Northern Kentucky @ Texas A&M preview

Texas A&M has quickly established a reputation for playing some of the best defense in college basketball this season, but it was the offense that stole the show its last time out. The ninth-ranked Aggies aim to continue their impressive run in nonconference action Tuesday when they host Northern Kentucky.

Boasting the nation's third-ranked field-goal percentage defense (35.9) and the same ranking in Kenpom.com's adjusted defensive metric, Texas A&M has held all but one opponent to 67 points or fewer. The Aggies had it all working Wednesday, however, as they broke the school record with 16 3-pointers and scored their most points in nearly 30 years in a 113-66 thrashing of Savannah State. "They really packed the paint. They were trying not to let us kill them inside, but our guards handled it really, really well. … It was fun watching the guys get up and down and have some highlight plays, some cool dunks," Texas A&M junior center Tyler Davis told reporters. The Norse are 3-4 since opening the season with four straight wins, falling by two points or fewer for the third time over that stretch following Sunday's 76-75 defeat at Maryland-Baltimore County.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, SEC Network Plus

ABOUT NORTHERN KENTUCKY (7-4): Junior forward Drew McDonald (16.1 points, 7.3 rebounds) became the 26th player in school history to join the 1,000-point club earlier this month and posted his third double-double of the campaign with 24 points and 11 boards versus UMBC. Carson Williams (15.5 points) has been a model of efficiency over his last three contests, averaging 21.3 points on 27-of-34 from the field; for the season, the 6-5 sophomore forward is shooting 71.4 percent inside the arc. Senior guard Lavone Holland II (14 points per game) is the Norse's third and final double-digit scorer and finished with 15 points, five rebounds and six assists Sunday, but his potential game-winning floater bounced off the back rim as time ran out.

ABOUT TEXAS A&M (9-1): Despite the absence of sophomore forward Robert Williams (8.0 points, 10.4 rebounds), who is expected back Tuesday after missing the previous game with a concussion he suffered early last week, Davis (13.7, 8.0) posted a double-double by halftime before finishing with 13 points and a season-high 17 boards. D.J. Hogg (15.7, 6.9) led six other Aggies in double figures and continued lighting it up from long-distance, going 5-for-9 beyond the arc Wednesday to improve his team-best 3-point percentage to 54.1. Tonny Trocha-Morelos fell three assists shy of his first career triple-double Wednesday, but the senior reserve center still enjoyed his first double-double in nearly two years with 10 points and 13 rebounds in 26 minutes.

TIP-INS

1. Texas A&M's scoring outburst Wednesday was its best since a 114-90 victory over Florida International in 1989, while its 32 assists were its most since recording 34 against Missouri-Kansas City in 1997.

2. Northern Kentucky shoots 62.3 inside the arc - the best mark in Division I.

3. The Aggies are 5-0 at home this season, winning each of their games at Reed Arena by at least 16 points.

PREDICTION: Texas A&M 78, Northern Kentucky 60