Aggies surge into Auburn's hostile arena, banking on a relentless bench attack to exploit the Tigers' defensive vulnerabilities.
Texas A&M finally got a taste of SEC pressure, and it didn't blink. The Aggies survived LSU 75-72 in their league opener and now step into their first true road gut-check Tuesday night at Neville Arena, where Auburn always turns the volume up and the whistles loud.
Head coach Bucky McMillan summed it up after Saturday’s win. Auburn is long, talented, and dangerous at home - and after dropping a wild 104-100 overtime game to Georgia, the Tigers will be looking to bite somebody.
A&M enters at 12-2 overall and 1-0 in the SEC, still building an identity in Year 1 under McMillan. Auburn is 9-5 and 0-1, but the record doesn't tell the full story.
The Tigers have been uneven since Bruce Pearl retired and his son Steven Pearl took over, flashing offensive firepower while leaking points like a busted pipe.
That inconsistency has already produced some ugly nonconference moments, but it also means Auburn can play loose, run hot, and turn a game into a track meet in a hurry.
For Texas A&M, this trip is about proving the LSU win wasn't a one-off and that the Aggies can travel in the SEC. There are real questions around how A&M's size holds up night after night and how the rotation settles after losing forward Mackenzie Mgbako for the season.
Tuesday is another stress test - and it comes against a team that can score but hasn’t shown it can guard.
The biggest edge for A&M has been the second unit. The Aggies are averaging 43 bench points per game and have hit 40-plus in nine games. Even in the tighter LSU win, the reserves still delivered real production after dropping 45 on Prairie View. Depth has also fueled balance.
A&M has had at least five players in double figures seven times this season, forcing opponents to pick their poison and usually picking wrong.
One of the faces of that bench punch is Pop Isaacs, thriving in a role he’s never had before. The former Creighton guard has reached double figures in three straight games and continues to play starter-level minutes - 20.2 per game - without starting.
If Isaacs stays aggressive and A&M's shooters keep spacing the floor, Auburn’s defensive issues could get loud fast.
And Auburn's issues are real. The Tigers are near the bottom of the SEC in points allowed (78.7 per game), opponent field-goal percentage (44.8 percent), and defensive rebounding (24.4 per game).
They've surrendered 90-plus four times and 100-plus twice - which is basically an engraved invitation for an Aggies offense averaging 94.7 points per game.
Auburn isn't terrible at everything defensively as opponents hit 33.4 percent from 3-point range, but A&M is hitting 37.9 percent from deep, and if that holds, the math starts getting nasty.
If Texas A&M wants to steal its first SEC road win, the blueprint is clear ... rebound like it matters, let the bench set the tone, and turn Auburn's defensive leaks into a full-on flood.
WHAT: Texas A&M Aggies (11-3, 1-0 SEC) at Auburn Tigers (9-5, 0-1 SEC)
WHERE: Neville Arena | Auburn, AL | Capacity 9,121
WHEN: Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026 | 8 p.m. CT
TV: SEC Network
RADIO: 1620 AM | 94.5 FM | TAMU Sports Network
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SPREAD: TAMU +6.5
TOTAL: 167.5
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