December 09, 2004
GAME #6
Texas A&M AGGIES
(5-0, 0-0 Big 12)
vs.
Alabama A&M BULLDOGS
(3-3, 0-0 SWAC)
2 p.m. (central)
Saturday, Dec. 11, 2004
Reed Arena (12,500 cap.)
College Station, Texas
RADIO:
Texas A&M Sports Network
Dave South, play-by-play
Al Pulliam, commentary
Airtime: 1:45 p.m. (central)
ONLINE: www.AggieAthletics.com
TELEVISION:
None
Postgame Satellite Highlight Feed
5:45-6 p.m. (Central)
Galaxy 3, Transponder 7
TICKETS:
Available
$12, $10, $6
PROMOTIONS:
*"Holiday Hoops 2-for-1"
Starting with Saturday's game, fans can purchase two tickets for the price of one for any men's or women's game through Jan. 5.
*"Toy Drive"
Fan who donate a "new or gently-used" toy will receive free admission. Donations will benefit "Toys for Tots" and will be accepted by members of the Dance Team and the Aggie Angels starting when doors open (1 1/2 hours prior to tipoff) until game time.
*Postgame autograph session with players and coaches
Riding their longest winning streak in 11 years, the Texas A&M Aggies (5-0, 0-0 in Big 12) play the Alabama A&M Bulldogs (3-3, 0-0 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference) on Saturday at 2 p.m. (central) at Reed Arena (12,500 cap.) in College Station. The Aggies are 5-0, their best start since the 1980-81 team began the year with a 7-0 mark and was ranked No. 11 nationally. It's Texas A&M's longest winning streak since the 1993-94 team won five straight. The Aggies have been idle since an 82-40 win against Prairie View A&M at home last Saturday. Alabama A&M has won two straight and is coming off a 68-42 win against Stephen F. Austin at home on Wednesday. First-year coach Billy Gillispie is off to the best coaching start in Aggieland since D.X. Bible began his career with a 6-0 mark in 1920-21. The Aggies are 5-0 at home this season, while the Bulldogs are 0-1 in true road games. Texas A&M leads the series, 1-0, posting a 100-65 victory last year at Reed Arena.
About Alabama A&M
The Bulldogs return only six lettermen and three starters from last year's team that finished 13-17 overall and tied for fourth in the Southwestern Athletic Conference with a 9-9 mark. Alabama A&M is in its 18th season under coach Vann Pettaway. The Bulldogs opened the season with losses to Birmingham Southern (79-69) and Fairfield (62-47) in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic, then defeated Tuskegee at home (83-58). They lost at Georgia (71-54), before posting back-to-back home wins against Stillman (74-66) and Stephen F. Austin (68-42). The Bulldogs are led by junior guard Obie Trotter (6'1"), who is averaging 14.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and is making 44.0 percent from three-point range. Junior guard Joe Martin (6'4") is adding 13.0 points and a team-best 6.7 rebounds, while freshman guard Marcus Jones (5'8") is adding 9.8 points. As a team, Alabama A&M is limiting its opponents to just 63.0 points per game, but has struggled offensively, averaging 65.8 points while making 38.2 percent from the field and 29.1 percent from three-point range.
The Series
Texas A&M leads the series, 1-0, including a 1-0 mark in games played in College Station and a 1-0 record at Reed Arena. The Aggies won last year in College Station, 100-65. Texas A&M is 21-1 against teams from the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
TEXAS A&M vs. ALABAMA A&M
(Texas A&M leads, 1-0)
Year Winner Site
2003-04 Texas A&M, 100-65 College Station
The Coaches
TEXAS A&M
Billy Gillispie (Texas State '83)
5-0 at A&M (1st year)
35-32 overall (3rd year)
0-0 vs. Alabama A&M
0-0 vs. Vann Pettaway
ALABAMA A&M
Vann Pettaway (Alabama A&M '80)
369-170 at AAMU (19th year)
369-170 overall (19th year)
0-1 vs. Texas A&M
0-0 vs. Billy Gillispie
Tentative Starters
TEXAS A&M AGGIES (5-0, 0-0)
No. Player Ht. Cl. PPG RPG Other
30 Joseph Jones 6'9" Fr. 11.6 8.4 1.4 blk
4 Edjuan Green 6'7" Jr. 7.8 5.5 68% FG
21 Antoine Wright 6'7" Jr. 17.6 7.0 60% FG
22 Dominique Kirk 6'3" Fr. 8.2 2.6 3.6 ast
1 Acie Law 6'3" So. 10.4 3.0 6.2 ast
Off the Bench
No. Player Ht. Cl. PPG RPG Other
42 Marlon Pompey 6'8" So. 6.8 3.8 68% FG
15 Bobby Leach 6'0" Sr. 4.8 2.0 3.2 ast
10 Chris Walker 6'5" Jr. 4.6 1.6 --
2 Marcus McIntosh 6'0" So. 3.6 1.2 --
5 Kenneth White 6'1" Fr. 2.8 0.6 --
11 Luis Clemente 6'8" Jr. 2.6 2.0 --
33 Justin Loewe 6'4" So. 2.5 0.3 --
23 Brian Gahan 6'4" Sr. 2.0 2.5 --
24 Stephen Davenport 6'3" Fr. 0.6 0.6 --
40 Slade Weishuhn 6'9" Fr. -- -- --
Gillispie Quoteboard
"We are gaining confidence. We are a team that is learning. We are a team that is less reluctant to learn because they have confidence and are starting to believe in each other and in what we are doing. We are ahead of where I thought we would be because of the lack of experience. We haven't done anything great, but I am very surprised that we have an understanding of defensive positioning like we do so far. Generally, on our offensive possessions we know where we are supposed to be and we are understanding the intensity with which the game must be played. I think we are ahead of the game a little bit. It is easier to buy in when you are winning games."
Tale of the Tape
(2004-05 stat comparison)
A&M AL
Record 5-0 3-3
Conference 0-0 0-0
Ratings Pct. Index (RPI) 236 300
Streak W5 W2
Field Goal Pct. .534 .382
Opponent FG Pct. .290 .435
3-Pt. Field Goal Pct. .405 .291
Opponent 3-Pt. Pct. .250 .302
3-Pt. Field Goal Avg. 6.8 5.3
3-Pt. FG Attempts Avg. 16.8 18.3
Free Throw Pct. .669 .576
Opponent FT Pct. .622 .523
Rebound Avg. 42.2 40.5
Offensive Reb. Avg. 13.4 15.8
Rebounding Margin +13.2 -1.1
Turnovers Avg. 17.4 14.5
Opp. Turnovers Avg. 21.6 19.5
Assists Avg. 21.0 10.2
Blocks Avg. 5.2 2.7
Steals Avg. 9.6 10.0
Scoring Avg. 83.4 65.8
Opponent Scoring 48.6 63.0
Scoring Margin +34.8 +2.8
Last Year vs. Alabama A&M
COLLEGE STATION (AP, Nov. 26, 2003) -- Jesse King scored 23 points and had eight rebounds as Texas A&M beat Alabama A&M, 100-65. Antoine Wright, the Aggies (2-0) leading returning scorer, scored 14 points. Alabama A&M (0-2) was led by Terry Horton with 15 points. Texas A&M jumped out to a 51-36 halftime lead behind an early 10 points by Wright. But early in the second half, the Bulldogs were able to cut the lead to nine. Sparked by seven quick points by Marcus Watkins, the Aggies had a 14-0 run in a four-minute period to take an 80-57 lead with nine minutes remaining. Watkins finished with a career high 13 points. Alabama A&M scored just one field goal and 6 free throws in the final 13 minutes of play as the Aggies outscored them 32-8 down the stretch. Texas A&M's Acie Law left the game early in the first half with an ankle injury. Law, who had four points in nine minutes, is one of two newcomer point guards for the Aggies. It was just the third time the Aggies have broken the century mark since 1998.
Prairie View A&M Recap
COLLEGE STATION -- Junior Edjuan Green scored 17 points and added nine rebounds as Texas A&M blasted Prairie View A&M, 82-40, on Saturday at Reed Arena. Texas A&M improves to 5-0 under first-year coach Billy Gillispie, its best start since it went 7-0 in 1980-81. It's the best coaching debut at Texas A&M since D.X. Bible started 6-0 in 1920-21. Prairie View A&M kept it close in the first half, trailing 31-25 at the break. But the Panthers made just 4-of-26 shots and scored just 15 points in the second half. Texas A&M made 52.3 percent from the field while limiting the Panthers to just 25.0 percent, and posted a 48-28 rebounding advantage. Antoine Wright added 17 points and Joseph Jones contributed 11 for the Aggies. Anthony Oha led the Panthers with 13 points.
Quick Notes
*A win against Alabama A&M would hand the Aggies a 6-0 start for the first time since 1980-81 and would match their longest winning streak since 1985-86.
*A win also would give coach Billy Gillispie a 6-0 start, the best by a first-year A&M coach since D.X. Bible started 6-0 in 1920-21.
*Junior Antoine Wright, a preseason All-Big 12 pick, has posted two double-doubles in the last three games. Wright ranks sixth in the Big 12 in scoring (17.6) and is fifth in field goal percentage (.604). Wright and OSU's Joey Graham are the only two players to rank in the top 10 in both categories.
*Freshman Joseph Jones has had two double-doubles and ranks sixth in the Big 12 in rebounding (8.4). He's the only player in the Big 12 to rank in the top 10 in rebounding, field goal percentage, free throw percentage and blocked shots.
*Sophomore Acie Law is second in the Big 12 in assists with a 6.2 average, ranking him 27th nationally.
*Senior Bobby Leach leads the Big 12 in three-point percentage, making 5-of-7 (.714). He made 5-of-16 (.313) last season.
*Junior Edjuan Green ranks second in the Big 12 in field goal percentage at 68.4 percent. Green scored 17 points with 9 rebounds against Prairie View A&M.
*A&M leads the nation in field goal percentage defense (.290) and scoring margin (+34.8), and ranks third in scoring defense (48.6).
*The Aggies rank second nationally in assists (21.0) and are fifth in field goal percentage (.534), leading the Big 12 in both categories.
*The Aggies have out-rebounded all five opponents and rank ninth nationally, and second in the Big 12, in rebounding margin (+13.2).
*A&M is forcing an average of 21.6 turnovers per game, most in the Big 12.
*In the last two games, 53 of A&M's 64 field goals have been assisted (82.8 percent). For the season, the Aggies have an assists rate of 69.5 percent.uA&M ranks in the top half of every major Big 12 statistical category.