Scouting Report: Texas A&M
Kentucky Basketball Scouting Report
Opponent: Texas A&M University Date: 1/10/15
General- 9-4, 0-1 in the SEC. Have wins over New Mexico & Arizona St. 7-0 at home.
- Big and athletic on the perimeter; start 3 guards and a swing guy all over 6’5’’.
- Will play at a pretty slow pace and try to control the temp.
Caruso is one of the nation's leaders in assists.[/caption]
He is a big point guard who is a very dynamic playmaker with the ball in his hands. Last season he led the SEC in both assists and steals while also being among the nations leaders in those categories. Caruso is averaging 6.4 assists per game to go along with 8.2 points. He is a good finisher when he gets around the basket, but is looking to make plays for his teammates first.
#23 G Danuel House: 6’7’’ 207 JR.
House was a very good player for two seasons at Houston before coming to A&M. He is a very aggressive offensive player and will take, and make, some tough shots. He is a good 3-point shooter, but is shooting just 38.7% from the field overall. We have to make sure he does not get going early. Averaging 11.4 points per game.
#21 G Jordan Green: 6’5’’ 191 SR.
He is a solid role player for the Aggies who brings lot of athleticism and defense to their lineup. Green is a good shooter and a very good finisher around the hoop. He will look to attack closeouts and find driving lanes where he can explode to the rim and finish over you.
#12 G/F Jalen Jones: 6’7’’ 223 JR.
Jones was the leading scorer at SMU before transferring to Texas A&M after his sophomore season. He missed the Aggies last game against Alabama with a sprained ankle, but is listed as day-to-day so expect to see him back in the starting lineup. Jones is very good at using his size and strength to operate inside the arc. He can score in a variety of ways, but is definitely best inside the 3-point arc. He is averaging a team leading 13.3 points and 6 rebounds per game.
#14 F Kourtney Roberson: 6’9’’ 247 SR.
Roberson is big and strong and acts as the Aggies only true post player in the starting lineup. He is a great rebounder especially on the offensive end, averaging 5 rebounds per game along with 8.1 points. He has great touch around the hoop; shooting 70% from the field so far this season.
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#22 G Peyton Allen: 6’5’’ 202 FR.
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Jones leads the Aggies in scoring & rebounding.Photo Credit: 12thman.com[/caption] Peyton Allen is a great shooter who can really get going from beyond the arc. He was the only Aggie in double figures against Alabama. We have to take away his catch-and-shoot from beyond the arc and make him put it on the deck. #3 PG Alex Robinson: 6’1’’ 174 FR. Robinson is a very talented freshman who will take over the ball handling responsibilities when he is in there. He is a good playmaker averaging 4.6 points and over 3 assists per game off the bench. Very quick and athletic. #4 F Tavario Miller: 6’7’’ 226 SO. Another talented Aggie, Miller has made a big impact off the bench in his 5 games this season. He is a great rebounder, he pulled down 4 offensive rebounds and 8 total against Alabama. Miller is very athletic and strong around the hoop. #15 F Davonte Fitzgerald: 6’7’’ 209 SO. Fitzgerald provides some more length and athleticism off the bench as well as another shooter to space the floor. The majority of his shots have been 3’s and he is also a very good offensive rebounder. Keys to the Game
- Don’t settle offensively. Texas A&M is an athletic team with some good length on the perimeter. They will play some zone as well to try and neutralize our size advantage and keep us out of the paint. If we come out and settle for 3’s early instead of really working to get the ball inside it is going to slow the game down to the pace that the Aggies want to play.
- Dominate the paint and protect the rim. They are not a great 3-point shooting team and certainly are looking to drive more than they are looking to shoot. We have to do a good job of clogging up the lane and contesting all of their shots around the rim. We should be able to be in help off some of their guys to bother shots inside.
- Play with a chip on our shoulder. It is obviously a little hard to have to big a chip on your shoulder when you are the #1 team in the country and 14-0. However, Ole Miss should have served as a wake up call that these SEC games are not going to be a cakewalk. This will be our first road test in conference so we will need to be prepared for a fight from the opening tip.
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