Texas A&m Aggies vs Wake Forest Demon Deacons Picks and Predictions December 3rd 2024

No. 20 Texas A&M Hosts Wake Forest in SEC-ACC Challenge

Texas A&M Aims for Third Straight Win

No. 20 Texas A&M (6-2) returns to College Station riding the momentum of back-to-back victories as it prepares to face Wake Forest (7-2) on Tuesday in the SEC-ACC Challenge. The Aggies are coming off a gritty 81-77 win over Rutgers in the fifth-place game of the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas on Saturday.

Wade Taylor IV led Texas A&M with a season-high 24 points, including 16 in the second half, while Solomon Washington, Henry Coleman III, and Manny Obaseki each chipped in 11 points. Washington’s clutch rebound and assist to Obaseki for a fastbreak dunk late in the game secured the Aggies’ lead for good. Taylor added key free throws in the closing moments, and Washington blocked a potential game-tying shot with nine seconds left.

“Our maturity and our experience together the last 8-to-10 minutes was probably the swing vote for us,” Texas A&M coach Buzz Williams said.

The Aggies struggled from beyond the arc, shooting just 2-for-15, and were outrebounded 42-35, an area Williams acknowledged needed improvement.

“This was the worst we’ve been on the glass offensively and the worst we’ve been on the glass defensively,” Williams said. “A portion of that is we weren’t just very good in the zone to finish the possession.”

Wake Forest Looks to Build on Defensive Performance

Wake Forest enters the matchup after a 57-51 victory over Minnesota in the third-place game of the ESPN Events Invitational on Friday. The Demon Deacons were led by Tre’Von Spillers, who posted 18 points and 16 rebounds, while Cameron Hildreth contributed 13 points, including a crucial reverse layup in the final seconds.

Coach Steve Forbes praised his team’s defensive effort, particularly during the final stretch, where Wake Forest held Minnesota scoreless over the last 2:34.

“We did a really good job defensively down the stretch,” Forbes said. “We executed what we ran on offense. On the offensive glass, we did a good job and got extra shots out of that when we weren’t making shots.”

Hunter Sallis, who entered the game averaging 18.4 points per game, had a rare off night, finishing with just four points on 1-of-11 shooting. Expect a bounce-back performance from the talented guard.

Key Matchup: Battle in the Paint

Both teams thrive on physicality and rebounding, making this a critical battle inside. Texas A&M will need to improve on the boards after being dominated by Rutgers, while Wake Forest looks to build on its 42-28 rebounding edge over Minnesota.

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The Aggies will lean on Taylor’s scoring and leadership, while the Demon Deacons will aim to get Sallis back on track alongside Spillers and Hildreth.

What’s at Stake

The SEC-ACC Challenge offers Texas A&M a chance to solidify its standing as a top-20 team and build confidence heading into its conference slate. For Wake Forest, it’s an opportunity to earn a marquee road win against a ranked opponent and gain momentum for ACC play.

This physical, hard-fought contest could come down to which team executes better in crunch time.