Following their defensive domination of Texas Tech on Saturday, the Aggies will look to keep that hot streak as they go into Columbia, to take on the Missouri Tigers. This will be the Aggies toughest test to date, as Missouri comes in ranked #5 in the nation, boasting a 16-1 record, the lone loss at Kansas State, 75-59. The top 15 Aggie defense will look to suffocate a Missouri offense, led by senior guard, Marcus Denmon, who's averaging 17.9 points per game. The Tigers as a team are averaging nearly 84 points a game, which is good for 4th in the nation.
If the Aggies expect to pull a shocker off on Big Monday (4:30 on ESPN) they're going to need another hot start similar to Saturday. The Aggies didn't allow a Red Raider field goal for the first 10 minutes of the game and held the Red Raiders to 17 points in the first half, leading 34-17 at the break. Aggie junior, Khris Middleton will need the hot hand again Monday as he's been the Aggies leading scorer throughout the season, averaging 13.2 PPG. They will also hope to see outside shooter Elston Turner drain a couple 3 balls, as he's the teams leading 3 point shooter. Dash Harris will need to be consistent running the Aggie offense and can not force turnovers. If he has a game similar to Saturday (11 Points, 7 Assists, 4 Steals, and 1 Rebound,) the Ags may just pull of the upset. The Aggie defense will have to put a stranglehold early on the Missouri offense, which is 2nd in the nation, shooting at 51%
The Aggies who don't go very deep on the bench, will need to be productive inside the paint, yet avoid foul trouble. With Kourtney Roberson still sidelined, senior David Loubeau, along with Keith Davis and Ray Turner will need to avoid early foul trouble, to keep the Aggies in the game.
The Aggies have beat the Tigers 8 straight meetings and hope to make it 9. Last time the Aggies visited Columbia, they snapped Missouri's 32 game home winning streak with a 77-74 win. Missouri is a tough out at home as they are a tough 61-3 at home over the last 4 years.
Prediction: Missouri: 75 Texas A&M: 61
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