TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Don’t expect No. 5 Alabama basketball to operate at a Texas Two-Step pace during its trip to Texas A&M this weekend. However, Nate Oats is hoping his team will be able to move a bit faster than the Aggies’ usual slow waltz up and down the floor.

According to KenPom, Alabama ranks third in the nation in adjusted tempo, averaging 74.6 possessions per game. Texas A&M sits on the opposite side of the spectrum, ranking 234th with an average of 67.1 possessions.

The Aggies’ slow-down style revolves around a pesky defensive approach that presses its opponents while forcing them to average 14.53 turnovers per game. That could be troublesome for an Alabama team that has given up the ball 186 times through 15 games and ranks last in the SEC with a -1.2 turnover margin.

The trick for the Tide this weekend will be finding a way to hit its typical rhythm without stepping on its toes.

“Without turning it over we would like to increase tempo and pace of play,” Oats said Friday. “The issue is you get going too fast and throw the ball around and you turn it over and it plays right into their hands too. So they slow people down but they turn them over. So without risking turnovers, we would like to attack the press quickly and get into stuff.”

While Alabama generally operates at a frenetic pace, Oats noted that his goal isn’t to have the fastest offense in the nation. Instead, his approach is centered around efficiency. Fortunately for him, the Tide also ranks No. 3 in that category, averaging 124.4 points per 100 possessions according to KenPom.

Keeping up that efficiency against Texas A&M will be difficult regardless of the tempo. The Aggies rank No. 15 in KenPom’s defensive efficiency, holding opponents to 92.8 points per 100 possessions.

“They’re a tough cover on defense, their defense is top 10 in the country,” Oats said. “They turn people over. We’ve had an issue with turnovers too many times this year, so we’ve got to protect the ball better than what we have too many times this year. They’re tough guys. We’ve been able to save ourselves with our poor shooting from three with how many offensive rebounds we’ve gotten. They roll out some tough guys that aren’t just gonna hand us O boards. We’re gonna be in a dog fight down there, and we know it.”

Saturday’s top-10 matchup will pair two of the five remaining undefeated teams in SEC play. Alabama (13-2, 2-0) has won its last seven games and is hitting its stride heading into the conference slate with wins over Oklahoma (107-79) and South Carolina (88-68).

Texas A&M has been just as hot. The Aggies (13-2, 2-0) have piled up nine straight victories and opened up SEC play with wins over Texas (80-60) and Oklahoma (80-78).

“I think it’s the first time they’ve had two top 10 teams play there at A&M, so they’re gonna be ready,” Oats said. “I’m sure their fans are gonna be ready. Last time we were down there they had a great environment.

“The game’s gonna go a long ways to who’s gonna be in the conversation for winning the league championship. There’s five teams that are 2-0 and we’re two of them. They’ve got the third longest win streak in the country and we’ve got either the sixth or seventh longest win streak in the country. It’s gonna be a good game.”

Tipoff for Saturday’s matchup is set for 7 p.m. CT inside Reed Arena. The game will be televised on ESPN.