Buzz Williams and Texas A&M Shut Down Arkansas Late in Second Half. Aggies Win 62-56.

 

When Arkansas gets momentum, they are difficult to stop, but when the Razorbacks took a five point lead late in the second half last night, instead of letting the hogs keep running with the momentum Texas A&M coach Buzz Williams called a critical timeout to settle down his team which helped them refocus, regain the lead and seal the victory for Texas A&M winning the game 62-56 in front of a packed home crowd.

Buzz Williams has the Aggies balling this year in his third season as head coach for Texas A&M and after this win against Arkansas A&M has an impressive 19-7 record. No team wants to play Texas A&M right now, especially not in the SEC and not NCAA Tournament. The Aggies are playing like a sweet sixteen team this season and no player in the country is playing better right now than Wade Taylor. Buzz Williams has basically given Taylor the “green light” to shoot the ball whenever he touches it. Last night Taylor shot 6-15 from the field and 3-5 from the three point line and finished the game with 18 points and his four assists and three rebounds were just icing on the cake.

Not only can the Aggies shoot by they can all jump, overall they are a very physical team in the defensive paint and the Aggies pushed the Hogs around and out of the paint and away from high rebounds. Andersson Garcia grabbed ten rebounds and Dexter Dennis had a double-double with eleven rebounds and fourteen points. The Aggies hit the Hogs where it hurt the most, where they are lacking and that is in the paint. A&M only shot twelve three’s all game, most of their points came in the paint where the Hogs struggle to defend. Basketball fans have to tip their hats to Buzz who had a winning game plan for Arkansas.

The Hogs are exciting to watch, with an overall record of 17-9, but the majority of those wins were not in SEC conference play. The Hogs control their own destiny to either play in the NIT or in the NCAA championship tournament, the hogs have time, but time is running out. The Razorbacks have had their chances this season, and they still do have a chance to make the tourney, but they have to find a way to win, and they were not able to last night. Hogs play Florida on Saturday at Bud Walton Arena.