Defensive rebounding could be difficult in Kentucky vs. Texas A&M matchup

Texas A&M will enter Saturday’s matchup with Kentucky as the hottest team in the SEC outside of Alabama. Buzz Williams has a squad that has not lost a game in a month and owns a 5-0 record in league play. The Aggies are playing with a ton of confidence, but so is Kentucky after consecutive wins.

When digging into this matchup where Kentucky owns a 10-3 series advantage in SEC play, the strengths seem to align. When offensive shots go up, there will be big-time battles to extend possessions with offensive rebounds.

Kentucky enters the weekend ranked No. 1 overall in offensive rebound percentage (39.1%), according to KenPom. Texas A&M is not far behind at No. 8 overall (37.4%). Both teams rank inside the top 40 in adjusted offensive efficiency due to their ability to earn multiple shots in a possession. However, these are also the top two defensive rebounding teams in the conference.

In SEC play, Kentucky ranks No. 1 in defensive rebound percentage (75.8%) and Texas A&M ranks No. 2 (75.3%). Both teams are at their best when it comes time to clean the glass.

Oscar Tshiebwe is once again an elite college basketball rebounder as the senior ranks No. 2 in offensive rebound percentage (20.4%), No. 12 in defensive rebound percentage (28.5%), and is averaging 13.8 rebounds per game. Texas A&M has a more balanced approach as the Aggies hit the glass hard from every position. If Kentucky secures defensive rebounds consistently, that could lead to some transition opportunities.

At Rupp Arena, the winner will be the team that does the best job of cleaning the glass in a strength vs. strength matchup. Kentucky could use another dominant rebound performance from Tshiebwe, but will also need the other four players to help keep an aggressive A&M squad off of the offensive glass.