January 31, 2003
Game notes for Saturday's Big 12 showdown with Texas Tech at Reed Arena...
Game #17
Texas A&M AGGIES (10-6, 2-3)
vs.
Texas Tech RED RAIDERS (12-4, 2-3)
Saturday, Feb. 1, 2003
5:35 p.m. (Central)
Reed Arena (12,500 cap.)
College Station, Texas
RADIO: Texas A&M Sports Network
Dave South, play-by-play
Al Pulliam, commentary
Airtime: 5:20 p.m. (Central)
ONLINE: www.AggieAthletics.com
TELEVISION: Dodge Ram Lone Star Series (Texas only)
Bill Jones, play-by-play
Jim Haller, commentary
The Texas A&M Aggies (10-6, 2-3 in Big 12) play host to the Texas Tech Red Raiders (12-4, 2-3 in Big 12) on Saturday at 5:35 p.m. (central) at Reed Arena (12,500 cap.) in College Station. Tickets are $15 (courtside), $12 (mezzanine), $10 (balcony) and $6 (gallery). The game will be televised statewide by the Dodge Ram Lone Star Series (Cox Cable channel 15 in Bryan/College Station). The Aggies will be trying to prevent Tech coach Bobby Knight from getting his 800th career victory. The Aggies are coming off a hard-fought 75-68 loss at No. 6-ranked Oklahoma on Tuesday and have not lost consecutive games all season. The Red Raiders are coming off a 66-56 win against Colorado at home on Wednesday, which ended a two-game losing skid. A&M is 6-2 at home this season, while Tech is 4-2 in true road games and 4-3 in all games away from home. Tech leads the series, 56-49, and has won three straight. A&M leads in games played in College Station, 29-19, with a 2-2 mark at Reed Arena. Tech won last year at Reed Arena, 72-70.
About Texas Tech
The Red Raiders return four starters and nine lettermen from last year's team that finished 23-9 overall, tied for third at 10-6 in the Big 12 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. Tech is in its second second under coach Bob Knight. The Red Raiders are led by junior guard Andre Emmett (6-5), who leads the team in scoring (21.1) and rebounding (6.4). Senior forward Kasib Powell (6-7) adds 16.8 points and leads the team with 4.0 assists per game. Junior forward Robert Tomaszek (6-9) averages 8.4 points and 5.1 rebounds, while senior guard Will Chavis (5-10) contributes 7.5 points and is making 80.0 percent from the free throw line. Tech went 10-1 in non-conference play, with its only loss on the road at Wyoming (67-62). Included in that run were a road win at Minnesota (99-89 OT) and a home victory against New Mexico State (85-84). The Red Raiders are 2-3 in Big 12 play, with road losses at Kansas State (68-44) and Oklahoma (69-64 OT). Tech is making 48.2 percent from the field while allowing just 41.8 percent and is forcing a whopping 19.4 turnovers per game.
A&M-Tech Series
Texas Tech leads the close series, 56-49, including a 9-4 mark since Big 12 play began in 1997. The series is tied, 4-4, in the last eight meetings. A&M leads in games played in College Station, 29-19. The series is tied at Reed Arena, 2-2. Tech has won three straight, sweeping the regular season series last season then posting an 80-71 win in the first round of the Big 12 Tournment in Kansas City. tech posted a narrow 72-70 win in College Station, followed by a 74-53 victory in Lubbock.
The Coaches
- TEXAS A&M: MELVIN WATKINS (UNC Charlotte '77)
- 49-83, 5th year at A&M
- 91-103, 7th year overall
- 4-5 vs. Texas Tech
- 0-3 vs. Bob Knight
TEXAS TECH: BOB KNIGHT (Ohio State '62)
- 35-13, 2nd year at Tech
- 799-302, 38th year overall
- 6-1 vs. Texas A&M
- 3-0 vs. Melvin Watkins
SIDELIGHTS
Texas Tech trainer Jon Murray is a 1997 graduate of Texas A&M, where he was a student trainer for the football team for three seasons...Tech radio announcer Jack Dale will be broadcasting his 104th A&M-Tech basketball game since. The teams are meeting for the 106th time. Dale is retiring at the end of the 2002-03 season.
TENTATIVE STARTERS
TEXAS A&M AGGIES (10-6, 2-3) No. Player P Ht. Cl. PPG RPG 2 Keith Bean C 6-8 Sr. 6.1 4.4 14 Tomas Ress F 7-0 Jr. 4.5 2.8 21 Antoine Wright F/G 6-7 Fr. 16.6 7.6 32 Bernard King G 6-5 Sr. 17.3 6.1a 24 Bradley Jackson G 5-11 Sr. 3.4 3.1a TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERS (12-4, 2-3) No. Player P Ht. Cl. PPG RPG 55 Robert Tomaszek C 6-9 Jr. 8.4 5.1 22 Kasib Powell F 6-7 Sr. 16.8 4.0a 14 Andre Emmett F/G 6-5 Jr. 21.1 6.4 23 Mikey Marshall G 6-4 Jr. 2.6 1.5 10 Will Chavis G 5-10 Sr. 7.5 2.3a
WATKINS QUOTEBOARD
"Although we didn't get the win at Oklahoma, we hope the way we finished that game will give us some confidence as we come back home to play Tech. Obviously, there will be a lot of attention on this game because of coach Knight going for his 800th win, but it is also a big game for us because we feel like we're in the middle of the Big 12 race and Tech is one of the teams we're competing against. Tech executes their motion offense well and Emmett and Powell are their go-to players. Defensively, they are more aggressive this year than in the past, especially in the passing lanes. We've played more consistent at home this year than in any previous season and have had a chance to win every game we've played at Reed."
Who's Hot?
- Antoine Wright has had five double-doubles and has scored in double figures in 15 straight games.
- Bernard King ranks is tied for the Big 12 lead in scoring in league play (20.0) while ranking third in assists (6.1), sixth in assists-to-turnovers ratio (2.1) and seventh in free throw percentage (.821). King has scored in double figures in 14 of his 15 games, including 11 straight.
- Tomas Ress has averaged 6.8 points and 3.3 rebounds while making 50.0 percent from the field in the last seven games. He leads the Big 12 in three-point accuracy at 55.6 percent in league play
Quick Notes
- Bernard King, a candidate for Big 12 Player of the Year honors, needs 41 points to become the Big 12's career scoring leader. He already has become A&M's career leader and is tied for the Big 12 lead in career points in league games. King also is tied for second in career assists in Big 12 play.
- An early candidate for National Freshman of the Year, forward Antoine Wright twice has been named Big 12 Rookie of the Week. Wright leads the team in rebounding, steals, blocks, three-point field goals, three-point percentage and minutes played and is second in scoring. He's on pace to break Big 12 and A&M freshman records for each category.
- The Aggies rank third in the Big 12, and 14th nationally, with 17.5 assists per game.
- After leading at halftime just four times last season (with a 2-2 record when they did), the Aggies have led at halftime in 11 games this season (with an 10-1 record).
- The Aggies are 9-2 when shooting at least 43.2 percent from the field.
- A&M is 9-2 when it controls the opening tip.
- The Aggies average 15.4 turnovers per game, most in the Big 12.
- A&M has had more assists than turnovers in 10 of 16 games, something the Aggies accomplished just 12 times in 31 games last season.
- While A&M returns five starters and 10 lettermen from last season, three of the team's top five scorers are newcomers.
- The Aggies are 8-0 when their opponents score fewer than 70 points.
- A&M is allowing its opponents to make just 41.8 percent from the field, which would be the school's best since the 1963-64 season if the season ended today.
- The Aggies are 9-3 when making at least 43.0 percent from the field.
- The Aggies are 8-1 when their opponents make less than .430.
Last Year at Reed
COLLEGE STATION (AP/Jan. 9, 2002)- Kasib Powell scored 12 of his 21 points in the second half and Will Chavis' 3-point basket in the closing minutes helped Texas Tech to a 72-70 victory over Texas A&M. With the score tied at 60-60, Andy Leatherman took a fast break pass from Bernard King and raced the length of the floor for a layup that gave A&M the lead with 5:08 to play. Chavis countered with a big 3-pointer with 4:42 that started a 9-0 run and a 69-62 lead with 2:22 to go. A&M got it back to a one-point 71-70 deficit with 14 seconds left on a 3-pointer by Nick Anderson, two free throws by Leatherman and a 3-point play by King. Chavis added a free throw with nine seconds left and King's final 3-point shot at the buzzer missed the mark. Andre Emmett added 17 points for the Red Raiders. King had the sixth triple double in A&M history with 20 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds.
Last Time They Played
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP/March 7, 2002)- Andy Ellis scored 27 points and Andre Emmett added 24 as Texas Tech beat Texas A&M 80-71 in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament. Tech led 68-66 when Emmett hit two field goals and one free throw and blocked an Aggie shot to put the Red Raiders on top 73-66. After another A&M miss, Kasib Powell put in a stick-back for a 75-66 lead. Then with 31 seconds left, Nick Valdez hit two free throws to make it 77-68. A&M, the tournament's 12th seed, had its last lead at 39-38 on Jesse King's 10-footer, then Ellis dropped in two free throws and started a 9-0 run that put the Red Raiders in command. The lead reached 11 before Bernard King hit two 3-pointers and two free throws to make it 53-50. King finished with 26 points. Jesse King had 11 for the Aggies. Texas Tech trailed the entire first half but never let the Aggies get a bigger lead than 7 points. Ellis hit a 3-pointer to make it a 1-point lead with about two minutes to go in the first half and the Aggies finally settled for a 30-32 halftime edge.
Scoring King
Senior guard Bernard King, a preseason candidate for Big 12 Player of the Year, has become A&M's career scoring leader and is rapidly approaching the Big 12 record. King has scored 1,790 points (17.4 average), eclipsing the old school record held by the late Vernon Smith (1,778 in 1977-81). King needs 41 points to pass Iowa State's Marcus Fizer (1,830 in 1997-00) as the Big 12 leader. King also has compiled 492 assists, third most in A&M history, and 450 rebounds. He is attempting to become only the eighth Division I player to reach 2,000 points, 500 assists and 500 rebounds in a career. King's 943 points in Big 12 play ties Fizer's record while his 270 assists in conference play are tied for second with Kansas' Kirk Hinrich behind Oklahoma State's Doug Gottlieb (354 in 1998-00). King is also approaching several other A&M and Big 12 milestones (see page 9). Last season, he was the only player in the country to average at least 17.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game, and this is year is one of just two to average at least 17.0 points (17.3), 6.0 assists (6.1) and 3.5 rebounds (3.9). King is rated as the 21st best NBA prospect in the Class of 2003 by NBADraft.net. Against Tennessee, he scored 19 points with a career-high 11 assists. He scored a season-high 27 points against Oklahoma State and added 26 in the win against LSU. He had his third double-double of the season (ninth of his career) with 18 points and 11 assists against Kansas State. In Big 12 play, King is tied for the league lead in scoring (20.0), ranks third in assists (6.2), seventh in free throw percentage (.821) and is sixth in assists-to-turnovers ratio (2.1). He ranks 21st nationally in assists (6.1).
Dynamic Duo
The scoring combination of senior Bernard King and freshman Antoine Wright is shaping up to be one of the most prolific in school history. Through 15 games, King is averaging 17.3 points and Wright is adding 16.6. "King and Wright are great players," Tennessee coach Buzz Peterson said after the Aggies' 83-66 victory. The only other time in school history that two players have each averaged more than 16.0 points for a season was in 1975-76, when Sonny Parker (20.7) and Barry Davis (16.2) turned the trick. That team won the Southwest Conference title. No duo in school annals has each averaged 17.0 points in a single season.
Diaper Dandy
Freshman forward Antoine Wright, the consensus pick as the preseason Big 12 Freshman of the Year and an early candidate for National Freshman of the Year honors, is also a member of Dick Vitale's prestigious "Diaper Dandies," a list of the nation's top 16 freshmen as selected by the ESPN analyst. Wright last year was rated as the top shooting guard and the No. 4 overall prospect in the country by ESPN.com. Wright, rated as the 10th best NBA prospect in the Class of 2006 by NBA Draft.net, also was a member of the USA Junior World Championship Team last summer. He is averaging 16.6 points and a team-best 7.6 rebounds per game and has made an impressive 43-of-100 (.430) from three-point range. Wright has posted six 20-point efforts, scoring a career-high 25 against Miami, 24 against Kansas State, adding 22 in wins against LSU and Centenary, and finishing with 21 against Oakland and Prairie View A&M. Wright twice has been named Big 12 Rookie of the Week. He is the only player in the Big 12 to rank in the top 15 in the league in six different statistical categories. Wright is one of just three freshmen in the nation this season to average at least 16.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game, but he has arguably had the biggest impact of any freshman in the country as the other two play for teams that won at least 20 games last year, while the Aggies were 9-22.
Helping Hand
The Aggies rank second in the Big 12, and 14th nationally, with an average of 17.5 assists per game. A&M is 9-2 when it has at least 13 assists. The A&M record is 18.1 set in 1993-94, when David Edwards ranked second nationally with a school-record 8.8 average. A&M is fifth in the league in assists-to-turnovers ratio at 1.14. Senior Bernard King ranks third in the league in assists at 6.1 while Leandro Garcia-Morales ranks 11th at 3.4. A&M and Kansas are the only teams in the conference with two players in the top 11. Senior Bradley Jackson adds 3.1 assists per contest and ranks fifth in the Big 12 in assists-to-turnovers ratio at 2.13, while King ranks eighth at 1.92.
On the Line
The Aggies made a cozy 72.0 percent from the line through the first five games, a marked improvement over last season's 65.2 percent. However, in the next five games, the Aggies made just 58.9 percent (76-129). But the Aggies have bounced back to make an impressive 76.0 percent (117-154) in their last six games. For the season, A&M has made 69.0 percent, but in Big 12 play they've made a league-best 76.9 percent, on pace to challenge the school record of .745 set in 1968. The last time A&M made better than 70.0 percent from the line for a season was in 1988-89, when the Aggies connected on 70.9 percent. Senior Bradley Jackson, who has made 6-of-6 from the line in "crunch time" this season (see below), ranks third in the Big 12 in free throw percentage at 87.5 percent, which is on pace to challenge Mike Floyd's school record of 86.5 percent set in 1974-75.
Close Ones
A&M has been involved in eight games this season which were decided by 10 points or fewer. A&M is 5-3 in those games. The Aggies are 4-1 in games decided by five points or fewer, leading the Big 12 in "close game" winning percentage (.800). Last season, A&M played 15 games that were decided by 10 or fewer points and were 6-9 in those games, including a 4-5 mark in games decided by five points or fewer.
Bombs Away
A&M ranks fourth in the Big 12 in three-point field goal percentage at 37.9 percent after ranking last in the league last season at 32.5 percent. The Aggies rank third in the Big 12 with an average of 7.4 three-pointers made per game, well ahead of last year's school record of 5.8. Antoine Wright (2.7), Bernard King (1.3) and Kevin Turner (1.8) are each averaging at least one trey per game. Two other players -- juniors Tomas Ress and Leandro Garcia-Morales -- have also shown the ability to shoot the trey. Ress made 3-of-4 against Nebraska and Garcia-Morales made 3-of-3 against Mississippi Valley State and 3-of-4 against Kansas State. A&M has been consistent, making at least 35.0 percent in 10 of 16 games. The Aggies made a season-best 11-of-19 (.579), tying for the sixth most in school history, in the win against LSU, and added 12-of-27 (.444), tying for the second most in school annals, against Tennessee.
Home Cookin'
The Aggies are 6-2 at home this season, their best start ever at Reed Arena and their best overall since a 7-1 home start in the 1994-95 season at G. Rollie White Coliseum. Statistically (see page 28), the Aggies have posted an average scoring margin of +11.8 at home (81.4 to 69.6) while connecting on 49.5 percent from the field (allowing 41.5 percent) and 41.1 percent from three-point range (allowing 30.3 percent). The Aggies have had more assists than turnovers in every home game, posting an whopping average of 22.6 assists to only 13.5 turnovers per game. Meanwhile, the Aggies have forced an average of 17.6 turnovers at home.
Impact Class
Three of the Aggies' top five scorers are newcomers (Antoine Wright, Kevin Turner and Leandro Garcia-Morales), despite the fact that A&M returned all five starters and 10 lettermen from last year. Another newcomer, freshman Marcus Watkins, ranks 10th on the team in scoring. Newcomers have accounted for 45.7 percent of the Aggies' points and 71.2 percent of the team's three-pointers.
Board Stiff
The Aggies have been out-rebounded in nine of its last 12 games. A&M out-rebounded five of its first six opponents this season. The Aggies have out-rebounded just seven of 16 opponents overall, and have posted an average rebounding margin of -2.7, last in the Big 12. Antoine Wright is ranked 11th in the Big 12 in rebounding (7.6), but no other A&M player ranks in the top 20.
Turnover Woes
The Aggies are averaging 15.4 turnovers per game, the most in the Big 12, but rank seventh in turnover margin at +0.25. The Aggies had just eight turnovers against Tennessee, their fewest since they had just five against Princeton on Dec. 27, 1996 in El Paso, and have averaged just 14.3 turnovers in the 12 games since.
Efficient Offense
The Aggies handed out 24 assists with just eight turnovers against Tennessee, a 3-to-1 assists to turnovers ratio. That's the best ratio in Melvin Watkins' five years at A&M and the best by an A&M team since it had a school-record 34 assists with just 11 turnovers in a 102-61 win against Missouri-Kansas City in the second game of the 1997-98 season, a span of 145 games. A&M has had more assists than turnovers in 10 of 16 games, something they accomplished just 12 times in 31 games last year. The Aggies had 28 assists (13 turnovers) against Louisiana-Monroe, their most assists since they had 28 against Missouri in 1998-99. In the last 12 games, A&M has averaged 17.5 assists with 14.3 turnovers.
Defensively
A&M is allowing its opponents to make just 41.8 percent from the field, which if the season ended today would be its best since it allowed 40.1 percent in 1963-64. In addition, the Aggies are limiting their opponents to just 30.6 percent from three-point range, which is on pace to break the school record of 31.5 set in 1996-97 and ranks third best in the Big 12. The Aggies are forcing an average of 15.9 turnovers per game, sixth most in the Big 12.
Watkins' Grads
Since becoming Texas A&M's head basketball coach in 1998, Melvin Watkins has posted an enviable graduation rate, with 11 of his 13 players have completed their eligibility at A&M receiving their degrees (84.6 percent). The two non-graduates are playing professional basketball overseas. Among current players, Brian Brookhart graduated in August and is now in graduate school, while Keith Bean is on track for a May graduation and Bradley Jackson, Tomas Ress and Andy Slocum are expected to graduate in August.
Big 12 King
Bernard King is is the top active Big 12 player in career points (1,790), career scoring average (17.4), career three-point field goals (213) and career minutes played(3,373). He is tied for the lead among active players in assists (492) and is fourth in steals (135).