January 12, 2001
Game #15
Texas A&M Aggies
(6-8, 0-2)
vs.
Colorado Buffaloes
(10-5, 0-2)
Saturday, Jan. 13, 2001
7 p.m. (MST)/8 p.m. (CST)
Coors Events Center (11,076 cap.)
Boulder, Colo.
RADIO: Texas A&M Radio Network
Dave South, Play-by-Play
Al Pulliam, Commentary
Airtime: 7:45 p.m. (CST)
www.AggieAthletics.com
TELEVISION: None
2000-01 Results/Schedule
Record: 6-8 Overall, 0-2 Big 12
Current Streak L 2
Longest Win Streak 3
Longest Loss Streak 3
All-Time Record 1,072-1,024
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 #19 Oklahoma L, 78-65
1/13 at Colorado 8 p.m.
1/17 #22 TEXAS [ESPN+] 8 p.m.
1/20 at #5 Kansas [ESPN+] 3 p.m.
1/24 at Okla. St. 7 p.m.
1/28 #18 IOWA ST. [ESPN+] 3 p.m.
1/30 at #22 Texas [ESPN+] 8 p.m.
2/3 #19 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
For complete team and individual statistics, go to
www.aggieathletics.com
The Texas A&M Aggies (6-8, 0-2) will try for their first Big 12
Conference win of the season on Saturday when they play the Colorado
Buffaloes (10-5, 0-2) at 7 p.m. (MST)/8 p.m. (CST) at the Coors
Events/Conference Center (11,076 cap.) in Boulder, Colo. The Aggies
are coming off a 78-65 road loss to No. 19-ranked Oklahoma on Tuesday,
while the Buffaloes are coming off an 82-76 loss to Missouri at home
on Wednesday. A&M is 0-4 on the road this season while Colorado is 6-2
in home games. The Aggies beat the Buffaloes, 74-69, last year in
College Station, but Colorado avenged that loss with a 79-53 victory
against A&M in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas
City.
About the Buffaloes
The Buffaloes return three starters and six lettermen from last year's
team that finished 18-14 overall and finished seventh in the Big 12
with a 7-9 mark. The Buffaloes advanced to the National Invitation
Tournament and fell in the first round at home to Southern Illinois,
94-92. Colorado has been to the NIT two straight years. The Buffaloes
are led by junior forward D.J. Harrison (6-78), a JUCO transfer who is
averaging 17.1 points and 5.1 rebounds per game while making 44.3
percent from three-point range. Senior forward Jamahl Mosley (6-8)
adds 13.3 points and ranks among the Big 12 rebounding leaders with
8.0 per game. Guard Justin Harbert (6-1), a freshman from San Antonio,
comes off the bench to average 9.9 points, while sophomore Stephane
Pelle (6-8) is coring 9.6 points with 5.8 rebounds. Colorado is
averaging 87.2 points per game.
A&M-CU Series
The Buffaloes lead the series, 5-1, including a 2-0 lead in games
played in Boulder. A&M's lone win the in the series came last season
in College Station by a score of 74-69. The Buffaloes bounced back to
eliminate A&M in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament, 79-53. Last
time the teams met in Boulder in 1999, Colorado posted a 71-61
victory.
A&M VS. COLORADO
(CU leads, 5-1)
Year Winner Site
1999-00 CU, 79-53 Kansas City (Big 12 Trn.)
A&M, 74-69 College Station (Reed)
1998-99 CU, 71-61 Boulder (Coors)
1997-98 CU, 68-67 College Station (GRW)
1996-97 CU, 77-64 Boulder (Coors)
1968-69 *CU, 97-82 Manhattan, Kan.
*NCAA Midwest Regional (Ahearn Fieldhouse)
Watkins Quoteboard
"Although we didn't get the win, we performed better in the Oklahoma
game. Now, we have to go back on the road to play Colorado and it is a
very difficult place to try to get a win. If we can play with the same
intensity we had at Oklahoma, then I like our chances. We were very
disappointed with our intensity against Kansas State but it was a
positive to come back with a better performance against OU. Now, the
question is eewhat did we learn from that?' Colorado is an improved
team from last year. They have five or six guys they look to score for
them who have done a good job all season. One area that sticks out is
that they are shooting the ball much better."
Tentative Starters
TEXAS A&M AGGIES (6-8, 0-2)
No. Player Pos. Ht. Cl. PPG RPG
24 Carlton Brown F 6-6 Sr. 14.0 7.2
5 Nick Anderson F 6-6 Fr. 8.9 6.1
2 Keith Bean F 6-8 So. 7.2 5.4
32 Bernard King G 6-5 So. 17.9 4.6a
22 Andy Leatherman G 6-3 Jr. 6.4 2.1a
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
(probable); TOMAS RESS, pelvic bone infection (will not play); ANDY
SLOCUM, right shoulder surgery (will not play).
COLORADO BUFFALOES (10-5, 0-2)
No. Player Pos. Ht. Cl. PPG RPG
44 D.J. Harrison F 6-7 Jr. 17.1 5.1
5 Jamahl Mosley F 6-8 Sr. 13.3 8.0
50 Richard Fox C 6-11 So. 8.5 5.8
21 Nick Mohr G 6-5 Jr. 9.0 1.9
3 Jose Winston G 5-11 Jr. 4.9 7.3a
Head Coaches
TEXAS A&M:
Melvin Watkins (UNC Charlotte ee77)
*26-42, 3rd year at A&M
*68-62, 5th year overall
*1-2 vs. Ricardo Patton
*1-2 vs. Colorado
COLORADO
Ricardo Patton (Belmont ee80)
*86-57 in 6th year at CU
*86-57 in 6th year overall
*2-1 vs. Melvin Watkins
*4-1 vs. Texas A&M
Tale of the Tape
Statistic A&M CU
W-L Record 6-8 10-5
ESPN/USA Today UR UR
AP Poll UR UR
Sagarin Rating 198 56
RPI 183 81
Scoring 72.3 87.2
Opp. Scoring 73.3 74.1
Scoring Margin -1.0 +13.1
FG Pct. .438 .499
Opp. FG Pct. .439 .398
3-Pt. Pct. .300 .422
Opp. 3-Pt. Pct. .352 .346
3-Pt. FG 4.9 7.7
Opp. 3-Pt. FG 7.1 7.7
FT Pct. .688 .708
Opp. FT Pct. .657 .718
Off. Reb. 13.5 12.6
Total Rebounds 39.6 40.3
Reb. Margin +6.6 +7.7
Assists 12.8 18.4
Turnovers 17.3 17.0
Blocks 1.6 2.9
Steals 5.6 6.0
Fouls 21.4 21.5
Oklahoma Recap
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) u No. 19-ranked Oklahoma, after falling behind
early, used a handful of short runs to take control and beat Texas A&M
78-65 Tuesday night. Aaron McGhee scored 24 points and Hollis Price
had 17 for the Sooners, who were coming off a 20-point loss at Iowa
State. A small and quiet crowd never did get revved up, and 61 free
throws helped contribute to the lack of atmosphere. A&M shot 47.7
percent from the field, a big improvement from its 28 percent effort
in a loss to Kansas State over the weekend. But the Aggies had 21
turnovers compared with just nine assists, and as a result couldn't
sustain their comebacks. Oklahoma made six of its seven 3-pointers in
the second half, including one by McGhee and one by Kelley Newton
during an 11-2 run that gave the Sooners a 51-38 lead with 15 minutes
to play. Bernard King, who came in averaging 18 points but didn't even
take a shot in the first half, made three 3-pointers in a three-minute
span to help pull the Aggies within 60-54 with 9:42 remaining. A&M had
a chance to cut it to 60-56, but Keith Bean missed two free throws,
then Tim Heskett and McGhee hit 3-pointers to push Oklahoma's lead to
12 with 8:25 to play. The Aggies got no closer than seven points
thereafter. King finished with 17 to lead the Aggies, who dropped to
1-14 all time against Oklahoma. A&M took advantage of sloppy play by
Oklahoma to take an 18-10 lead nine minutes into the game. The Sooners
played with more intensity the rest of the way and did a better job
protecting the ball. After committing seven turnovers in the first 10
minutes, they had eight the rest of the game.
Last Time vs. CU
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) u Nick Mohr came off the bench early in the
first half and hit a pair of 3-pointers to start a 26-2 run that
carried Colorado to a 79-53 win over Texas A&M in the first round of
the Big 12 tournament on March 9. Jamahl Mosley had 16 points and Mohr
finished with 15 points for CU. Bernard King, the league's freshman of
the year, had a miserable night, making just 3-of-18 shots from the
field. King missed all nine of his 3-point attempts to finish with six
points. King had set a Big 12 record for a freshman by scoring 34
points Feb. 11 when the Aggies beat Colorado 74-69 in College Station.
The Aggies shot just 23 percent from the field in the first half while
committing 12 turnovers, 11 of them during the Colorado run. The
Aggies finished the game shooting 31 percent with 18 turnovers. Tomas
Ress and Jamaal Gilchrist each had 10 points for A&M.
Last Year in College Station
COLLEGE STATION - Bernard King scored 34 points, setting a Big 12
Conference freshmen scoring record, to lead Texas A&M to a 74-69
victory against Colorado on Feb. 11 at Reed Arena. The Aggies trailed
by 10 points at 48-38 with 11:37 left, but King scored 22 of his
points in the final 10 minutes to rally the Aggies. The previous Big
12 freshman scoring record was 32 by Texas' Luke Axtell (now with
Kansas) against Liberty in 1997-98. King's total also eclipsed A&M's
freshman scoring record of 33 points set by Vernon Smith against
Southwestern Louisiana in 1977-78. King's point total was the most by
any A&M player since Joe Wilbert scored 38 against Texas Tech in
1994-95. The last time an A&M guard scored more was when Lynn Suber
scored 37 points against Long Island in 1989-90. King made 4-of-7
three-pointers, running his season total to 56 and breaking the A&M
freshman record of 54 set by Jerald Brown in 1996-97. The Aggies led
by as many as nine points midway through the first half, but the
Buffaloes came back to take the lead before allowing A&M to take a
33-32 halftime lead, only the fourth time this season the Aggies have
led at intermission. Colorado opened the second half with a 16-5 run
to the 10-point lead before King ignited the A&M comeback. The victory
was A&M's first against the Buffaloes. A&M freshman point guard Jamaal
Gilchrist also had a strong performance, scoring 15 points and tying
his career highs in rebounding with eight and assists with seven.
Jaquay Walls led Colorado with 19 points and nine assists while Jamahl
Mosley added 16 points and eight rebounds.
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 13 opponents and posted
an average margin of +7.7 in that stretch.
* The Aggies are averaging 14.1 offensive boards in the last 13 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 28-of-30 free throws (.933) 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 five games, A&M has averaged 14.6
turnovers and is 3-2.
* 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.
Still The Big 12's Youngest
With seven freshmen on the roster, last year's Aggies were the
youngest team in school history. At least three, and sometimes four,
true freshmen started in every game. The 1978-79 and 1991-92 teams
each had six freshmen. The 2000-01 Aggies will still be one of the
youngest teams in college basketball with just two seniors, one
junior, seven sophomores and four freshmen. Using rosters in the Big
12 media guide as reference, The Aggies have the fewest upperclassmen
(3) and tie for the fewest underclassmen (11) in the Big 12 this
season. In addition, A&M is one of just four Big 12 schools to list
just one JUCO product on its roster.
MOST BIG 12 UNDERCLASSMEN
(Frosh & Sophs)
School No.
Texas A&M 11
Iowa State 11
Baylor 9
Oklahoma State 9
Texas 8
Colorado 7
Missouri 7
Texas Tech 6
Kansas State 5
Kansas 5
Nebraska 3
Oklahoma 3
FEWEST BIG 12
UPPERCLASSMEN
(Juniors & Seniors)
School No.
Texas A&M 3
Colorado 5
Oklahoma State 5
Missouri 6
Iowa State 6
Texas Tech 6
Texas 6
Baylor 7
Kansas 7
Kansas State 9
Oklahoma 10
Nebraska 13
FEWEST JUCO PLAYERS
(JUCO Transfers)
School No.
Texas A&M 1
Colorado 1
Missouri 1
Kansas 1
Texas Tech 2
Baylor 3
Texas 3
Oklahoma State 4
Iowa State 5
Kansas State 6
Oklahoma 7
Nebraska 9
NOTE: Numbers derived from rosters listed in the 2001 Big 12 Men's
Basketball Media Guide.
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 5-6, including road losses to
Virginia Commonwealth (107-106 in double overtime), Long Beach State
(83-76) and No. 19-ranked Oklahoma (78-65) and neutral site losses to
No. 12-ranked North Carolina (82-60) and Saint Louis (72-60).
Shooting Better
The Aggies made a meager 28.6 percent from the field in the conference
opener against Kansas State, the sixth worst shooting game in A&M
history. But the Aggies bounced back to connect on 47.7 percent
against No. 19-ranked Oklahoma. 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). The Aggies have made at least 45
percent in eight games. Last year, A&M made better than 45 percent in
just nine games all season. As a team, A&M has connected on 43.8
percent, a marked improvement over last year's .412, the second worst
in school history (the worst was .411 in 1998-99).
Looking Ahead
The Oklahoma game marked the start of an eight-game stretch in which
the Aggies play six ranked teams, with the other two being road games
to Colorado and Oklahoma State. After playing Colorado , A&M returns
home to meet No. 22 Texas on Wednesday, then plays road games against
Kansas (12-1) and Oklahoma State. Then, its back home against No. 23
Iowa State. (A&M's Next 7 Games) Opponent Sag. RPI AP
@Colorado 56 81 UR Texas 18 14 23 @Kansas 6 4 5 @Okla.
St. 49 43 UR Iowa State 14 23 18 @Texas 18 14 23
Oklahoma 25 33 22
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 +6.6, fourth in the Big 12. The Aggies have been
out-rebounded just four times (36-33 in the opener vs. George
Washington; 35-34 to No. 11 North Carolina; 40-29 to Kansas State and
32-29 to No. 19 Oklahoma). In the three games prior to the start of
Big 12 play, 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 13.5 offensive rebounds per game, despite
averaging just 8.0 in the last three 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 a
17.9 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 in the Big 12 opener,
making just 1-of-10 from three-point range and finishing with 17
points, but bounced back to make 3-of-5 treys against Oklahoma, also
scoring 17. Late in the KSU game, he came down hard on his right knee
cap, suffering a bruised knee. He sprained an ankle in the opening
minute of the Oklahoma game and did not score in the first half (0-0
FG). 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 19.6 points, 4.5
assists and 2.8 three-point field goals. He has scored at least 14
points in five straight games and in 12 of 14 games this season.
Mr. Bean
Sophomore Keith Bean, a transfer from North Carolina State who sat out
last season, had averaged 8.5 points and 9.5 rebounds in the four
games prior to Oklahoma, including 16 points and a career-high 10
rebounds against Centenary, his first career double-double. He
struggled against the Sooners, scoring two points with just one
rebound in 15 minutes. He had back-to-back double-figure rebounding
games prior to the start of Big 12 play. 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 13 of 14
games, averaging 7.5 points and 5.4 rebounds while making 49.4 percent
from the field. Bean scored a career-high 17 points against Virginia
Commonwealth. Bean weighed in at 300 pounds last spring, but shed
almost 60 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 seven games at point
guard. For the season, Leatherman is averaging 6.4 points, 2.7
rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. He ranks third on the team in
assists and steals (11) and second in three-point field goals (15) and
free throw percentage (.757). 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 eight first-half points against Oklahoma helped
keep the Aggies close. His 15 three-pointers this year almost doubles
his season total in 23 games last year (8-43, .186).
Jolly St. Nick
The preseason media and coaches pick as Big 12 Freshman of the Year,
Nick Anderson 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 (8.9) and second in rebounding (6.1). He also leads the team
in blocked shots (10). Overall, he has posted three double-doubles
and has scored in double figures seven times, including 11 points
against Oklahoma on Tuesday. A 2000 Parade High School All-American,
Anderson has started in all 14 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.
BIG 12 FRESHMAN LEADERS
GAMES STARTED
Player No.
Nick Anderson, TA 14
Logan Kosmalski, BU 10
Arthur Johnson, MU 10
Brian Boddicker, UT 9
Jake Sullivan, ISU 8
SCORING
Player Avg.
Jake Sullivan, ISU 11.6
Arthur Johnson, MU 10.2
Justin Harbert, CU 9.9
Nick Anderson, TA 8.9
Andre Emmett, TT 8.5
REBOUNDING
Player Avg.
James Thomas, UT 8.0
Arthur Johnson, MU 8.3
Nick Anderson, TA 6.1
Andre Emmett, TT 4.5
Logan Kosmalski, BU 4.4
Brown Emerges
Forward Carlton Brown is off to an impressive senior season, leading
the team in rebounding (7.2) and free throw percentage (.803) and
ranking second in scoring (14.0) and field goal percentage (.542). 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 14 games, scoring in double
figures 10 times. Brown has posted four double-doubles, tying for the
second most by a Big 12 players this season.
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
5.2 points and 5.2 rebounds while making 56.4 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 89
games as a collegian, including four as a freshman at Penn State in
1995-96. With 473 career rebounds at A&M (486 in his college career),
Jack needs 27 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.
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 seven contests,
is averaging 7.6 points and 2.8 assists while making 75.7 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 (25.7).
Jesse's 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 eight games, averaging 2.6
points and 3.0 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. King has
scored in every game except his debut.
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 14 games this season, the Aggies are making 68.8
percent, fifth 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 the Aggies have made better than 70 percent in
four straight games, making 73.0 percent in that stretch, including
28-of-30 in the last two minutes.
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 are the only
all-leftie backcourt in A&M history. The team added another
left-hander this season with freshman Nolan Butterfras.
Recruiting Buzz
In 1999, Texas A&M's Melvin Watkins' first full recruiting class was
ranked as high as No. 14 nationally by Bob Gibbons' All-Star Report.
The top rated player in the class, Bernard King, was rated by Gibbons
as the 33rd best prospect in the country while Andy Slocum was rated
No. 94. The Sporting News rated Jamaal Gilchrist as one of the top 30
point guards in the nation while Gibbons called him "a playmaker
supreme." Watkins' 2000 class has drawn similar accolades, earning a
No. 18 national ranking by Basketball Times. The class was led by Nick
Anderson, a consensus national top 50 prospect who was rated as high
as No. 18 by The Sporting News. Meanwhile, Nolan Butterfras was ranked
as high as No. 86 by Recruiting Beat while Keith Bean, a transfer from
North Carolina State, was ranked as the nation's 33rd best prospect by
Gibbons in 1998. A total of five Aggies were rated as national top 100
players in high school. "One of the big stories of the fall has been
the success of Texas A&M in recruiting big-time, national top 100
caliber prospects. Watkins...has proved that he can entice
blue-chippers to A&M," said The Sporting News.
Bryan's Mason Signs Early
In the November early signing period, coach Melvin Watkins added
another outstanding recruit to the impressive array of young talent he
has assembled at A&M when Bryan (Texas) High School's Daryl Mason, a
6-6 guard, signed with the Aggies. As a prep junior, Mason averaged
18.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.3 assists. He is rated as the 14th
best prospect by Texas Hoops.