Advertisement

No. 15 Texas A&M suddenly a snowball tumbling down SEC standings

It's hard to believe Texas A&M once was 17-2 undefeated atop the SEC standings through seven league games and looking like a team well on its way to a memorable season.

LSU forward Ben Simmons (25) steals the ball from Texas A&M center Tonny Trocha-Morelos, right, in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Baton Rouge, La., Saturday, Feb. 13, 2016. (AP Photo/Bill Feig)
LSU forward Ben Simmons (25) steals the ball from Texas A&M center Tonny Trocha-Morelos, right, in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Baton Rouge, La., Saturday, Feb. 13, 2016. (AP Photo/Bill Feig)

The Aggies suddenly can't win a game and can't get a break and they have only themselves to blame after dropping another winnable game Saturday 76-71 on the road at LSU. It's their fifth consecutive SEC loss, dropping two games behind league frontrunners Kentucky and LSU.

It should be noted that Texas A&M played most of the game without guard Anthony Collins, who had to return to the locker room because of a stomach illness and Jalen Jones also was hobbled.

[John Calipari ejected less than three minutes into Saturday's win]

Down a starter, Texas A&M hung in there with the Tigers, who boast some of the best young talent in the nation in Ben Simmons, Tim Quarterman and Antonio Blakeney. Simmons once again flirted with a triple-double with 16 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. Craig Victor also scored 16.

But the Aggies couldn't put the ball in the basket for more than two minutes in the stretch run against an LSU team not exactly known for its defense. The Aggies needed Collins in those final minutes badly.

A variety of issues have contributed to the losing streak, but the most prominent and consistent has been Texas A&M's penchant for giving the ball away. The Aggies committed 19 turnovers Saturday and have registered double-digit turnovers in four of the five consecutive SEC losses.

[Boise State manager hits crazy shot (Video)]

The only time the Aggies did a good job taking care of the ball came against Vanderbilt when they turned it over just seven times, but they shot poorly in the game and still lost.

Nothing has happened with A&M that drastically alters its ability to go deep into March as it looked capable of doing just a few short weeks ago. The Aggies simply have to regroup and find a way to get back to playing the way they were before the slide started. That means taking better care of the ball for sure.

- - - - - - -

[Kyle Ringo is the assistant editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at kyle.ringo@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!