Missouri Tigers look to bounce back against Aggies in 10th ‘Rally for Rhyan’ game
The No. 15-ranked Missouri Tigers men’s basketball team welcomes No. 10 Texas A&M to Mizzou Arena on Saturday for the 10th annual Rally for Rhyan game.
The Tigers and Aggies’ shared history dates to 1969 and includes numerous competitive showdowns in the Big 12. Texas A&M leads the all-time series 26-20 and has won its last four meetings against MU.
In its current iteration, A&M has won back-to-back Southeastern Conference games, including a tight 76-72 victory over South Carolina last weekend.
Both teams, Mizzou and A&M, are 17-5 overall and 6-3 in league play. The Tigers are coming off a four-point Wednesday evening loss at No. 4 Tennessee.
Saturday’s Tigers-Aggies game tips off at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Mizzou Arena (TV: SEC Network).
The Aggies’ offense revolves around star guard Wade Taylor IV, who is averaging 15.1 points, 4.4 assists and 3.1 rebounds per game this season. The senior is coming off a 25-point performance against the Gamecocks in which he drained seven 3-pointers.
Another big component of A&M’s offense is senior guard Zhuric Phelps. He averages 14.8 points and 5.1 rebounds; if Taylor has an off-night, Phelps is typically the player who steps up.
Four A&M players are averaging at least five rebounds per contest, with Solomon Washington leading the way at 5.8. The Aggies are currently the sixth-best rebounding team in the country, averaging 41.6 per game.
As for the coaching matchup facing Mizzou head coach Dennis Gates, Buzz Williams is in his sixth season with the Aggies. He holds a 114-67 record at Texas A&M and has led his team to two NCAA Tournament appearances.
Before moving to College Station, Texas, Williams had a five-season stint at Virginia Tech, leading the Hokies to three NCAA Tournament appearances. But it was his six seasons at Marquette that put him on the map: He led the Golden Eagles to the NCAAs five times, including an Elite Eight appearance in 2013.
For Missouri, Tigers guard and Kansas City native Tamar Bates has the best scoring average on the team so far, averaging 13.9 points per game. Close behind at 13.1 ppg is reserve guard Caleb Grill, who has made 51 of his 103 three-point attempts this season (49.5%).
Rally for Rhyan at MU-A&M
Saturday’s Mizzou-A&M contest is the 10th annual Rally for Rhyan game.
The fundraiser was originally intended to help Rhyan Loos, who was battling Stage 4 high-risk neuroblastoma. Loos’ father, Brad, was an assistant coach on the Missouri men’s basketball staff from 2013-17 and is now the senior associate athletic director of development for MU athletics.
The event has evolved in the 10 years since its inception. Since Rhyan’s recovery, it has become a fundraiser for cancer patients across the country.
The family recently revealed that the target for this year’s game is $70,000-plus, which would put the total amount raised over the past decade at $1 million.
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