusted defense in the nation. Solid all around team that will slow down games and make the opponent beat them.
The Basics
Texas A&M finished 9th in the conference in points per game (68.9) but they also played as slow as Nebraska through conference play, averaging 66 possessions per game. The Aggies offense isn't that bad as they averaged 1.04 points per possession, which puts them in 7th in the conference. They play very good defense, only allowing a point per possession and finishing 4th in defensive efficiency behind Kansas, Kansas State, and Missouri. They rebound the ball well and get to the free throw line a lot.
Breaking it Down
For the breakdown, I'm going to use some charts from RCT's scouting report. I don't have the Four Factors loaded into it, so these will have to do.
The Offense
Effective Field Goal%
Kansas has shot better on the year but A&M has shown the ability to get hot, though they're just as likely to shoot terrible. Advantage: Kansas
Efficiency (PPP)
Kansas is a much better offensive team than A&M as shown here. The Aggies have been over a point per possession for their last for their last 5 games, though that still doesn't put them at the Jayhawks level. Advantage: Kansas
TO%
A&M turns the ball over slightly more often than Kansas (19.4 to 18.8). Considering Kansas seems to really enjoy turning it over against Missouri, I'll go ahead and give the edge to Kansas here.
Free Throw Rate
Texas A&M has the edge in this category, getting the line second most in conference behind Kansas State. Kansas isn't far behind finishing 4th in the conference. However, Kansas has made more free throws this season while shooting less of them. Advantage: Push due to A&M getting there a little more often but Kansas making a higher percentage.
The Defense
Defensive eFG%
Looking at this, I'd say there is a good chance of seeing a defensive battle today. These teams are ranked 1 and 2 in the conference in this category. Both teams generally put pressure on the ball and force tough shots. Advantage: slight edge to Kansas.
Opponent Points Per Possession
A&M allows one point per possession and Kansas allows .97, so another pretty close category. Advantage: Kansas (we'll get to why in a minute)
Opponent TO%
Another close category, A&M turns their opponents on 18% of their possessions and Kansas does it for 20% of the possessions. Another small advantage for Kansas.
Opponent Free Throw Rate
And here is where Kansas will win the game. A&M is middle of the conference, so they're better at drawing fouls without committing fouls than Kansas State. They'll still put you on the line, make free throws and the Jayhawks are playing on Saturday.
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please someone kick Beebe in the balls.
The fact that the semi-finals are not being broadcast somewhere, on ESPNU for God’s sakes is simply reprehensible.
Man crush. Sherron.
Sadly,
I suspect this is due to the Big XII moving the conference tournament up a day in the middle of the TV deal. When the league decided to do that, they probably had to just take whatever ESPN could give them and be okay with it.
What the Big XII needs is its own 24/7/365 network like the Big 10 has. That would solve a lot of problems, if cable providers picked it up, that is…
Operation Final Four is a go. Proceed to target.
^^^^this
why can’t we get this…the Big 12 Network, I want it.
53 Conference Championships!! and now 6 IN A ROW!!! Holy Hell...Good Luck with That!!
Do you really think any cable/satellite provider
would pick it up? The B10N still has trouble getting on and you’re dealing with a lot more national notoriety and population there…
Man crush. Sherron.
Directv picked up the Big 10...
I bet they’d maybe run with the Big 12 too.
53 Conference Championships!! and now 6 IN A ROW!!! Holy Hell...Good Luck with That!!
How successful have they been with the BTN?
They signd a contract with a conference-only network, if they’re not earning subscribers because of it, could be reasoned that they’d do so again with a conference with less national prestige?
Man crush. Sherron.
at Comcast
Big 10 is not a subscription only like ESPN Fullcourt, it’s part of a larger digital tier. Big 12 could fit in that same tier easily
by PhillyJayhawk on Mar 12, 2010 9:38 AM CST up reply actions
It's the same way with Time Warner
its part of the ‘Sports Tier’ along with Fox College Sports, CBS College, and various Soccer and outdoor sports stations.
My question is, are these companies making money because of BTN? If so, then the B12N might be a possibility. If not, there’s no way it happens. Also, dispite our distate of the four letter network, they do shine the brightest spotlight there is. Do we really want to pull away from our affiliation with ESPN? Moving to a specialty sports channel that is available only to those who subscribe to a sports tier really limits the overall reach of the conference.
That said, the four letter network is showing Big East, ACC, and SEC semi’s today. No Big XII, despite the fact that we have two top ten teams playing today. East Coast Bias Network. ECBN.
Man crush. Sherron.
ESPN has 4 channels, five if you include ABC.
you’d think they could find one that would work.
Glad I came, just wish I hadn't stayed so long.
People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball. I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.
That's my point.
I don’t think we need our own network. But Beebe should let himself get elbowed out of the way. ESPNU is showing womens bowling tonight. Dontcha think that if the Big XII pressed a bit we’d at least get our game on the network supposedly devoted to showin college sports???!?
Kick. In. The. Balls.
Man crush. Sherron.
haha, as I first read it
I thought you were calling for a coup in the Big 12.
Glad I came, just wish I hadn't stayed so long.
People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball. I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.
no one puts Beebe in the corner
by fizzle406 on Mar 12, 2010 10:48 AM CST via mobile up reply actions
Both games today should be really, really good.
Glad I came, just wish I hadn't stayed so long.
People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball. I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.
and yet,
Just like the KU-KSU game, most of the country won’t see them.
by DCJayhawk0208 on Mar 12, 2010 9:53 AM CST up reply actions
Indeed. Should be fun.
In fact, I can’t wait for tonight. I know it’s just the semi-finals of a relatively meaningless (for KU) Big 12 tournament. But goddammit it’s March and we have the number 1 team in the country. I can’t concentrate on anything. I want to win win win. Win everything. I want the Big 12 title and then the national championship and then we should scrimmage against UConn’s womens team and destroy them.
Gah, my work day is already shot.
Game broadcast in Dallas on KXTA (Channel 21)
Luckily I will get to watch the Hawks at 6:00 here in Dallas.
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