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Auburn Hosts Texas A&M as High-Powered 'Bucky Ball' Tests Tigers' Fixes

Steven Pearl shifts to one-on-one film review after tallying 127 defensive mistakes in the OT loss to Georgia.

Overview

  • Tipoff is 8 p.m. CT at Neville Arena on the SEC Network.
  • Texas A&M enters 12-2 and 1-0 in the SEC on a four-game win streak, averaging 94.7 points with a full-court press under first-year coach Bucky McMillan.
  • Auburn is 9-5 and 0-1 in league play after a 104-100 overtime loss at Georgia, and the Tigers are 6-0 at home this season.
  • The Tigers’ defense lags in SEC metrics, including opponent field-goal percentage and defensive rebounding, after repeated one-on-one breakdowns.
  • Key players to watch include A&M’s Rubén Domínguez (3.5 made threes per game) and Rashaun Agee (six double-doubles) alongside Auburn’s Keyshawn Hall (21.5 ppg) and Tahaad Pettiford, with ESPN’s predictor favoring Auburn at 68.9%.