Texas A&M players not banking on previous win over Kentucky ahead of SEC Tournament battle

NCAA Basketball: Texas A&M at Kentucky — Jan 21, 2023; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Antonio Reeves (12) drives to the basket against Texas A&M Aggies guard Wade Taylor IV (4) during the second half at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports

Kentucky‘s trip to College Station didn’t result in a win for the Cats, but the back-and-forth overtime battle was the story of the early SEC schedule for both teams. Texas A&M was desperate for a quality win and earned it in overtime, an offensive clash that favored the Aggies. It was the first time all season the Wildcats scored at will and couldn’t pull off the win, a sign the defense needed serious work in conference play, a 97-92 finish.

But that was January 13, the third SEC matchup for both teams. Kentucky has played 15 games since then, Texas A&M with 16 including Thursday’s quarterfinal win over Ole Miss in the SEC Tournament. The teams we saw two months ago aren’t the ones we will see inside Bridgestone Arena on Friday.

“Yeah, I mean, it was a big game. It was a big game for us,” A&M standout Tyrece Radford said Thursday. “We can’t bank off that game. We’re past that. We’re a different team now. And they’re a different team. I guarantee they’re a different team now, too. We can’t think about that. We had big games, but honestly it’s on to the next one.”

“Yeah, we have to go home now, reset, refocus, just figure out what we got to do tomorrow,” Aggies star Wade Taylor IV added. “That’s pretty much all I got.”

The teams are different in part due to the roster makeup, certainly on Kentucky’s side. Adou Thiero was out with a back injury and Zvonimir Ivisic wasn’t even eligible at that point.

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When asked if that changes things going into Friday’s matchup in Nashville, the Aggies didn’t budge. In their eyes, it comes down to their own personnel and what they bring to the table, not what’s changed about Kentucky since the previous matchup in College Station.

“Our game plan will change based off what I think we need to do, things we messed up on last game that we can be better at,” Taylor IV said. “I’m not sure that Big Z will determine if we change our game plan for the better. I’m pretty sure he’s a terrific player, but I just feel like we going to focus on things we need to focus on to win the game.”

“I pretty much say the same thing,” Radford added. “Right now we getting back to the hotel, resting up, just focusing on us when that time do come. That’s all I got, too.”

Sounds like bulletin board material for Big Z if you ask me.