**Jesse Newell:** Welcome back to the GameDay Cram Session, as Kansas is taking on Texas A&M on Wednesday night in College Station, Texas.
Tom, coaches will always call the next game a hard one. Do you buy it this time?
**Tom Keegan:** Absolutely. A&M didn’t have Khris Middleton in Lawrence and still led at the half and lost by only 10 points. The Aggies packed it in defensively and Kansas wasn’t able to make them pay because it couldn’t shoot from the outside, other than Tyshawn Taylor (17 points, 3 for 6 three-pointers). Other than Taylor, Kansas made 1 of 14 three-point shots.
**JN:** Texas A&M probably wishes it could have last year’s Middleton back instead of the player he’s become this year.
The 6-7 junior has regressed in almost every offensive category, which includes free-throw shooting, two-point shooting, three-point shooting and getting to the free throw line. What’s made it worse is that he’s shooting even more this year than he did last year when he was a more efficient player.
Now, this wouldn’t be the first time a highly regarded player snapped out of a slump against KU (see Denmon, Marcus), but if the Jayhawks get this year’s typical Middleton, they might actually be facing off against a worse offensive team than the one they saw in Lawrence on Jan. 23.
Tom, if A&M could steal one player from the Kansas roster, who do you think it would it be?
**TK:** Tyshawn Taylor.
No guard in the country is better at blowing by his man and collapsing the defense. That’s the most glaring absence on the Aggies’ roster, a blow-by guard.
**JN:** Taylor would definitely be the pick, though really, the Aggies could use anyone who was able to get some easy points at the free throw line.
A&M’s inability to get to the line this year has been pretty remarkable, as David Loubeau leads the team with 89 free throws. To put that in perspective, that number would rank fourth on KU’s roster.
Thomas Robinson (155) and Taylor (151) have nearly double the amount of free throws as Loubeau, while Jeff Withey (104) is also ahead of him.
KU has shot 171 more free throws that A&M this year (583-412). That inability to get to the line is a major reason for A&M’s offensive struggles this season and also a reason that the Aggies claim the second-worst offensive in the league, only in front of Texas Tech.
All right, Tom, what’s your prediction for this game?
**TK:** Kansas by 5.
A&M again will make it difficult for Kansas to score, but the Aggies have difficulty scoring against defenses not nearly as tough as KU’s.
**JN:** I’ll take KU by 14.
I’m just not a fan of this Texas A&M team, and I don’t think the Aggies pose a serious threat to KU, even at home.
A&M gets most of its points from twos (59 percent), and as we know, that’s KU’s greatest strength defensively. Plus, the fact that I see $10 tickets for the game available (as of 12:30 a.m. Wednesday) doesn’t exactly sell me on the idea that the Aggies fans are too pumped for this game, either.
KU’s already played one bad game against A&M this year. I don’t see this as being poor game No. 2.
OK, Tom, who’s your Hawk to Rock?
**TK:** Tyshawn Taylor.
You give him the outside shot, he’ll bury it to the tune of .433 accuracy rate.
**JN:** Jeff Withey is a nightmare opponent for A&M.
The 7-foot center had eight blocks against the Aggies last game, and with few reliable three-point shooters outside of Elston Turner, A&M will be forced once again to try to get shots around Withey. Like last game, it probably won’t work.
Expect Withey to pile up the swats this game, while also improving on the four rebounds he had against A&M in the previous matchup.
**Predictions tally (through 27 games)**
Tom: 21-6 record, 259 points off (9.6 points off/game)
Jesse: 24-3 record, 222 points off (8.2 points off/game)
Hawk to Rock
————
**Tom Keegan**
Towson: Tyshawn Taylor (4th in Keegan ratings)
Kentucky: Tyshawn Taylor (1st in Keegan ratings)
Georgetown: Elijah Johnson (4th in Keegan ratings)
UCLA: Tyshawn Taylor (2nd in Keegan ratings)
Duke: Elijah Johnson (4th in Keegan ratings)
FAU: Jeff Withey (4th in Keegan ratings)
South Florida: Tyshawn Taylor (1st in Keegan ratings)
Long Beach State: Elijah Johnson (7th in Keegan ratings)
Ohio State: Thomas Robinson (2nd in Keegan ratings)
Davidson: Thomas Robinson (1st in Keegan ratings)
USC: Jeff Withey (4th in Keegan ratings)
Howard: Kevin Young (4th in Keegan ratings)
North Dakota: Elijah Johnson (3rd in Keegan ratings)
Kansas State: Tyshawn Taylor (5th in Keegan ratings)
Oklahoma: Tyshawn Taylor (4th in Keegan ratings)
Texas Tech: Thomas Robinson (1st in Keegan ratings)
Iowa State: Elijah Johnson (4th in Keegan ratings)
Baylor: Thomas Robinson (1st in Keegan ratings)
Texas: Thomas Robinson (3rd in Keegan ratings)
Texas A&M: Thomas Robinson (3rd in Keegan ratings)
Iowa State: Tyshawn Taylor (1st in Keegan ratings)
Oklahoma: Thomas Robinson (1st in Keegan ratings)
Missouri: Thomas Robinson (1st in Keegan ratings)
Baylor: Thomas Robinson (3rd in Keegan ratings)
Oklahoma State: Thomas Robinson (2nd in Keegan ratings)
Kansas State: Tyshawn Taylor (2nd in Keegan ratings)
Texas Tech: Thomas Robinson (3rd in Keegan ratings)
**Average: 2.8th in Keegan ratings**
**Jesse Newell**
Towson: Conner Teahan (6th in Keegan ratings)
Kentucky: Elijah Johnson (4th in Keegan ratings)
Georgetown: Kevin Young (9th in Keegan ratings)
UCLA: Elijah Johnson (1st in Keegan ratings)
Duke: Thomas Robinson (1st in Keegan ratings)
FAU: Tyshawn Taylor (7th in Keegan ratings)
South Florida: Elijah Johnson (6th in Keegan ratings)
Long Beach State: Thomas Robinson (1st in Keegan ratings)
Ohio State: Travis Releford (5th in Keegan ratings)
Davidson: Jeff Withey (5th in Keegan ratings)
USC: Elijah Johnson (1st in Keegan ratings)
Howard: Tyshawn Taylor (1st in Keegan ratings)
North Dakota: Conner Teahan (5th in Keegan ratings)
Kansas State: Travis Releford (1st in Keegan ratings)
Oklahoma: Elijah Johnson (3rd in Keegan ratings)
Texas Tech: Travis Releford (2nd in Keegan ratings
Iowa State: Thomas Robinson (3rd in Keegan ratings)
Baylor: Kevin Young (9th in Keegan ratings)
Texas: Travis Releford (5th in Keegan ratings)
Texas A&M: Tyshawn Taylor (1st in Keegan ratings)
Iowa State: Jeff Withey (3rd in Keegan ratings)
Oklahoma: Conner Teahan (6th in Keegan ratings)
Missouri: Kevin Young (8th in Keegan ratings)
Baylor: Jeff Withey (1st in Keegan ratings)
Oklahoma State: Tyshawn Taylor (4th in Keegan ratings)
Kansas State: Travis Releford (4th in Keegan ratings)
Texas Tech: Kevin Young (4th in Keegan ratings)
**Average: 3.9th in Keegan ratings**
