Advertisement

‘Higher expectations’ make beating unranked Texas A&M a priority for No. 12 Kentucky

Games at No. 2 Auburn and No. 7 Kansas scheduled for the next two Saturdays prompted a question. Might Wednesday’s game at Texas A&M be easy to overlook? Or to use sports jargon, might it be a “trap game?”

UK’s associate to the head coach, James “Bruiser” Flint, said the game at Texas A&M did not fit that description.

“You don’t have a trap game when the team you’re playing is (4-0) and in first place in the league,” he said Tuesday. “I don’t call that a trap game. You better come to play or you’re going to lose because they’ve beaten everybody in the conference (on the schedule so far).”

The Aggies, 15-2 overall, received votes in this week’s top 25 poll conducted by The Associated Press.

But No. 12 Kentucky will be the first ranked team Texas A&M will have played this season. According to Ken Pomeroy’s rankings, the Aggies are the only Southeastern Conference team to have played a lower-rated non-conference schedule than Kentucky. As of Tuesday, he rated A&M’s schedule as 326th toughest in Division I. He rated UK’s schedule as 311th toughest.

As for league play, three of the Aggies’ four victories have come against teams with the poorest NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) ranking: Ole Miss (12th), Georgia (13th) and Missouri (14th). The exception was an 86-81 victory over Arkansas, which has the ninth worst NET rating.

Sahvir Wheeler said that any individual game — whether a so-called trap game or a high-profile game against a marquee opponent — should be put in the context of long-range objectives.

“I’m keeping these guys motivated,” the Kentucky point guard said of his return last Saturday after missing two games because of a neck injury. “Keeping them loose. Keeping them focused on that main goal. Just because you won a game, it’s not over.

“We have higher expectations of winning the whole thing. I’m keeping us focused on it.”

TyTy Washington (3) and Jacob Toppin (0) celebrate during Kentucky’s blowout win over Tennessee last Saturday. The Wildcats say now is not the time for the team to lose focus.
TyTy Washington (3) and Jacob Toppin (0) celebrate during Kentucky’s blowout win over Tennessee last Saturday. The Wildcats say now is not the time for the team to lose focus.

Flint echoed something UK Coach John Calipari has said about having fun this season.

“We have really, really good kids,” Flint said. “We have great chemistry. We get along together.

“As a coach, you can’t ask for more than that. For guys to come every day, they do what you ask them to do both on and off the floor. It’s just easy.

“I’ve had teams you dreaded coming in the gym sometimes. And I’ve had teams you couldn’t wait.”

This Kentucky team, 14-3 overall and 4-1 in the SEC, is the latter.

Why?

“They can get on each other,” Flint said. “That’s a big part of it. Guys don’t quit on assignments. The coaches don’t have to coach. They get on each other.”

Flint cited such leaders as Keion Brooks, Davion Mintz and Wheeler. He suggested that might be a particularly important quality to have with Wheeler.

“You want your point guard to be that way,” Flint said. “You want him to be the coach on the floor. You want him to be a little bit of a general.”

Wheeler, who exudes a competitive spirit on the court, said he might have been literally born to be a leader.

“I’m the oldest of six kids my parents had,” he said. “So, I kind of had a lot of practice growing up trying to get these guys to (do the right thing).

“Having 15 to 17 years of that has helped me to get people to buy into a common goal and be able to hold people accountable without them taking it the wrong way.”

For Wheeler, the game is something of a homecoming. He grew up in Houston, which is about 90 miles southeast of College Station. As a high school player, he initially committed to play for Texas A&M. A coaching change led him to reconsider.

That history suggests Wheeler will not be looking ahead to the game at Auburn on Saturday.

“Definitely, I’m a little happier knowing I’m going to Texas, and I’m going to see my parents before the game,” Wheeler said. “After the game, (I will) get to see my friends, all my siblings. So there’s definitely something extra there.”

Wednesday

No. 12 Kentucky at Texas A&M

When: 8:30 p.m.

TV: SEC Network

Radio: WLAP-AM 630, WBUL-FM 98.1

Records: Kentucky 14-3 (4-1 SEC), Texas A&M 15-2 (4-0)

Series: Kentucky leads 11-4

Last meeting: Kentucky won 69-60 on Feb. 25, 2020, at College Station, Texas

He grew up rooting for Kentucky. Wednesday night he’ll coach against the Cats.

Only family members will attend memorial service for Joe B. Hall

Former Kentucky basketball star Rex Chapman will host a new show on CNN

Where to watch, how to follow Wednesday’s Kentucky basketball game at Texas A&M

First Scouting Report: Can Kentucky survive a ‘trap game’ at Texas A&M?