LEXINGTON — Texas A&M was the top offensive rebounding team in college basketball last season, grabbing more than 41% of its errant shots. The Aggies have picked up where they left off since the 2024-25 season started. And through 16 games, they’re even better.
Texas A&M is No. 1 in Division I offensive rebounding percentage entering Tuesday, pulling down 43.2% of its misses. That’s more than two percentage points better than second-place St. Mary’s (41.3).
So the challenge is clear for Kentucky basketball, which hosts A&M tonight at Rupp Arena.
“That’s something we’re really focused on: just being physical, hitting first,” UK freshman guard Travis Perry said. “We talk about it all the time: being the hammer, being the aggressor, just making that contact.
“And I think that’s gonna be our goal for the game. Come out ready, make a good push at the beginning and just continue it throughout.”
Senior forward Ansley Almonor, who transferred to UK after spending the last three seasons at Fairleigh Dickinson, said “finding a guy to go hit” every time a rebound opportunity presents itself wasn’t natural for him. But coach Mark Pope and the rest of the Wildcats‘ staff have brought Almonor along.
“When you go up to jumping battles, these teams, everybody’s athletic,” he said, “so it’s really just luck of the draw. So you just try to go out there, hit somebody and give yourself the best chance at getting the rebound.”
Here’s what you need to know to follow today’s game from home:
The contest between the Wildcats and Aggies will air on ESPN2. Karl Ravech (play-by-play) and Jimmy Dykes (analyst) will have the call.
Authenticated subscribers can access ESPN via TV-connected devices or by going to WatchESPN.com, the WatchESPN app or ESPN+.
You also can stream ESPN on Fubo, which offers a free trial.
Tom Leach (play-by-play) and Jack Givens (analyst) will have the UK radio network call on 840 AM in Louisville and both 630 AM and 98.1 FM in Lexington.
You can also listen online via UKAthletics.com.
Betting odds: Kentucky is a 6 ½-point home favorite (-110) on DraftKings, which set the over/under at 158 ½ points (-110). The money line odds are Kentucky -285, Texas A&M +230.
- Oct. 23: exhibition vs. Kentucky Wesleyan ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 123, Kentucky Wesleyan 52
- Oct. 29: exhibition vs. Minnesota State Mankato ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 98, Minnesota State Mankato 67
- Nov. 4: vs. Wright State (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 103, Wright State 62
- Nov. 9: vs. Bucknell (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 100, Bucknell 72
- Nov. 12: vs. Duke (Champions Classic; State Farm Arena, Atlanta) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 77, Duke 72
- Nov. 19: vs. Lipscomb, (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 97, Lipscomb 68
- Nov. 22: vs. Jackson State (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 108, Jackson State 59
- Nov. 26: vs. Western Kentucky (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 87, Western Kentucky 68
- Nov. 29: vs. Georgia State (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 105, Georgia State 76
- Dec. 3: at Clemson (ACC/SEC Challenge) ∣ SCORE: Clemson 70, Kentucky 66
- Dec. 7: vs. Gonzaga (Climate Pledge Arena; Seattle) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 90, Gonzaga 89 (OT)
- Dec. 11: vs. Colgate (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 78, Colgate 67
- Dec. 14: vs. Louisville (Rupp Arena) ∣ SCORE: Kentucky 93, Louisville 85
- Dec. 21: vs. Ohio State (CBS Sports Classic; Madison Square Garden, New York) | SCORE: Ohio State 85, Kentucky 65
- Dec. 31: vs. Brown (Rupp Arena) | SCORE: Kentucky 88, Brown 54
- Jan. 4: vs. Florida (Rupp Arena) | SCORE: Kentucky 106, Florida 100
- Jan. 7: at Georgia | SCORE: Georgia 82, Kentucky 69
- Jan. 11: at Mississippi State | SCORE: Kentucky 95, Mississippi State 90
- Jan. 14: vs. Texas A&M (Rupp Arena), 7 p.m., ESPN2
- Jan. 18: vs. Alabama (Rupp Arena), noon, ESPN
- Jan. 25: at Vanderbilt, 2:30 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2
- Jan. 28: at Tennessee, 7 p.m., ESPN
- Feb. 1: vs. Arkansas (Rupp Arena), 9 p.m., ESPN
- Feb. 4: at Ole Miss, 7 p.m., ESPN
- Feb. 8: vs. South Carolina (Rupp Arena), noon, ESPN/ESPN2
- Feb. 11: vs. Tennessee (Rupp Arena), 7 p.m., ESPN
- Feb. 15: at Texas, 8 p.m., ESPN
- Feb. 19: vs. Vanderbilt (Rupp Arena), 7 p.m., SEC Network
- Feb. 22: at Alabama, 6 p.m., ESPN
- Feb. 26: at Oklahoma, 9 p.m., SEC Network
- March 1: vs. Auburn (Rupp Arena), 1/4 p.m., ABC/ESPN
- March 4: vs. LSU (Rupp Arena), 7/9 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU
- March 8: at Missouri, noon, ESPN/SEC Network
Record: 13-3 (2-1 SEC)
- Ansley Almonor (forward, senior)
- Koby Brea (guard, graduate)
- Lamont Butler (guard, graduate)
- Andrew Carr (forward, graduate)
- Collin Chandler (guard, freshman)
- Grant Darbyshire (guard, junior)
- Brandon Garrison (forward, sophomore)
- Walker Horn (guard, junior)
- Kerr Kriisa (guard, senior)
- Trent Noah (forward, freshman)
- Otega Oweh (guard, junior)
- Travis Perry (guard, freshman)
- Jaxson Robinson (guard, graduate)
- Amari Williams (center, graduate)
Texas A&M went 21-15 overall last season, posting a 9-9 mark in SEC play. Its season ended in a 100-95 overtime loss to Houston in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
The Aggies are 13-3 this season. They had a slew of notable wins in nonconference play: Ohio State, Creighton, Rutgers, Wake Forest, Texas Tech and Purdue, while dropping games to Central Florida and Oregon. A&M is 2-1 in conference competition, besting Texas and Oklahoma but falling to Alabama, on the road, in its most recent outing.
Though UK is 13-6 all time versus Texas A&M, the Aggies have won the last two, taking both matchups last season (97-92 in overtime on Jan. 13, 2024, in College Station, Texas, and 97-87 in the SEC Tournament two months later).
Click here to see the Aggies’ full 2024-25 schedule.
Want to learn the Aggies’ roster?
Click here for player bios and more.
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Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.
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