January 19, 2001
Game #17
Texas A&M Aggies (6-10, 0-4)
vs.
#5 Kansas Jayhawks (14-1, 3-0)
Saturday, Jan. 20, 2001
3:07 p.m. (CST)
Allen Fieldhouse (16,300 cap.)
Lawrence, Kan.
Radio
Texas A&M Radio Network (Regional)
Dave South, Play-by-Play
Al Pulliam, Commentary
Airtime: 2:45 p.m. (CST)
Television
ESPN Plus (Regional)
Fred White, Play-by-Play
Paul Splittorff, Commentary
Tickets
Available
Courtside $15
Mezzanine $12
Balcony $10
Gallery $6
A&M Ticket Office: 888-99AGGIE
Ticketmaster: 979-268-0414
TALE OF THE TAPE
Statistic A&M KU
W-L Record 6-10 14-1
ESPN/USA Today -- 5
Associated Press -- 5
Sagarin Rating #199 #5
RPI #187 #3
Scoring 70.5 83.9
Opp. Scoring 74.4 67.7
Scoring Margin -3.9 +16.2
FG Pct. .426 .519
Opp. FG Pct. .447 .375
3-Pt. Pct. .286 .408
Opp. 3-Pt. Pct. .351 .318
3-Pt. FG 4.4 5.0
Opp. 3-Pt. FG 7.0 7.1
FT Pct. .692 .651
Opp FT Pct. .658 .650
Off. Reb. 13.4 13.3
Total Rebounds 39.3 43.7
Reb. Margin +6.0 +10.2
Assists 12.6 20.9
Turnovers 17.9 17.1
Blocks 1.8 5.3
Steals 5.6 7.0
Fouls 21.9 19.9
The Texas A&M Aggies (6-10, 0-4) will try to end a four-game Big 12 Conference losing streak on Saturday when they play the No. 5-ranked (ESPN/USA Today and AP) Kansas Jayhawks (14-1, 3-0) at 3:07 p.m. (CST) at Allen Fieldhouse (16,300 cap.) in Lawrence, Kan. The Aggies are coming off a hard-fought 76-58 loss to No. 24-ranked Texas at home on Wednesday, while Kansas is coming off an impressive 84-62 win against Nebraska at home on Wednesday. The Jayhawks have won seven straight games and are 7-0 at home this season while the Aggies are 0-5 in road games. Kansas leads the series, 5-0, including a 78-57 win last season in College Station.
About the Jayhawks
Kansas returns all five starters and nine lettermen from last year's team that finished 24-10 overall and placed fifth in the Big 12 at 11-5. The Jayhawks were eliminated in the second of the NCAA Tournament by Duke, 69-64. This season, KU's lone defeat came on the road against No. 11-ranked Wake Forest, 84-53, on Dec. 7. Kansas has posted impressive wins against No. 17 UCLA (99-98), St. John's (82-74), DePaul (75-69), Tulsa (92-69), Ohio State (69-68), and No. 22Oklahoma (69-61), among others. The Jayhawks are led by senior forward Kenny Gregory (6-5), who is averaging 17.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. Sophomore forward Drew Gooden (6-10) is adding 15.7 points and 7.9 rebounds while senior center Eric Chenowith (7-1) is contributing 10.8 points and a team best 9.0 rebounds. Sophomore forward Nick Collison (6-10) adds 13.1 points and 5.9 boards per game.
A&M-KU Series
The Jayhawks lead the series, 5-0, including a 2-0 mark in games played in Lawrence. Last year, Kansas posted a 78-57 victory in College Station. Prior to the formation of the Big 12, the teams met only once, with Kansas recording a 78-52 win in the 1967 Sunflower Classic in Manhattan, Kan. In the two games played in Lawrence, KU has posted an average winning margin of 33.5.
A&M-KANSAS SERIES
Year Winner Site
1999-00 KU, 78-57 College Station (Reed)
1998-99 KU, 95-57 Lawrence
1997-98 KU, 83-65 College Station (GRW)
1996-97 KU, 89-60 Lawrence
1967-68 KU, 78-52 Manhattan, Kan.
(Sunflower Classic)
Watkins Quoteboard
"Kansas is a very talented, physical team and Allen Fieldhouse is always an intimidating place to play, especially for young kids. We've got a team unlike any I've ever coached. We might come out and play just great. Other games, we just don't play. It's hard for us to find the consistency we need. Being young, we don't understand how focused you have to be every possession. Coming into the season, we made plans with certain personnel in mind. But now, the personnel is not here. It's not gone as well as I would have liked because of things that have been out of our control. If we had our full complement of players, I think things would be different, but we don't. We've probably asked guys to do more than they are capable of doing, but we've got to make the best of what we've got."
Tentative Starters
TEXAS A&M AGGIES (6-10, 0-4)
# Player Pos. Ht. Cl. ppg rpg
24 Carlton Brown F 6-6 Sr. 12.5 6.4
5 Nick Anderson F 6-6 Fr. 9.1 6.2
2 Keith Bean F 6-8 So. 7.1 5.8
32 Bernard King G 6-5 So. 17.9 4.4a
22 Andy Leatherman G 6-3 Jr. 6.7 2.0a
TEXAS A&M INJURIES: JAMAAL GILCHRIST, hyperextended right thumb (probable); AARON JACK, concussion (will not play); TOMAS RESS, pelvic bone infection (out for season); ANDY SLOCUM, right shoulder surgery (out for season).
#5 KANSAS JAYHAWKS (14-1, 3-0)
# Player Pos. Ht. Cl. ppg rpg
20 Kenny Gregory F 6-5 Sr. 17.2 7.8
0 Drew Gooden F 6-10 So. 15.7 7.9
44 Eric Chenowith C 7-1 Sr. 10.8 9.0
10 Kirk Hinrich G 6-3 So. 10.4 6.9a
13 Jeff Boschee G 6-1 Jr. 9.5 3.9a
Head Coaches
TEXAS A&M: Melvin Watkins (UNC Charlotte '77)
26-44, 3rd year at A&M
68-64, 5th year overall
0-2 vs. Roy Williams
0-2 vs. Kansas
KANSAS: Roy Williams (North Carolina '72)
343-83 in 13th year at Kansas
343-83 in in 13th year overall
2-0 vs. Melvin Watkins
4-0 vs. Texas A&M
Texas Recap
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP)-- Maurice Evans scored 21 points and Texas went on a 26-7 run late to defeat Texas A&M 76-58 in a foul-plagued game Wednesday night. Texas trailed 34-28 at the half, but came out strong, closing the margin to a single point before A&M' s Andy Leatherman drained a 3-pointer and drew the foul. Evans and Brandon Mouton scored back-to-back 3-pointers to give the Longhorns their first lead in more than 10 minutes of play at 43-41. Bernard King, who led the Aggies with 23 points, gave A&M the lead again with his own 3-pointer. The Longhorns, playing in their third game in six days, showed little signs of fatigue after Monday's upset of No. 15 Connecticut. A total of 49 fouls were called in the game. King was the Aggies' only offense in the first seven minutes of play, scoring eight points as Texas built up a 17-8 margin. A trio of turnovers by the Longhorns allowed A&M to go on an 11-3 run midway through the period, closing the lead to 22-21. Chris Evans added 15 points for Texas while Darren Kelly had 11 and Roosevelt Brown scored 10.
Jayhawk-Aggie Connection
Kansas assistant coach Joe Holladay coached A&M senior forward Aaron Jack when Holladay was head coach at Jenks High School in Tulsa, Okla., from 1979-82 and 1985-92. Jack, who graduated in 1994, played his sophomore season under Holladay.
Last Time vs. KU
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP)-- Kenny Gregory scored 15 points and led a second-half run as Kansas used superior height and balance to beat Texas A&M 78-57 on Jan. 17. Kansas overcame A&M's early defensive stand for a 38-29 halftime lead and the Aggies hung with the favored Jayhawks until the Kansas offense broke it open. Leading 45-39 with 16:51 to play, Kansas went on a 27-9 run and took a 72-48 lead with 3:21 left to play. The taller Jayhawks outrebounded the Aggies 55-32, led by Drew Gooden, who had 10 points and 10 rebounds. Tomas Ress finished with 10 points, A&M's only scorer in double figures. Kansas guard Jeff Boschee went 0-for-5 from 3-point range, ending a string of 38 consecutive games with at least one 3-pointer. Kansas was 2-for-11 on 3-pointers. The Aggies managed an early 14-10 lead before an excited Reed Arena crowd of 12,175, a record for the two-year old arena.
Quick Notes
Of six players who started at least 12 games each last year, three are out for the season (Slocum, Ress and Jack) and another (Larry Scott) has played sparingly because of an ankle injury.
The Aggies have only nine scholarship players available against Kansas.
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 or equaled 12 of its last 15 opponents and posted an average margin of +7.0 in that stretch. The Aggies are averaging 13.9 offensive boards in the last 15 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 29-of-32 free throws (.906) in the final two minutes of their last five games.
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.
Unfamiliar Territory
The 2000-01 Aggies are so young that only one team member, Andy Leatherman, played in Allen Fieldhouse in A&M's last visit there in 1999 (a 95-57 loss). Leatherman played 10 minutes as a walk-on freshman. He did not score (0-3 FG), but posted two rebounds and a steal (along with four turnovers). The only other member of the current team who was on the roster at that time was Aaron Jack, who missed that game with a knee injury.
Babes of Big 12
With seven freshmen on the roster, last year's Aggies were the youngest team in school history and perhaps the youngest in college basketball. 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 are still one of the youngest teams in college basketball with just two seniors (including injured forward Aaron Jack), one junior, seven sophomores and four freshmen. Using rosters on each Big 12 school's website as a reference, The Aggies have the fewest upperclassmen (3) and the most underclassmen (11) in the Big 12 this season. In addition, A&M is one of just three Big 12 schools to list just one JUCO product on its roster.
MOST BIG 12 UNDERCLASSMEN
(Frosh & Sophs) FEWEST BIG 12 UPPERCLASSMEN
(Juniors & Seniors) FEWEST JUCO PLAYERS
(JUCO Transfers)
School No. School No. School No.
Texas A&M 11 Texas A&M 3 Texas A&M 1
Iowa State 11 Colorado 5 Colorado 1
Baylor 9 Oklahoma State 5 Missouri 1
Oklahoma State 9 Missouri 6 Kansas 1
Texas 8 Iowa State 6 Texas Tech 2
Colorado 7 Texas Tech 6 Baylor 3
Missouri 7 Texas 6 Texas 3
Texas Tech 6 Baylor 7 Oklahoma State 4
Kansas State 5 Kansas 7 Iowa State 5
Kansas 5 Kansas State 9 Kansas State 6
Nebraska 3 Oklahoma 10 Oklahoma 7
Oklahoma 3 Nebraska 13 Nebraska 9
NOTE: Numbers derived from rosters listed on each school's respective website.
"Radar" Report
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, a hyperextended a knee against Saint Louis and yet another concussion against Colorado on Jan. 13, putting his career in doubt. Sophomore Larry Scott suffered a severely sprained ankle in practice on Nov. 28 and has played sparingly in just three 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. Slocum (14), Ress (12), Scott (14) and Jack (23) were returning starters from last season. A&M has just nine scholarship players available for the rest of the season and one, Andy Leatherman, is a former walk-on.
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 5-8, including road losses to Virginia Commonwealth (107-106 in double overtime), Long Beach State (83-76), Colorado (88-58). and No. 19-ranked Oklahoma (78-65), neutral site losses to No. 12-ranked North Carolina (82-60) and Saint Louis (72-60) and a home loss to No. 24-ranked Texas (76-58).
Shooting Woes
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. In three of four Big 12 games, the Aggies have made less than 37 percent (including two under 31 percent). The Aggies are making just 35.6 percent from the field and 18.8 percent from three-point range in Big 12 play. Earlier this season, A&M made just 28.9 percent in a home loss to Birmingham Southern. But in only five games overall have the Aggies made less than 40 percent (in non-conference play: 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 42.6 percent. The Aggies actually shoot better on the road than at home (43.2 percent to 41.8 percent). In the Aggies' six wins, they connected on 47.0 percent from the field (to 38.6 by their opponents) while in the 10 losses they have made just 39.9 percent (to 48.4 percent by their opponents).
Looking Ahead
The beginning of Big 12 play marked a brutal stretch for the young Aggies, who face six ranked opponents in their first nine league games, including road games against unranked Oklahoma State and Colorado. The Aggies faced a similar stretch last year, with five of their first nine league games against ranked foes, including road trips to then-unranked Iowa State and Missouri. A&M went 2-7 in that stretch last season.
TOUGH ROAD AHEAD (A&M'S next 5 games)
Opponent Sag. RPI ESPN
@ Kansas 5 3 5
@ Oklahoma State 39 35 --
Iowa State 17 19 23
@ Texas 25 13 24
Oklahoma 47 49 21
On the Glass
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 +6.0, fifth 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 among the conference leaders with 13.4 offensive rebounds per game. In five games this season, the Aggies have posted double-digit rebounding margins.
Turnover Woes
The biggest reason for the Aggies' struggles this season is turnovers. For the season, A&M has handed out 201 assists while committing a whopping 287 turnovers. In the six wins, the Aggies have averaged 15.7 turnovers to 15.0 turnovers, a roughly even ratio. But in the 10 losses, the Aggies have averaged just 10.7 assists and 19.7 turnovers, almost a 1:2 ratio. The Aggies are 1-8 this season when committing 19 or more turnovers. In 13 of 16 games, the Aggies have had more turnovers than assists, including nine of the last 10 games (A&M is 3-0 when it has an even or better ratio). The Aggies are 2-9 when handing out 13 or fewer assists and are 4-1 when dishing out 14 or more.
Who's Hot?
In the last 12 games, Bernard King has averaged 19.7 points per game.
Sophomore Keith Bean has averaged 8.0 rebounds in the last seven games, pulling in at least eight boards in six of those seven 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 seven games, he's averaged 11.1 points and 6.5 rebounds while making 53.9 percent from the field.
Junior Andy Leatherman has averaged 8.7 points in the last three games. Leatherman has made 77.8 percent from the free throw line (14-of-18) in Big 12 play.
The 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-67 (.403) three pointers, averaging 20.9 points in that stretch. He has again struggled in the Big 12 play, making just 5-of-25 from three-point range (.200), but is averaging 17.3 points. 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), but went on to score 17 in the second half. He scored 23 against No. 24-ranked Texas. 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 (4.6), seventh in the Big 12. He has scored in double figures in seven straight games and in 14 of 16 games this season.
As King Goes, so go the Aggies
When Bernard King plays well, the Aggies tend to play well as a team. In the Aggies' six wins, King has averaged 20.8 points and 5.8 assists (1.67 assists-to-turnovers ratio) while making 41.5 percent from three-point range and 52.2 percent from the field. In the 10 losses, King has averaged 16.1 points, 3.6 assists (-0.84 assists-to-turnovers ratio) while making just 25.4 percent from three-point range and 36.4 percent from the field. The Aggies are 4-1 when King hands out at least five assists.
Jolly St. Nick
The preseason media and coaches pick as Big 12 Freshman of the Year, Nick Anderson has lived up to his billing. 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 (9.1) and second in rebounding (6.2). He also leads the team in blocked shots (12). Overall, he has posted three double-doubles and has scored in double figures eight times, including twice in Big 12 play. He posted a team-high 13 points against Colorado. A Parade High School All-American, Anderson is the only freshman in the Big 12 to start every games this year.
BIG 12 FRESHMAN LEADERS
GAMES STARTED
Player No.
Nick Anderson, TA 16
Arthur Johnson, MU 12
Logan Kosmalski, BU 11
Brian Boddicker, UT 11
SCORING
Player Avg.
Jake Sullivan, ISU 11.6
Justin Harbert, CU 10.3
Arthur Johnson, MU 10.0
Nick Anderson, TA 9.1
REBOUNDING
Player Avg.
Arthur Johnson, MU 8.4
James Thomas, UT 7.4
Nick Anderson, TA 6.2
Logan Kosmalski, BU 4.7
DOUBLE-DOUBLES
Player No.
Arthur Johnson, MU 4
Nick Anderson, TA 3
James Thomas, UT 1
Mr. Bean
Sophomore Keith Bean, a transfer from North Carolina State who sat out last season, is averaging 7.1 points and 5.8 rebounds this overall, but in league play has averaged a team-best 7.0 rebounds. Bean has hauled down at least eight rebounds in six of the last seven games. He scored 16 points and had a career-high 10 rebounds against Centenary, his first career double-double.