February 10, 2000
Game #21
TEXAS A&M AGGIES (6-14, 2-7)
vs.
COLORADO BUFFALOES (13-9, 4-6)
5 p.m. (Central)
Saturday, Feb. 12, 2000
Reed Arena (12,500 cap.)
College Station, Texas
RADIO: Texas A&M Radio Network
Dave South, play-by-play
Al Pulliam, commentary
Airtime: 4:35 p.m.
TELEVISION: Fox Sports Net Southwest
Kevin Eschenfelder, play-by-play
Bob Ortegal, commentary
TICKETS: Available ($15, $12, $10, $6)
The Texas A&M Aggies (6-14, 2-7) try to end a four-game losing skid on Saturday when they play host to the Colorado Buffaloes (13-9, 4-6) at 5 p.m. at Reed Arena (12,500 cap.) in College Station. The game will be televised regionally by Fox Sports Net Southwest. The Aggies have been idle since falling to No. 13-ranked Oklahoma State, 87-55, last Saturday in Stillwater, Okla. The Buffaloes have won two straight games and are coming off a 70-58 victory against Nebraska on Tuesday in Boulder, Colo. The Aggies are 3-5 at home this season while the Buffaloes are 2-7 in true road games. A&M has never beaten Colorado, which leads the series, 4-0, with a 1-0 mark in College Station.
Scouting Report
The Buffaloes are in seventh place in the Big 12 standings with a 4-6 mark, including home wins against Oklahoma (88-80), Kansas State (78-70) and Nebraska (70-58) and a road win against Kansas State (67-63). In non-conference play, CU posted impressive wins against Villanova (79-56) and New Mexico State (76-53). Colorado is led by senior guard Jaquay Walls (6-3), who is averaging 16.6 points, while junior forward Jamahl Mosley (6-8) is adding 12.5 points and a team-high 7.4 rebounds per game. Sophomore guard Jose Winston (6-0) leads the Big 12 in steals at 2.7 per game. Center Richard Fox (6-11) is one of the league's best freshmen, averaging 8.5 points and 7.2 rebounds per game.
Tenative A&M Starters
No. Pos. Player Ht. Wt. Cl. PPG RPG Other
4 G Jamaal Gilchrist 5-10 182 Fr 8.4 3.8 3.7a
32 G Bernard King 6-3 182 Fr 15.4 4.7 4.0a
14 F Tomas Ress 6-9 222 Fr 4.9 2.3 -
21 F Aaron Jack 6-8 237 Sr 8.9 6.8 66.4% FG
44 C Andy Slocum 6-11 255 Fr 4.4 3.2 -
Reserves
10 F/C Jason Boeker 6-8 240 Sr 0.2 0.8 -
22 G Andy Leatherman 6-2 206 So 3.2 1.5 1.9a
24 F Carlton Brown 6-6 208 Jr 7.8 4.1 -
25 F Larry Scott 6-5 206 Fr 7.9 2.0 1.8 3pt.
40 C Paul Jacobs 6-9 220 Sr 1.2 1.8 -
42 F Brian Brookhart 6-9 226 Fr 0.5 0.5 -
52 F Jerald Brown 6-7 224 Sr 6.7 3.8 -
55 C Larry Jackson 6-10 265 Fr - - -
Head Coach: Melvin Watkins (UNC Charlotte `77)
Assistants: Tom Billeter (Illinois `83), Lew Hill (Wichita State `87),
Bobby Kummer (UNCC `96)
Injury Report
JASON BOEKER, Senior Forward: Left knee cap tendonitis (probable)
JERALD BROWN, Senior Forward: Broken bone in left hand (doubtful)
TOMAS RESS, Freshman Forward: Sprained right thumb (probable)
A&M-Colorado Series
CU leads, 4-0
In Boulder: CU leads, 2-0
At Coors Center: CU leads, 2-0
In College Station: CU leads, 1-0
At Reed Arena: 0-0
At Neutral Sites: CU leads, 1-0
At Big 12 Tournament: 0-0
Current Win Streak: CU, 4 games
Longest A&M Win Streak: n/a
Longest CU Win Streak: 4 games
Largest A&M Win: n/a
Largest CU Win: 97-82 (1968-69)
Melvin Watkins vs. CU: 0-1
Ricardo Patton vs. A&M: 3-0
Year Winner Site
1968-69 CU, 97-82 *Manhattan, Kan.
1996-97 CU, 77-64 Boulder
1997-98 CU, 68-67 College Station
1998-99 CU, 71-61 Boulder
*1969 NCAA Tournament, consolation game
The Coaches
Melvin Watkins (North Carolina Charlotte `77) is in his second year as head coach at Texas A&M. Watkins's first A&M team finished 12-15 last year with a 5-11 mark in Big 12 play, tying for 10th place. In three years as a college head coach, Watkins has built a 60-49 record (.551). Prior to coming to A&M, Watkins compiled a two-year record of 42-20 at his alma mater, UNC Charlotte, leading the 49ers to consecutive 20-win seasons and NCAA Tournament berths. Prior to that, Watkins served as an assistant at UNCC from 1978-96. As a player, Watkins led UNCC to the NCAA Final Four in 1977 as the starting point guard. Behind Watkins, UNCC also advanced to the NIT finals in 1976. Watkins was a fourth-round draft pick of the NBA's Buffalo Braves in 1977. Watkins is 45 years old.
Ricardo Patton (Belmont `80) is in his fifth season as a head coach, all at Colorado, where he is 70-57. Patton served as an assistant at Colorado from 1993-96. Prior to that, he was an assistant at Tennessee State (1991-93), Arkansas-Little Rock (1990-91) and Middle Tennessee State (1988-90). As a player, Patton earned small college All-America honors at Belmont College in 1980 and was later named to the school's Hall of Fame. In his first season at Colorado in 1996-97, he led the Buffaloes to a school record 22 wins and the second round of the NCAA Tournament, earning West Region coach of the year by Basketball Times. Patton is 41 years old.
Watkins Says...
"The open week came at a good time for us. It gave the guys a couple of days off to rest their legs and get back to their studies a little bit. Coming into the season, we really didn't set many goals because we knew we had so many new parts. I didn't want to put any added pressure on them. There will come a time when we'll do that. Before Jerald Brown got hurt, I thought we were turning the corner and were playing some good basketball. But with him out, we've really struggled with our rotation. Colorado is playing very well right now and has had some good wins. They have a very athletic team that presents problems for you in many different ways. We really want to concentrate on our own execution more than anything they are going to do."
TALE OF THE TAPE
Statistic A&M Colorado
W-L Record 6-14 13-9
Big 12 Record 2-7 4-6
Sagarin Rating 196 55
RPI Rating 172 49
Scoring 65.2 74.7
Opp. Scoring 74.0 70.0
Scoring Margin -8.8 +4.7
FG Pct. .412 .430
Opp. FG Pct. .450 .421
3-Pt. Pct. .313 .324
Opp. 3-Pt. Pct. .394 .325
3-Pt. FG 6.3 4.3
Opp. 3-Pt. FG 7.8 5.9
FT Pct. .658 .676
Opp. FT Pct. .684 .676
Off. Reb. 13.5 15.1
Total Reb. 36.8 40.5
Reb. Margin +1.3 +3.8
Assists 13.4 14.7
Turnovers 17.7 14.7
Blocks 2.2 3.5
Steals 7.3 8.6
Fouls 19.3 18.7
OSU Recap
STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) - Oklahoma State had control of things early on against Texas A&M and, for a change, kept control the rest of the way. The Cowboys (No. 14 ESPN/USA Today, No. 13 AP) have had a tendency to play listlessly at times or get complacent after building big leads. But they kept their focus throughout the game Saturday in beating Texas A&M 87-55. There were periods of sloppy play, but that's to be expected when a team leads by 40, as the Cowboys did three times in the second half. But they were inspired enough to easily avenge a 64-59 loss to Texas A&M two weeks ago. OSU was led by a career-high 25 points by Glendon Alexander, who was 6-of-7 from 3-point range. He got a hand from Desmond Mason, who scored 16 of his 23 in the first half. The Cowboys led 12-2 after four minutes, 24-6 after seven minutes and 42-14 with six minutes remaining before halftime. Aaron Jack had 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Aggies (6-14, 2-7), who were held to 34 percent shooting and lost their fourth straight since beating Oklahoma State on Jan. 22. Alexander made two 3-pointers while scoring eight of Oklahoma State's first 12 points. Then Mason took over, hitting three straight 3s and three of four free throws in less than three minutes, giving the Cowboys a 26-8 lead. Alexander and Mason scored all the points in an 11-2 run that made the score 46-18. The Aggies got no closer than 22 the rest of the way as Oklahoma State kept up the intensity.
Close Calls
A total of 11 Texas A&M basketball games have been decided by seven points or less or in overtime, the most of any team in the Big 12. The Aggies are 5-6 in those games. In the Aggies' current four-game losing skid, the Iowa State game was lost by seven points and the Baylor game was lost by six.
Who's Hot?
Aaron Jack: Leads Big 12 and ranks second nationally in field goal percentage (.664)...in the last three games has averaged 15.3 points and 8.0 rebounds while making 21-of-25 (.840) from the field and 4-of-5 (.800) from the line...in the last five games, has averaged 12.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and made 27-of-33 (.818) from the field...Has posted back-to-back double-doubles...has scored in double figures in three straight games, including a career-high 18 at Missouri.
Tomas Ress: Averaging 13.3 points and 5.0 rebounds in last three games, making 13-of-25 from the field (.520), 4-of-9 from three-point range (.444) and 10-of-12 from the line (.833)...scored a career-high 22 points with a career-best 8 rebounds against Missouri.
Larry Scott: Has made 5-of-10 three-pointers in the last two games, averaging 9.5 points.
Andy Slocum: Averaging 10.0 points and 7.5 rebounds in last two games...has scored in double figures in two straight games with a career-high 10 against Baylor and Oklahoma State...posted back-to-back career bests in rebounding in those games with seven against Baylor and eight against the Cowboys.
Quick Notes
Going into the Oklahoma State game last Saturday, the Aggies had made 38 of their last 46 free throw attempts (.826). But against the Cowboys, they made just 7-of-16 (.438) from the line.
The Aggies have out-rebounded or equaled 13 of their last 19 opponents. Only four teams have out-boarded the Aggies by more than four in a game this season.
The Aggies have started four true freshmen in seven games and have started at least three true freshmen in every game. Five A&M freshman have started at least seven games each.
The Aggies have trailed at halftime in 15 games and are 3-13 in those games. The team is 3-1 when it leads at halftime.
The Aggies made a school-record 13 three pointers against Baylor after tying the previous mark with 12 against Lamar.
The Aggies are 4-1 when they commit 14 or fewer turnovers, but are 2-13 when they have 15 or more miscues.
Aaron Jack ranks second nationally , and leads the Big 12, in field goal percentage at .664. Jack has made 27 of his last 33 attempts (.818).
King Reigns
Freshman guard Bernard King is living up to his early billing as one of the nation's top freshmen as he leads the team in scoring (15.4), three-point field goals (2.6), assists (4.0), minutes played (33.9) and blocked shots (0.4) and is second in rebounds (4.7), free throw percentage (.695) and steals (1.7). The 1999 Louisiana Mr. Basketball, King has scored in double figures in 17 games and has led the team in scoring in nine games. Against Lamar on Dec. 18, he scored a career-high 31 points, becoming only the second freshman in school history to score 30 points in a game. Vernon Smith had a pair of 30-point games as a freshman in 1977 and went on to become A&M's career scoring and rebounding leader. King made 7-of-15 three-pointers against Lamar, setting a school record for three-point attempts and falling one shy of the record for three pointers made in a game. King's 26 second-half points against Lamar also set a Big 12 Conference record for scoring in a single half. Then, against La Salle in the consolation game of the Cable Car Classic, King scored 21 points with a career-high 10 rebounds (his first double-double) and nailed the game-winning three-pointer as time expired in a thrilling 70-69 victory. In the upset of Tech in Lubbock, King scored 15 points, all in the second half, including a trio of long three-pointers that held the Red Raiders at bay. King was named ESPN.Com's national Freshman of the Week after scoring 17 points with eight rebounds in the Aggies' upset of No. 12-ranked Oklahoma State on Jan. 22.
"Don't be surprised to see Texas A&M climb in the standings next season, with King as one of the premier players in the (Big 12)."
-Andy Katz, ESPN.Com
The King "FISH"
Bernard King is the only Division I freshman in the country to average at least 15.0 points (15.4), 4.0 rebounds (4.7) and 4.0 assists (4.0).
BIG 12 FRESHMAN SCORING AVERAGE
Player, Year Pts.-Avg.
Bernard King, A&M, 1999-00 309-15.4
Marcus Fizer, ISU, 1997-98 447-14.7
Luke Axtell, Texas, 1997-98 372-13.3
Chris Mihm, Texas, 1997-98 384-12.4
Jeff Boschee, Kansas, 1998-99 361-10.9
King Chases Record
Freshman guard Bernard King is averaging 2.60 three-pointers per game, well ahead of the Big 12 freshman record of 2.43 set by Texas' Luke Axtell in 1997-98. Last year, Kansas' Jeff Boschee made a Big 12 freshman record 79 treys in 33 games, but averaged only 2.39.
BIG 12 FRESHMAN 3-PT. FG PER GAME
Player, Year 3FG Avg.
Bernard King, A&M, 1999-00 52 2.60
Luke Axtell, Texas, 1997-98 68 2.43
Jeff Boschee, Kansas, 1998-99 79 2.39
Jerald Brown, A&M, 1996-97 54 2.00
Jamaal Stands Tall
A primary reason for the Aggies' improved play in recent weeks has been the play of freshman guard Jamaal Gilchrist. In the last seven games, Gilchrist has posted a 1.35 assists-to-turnovers ratio. Through the first 13 games, Gilchrist had committed 20 more turnovers than assists (a 0.70 ratio). Gilchrist is averaging 8.4 points and ranks among the conference leaders in free throw percentage (.770), assists (3.7) and steals (2.1). Gilchrist scored 21 points against North Carolina A&T on Nov. 27, tying the school record for most points by a freshman in his first game. Winston Crite, who went on to one of the greatest careers in school history, also scored 21 in his freshman debut against Texas Lutheran in 1983-84. Gilchrist has started all 20 games, only the third freshman point guard to start in the first 20 games of his A&M career. Against Lamar, Gilchrist nailed a three-pointer at the buzzer to send the game into overtime (A&M went on to lose, 76-69). Then, against Centenary, he tied the game on a driving lay-up with 11 seconds left, but the Aggies lost on a buzzer-beater. In the upset of Texas Tech in Lubbock, Gilchrist played one of his best overall games, scoring eight points with four rebounds, five assists and no turnovers. Gilchrist had made 17 straight free throws until he missed his last one against Oklahoma State on Jan. 22.
TEXAS A&M FRESHMAN SEASON STEALS
Player, Year No.
Todd Holloway, 1982-83 56
Rudy Woods, 1978-79 55
Jamaal Gilchrist, 1999-00 41
Brooks Thompson, 1989-90 39
Dead-Eye Jack
Senior forward/ center Aaron Jack is averaging 8.9 points and a team-best 6.8 rebounds. Jack also has connected on 66.4 percent from the field to rank second nationally and lead the Big 12 in field goal accuracy. In Big 12 play, Jack is averaging 10.4 points and is making a blazing 72.2 percent from the field. Last season, Jack made 56.5 percent from the field and led the team in three-point plays with nine. Against Stephen F. Austin, Jack posted his first career double-double with 11 points and a career-high 11 rebounds. He matched his career-best rebounding total with 11 against Lamar and 11 against Dayton. In the upset of Oklahoma State, he scored 11 points with seven rebounds and a team-high four offensive boards. He made 3-of-4 free throws in the final 2:36 against the Cowboys to help preserve the 64-59 victory. Against Missouri, Jack equaled his career high with 14 points, making 7-of-8 from the field. Then, against Baylor, Jack scored a career-best 18 points with 10 rebounds, his second double-double. In the last five games, Jack has averaged 12.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and made 81.8 percent from the field (27-of-33).
TEXAS A&M SEASON FG PCT.
Player, Year Pct.
Aaron Jack, 1999-00 .664
Rudy Woods, 1978-79 .622
Jimmie Gilbert, 1985-86 .597
Rudy Woods, 1979-80 .588
Damon Johnson, 1992-93 .580
Winston Crite, 1985-86 .580
TEXAS A&M CONFERENCE FG PCT.
Player, Year Pct.
Aaron Jack, 2000 .722
Rudy Woods, 1980 .650
Rudy Woods, 1979 .647
Ronnie Peret, 1969 .607
Joe Wilbert, 1994 .604
NCAA LEADERS FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE
(Through games of Feb. 9)
Player, Year Pct.
Brendan Haywood, UNC .728
Aaron Jack, Texas A&M .664
Stevie Johnson, Iowa State .657
Brad Martin, UMBC .651
Zach Gourde, Gonzaga .642
Bryan Bracey, Oregon .641
Rashod Kent, Rutgers .640
Clifford Gray, Idaho .636
Len Matela, Bowling Green .634
Clifton Jones, Oregon State .632
Big Andy
Freshman center Andy Slocum, at 6-11, 255 pounds one of the largest players in school history, struggled through non-conference play but has shown rapid improvement since the start of Big 12 action. In non-league play, he averaged 3.1 points and 2.5 rebounds in just 14.5 minutes per game. But in Big 12 games, Slocum has averaged 6.0 points and 3.9 rebounds while averaging 19.1 minutes per game. Against Texas, Slocum helped limit Chris Mihm to just 12 points and six rebounds, while Kansas' Eric Chenowith managed just six points and five rebounds against the Aggies. Against Texas Tech, he scored a career-high nine points (all in the second half), with four rebounds in 20 minutes of play. He has started in six games, including the last five in a row. In the last two games, he has posted back-to-back career highs of 10 points against Baylor and Oklahoma State. He had a career-best seven rebounds against Baylor, then bettered the mark with eight against OSU. In the last two games, he has averaged 10.0 points and 7.5 rebounds.
Ress Assured
Freshman forward Tomas Ress, a native of Italy, speaks four languages - Italian, German, English and Spanish. He learned English and Spanish last year while attending high school in Florida. As a native of the tiny village of Pochi in the Italian province of Bolanzo, located near the border of Austria, Ress is fluent in German and Italian. Ress has shown as much improvement as any player on the team since the start of the season. He reported to A&M weighing 207 pounds but last week tipped in at 225. Ress has started the last six games. In Big 12 action, he is averaging 7.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 23.4 minutes per game. Against Missouri, he scored a career-high 22 points with a career-best eight rebounds while making 7-0f-10 from the field, 6-of-6 from the line and 2-of-2 from three-point range. In the last three games, Ress has averaged 13.3 points, made 4-of-9 three-pointers and 10-of-12 free throws.
"The Wall" Returns
Texas A&M will honor its 1980 basketball team, generally regarded as the greatest in school history, as part of the annual former players reunion during Saturday's A&M-Colorado game at Reed Arena. The 1980 Aggies, led by the famed "Wall" of Rudy Woods, Rynn Wright, Vernon Smith and Claude Riley, won the Southwest Conference regular season and tournament titles and went on to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen, where they fell in overtime to eventual national champion Louisville. The team finished 26-8, the most wins in school history, and defeated Dean Smith's North Carolina team, 78-61, in double overtime to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. Woods, Wright, Smith, Riley and David Britton, the MVP of the 1980 SWC Classic, each went on to become NBA draft picks and all but Smith, who died in 1992, are scheduled to attend the reunion. Other members of the 1980 team expected to attend are Dave Goff, R.C. Buford, John Schlichter, Jay McHugh, Steve Sylestine, student manager Mike Owen, student trainer Jay Harris, head coach Shelby Metcalf and assistant coaches Bob Gobin and Barry Davis. More than 75 former A&M basketball players, from as far back as the 1930s, also are expected to attend. The former players will be recognized at halftime and at a reception following the game.