December 26, 2000
Game #9
Texas A&M Aggies (3-5)
vs.
St. Louis Billikens (6-4)
at Outrigger Hotels Rainbow Classic
Wednesday-Saturday, Dec. 27-30, 2000
Stan Sheriff Center (10,300 cap.)
Honolulu, Hawai'i
Radio
Texas A&M Radio Network (Regional)
Colin Killian, Play-by-Play
Al Pulliam, Commentary
Airtime: 15 min. prior to tipoff
Television
KFVE-TV (Hawai'i only)
Tournament Schedule
Wed, Dec. 27 (Hawai'i Time)
St. Louis (6-4) vs. Texas A&M (3-5), 5 p.m. (9 p.m. CST)
Hawai'i vs. Manhattan, 7:30 p.m. (11:30 p.m. CST)
Thu, Dec. 28 (Hawai'i Time)
Iowa vs. Detroit Mercy, 5 p.m. (9 p.m. CST)
Tennessee vs. G. Washington, 7:30 p.m. (11:30 p.m. CST)
Fri, Dec. 29 (Hawai'i Time)
Wednesday Losers, 11 a.m. (3 p.m. CST)
Thursday Losers, 1:30 p.m. (5:30 p.m. CST)
Thursday Winners, 5 p.m. (9 p.m. CST)
Wednesday Winners, 7:30 p.m. (11:30 p.m. CST)
Sat, Dec. 30 (Hawai'i Time)
7th Place Game, 11 a.m. (3 p.m. CST)
5th place Game, 1:30 p.m. (5:30 p.m. CST)
3rd Place Game, 5 p.m. (9 p.m. CST)
Championship Game, 7:30 p.m. (11:30 p.m. CST)
The Texas A&M Aggies (3-5) continue a 10-day road trip and try to end a two-game losing streak at the prestigious Outrigger Hotels Rainbow Classic Wednesday through Saturday at the Stan Sheriff Center (10,300 cap.) in Honolulu, Hawai'i. The Aggies play the opening game of the tournament against the St. Louis Billikens (6-4) on Wednesday at 5 p.m. (Hawaiian Time)/9 p.m. (CST). The Aggies are coming off an 83-76 loss to Long Beach State on Friday in Long Beach Calif. Tournament host Hawai'i meets Manhattan in Wednesday's second game. On Thursday, Iowa plays Detroit Mercy, followed by Tennessee vs. George Washington. The semifinals and consolation games will be on Friday, with the championship game and third, fifth and seventh-place games on Saturday.
About St. Louis
The Billikens are in their second season under former UCLA assistant coach Lorenzo Romar. They return four starters and eight lettermen from last year's team that finished 19-14 and won the Conference USA Tournament to advance to the NCAAs, where they fell in the first round to Cleveland State, 48-45. The Billikens are 6-4 this season and are coming off an 80-70 victory against Southwest Missouri State at home on Saturday, which ended a three-game losing streak. St. Louis has beaten Illinois-Chicago (60-57), East Carolina (90-54), California (88-66), Idaho (80-41) and Washington (69-61) in addition to Southwest Missouri State. The four losses have been to Southern Illinois (82-72), Missouri (77-73), Dayton (76-73) and DePaul (68-43). St. Louis is led by senior guard Maurice Jeffers (6-4), who is averaging 14.0 points per game, and sophomore guard Marque Perry (6-1), who is adding 11.5 points per contest. Jeffers scored 26 points in the win against Southwest Missouri State, making 14-of-14 from the free throw line.
Aggies in Hawai'i
The Aggies are making their second appearance in the Rainbow Classic. A&M's only other appearance came in 1987, when it finished sixth. Shelby Metcalf's 1987 team fell to Arizona State, 79-73, in the first round, then edged Hawai'i, 80-78 in overtime in the consolation semifinals. Southwest Conference mate SMU whipped the Aggies, 89-66, in the fifth-place game (a week later, A&M opened SWC play with a 58-53 win against SMU in College Station). The Aggies last played in the state of Hawai'i in the 1994 Maui Invitational, where they finished seventh after losses to Arizona State (103-73) and Tulane (76-74) and a win against Chaminade (73-52).
Rainbow History
The 2000 Rainbow Classic is the 37th since the event began in 1964. Tournament host Hawai'i has won two of the last three titles, including last year's 66-63 championship victory against Oregon and a 76-65 upset of Kansas in 1997. Previous tournament champions include Houston (1967), North Carolina State (1972, 1977, 1987), Indiana (1974), North Carolina (1982), Duke (1989), Michigan (1992), Louisville (1993), Arkansas (1994) and Massachusetts (1995). Big 12 Conference mate Missouri won the crown in 1985.
Aggies at a Glance
A&M VS. THE FIELD
Team Series Last Met
Detroit Mercy 1st Meeting n/a
George Washington GW leads, 3-1 GW 94, A&M 74 (Nov. 18, 2000)
Hawai'i Series tied, 1-1 UH 75, A&M 71 (1989-90)
Iowa 1st Meeting n/a
Manhattan MC leads, 1-0 MC 44, A&M 42 (1951-52)
Saint Louis 1st Meeting n/a
Tennessee UT leads, 3-0 UT 88, A&M 70 (1985-86)
Watkins Quoteboard
"The Rainbow Classic has a great reputation as one of the top tournaments in the nation. The competition, with Tennessee ranked in the top five and Iowa also ranked, will be tremendous and we look forward to playing. We were disappointed in how we played down the stretch against Long Beach State. We had way too many unforced turnovers and just didn't execute very well when we had to. Playing in a tournament like this gives us a chance to continue to bond and grow as a team and it's also an indicator of where we are as we get ready to enter Big 12 play next week."
TEXAS A&M AGGIES (3-4)
# Player Pos. Ht. Cl. ppg rpg
4 Jamaal Gilchrist G 6-0 So. 8.4 2.8a
32 Bernard King G 6-5 So. 18.1 4.3a
24 Carlton Brown F 6-6 Sr. 15.5 8.1
5 Nick Anderson F 6-6 Fr. 7.5 5.8
2 Keith Bean F 6-8 So. 7.6 4.1
TEXAS A&M INJURIES: KEITH BEAN, soph forward: bruised right foot (probable); BRIAN BROOKHART, soph. forward: strained right hamstring (probable); JAMAAL GILCHRIST, soph. guard: hyperextended right thumb (probable); AARON JACK, senior forward: sprained right ankle (probable); TOMAS RESS, soph. forward: undetermined illness (will not play); LARRY SCOTT, soph. guard: sprained right ankle (probable); ANDY SLOCUM, soph. center: right shoulder surgery (will not play).
Head Coach Melvin Watkins (UNC Charlotte ?˜77)
23-39, 3rd year at Texas A&M
65-59, 5th year overall
vs. the 2000 Rainbow Classic field:
0-0 vs. Detroit Mercy, 0-0 vs. Perry Watson
1-2 vs. George Washington, 0-1 vs. Tom Penders
0-0 vs. Hawai'i, 0-0 vs. Riley Wallace
0-0 vs. Iowa, 1-0 vs. Steve Alford
0-0 vs. Manhattan, 0-0 vs. Bobby Gonzalez
2-1 vs. St. Louis, 0-0 vs. Lorenzo Romar
1-0 vs. Tennessee, 0-0 vs. Jerry Green
Watkins owns 4-3 record against Rainbow Classic field
Long Beach State Recap
LONG BEACH, Calif. (Dec. 22) ?" Texas A&M blew a 16-point second-half lead and fell to Long Beach State, 83-76, Friday night in front of 2,159 at The Pyramid. A&M's Bernard King nailed a three-pointer to cap a 9-0 run that handed the Aggies a 57-41 lead with less than 14 minutes remaining. But Long Beach State (6-4) rallied with a 19-4 run to trim the lead to 61-60 with 8:27 left. A&M (3-5) built another cushion with seven unanswered points, five by King, for a 68-60 lead with 6:48 remaining, but the 49ers responded with a 13-3 run in the next four minutes for a 73-71 lead, its first lead since early in the game. From there, the 49ers took control, leading by as many as eight points in the final minute. The Aggies were led by Carlton Brown's 20 points and 12 rebounds, his third double-double in the last four games, while King finished with 18. Ramel Lloyd led Long Beach State with 23 points and Travis Reed scored 20 points with 10 rebounds.
Aggies' 100th Tournament
The Rainbow Classic marks the 100th in-season tournament in Texas A&M history. The Aggies have won 17 tournament titles, the last being the 1989 Golden Panthers Classic in Miami, Fla.
Bouncing Back
After falling to Birmingham Southern, 74-54, on Nov. 26 in what coach Melvin Watkins said was the "most embarrassing" loss of his career, Watkins called a 5:30 a.m. practice the next morning. The entire team showed up, but rather than practice, spent two hours watching and dissecting the game film. The Aggies responded with a 79-46 victory against Morris Brown, the largest margin of victory in Watkins' five years as a college head coach. Since the loss to Birmingham Southern, the Aggies are 2-3, including wins of 33 and 23 points, road losses to Virginia Commonwealth (107-106 in double overtime) and Long Beach State (83-76) and a neutral site loss to No. 12-ranked North Carolina (82-60).
J. King Joins Team
Freshman guard/forward Jesse King gained his eligibility and began practicing with the team on Dec. 17. A tremendous all-around athlete, he made his debut against Long Beach State on Dec. 22, failing to score (0-of-4 shooting) but pulling down three rebounds in eight minutes of action. The 6-7, 215-pounder from Detroit, Mich. (Pershing HS) will have 3 ?˝ years of eligibility remaining. King played at Winchendon (Mass.) School last year, averaging 18.1 points and 13.0 rebounds per game. In high school, he earned all-state honors and was rated among the top 10 players in Michigan after averaging 19.3 points, 11.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game. Midwest Hoops compared King to former Pershing standout Steve Smith, now with the NBA's Atlanta Hawks.
B. King Rises Again
Sophomore guard Bernard King, the 2000 Big 12 Freshman of the Year and a preseason All-Big 12 selection, leads the team in scoring with a 18.1average and has overcome a severe early-season shooting slump. Through the first four games, King had made just 2-of-20 three-pointers (.100) and was averaging just 12.5 points per game. But in the last four games, King has connected on 19-of-36 (.528), averaging 23.8 points in those four contests. Against Lamar, King scored a season-high 30 points in just 27 minutes (his fourth career 30+ game) and tied the school record with eight three-pointers (11 att.). His six treys in the second half tied the Big 12 record. King also leads the team in assists (4.3). Since the Aggies' wake-up call against Birmingham Southern on Nov. 26 (a 74-54 loss), King has averaged 21.8 points 3.8 three-point field goals per game.
Mr. Bean
Sophomore Keith Bean, a transfer from North Carolina State who sat out last season, scored 11 points with five rebounds in the loss to North Carolina. Bean has scored in double figures in three of the last five games. Bean has started all eight games, averaging 7.6 points and 4.1 rebounds. Bean emerged in the second half of the Virginia Commonwealth game, finishing with a career-high 17 points, making 5-of-9 from the field and 7-of-7 from the line.
Leatherman Warms Up
Junior guard Andy Leatherman, a former walk-on who was put on scholarship this season, scored a career-high 16 points against Birmingham Southern, then followed with a team-high 15 points against Morris Brown. His 11 three-pointers, second most on the team, already surpasses his season total in 23 games last year (8-43, .186). He scored just three points against Lamar, but handed out a career-high six assists. For the season. Leatherman is averaging 6.8 points and is second on the team with 2.9 assists per game.
St. Nick Gets Jolly
Freshman Nick Anderson, one of the most heralded Texas A&M basketball recruits in many years, ranks third on the team in rebounding with a 5.8 average, leads in blocked shots with seven, and ranks fifth in scoring at 7.5. A 2000 Parade High School All-American, Anderson has started in all eight games and posted four double-figures scoring games. Against Virginia Commonwealth, Anderson posted his first career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. He followed with a career-high 14 points and six boards against Lamar. Anderson was the preseason choice for Big 12 Freshman of the Year by the league's coaches and media.
Brown Asserts Himself
Forward Carlton Brown is off to a spectacular senior season, leading the team in rebounding (8.1), field goal percentage (.608) and free throw percentage (.805) and ranking second in scoring (15.5). As a junior college transfer last season, Brown averaged just 6.9 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. Against Virginia Commonwealth, Brown scored a season-high 20 points with a career-high 18 rebounds, tying for the 13th most in school history (and the most by an Aggie in six years). He has started in all eight games, scoring in double figures seven times. In the last four games, Brown has averaged 18.8 points and 11.8 rebounds, posting three double-doubles, while making 60.9 (28-46) percent from the field.
Jack's Back
After receiving an additional year of eligibility from the NCAA last spring, senior forward Aaron Jack, an honorable mention All-Big 12 pick last season, saw his extra year jeopardized when he sustained a concussion in practice on Oct. 18. Jack suffered three concussions as a freshman at Penn State in 1995-96, then transferred to A&M. Jack returned to practice on a limited basis in early November, then returned full time the day before the opener at George Washington. He has played in all eight games, averaging 6.6 points and 6.8 rebounds while making 59.4 percent from the field. He has grabbed at least eight rebounds in five of the last six games, including a game-high nine against North Carolina. Jack has played in 84 games as a collegian, including four as a freshman at Penn State in 1995-96. With 459 career rebounds at A&M (472 in his college career), Jack needs 41 more to become the 17th player in A&M history to reach 500, and only the second since 1987. Jack suffered a severe ankle sprain against North Carolina and missed more than a week of practice before returning just prior to the Long Beach State game on Dec. 22, but came back to score nine points with three boards against the 49ers.
Jamaal Fights Slump
Sophomore point guard Jamaal Gilchrist, who had started 35 straight games to start his college career, did not start against Long Beach State because a severe slump. For the season, Gilchrist is averaging 8.4 points and 2.8 assists while making 72.9 percent from the free throw line (35-48). Gilchrist scored 12 points in each of the first two games, then against Virginia Commonwealth, he scored a season-high 15 points, making 11-of-12 from the free throw line, including two with 2.9 seconds left to send the game into overtime. But in the two games prior to Long Beach State, Gilchrist averaged just 3.5 points, making 2-of-15 (.133) from the field, 0-of-6 from three-point range and 3-of-7 (.429) from the free throw line. Against LBSU, he came off the bench to score nine points with four rebounds and three assists in 22 minutes of play.
Solid Backcourt
The sophomore guard tandem of Jamaal Gilchrist and Bernard King is one of the best in the country. The pair have started in the same backcourt in 34 of the last 36 games. This season, the duo has combined for an average of 26.5 points, 7.0 assists and 7.1 rebounds per game.
Cleaning the Glass
After being out-rebounded, 36-33, in the opener against George Washington, A&M has out-boarded six of its last seven opponents by an average margin of +8.0. The +17 margin against Virginia Commonwealth (54-37) was A&M's best in three years. The Aggies have grabbed 50 or more rebounds in two games. A&M grabbed just six offensive rebounds in the opener, but in the five games since has averaged 15.9 offensive boards per game. Meanwhile, after GW posted 15 offensive rebounds in the opener, the Aggies have allowed their opponents just 12.6 offensive boards in the last seven games. A&M had out-rebounded five straight opponents going into the North Carolina game and held their own against the bigger Tar Heels (which started frontline players of 7-0 and 6-11). UNC posted a narrow 36-35 edge.
Slocum Out
Sophomore center Andy Slocum, who started in 14 games as a freshman, will likely miss the entire season after undergoing surgery (two screws were inserted) in his left shoulder. Slocum injured the shoulder while lifting weights last summer and was limited in fall practice as a result. Coach Melvin Watkins said Slocum likely will redshirt this season. As a freshman, Slocum averaged 4.9 points and 3.1 rebounds per game.
Scott Returns for Rainbow
Sophomore guard Larry Scott suffered a severely sprained left ankle in practice on Nov. 28 and has missed the last four games. He returned to practice last week and could return to action for the Rainbow Classic. Scott is averaging 4.0 points and 2.3 rebounds per game.
Ress Out Again
Sophomore forward Tomas Ress, who was hospitalized for more than a week in late October with a staph infection, returned to the hospital two weeks ago for additional tests after becoming ill. Ress played briefly against Morris Brown and Virginia Commonwealth, but complained of weakness. After losing almost 30 pounds, he likely will miss the remainder of the season. Beach State. As a freshman, Ress started in 12 games and averaged 4.6 points, including a career-high 22 points against Missouri.
Improved Charity
When Melvin Watkins arrived as A&M's head coach in 1998, one of the Aggies greatest weaknesses was their free throw shooting. In 1997-98, the Aggies set a school record for the worst free throw percentage in school history, making just 57.9 percent to finish last in the Big 12. In 1998-99, the Aggies improved to 68.9 percent, third in the conference, and last year made 67.0 percent to rank seventh in the league. Through eight games this season, the Aggies are making 68.1 percent. Through five games, the Aggies were making 73.0 percent, but in the last three games have been in a slump, making just 58.4 percent (45-77). Watkins' two teams at North Carolina Charlotte each led Conference USA in free throw percentage.