January 08, 2001
Game #14
Texas A&M Aggies
(6-7, 0-1)
vs.
#19 Oklahoma Sooners
(11-2, 0-1)
Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2001
7 p.m. (CST)
Lloyd Noble Center (11,100 cap.)
Norman, Okla.
RADIO: Texas A&M Sports Network
Dave South, Play-by-Play
Al Pulliam, Commentary
Airtime: 6:45 p.m. (CST)
www.AggieAthletics.com
TELEVISION: Sooner Sports Network
(select Oklahoma areas only)
Dean Blevins, Play-by-Play
Charlie Spoonhour, Commentary
2000-01 RESULTS/SCHEDULE
Record: 6-7 Overall, 0-1 Big 12
Current Streak L 1
Longest Win Streak 3
Longest Loss Streak 3
All-Time Record 1,072-1,023
11/18 at Geo. Washington L, 94-74
11/20 NORTH TEXAS W, 77-74
11/26 BIRMINGHAM-SO. L, 74-54
11/29 MORRIS BROWN W, 79-46
12/2 at Va. Comm. L, 107-106 (2 ot)
12/5 LAMAR W, 83-60
12/9 *vs. #12 North Carolina L, 82-60
12/22 at Long Beach St. L, 83-76
12/27 %St. Louis L, 72-60
12/29 %/Manhattan W, 72-64
12/30 %Detroit Mercy W, 81-72 (ot)
1/4 CENTENARY W, 77-67
1/6 KANSAS ST. L, 53-48
1/9 at Oklahoma 7 p.m.
1/13 at Colorado 8 p.m.
1/17 TEXAS [ESPN+] 8 p.m.
1/20 at Kansas [ESPN+] 3 p.m.
1/24 at Okla. St. 7 p.m.
1/28 IOWA ST. [ESPN+] 3 p.m.
1/30 at Texas [ESPN+] 8 p.m.
2/3 OKLAHOMA [ESPN+] 12:45 p.m.
2/6 BAYLOR [Fox] 7:30 p.m.
2/10 at Texas Tech [ESPN+] 12:45 p.m.
2/14 TEXAS-PAN AMERICAN 7 p.m.
2/17 MISSOURI [ESPN+] 12:45 p.m.
2/21 OKLA. ST. [Fox] 8:30 p.m.
2/24 TEXAS TECH [Fox] 5 p.m.
2/28 at Nebraska 7:05 p.m.
3/3 at Baylor 7 p.m.
3/8-11 #Big 12 Tournament TBA
*Compaq Center (Houston, Texas)
%Rainbow Classic (Honolulu, Hawaii)
#Kemper Arena (Kansas City, Mo.)
Listed game times are Central
The Texas A&M Aggies (6-7, 0-1) will try to even their Big 12
Conference record on Tuesday when they play the No. 19-ranked
(ESPN/USA Today) Oklahoma Sooners (11-2, 0-1) at 7 p.m. (CST) at the
Lloyd Noble Center (11,100 cap.) in Norman, Okla. The Aggies are
coming off a 53-48 loss to Kansas State at home on Saturday to end a
three game winning streak. The Sooners are coming off a 100-80 loss at
No. 23-ranked Iowa State on Saturday in Ames, Iowa, ending a six-game
winning streak. A&M is 0-3 on the road this season while Oklahoma is
6-0 in home games. The Sooners beat the Aggies last year in Norman,
78-53, and in College Station, 77-59.
About the Sooners
The Sooners return four starters and eight lettermen from last year's
team that finished 27-7 overall and tied for third in the Big 12 with
a 12-4 mark. The Sooners were eliminated in the second round of the
NCAA Tournament, making their sixth straight appearance. The Sooners
are led by junior forward Aaron McGhee (6-8), a JUCO transfer who is
averaging 15.8 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. Sophomore guard
Hollis Price (6-1) adds 13.5 points and ranks among the Big 12 leaders
in assists (5.9) and steals (2.2). Senior guard Nolan Johnson (6-4) is
scoring 12.4 points per game and senior guard Kelley Newton (6-2) is
contributing 11.3 per contest. Newton ranks second in the league in
three-point percentage at 52.9 percent (36-68). As a team, the Sooners
lead the Big 12 in turnover margin (+7.8) and in free throw percentage
(.733) while averaging 84.2 points per game.
The Series
The Sooners lead the series, 13-1, including a 6-0 lead in games
played in Norman. A&M's lone win the in the series came in College
Station in 1999 by a score of 74-72. Since then, the Sooners have won
two straight. The closest game in Norman was in 1997, when the Sooners
pulled out a 62-59 overtime victory.
A&M VS. OKLAHOMA
(OU leads, 13-1)
Year Winner Site
1999-00 OU, 77-59 College Station
OU, 78-53 Norman
1998-99 A&M, 74-72 College Station
OU, 64-59 Norman
1997-98 OU, 80-71 Norman
OU, 76-66 College Station
1996-97 OU, 67-58 Kansas City (Big 12 Trn.)
OU, 62-59 (OT) Norman
OU, 78-59 College Station
1990-91 OU, 81-65 College Station
1988-89 OU, 128-80 Oklahoma City
1987-88 OU, 104-80 Norman
1986-87 OU, 93-79 Norman
1960-61 OU, 69-56 Houston
Watkins Quoteboard
"We were very disappointed in how we played against Kansas State. It's
very difficult to win when you shoot the ball like that, I don;t care
who we are playing. We had some good looks but just didn't hit any
shots. You might say it was good defense but we just didn't get it
done. It won't be easy to put that game behind us, but we have to
because Oklahoma isn't going to feel sorry for us. We have to
regroup."
TENTATIVE STARTERS
TEXAS A&M AGGIES (6-7, 0-1)
No. Player Pos. Ht. Cl. PPG RPG
24 Carlton Brown F 6-6 Sr. 14.5 7.5
5 Nick Anderson F 6-6 Fr. 8.7 6.3
2 Keith Bean F 6-8 So. 7.6 5.8
32 Bernard King G 6-5 So. 18.0 3.2a
22 Andy Leatherman G 6-3 Jr. 6.2 2.2a
TEXAS A&M INJURIES: NICK ANDERSON, sprained right ankle (probable);
JAMAAL GILCHRIST, hyperextended right thumb (probable); AARON JACK,
hyperextended right knee (probable); BERNARD KING, bruised left knee
(questionable); TOMAS RESS, pelvic bone infection (will not play);
ANDY SLOCUM, right shoulder surgery (will not play).
#19 OKLAHOMA SOONERS (11-2, 0-1)
No. Player Pos. Ht. Cl. PPG RPG
13 Aaron McGhee F 6-8 Jr. 15.8 4.7
24 Daryan Selvy F 6-6 Jr. 9.3 5.8
5 Nolan Johnson G 6-4 Sr. 12.4 3.6
22 Kelley Newton G 6-2 Sr. 11.3 1.9
10 Hollis Price G 6-1 So. 13.5 5.9a
HEAD COACHES
TEXAS A&M:
Melvin Watkins (UNC Charlotte ee77)
*26-41, 3rd year at A&M
*68-61, 5th year overall
*1-3 vs. Kelvin Sampson
*1-3 vs. Oklahoma
OKLAHOMA
Kelvin Sampson (Pembroke State ee78)
*141-64 in 7th year at OU
*317-212 in 18th year overall
*3-1 vs. Melvin Watkins
*8-1 vs. Texas A&M
TALE OF THE TAPE
Statistic A&M OU
W-L Record 6-7 11-2
ESPN/USA Today UR 19
AP Poll UR 15
Sagarin Rating 202 22
RPI 191 34
Scoring 72.8 84.2
Opp. Scoring 72.9 66.9
Scoring Margin -0.1 +17.3
FG Pct. .436 .494
Opp. FG Pct. .439 .465
3-Pt. Pct. .294 .390
Opp. 3-Pt. Pct. .348 .399
3-Pt. FG 5.0 7.6
Opp. 3-Pt. FG 7.2 6.9
FT Pct. .686 .733
Opp. FT Pct. .645 .657
Off. Reb. 13.8 13.2
Total Rebounds 40.4 35.7
Reb. Margin +7.3 +5.3
Assists 13.1 16.0
Turnovers 17.0 12.6
Blocks 1.7 2.9
Steals 5.3 10.2
Fouls 21.1 21.8
Kansas State Recap
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) u Kansas State took advantage of 29
percent shooting by Texas A&M to notch just its second road win of the
season, 53-48, on Saturday. The two teams entered the Big 12
Conference opener on a hot streak. Kansas State (7-5, 1-0 Big 12) had
won four of its last five games, while the Aggies were riding their
first three-game win streak since 1998. Quentin Buchanan scored 19
points for the Wildcats, while Travis Reynolds added 12 off the bench
and center Kelvin Howell grabbed 15 rebounds. Despite out-shooting the
Aggies by nearly 20 percentage points and getting 10 more rebounds,
Kansas State's win was in jeopardy until the buzzer. A&M (6-7, 0-1)
trailed by just four at the half, thanks to a last-second shot by A&M
freshman Nolan Butterfras. The Aggies captured some momentum late in
the second half when Bernard King, the Big 12's Freshman of the Year
in 2000, hit two straight shots after previously shooting just
one-for-nine from the field. With 17 points, King was A&M's only
scorer in double figures and only starter to score more than five
points.
Oklahoma Connections
Texas A&M sophomore Bernard King and Oklahoma sophomore Hollis Price
were teammates on the 1998 Louisiana team that won the AAU national
championship. Both players led their respective prep teams to
Louisiana state titles in 1998. Price earned state tournament MVP
honors in Class 5A and King earned the overall honor for all
classifications as well as being named Louisiana Mr. Basketball. A&M
senior Aaron Jack always has family pride as well as team pride on the
line when the Aggies play the Sooners. Jack's dad, Bobby Jack, was an
All-Big Eight forward at Oklahoma in 1972. At 24, Aaron Jack is the
oldest player in the Big 12. He played at Jenks High School in Tulsa,
which produced former OU standout Renzi Stone, Jack's best friend.
Last Time They Met
COLLEGE STATION (AP) u Eduardo Najera scored 17 of his 20 points in
the first half as No. 21 Oklahoma took charge early in a 77-59 victory
over Texas A&M on March 1. The Sooners improved their all-time record
against the Aggies to 13-1. Oklahoma led 40-21 at halftime but the
Aggies started the second half with a 20-11 run and were within 51-41
with 11:55 to play, but that was a close as they got. Bernard King
finished with 15 points for Texas A&M and Aaron Jack had 12. Hollis
Price added 15 points for the Sooners, while J.R. Raymond had 12. The
Aggies stayed with the Sooners briefly in the first half but Oklahoma
pulled away with a 13-0 run that expanded into a 27-8 run over the
rest of the half for the 19-point halftime lead. Najera's jumper near
the end of the first half gave him 17 points and the Sooners a 37-17
lead. The Aggies had 13 turnovers at halftime and finished with 20.
The Sooners had won nine of their last 11 games and the Aggies had
lost nine of their last 10.
Last Year in Norman
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) uu With three freshmen in the starting lineup,
Texas A&M coach Melvin Watkins knew last season would be a learning
experience for his young team. No. 19-ranked Oklahoma gave the young
Aggies lessons in rebounding and 3-point shooting on Jan. 8 in a 78-53
victory. The Sooners outrebounded A&M 36-29 and hit 10 three-pointers
in the conference opener for both teams. Oklahoma forced 24 turnovers
to win its fourth straight game. Kelley Newton was 5-of-6 from
3-point range and had a season-high 19 points. Newton, who went into
the game ranked sixth in the nation in 3-point percentage, upped his
percentage to 61.0. Newton helped the Oklahoma reserves outscore A&M's
backups, 42-15, and the Aggies' starters by five points. The Sooners
used a 16-4 run to open the game and pushed their lead to 47-29 by
halftime. Fourteen of Newton's 19 points came in the first half, while
A&M shot 37 percent from the field. Bernard King led the Aggies with
18 points in their most lopsided loss this season. Aaron Jack scored
11 points for the Aggies. Jameel Heywood had a career-high 12 rebounds
in 17 minutes for the Sooners.
Who's Hot?
* In the last nine games, Bernard King has averaged 19.5 points per
game. King has made 26 of his last 61 three-point attempts since the
second overtime of the VCU game., despite going 1-of-10 against KSU.
Earlier in the VCU game, he had missed his 19th straight.
* In the last nine games, Carlton Brown has averaged 15.5 points and
9.9 rebounds, including four double-doubles.
* Sophomore Keith Bean has averaged 8.5 points and 9.5 rebounds in the
last four games, pulling in at least nine boards in four straight
games.
* Freshman Nick Anderson posted back-to-back double-doubles in
Hawaii, scoring 22 points with 15 boards against Manhattan and 10
points with 12 boards against Detroit. In the last four games, he's
averaged 11.3 points and 7.3 rebounds while making 55.6 percent from
the field.
Quick Notes
*The Aggies (22) Combined with Virginia Commonwealth (23) on Dec. 2 to
set an NCAA record for points in one overtime period with 45. The old
record was 41 set in 1997-98 by Vermont (26) and Hartford (15).
* After being out-rebounded by George Washington, 36-33, in the
opener, A&M has out-rebounded 10 of its last 12 opponents and posted
an average margin of +8.6 in that stretch.
*The Aggies are averaging 14.4 offensive boards in the last 12 games
after having just six in the opener against George Washington.
*Bernard King's eight three-pointers against Lamar tied the school
record. His six treys in the second half tied a Big 12 record.
*The Aggies have made 25-of-26 free throws (.962) in the final two
minutes of their last four games.
*In the first nine games, the Aggies averaged 18.8 turnovers per game
and were 3-6. But in the last four games, A&M has averaged 13.0
turnovers and is 3-1.
*The Aggies blew a 16-point lead in the loss to Long Beach State, but
a week later rallied from a 15-point deficit to beat Detroit.
Leftist Rebels
Last year, the Aggies started four left-handed players -- Bernard
King, Jamaal Gilchrist, Aaron Jack and Andy Slocum. Every other player
on the team was a right-hander. King and Gilchrist were the only
all-leftie backcourt in A&M history. The team added another
left-hander this season with freshman Nolan Butterfras.
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. But rather than
practice, the team spent two hours watching and dissecting the game
film before heading to classes. 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 5-5, including road losses to
Virginia Commonwealth (107-106 in double overtime) and Long Beach
State (83-76) and neutral site losses to No. 12-ranked North Carolina
(82-60) and Saint Louis (72-60).
Shooting Pains
The Aggies made a meager 28.6 percent from the field in Saturday's
loss to Kansas State, the sixth worst shooting game in A&M history.
Earlier this season, A&M made just 28.9 percent in a home loss to
Birmingham Southern. But in only two other games have the Aggies made
less than 40 percent u North Carolina (.373) and Saint Louis (.373).
In seven games, the Aggies have made at least 45 percent. Last year,
A&M made better than 45 percent in just nine games all season.
Looking Ahead
Six of the Aggies' next eight games age against ranked teams, with the
other two being road games to Colorado and Oklahoma State. After this
weeks' road games against No. 19 Oklahoma (11-2) and Colorado (10-4),
A&M returns home to meet No. 22 Texas (11-2) on Jan. 17, then plays
road games against No. 5 Kansas (12-1) and 8-3 Oklahoma State. Then,
its back home against No. 23 Iowa State (13- 1), on the road at No. 22
Texas (11-2), then consecutive home games against No. 19 Oklahoma
(11-2) and 12-0 Baylor.
Improving on the Boards
Despite starting no player taller than 6-8, the Aggies have developed
into a solid rebounding team, out-rebounding its opponents by an
average margin of +7.3, ranking fourth in the Big 12. The Aggies have
been out-rebounded just three times (36-33 in the opener vs. George
Washington, 35-34 to No. 11 North Carolina and 40-29 to Kansas State).
In the three games prior to Kansas State on Saturday, A&M had posted
an average margin of +16.3. The Aggies out-boarded Manhattan by 21 and
Detroit by 22. Prior to the game, Detroit had been out-rebounded just
once all season. The Aggies have been especially effective on the
offensive boards, ranking second in the Big 12 Conference with 13.8
offensive rebounds per game, despite averaging just 7.0 in the last
two games. In five games this season, the Aggies have posted
double-digit rebounding margins.
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 an
18.0 average, ranking third in the Big 12. King overcame a severe
early-season shooting slump u 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 eight games following, King connected on
27-of-673 (.429) three pointers, averaging 20.9 points in that
stretch. He struggled against Kansas State on Saturday, making just
1-of-10 from three-point range and finishing with 17 points. Late in
the KSU game, he came down hard on his right knee cap, suffering a
bruised knee. 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 (4.7), seventh in the Big 12. Since the Aggies' wake-up call
against Birmingham Southern on Nov. 26 (a 74-54 loss), King has
averaged 19.8 points, 4.5 assists and 2.8 three-point field goals.
Mr. Bean
Sophomore Keith Bean, a transfer from North Carolina State who sat out
last season, has averaged 8.5 points and 9.5 rebounds in the last four
games, including 16 points and a career-high 10 rebounds against
Centenary, his first career double-double. He had had back-to-back
double-figure rebounding games. Bean has scored in double figures in
five games, including an 11-point, five-rebound effort against No.
12-ranked North Carolina. Bean has started in 12 of 13 games,
averaging 7.6 points and 5.8 rebounds while making 50.0 percent from
the field. Bean scored a career-high 17 points against Virginia
Commonwealth. Bean weighed in at 280 pounds last spring, but shed
almost 40 pounds in the off-season.
Andy Warms Up
Junior guard Andy Leatherman, a former walk-on who was put on
scholarship this season, has started the last six games at point
guard. For the season, Leatherman is averaging 6.2 points, 2.7
rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. He ranks third on the team in
assists and steals (10) and second in three-point field goals (15) and
free throw percentage (.750). He scored a career-high 16 points
against Birmingham Southern, then followed with a team-high 15 points
against Morris Brown. He scored 11 points with six rebounds in the win
against Manhattan. His 15 three-pointers this year almost doubles his
season total in 23 games last year (8-43, .186).
Jolly St. Nick
Freshman Nick Anderson, one of the most heralded Texas A&M basketball
recruits in many years, has lived up to his billing in recent games.
Anderson put together back-to-back double doubles in the Aggies two
wins in Hawaii, scoring 22 points with 15 rebounds against Manhattan
and scoring 10 points with 12 boards against Detroit, despite playing
on a sprained ankle. For the season, Anderson ranks third on the team
in scoring (8.7) and second in rebounding (6.3). He also leads the
team in blocked shots (9). Overall, he has posted three double-doubles
and has scored in double figures six times. A 2000 Parade High School
All-American, Anderson has started in all 13 games. Against Virginia
Commonwealth, Anderson posted his first career double-double with 11
points and 10 rebounds. He followed with 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 Emerges
Forward Carlton Brown is off to a spectacular senior season, leading
the team in rebounding (7.5), field goal percentage (.556) and free
throw percentage (.807) and ranking second in scoring (14.5). As a
junior college transfer last season, Brown averaged just 6.9 points
and 3.3 rebounds per game. Against Detroit Mercy, Brown tied his
career-high with 24 points and added 13 rebounds. He has posted four
double-double in the last nine games. Earlier this season at Virginia
Commonwealth, Brown scored 20 points with a career-high 18 rebounds,
tying for the 13th most boards in school history (and the most by an
Aggie in six years). He has started in all 13 games, scoring in double
figures 10 times. In the last nine games, Brown has averaged 15.6
points and 9.9 rebounds and made 5-of-7 from three-point range (.714).
Jumpin' Jack
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
played in the first nine games, but suffered a hyperextended knee in
the opening round of the Rainbow Classic. He missed the Manhattan game
and played sparingly in the next two games. He came back to score
seven points with six boards against Kansas State. Jack is averaging
5.3 points and 5.3 rebounds while making 55.3 percent from the field.
During one five-game stretch early this season, he grabbed at least
eight rebounds in every game, including a game-high nine against North
Carolina, averaging 8.4 rebounds in that span. Jack has played in 88
games as a collegian, including four as a freshman at Penn State in
1995-96. With 470 career rebounds at A&M (483 in his college career),
Jack needs 30 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,
but fortunately the team was on a 13-day break for finals and his did
not miss any games.
Jesse's Immediate Impact
Freshman guard/forward Jesse King gained his eligibility and began
practicing with the team on Dec. 17. The 6-7, 216-pounder from
Detroit, Mich. (Pershing HS) has 3 + years of eligibility remaining.
King made his debut against Long Beach State on Dec. 22, pulling down
three rebounds. He has played in the last seven games, averaging 2.3
points and 2.8 rebounds. 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.
About Jamaal
Sophomore point guard Jamaal Gilchrist, who started the first 35 games
of his career but has come off the bench in the last six contests, is
averaging 7.9 points and 2.7 assists while making 75.0 percent from
the free throw line. 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. Against Saint
Louis in the first round of the Rainbow Classic, he scored 14 points.
Gilchrist ranks third on the team in minutes played.
Slocum, Ress Out for Season
The Aggies will be without the services of its two tallest players,
both of whom started last season, for the rest of the year because of
injury and illness. Sophomore center Andy Slocum, who started in 14
games as a freshman, will miss the 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. As a freshman, Slocum averaged 4.9 points and
3.1 rebounds per game. Sophomore forward Tomas Ress, who was
hospitalized for more than a week in late October with a staph
infection, played briefly against Morris Brown (Nov. 29) and Virginia
Commonwealth (Dec. 2), but complained of weakness. Ress returned to
the hospital in mid-December for additional tests after again becoming
ill and was diagnosed with an infection in his pelvic bone. He will
petition for a medical redshirt and is expected to eventually return
to full strength. As a freshman, Ress started in 12 games and averaged
4.6 points, including a career-high 22 points against Missouri.
"Radar" Earns His Keep
Longtime A&M basketball trainer Mike "Radar" Ricke, in his 18th year
with the program, said prior to the season that the Aggies suffered
more preseason health problems than at anytime since he's been at A&M.
Since the season started, the trend has continued. First the Aggies
lost Andy Slocum for the year with a shoulder injury. Then, Tomas Ress
and Aaron Jack were hospitalized in late October, Ress with staph
infection and Jack with a concussion. Ress returned briefly but was
later lost for the year. Jack came back to suffer a severe sprained
ankle against North Carolina, then hyperextended a knee against Saint
Louis. Sophomore guard Larry Scott suffered a severely sprained ankle
in practice on Nov. 28 and has played sparingly in just two games
since. Dylan Leal missed all three games at the Rainbow Classic with
an infection on his calf, while Brian Brookhart missed the same three
games after becoming ill.
Free Falling
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 under Watkins, 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 13 games this season, the Aggies are making 68.6
percent, sixth in the Big 12. Through five games, the Aggies were
making 73.0 percent, but then made less than 60 percent in four
straight games. But in the last three games, the Aggies have made 71.1
percent, including 25-of-26 in the last two minutes. Watkins' two
teams at North Carolina Charlotte each led Conference USA in free
throw percentage.