The Texas A&M men's basketball team's week ahead could be described in one word -- brutal.
The only way it could be any tougher in the Big 12 than road games at No. 13 Kansas State and No. 1 Texas would be to take away the word 'State.'
The word used most often by the Aggies since their league-opening victory against Nebraska on Saturday, however, is opportunity. Which, really, is the way those involved have to view it.
"No one else will have the opportunity to play two top 15 teams this week," A&M coach Mark Turgeon said.
Turgeon wouldn't want to wake up every Sunday morning knowing the remainder of the week centered around road trips to Manhattan, Kan., and Austin. But once a year and early in league play is not a terrible thing, and it presents the opportunity to create a positive.
It's hard to convince the players and staff they have nothing to lose over the next five days, as it should be. But to the rest of the college basketball world, that's the Aggies' situation -- unless they are just blown away in both games. There's a whole lot that could be gained.
A win at either site and the Aggies will have picked up a full game on the rest of the Big 12. It would be like sinking a birdie putt on a par 4 when everyone else is having trouble reaching the green in two.
A victory either night and A&M makes all the national highlight shows and can do nothing but help the program, especially if it's next Saturday in Austin (see the love Tennessee received after its home victory over Kansas on Sunday).
So, again, it's an opportunity.
It's an opportunity for the players to try and beat the best, to play in the best venues. If that doesn't get your competitive juices flowing, then you should take it to the rec gym.
Of course, what makes this week one of great opportunities is because the task at hand is daunting.
All four home teams won on the first weekend, including Missouri over Kansas State. That victory probably only made things worse for the Aggies, which was duly noted by Turgeon in the postgame press conference after A&M beat Nebraska.
I understand that sentiment. The Wildcats will do whatever it takes to avoid being 0-2 after two games many thought they would win. But on the other hand, if K-State would have defeated Missouri, I'm not sure the effort would have been any less on Tuesday. I'm pretty sure the Wildcats wouldn't have wanted an 11-game winning streak to come to an end at a sold-out Bramlage Coliseum on national television.
The bigger emotional swing may be that Texas reached No. 1 for the first time in the week A&M comes to town. I'm pretty sure the Longhorns won't want to relinquish that honor in a loss to A&M on their home court.
So the Aggies -- who at 12-3 are no pushover -- need to look at the next five days as an opportunity, not as being double-digit underdogs against highly ranked teams at sold-out arenas in a league where winning on the road is difficult no matter where you play.
*
Kansas State is 8-0 vs. A&M at home. ... KSU's one week stay in the AP's top 10 was its first in 35 years. ... The game within a game could be KSU's Jacob Pullen against A&M's Donald Sloan. Pullen, a junior, is second in the Big 12 in scoring at 20.1 points per game. Sloan, a senior, is fifth at 18.0.
A&M BASKETBALL
* Tuesday's game: Texas A&M (12-3, 1-0 Big 12) at Kansas St. (13-2, 0-1), 6 p.m.
* TV/radio: ESPN2, Ch. 28/WTAW, 1620 AM
LINEUPS
TEXAS A&M (12-3, 1-0)
PLAYERPOS.HT.WT.CL.PPGRPG
Dash HarrisG6-1175So.4.8*3.3
Donald SloanG6-3205Sr.18.04.0
Khris MiddletonF6-7215Fr.4.93.3
Nathan WalkupF6-7210Jr.6.33.5
Bryan DavisF6-9250Sr.9.07.7
KANSAS STATE (13-2, 0-1)
PLAYERPOS.HT.WT.CL.PPGRPG
Denis ClementeG6-1175Sr.14.3*4.0
Jacob PullenG6-0200Jr.20.1*3.5.
Curtis KellyF6-8250Jr.11.36.1
Dominique SuttonF6-5210Jr.7.85.8
Luis ColonC6-10265Sr.3.04.7
*assists per game
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