Aggies
COLLEGE STATION — Life in the SEC comes at you fast. Such is the case for Texas A&M basketball, which entered last February atop the conference standings. However, three consecutive losses, including an 86-85 defeat Wednesday to Missouri, have left the Aggies (17-7, 7-4) in a five-way tie for third place.
A&M's skid includes losses to Florida and Alabama. Things don't get any easier with a road game against No. 19 Vanderbilt up next. The Commodores (20-4, 7-4) have won four of their last five games, with the only loss a one-point defeat to Oklahoma.
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A&M is trying to avoid its first four-game losing streak since last February under former head coach Buzz Williams. Vanderbilt is 11-2 at home and looks like one of the best teams in the conference.
Here are three things to know about the Commodores, plus a prediction of Texas A&M vs. Vanderbilt:
Identifying weaknesses to attack Saturday may prove difficult for A&M. As of Friday, Vanderbilt is fifth in the SEC in scoring (88.7) and fifth in defense (73.8). The Commodores are fourth in field-goal percentage (48.6%) and opponent field-goal percentage (41.6%). Beyond the arc, Vandy is third in the conference at 36.1%, while its defense ranks best in the SEC in opponent 3-point percentage at 29.6%.
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Rebounding has been a struggle, where they're tied for 13th in the conference at 36.3 boards per game. The Aggies enter Saturday seventh, averaging 38.0 per outing.
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Vanderbilt guard Duke Miles hasn't played since Jan. 24, when he scored 17 points in an 88-56 win over Mississippi State. The 6-foot-2 senior suffered a knee injury that required surgery and is expected to miss Saturday's matchup against A&M.
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Prior to his injury, Miles was named to the Jerry West Award's midseason top 10 for shooting guard of the year. The Montgomery, Ala. native was averaging 16.6 points, 4.3 assists and 2.8 steals. He reached double digits in 16 of 18 games, including scoring 20 or more points seven times.
Texas A&M Aggies forward Rashaun Agee (12) puts the ball up over defense from Texas Longhorns center Matas Vokietaitis (8) during the first half of Lone Star Showdown, Jan. 17, 2026 at the Moody Center in Austin.
During Miles' absence, though, Vanderbilt has continued to roll on. It is 3-1 during the four games he missed and is averaging 81.5 points per contest. Guard Tyler Tanner has led the way during Miles' absence, averaging a team-high 18.9 points. In the four games Miles has missed, Tanner is averaging 26.2 points, highlighted by a 37-point performance in the 92-91 loss to Oklahoma.
It's just his second season leading Vanderbilt, but head coach Mark Byington has the Commodores headed in the right direction. After four seasons at James Madison, where he won a regular-season championship and a conference championship, he led Vandy to the Tournament in Year 1. Vanderbilt peaked at No. 24 in the AP poll last season and finished the year 20-13.
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This season, Byington's squad has already matched that win total with seven games remaining.
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Vanderbilt 90-84. Facing Vandy on the road is not the ideal draw for a team looking to snap a losing streak. Finding a way to win can right the ship of what feels like a season that's in free fall after a strong start. It's tough to pick the Aggies to win this game, especially against Vanderbilt, which continues to look like one of the best in the conference.
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Reach Texas A&M beat reporter Tony Catalina via email at [email protected].
Tony Catalina is the Texas A&M beat reporter at the Austin American-Statesman. He has previous experience as a Dallas Cowboys reporter for Pro Football Network and as a contributing writer for the New England Football Journal.
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Who will win Texas A&M vs Vanderbilt basketball game? 3 things to know and a prediction – Austin American-Statesman
