February 15, 2005
The Texas A&M Aggies (15-6, 4-6 in Big 12) meet the Texas Longhorns (16-7, 5-5 in Big 12) in the State Farm Lone Star Showdown on Wednesday at 7 p.m. (Central) at the Frank Erwin Center (16,469 cap.) in Austin. The game will be televised in Texas by Fox Sports Net Southwest.
The State Farm Lone Star Showdown features all men's and women's intercollegiate competition between A&M and Texas. Wednesday's game is worth 0.5 point. Texas leads the Showdown, 5-3.
A&M already has won eight more games than last season (7-21), making it one of the most improved teams in the country. The Aggies are coming off a hard-fought 66-59 loss to No. 10-ranked Oklahoma State at home on Saturday, while the Longhorns ended a three-game losing skid with a 75-72 overtime win against Kansas State on Saturday in Austin.
A&M is 1-4 in road games this season, including an 0-4 mark in Big 12 play. Texas is 12-1 in at home, with the lone loss coming in overtime to Iowa State (92-80).
The Longhorns lead the series, 125-80, with a 71-26 edge in games played in Austin and a 20-8 record at the Erwin Center. The Aggies upset the then-No. 9-ranked Longhorns, 74-63, on Jan. 12 in College Station, ending a five game Texas winning streak in the series. The Longhorns have won two straight in Austin since an 80-74 A&M victory in 2002.
GAME#22
Texas A&M AGGIES
(15-6 4-6 Big 12)
vs.
Texas LONGHORNS
(16-7, 5-5 Big 12)
7 p.m. (Central)
Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2005
Erwin Center (16,469 cap.)
Austin, Texas
RADIO:
Texas A&M Sports Network
Dave South, play-by-play
Al Pulliam, commentary
Airtime: 6:45 p.m. (Central)
ONLINE: www.AggieAthletics.com
TELEVISION:
Fox Sports Net Southwest
(Shown in Texas Only)
Bill Land, play-by-play
Reid Gettys, commentary
About Texas
The Longhorns return six lettermen and three starters from last year's team that finished 25-8 overall, tied for second in the Big 12 at 12-4 and advanced to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen. Texas is in its seventh year under head coach Rick Barnes. Texas was ranked as high as No. 9 nationally this season before injuries sidelined two starters for the season -- sophomore P.J. Tucker and freshman LaMarcus Aldridge, who were both averaging in double figures in league play. Freshman guard Daniel Gibson (6'2") leads the Longhorns with a 14.5 average, while junior forward Brad Buckman (6'8') adds 11.9 points and a team-best 8.2 rebounds. Senior center Jason Klotz (6'9") averages 10.8 points and senior guard Kenny Taylor contributes 10.2. Texas ranks second in the Big 12 in scoring offense (80.3) and in blocked shots (4.7).
Quick Notes
*A&M is 4-1 when junior Antoine Wright, an All-Big 12 candidate, has a double-double. Wright ranks fourth in the Big 12 three-point percentage (.408) and also has emerged as one of the league's premier defenders.
*Freshman Joseph Jones has had six double-doubles, most by a league freshman, and is the top-ranked freshman center in the country by CBS SportsLine.com. A&M is 6-1 when Jones has a double-double.
*Sophomore Acie Law ranks second in the Big 12 in assists (5.3) and is fifth in field goal percentage (.535). Law is the only Big 12 player to average at least 10.0 points and 5.0 assists per game.
*Senior Bobby Leach ranks sixth in the Big 12 in assist/turnover ratio (2.13) and has emerged as one of the league's top reserves and one of the most improved players. A&M is 9-0 when Leach has four or more assists and is 5-0 when he scores in double figures.
*A&M leads the Big 12 in scoring defense (60.9) and ranks second in field goal percentage defense (.384), eighth best nationally.
*The Aggies are second in the league in field goal percentage (.491) and third in assists (17.3), ranking among the top 15 nationally in both areas.
*The Aggies have out-rebounded 16 of 21 opponents and lead the Big 12 in rebounding margin (+7.0).
*A&M is averaging just 13.2 turnovers in the last 11 games.
*A&M has attracted seven of the 15 largest home crowds in school history in the last seven games.
*A&M is the only Big 12 team to start two freshmen in every game this season (Joseph Jones and Dominique Kirk).
*A&M is 11-0 when its opponents score 64 or fewer points and is 14-1 when its opponents make less than 45.0 percent from the field.
Who's Hot?
*Junior Antoine Wright has scored in double figures in eight straight games, averaging 16.9 points and 7.0 rebounds in that span.
*Sophomore Acie Law has averaged 15.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 5.8 assists in the last six games while making 33-of-59 (.559) from the field, 9-of-19 (.474) from 3-point range and 15-of-19 (.789) from the free throw line.
*Freshman Joseph Jones has averaged 16.0 points and 8.0 rebounds in the last four games, making 25-of-44 (.568) from the field.
*Senior Bobby Leach has averaged 12.3 points in the last four games, including a career-high 20 against Missouri, making 5-of-7 three-pointers (.714).
The Series
Texas leads the series, 125-80, including a 71-26 record in games played in Austin and a 20-8 mark at the Erwin Center. The Aggies posted a 74-63 win on Jan. 12 in College Station, ending a five-game Texas winning streak in the series. The Longhorns have won two straight in Austin since an 80-74 A&M win in 2002. Texas posted a 77-57 win against the Aggies last year in Austin. A&M has not swept both regular season games against Texas since 1987 and has not beaten the Longhorns in consecutive games since the last meeting in 1993 and the first in 1994.
TEXAS A&M vs. Texas
(OSU leads, 125-80)
Last Five Years
Year Winner Site
2000-01 UT, 76-58 College Station
UT, 81-61 Austin
2001-02 A&M, 80-74 Austin
UT, 66-52 College Station
2002-03 UT, 89-61 Austin
UT, 95-87 College Station
2003-04 UT, 69-59 College Station
UT, 77-57 Austin
2004-05 A&M, 74-63 College Station
The Coaches
TEXAS A&M
Billy Gillispie (Texas State '83)
15-6 at A&M (1st year)
45-38 overall (3rd year)
1-0 vs. Texas
1-0 vs. Rick Barnes
TEXAS
Rick Barnes (Lenoir-Rhyne '77)
157-65 at Texas (7th year)
359-199 overall (18th year)
13-2 vs. Texas A&M
0-1 vs. Billy Gillispie
Sidebars
Texas A&M senior Bobby Leach celebrates his 23rd birthday on Wednesday...Leach was born in Philadelphia...the "State Farm Lone Star Showdown" features all men's and women's intercollegiate competition between A&M and Texas. Wednesday's game is worth 0.5 point. Texasleads the Showdown, 5-3...Billy Gillispie is 39-14 (.736) as a head coach over the last two seasons, the third best in that span among Big 12 coaches, trailing only Oklahoma State's Eddie Sutton (40-7, .851) and Kansas' Bill Self (44-10, .814)...Texas' Rick Barnes is fourth (41-15, .732)...A&M has received votes in the national polls for five straight weeks...A&M's seven-point loss to Oklahoma State was the Cowboys' smallest margin of victory this season...A&M is the only Texas school to have beaten Rick Barnes-coached Texas teams twice (2002, 2005).
Tentative Starters
TEXAS A&M AGGIES (15-5, 4-5)
No. Player Ht. Cl. PPG RPG Other
30 Joseph Jones 6'9" Fr. 12.5 7.4 1.5 blk
10 Chris Walker 6'5" Jr. 4.2 2.9 75% FT
21 Antoine Wright 6'7" Jr. 17.2 6.4 48% FG
22 Dominique Kirk 6'3" Fr. 7.8 2.2 2.5 ast
1 Acie Law 6'3" So. 13.4 4.2 5.4 ast
Off the Bench
No. Player Ht. Cl. PPG RPG Other
15 Bobby Leach 6'0" Sr. 7.3 2.7 3.2 ast
4 Edjuan Green 6'7" Jr. 4.3 3.7 55% FG
42 Marlon Pompey 6'8" So. 4.0 3.5 55% FG
11 Luis Clemente 6'8" Jr. 2.1 1.6 --
5 Kenneth White 6'1" Fr. 1.7 0.7 --
33 Justin Loewe 6'4" So. 1.2 0.3 --
3 Brian Blackburn 5'8" So. 0.0 0.0 --
25 Matt Koeneke 6'6" So. 0.0 0.0 --
Gillispie Quoteboard
"We'll have to play better than we did against Texas last time to have a chance in Austin. They missed a lot of easy shots when they were here. We have a lot of respect for those guys. We have to continally get better and we have to be more disciplined on offense. We have to run our half-court offense better than we did against Oklahoma State, but that's easier said than done against the competition we face in the Big 12. Our players were disappointed we didn't get a win (against Oklahoma State), but we'll bounce back and play extremely hard this week. We're going to keep swinging for the fences for the rest of the year. Our team is a hungry team and I think that promotes practice intensity and unselfishness. We expect them to play unselfishly like they have all year, but it goes back to the quality of character they have. They compete their guts out every single time."
Tale of the Tape
(2004-05 stat comparison)
A&M UT
Record 15-6 16-7
Conference 4-6 5-5
Ratings Pct. Index (RPI) 106 37
Sagarin Rating 47 26
Current Streak L1 W1
Field Goal Pct. .491 .466
Opponent FG Pct. .384 .396
3-Pt. Field Goal Pct. .390 .392
Opponent 3-Pt. Pct. .318 .331
3-Pt. Field Goal Avg. 5.9 8.2
3-Pt. FG Attempts Avg. 15.1 20.9
Free Throw Pct. .661 .690
Opponent FT Pct. .658 .688
Rebound Avg. 38.0 40.6
Offensive Reb. Avg. 12.5 14.3
Rebounding Margin +7.0 +6.3
Turnovers Avg. 15.2 14.5
Opp. Turnovers Avg. 16.7 13.6
Assists Avg. 17.3 14.0
Blocks Avg. 3.8 4.7
Steals Avg. 7.1 6.6
Scoring Avg. 74.9 80.3
Opponent Scoring 60.9 70.2
Scoring Margin +14.0 +10.1
Oklahoma State Recap
COLLEGE STATION (AP)- John Lucas III scored 18 points, Joey Graham added 17 and No. 10 Oklahoma State recovered from poor first-half shooting to beat Texas A&M 66-59 on Saturday night. After the Aggies pulled to 62-59, Ivan McFarlin scored three points in the final minute to ensure the Cowboys' fifth straight win. Oklahoma State led by as many as 15 in the second half before A&M went on a 9-2 run that ended with two free throws by Bobby Leach with 1:25 remaining. McFarlin made a layup with 51 seconds left to extend Oklahoma State's lead and quiet the raucous crowd. He also hit the front end of a one-and-one after a missed 3-point attempt by A&M, putting the game out of reach. A&M got 16 points from Acie Law and Antoine Wright scored 13. Graham rebounded from first-half shooting woes to score 11 points, including three 3s, in the first five minutes of the second half. His third 3 gave the Cowboys a 42-27 lead, their biggest of the game. McFarlin scored the Cowboys' next six points. After a basket by Lucas broke a 15-15 tie with 8:24 left in the half, neither team scored for almost four minutes. Lucas, who had 11 first-half points, took over from there, adding five points in the final three minutes to help the Cowboys to a 29-23 halftime lead. The crowd of 13,016, which included former President George H.W. Bush, was Texas A&M's largest ever. The win was Oklahoma State's first victory this season that wasn't by double digits.
Last Month at Reed Arena
COLLEGE STATION (AP) -- Acie Law had 24 points and six assists, freshman Joseph Jones added 13 points and 10 rebounds and Texas A&M ended an 18-game Big 12 losing streak with a 74-63 upset of No. 10 Texas on Jan. 12. P.J. Tucker led the Longhorns with 18 points and eight rebounds and freshman LaMarcus Aldridge, added 12 points and eight rebounds. A&M surprisingly seized control of this game early and never let the Longhorns back into it. The Aggies' lead reached 21 points early in the second half. Law effortlessly sliced his way through defenders and repeatedly found open shooters, completely outclassing Texas freshman Daniel Gibson. Gibson, who suffered a cut over his left eye and had it bandaged up at halftime, was 1-of-11 from the field and had three points and two assists. A&M's aggressive pressure defense forced the Longhorns into dozens of off-balance jumpers and 3s from way behind the arc. Law's final 3-pointer of the night gave A&M a 63-50 lead with 3:39 to go.
Last Year in Austin
AUSTIN (AP, Feb. 18, 2004) -- Brandon Mouton scored 20 points and Kenny Taylor hit four 3-pointers in a key second-half run to lead No. 11 Texas past Texas A&M, 77-57. Texas hit just one 3-pointer before Taylor's shots, and the Longhorns turned a tight game with the Aggies into an easy win. Jesse King had 12 points and nine rebounds to lead A&M. P.J. Tucker added 14 points and nine rebounds for the Longhorns. Tucker was 5-of-5 in the first half with 10 points and Texas hit 12 of its first 16 shots to take a 29-19 lead. It would have been more if not for eight turnovers. The miscues kept A&M close and the Aggies held Texas scoreless over the final 3:31 as the Longhorns missed their final seven shots before the half ended with Texas leading 29-24. Texas turned it over on its first two possessions of the second -- once when Kenton Paulino wasn't looking for an inbounds pass from Tucker-- and Acie Law scored eight straight points as the Aggies pulled within 33-32 but couldn't take the lead.
Big Turnaround
The Aggies are 15-6 this season after finishing 7-21 last season, one of the most dramatic turnarounds in the country this season. A&M also is 4-6 in Big 12 play after going 0-16 last year. The eight-win improvement to this point is the second best in the country behind San Diego, which is 13-10 after finishing 4-26 last season. A&M's turnaround already ties as the third best in A&M history and also ties for the third best in Big 12 annals.
NATION'S MOST IMPROVED TEAMS
(Increase in total victories through Feb. 14)
Team 2003-04 2004-05 +/-
San Diego 4-26 13-10 +9
Texas A&M 7-21 15-6 +8
Albany 5-23 12-11 +7
Arizona State 10-17 16-9 +6
Illinois State 10-19 16-8 +6
The Citadel 6-22 12-11 +6
IMPROVED STATISTICS
STAT 2003-04 2004-05
Overall Record 7-21 15-6
Big 12 Record 0-16 4-6
RPI 246 108
Scoring Offense 71.9 74.9
Scoring Defense 76.4 60.9
Scoring Margin -4.5 +14.0
FG Percentage .415 .491
FG Pct. Defense .488 .384
3-Pt. FG Pct. .325 .390
3-Pt. FG Pct. Defense .390 .318
Rebounding Margin +4.7 +7.0
Blocked Shots 1.3 3.0
Points in the Paint 25.6 33.7
Points off Turnovers 15.3 19.6
Fast Break Points 7.8 12.7
Historic Start
Billy Gillispie's 15-6 start is the best by a first-year coach in A&M history. The previous record was 15-6 by A&M's first coach, F.D. Steger, in 1912-15, D.X. Bible in 1920-21 and Shelby Metcalf in 1963-64. Gillispie already has posted the fourth most wins by a first-year Aggie coach and is chasing the record of 18 (18-7) by Shelby Metcalf in 1963-64. The Aggies' 11-0 start was the third best in A&M history and was the best since the 1919-20 team went undefeated (19-0). The 1915-16 team also started 11-0. A&M's 15-6 record is its best after 21 games since the 1993-94 team also started 15-6. A&M began the season with an 11-game winning streak, the third longest in school history and the longest since A&M won a record 25 straight over two seasons from 1919-21. After beating No. 9-ranked Texas on Jan. 12, the Aggies received 37 votes in the next AP poll (28th), its most in more than 20 years.
FIRST-YEAR A&M COACHING WINS
Coach (Year) Record
1. Shelby Metcalf (1963-64) 18-7
2. John Floyd (1950-51) 17-12
3. Dana X. Bible (1920-21) 16-6
4. Billy Gillispie (2004-05) 15-6
Basketball Jones
The top rated freshman center in the country by CBS SportsLine.com and a top candidate for Big 12 Freshman of the Year, Joseph Jones has had an impressive start to his college career. Jones leads the Aggies in rebounding (7.3), ranking seventh in the Big 12, and is third in scoring (12.4). Jones has had six double-doubles, including three in Big 12 play, most by a Big 12 freshman this season. A&M is 6-1 when Jones has a double-double. He leads all league freshmen in rebounding and blocked shots (1.43). He also ranks seventh nationally among freshmen in rebounding. Jones leads the Aggies in three-point plays with 10. He scored 13 points with 10 boards in the Aggies upset of No. 9-ranked Texas and followed with 13 points and 11 boards at Texas Tech. After Jones scored a game-high 16 points against Kansas, Jayhawks coach Bill Self said, "Joseph Jones was the best player in the game tonight." Jones also had seven rebounds against KU, including five offensive boards, and had a trio of three-point plays. He scored 21 points and tied his career-best with 13 boards against Baylor, and scored 17 points with four blocks against Missouri. He had an impressive college debut against North Carolina A&T, scoring 10 points with 10 rebounds, only the second time in A&M history that a freshman posted a double-double in his first game. The other was Winston Crite, who had a 24-point, 15-rebound performance against Texas Lutheran in 1983-84. Jones has scored in double figures in 16 games and added another double-double against Houston, scoring a career-high 23 points with 10 rebounds. He also had a double-double against UT-Permian Basin, scoring 12 points with 13 rebounds. Jones is the only Big 12 freshman to average at least 10.0 points and 6.0 rebounds and is one of only right freshmen in the country to average at least 10.0 points and 7.0 rebounds. CBS SportsLine.com ranks Jones as the fourth best center in the country.
NATION'S BEST FRESHMEN CENTERS
(CBS SportsLine.com)
Rk Player, School PPG RPG
1. Joseph Jones, Texas A&M 12.4 7.4
2. Darian Townes, Arkansas 9.8 4.2
3. Patrick O'Bryant, Bradley 8.7 7.2
4. Kirk Archibeque, N. Colo. 11.3 5.8
5. Robbie Cowgill, Wash. St. 5.9 3.5
Law and Order
A top candidate for All-Big 12 honors and Most-Improved Team status, sophomore Acie Law ranks second in the Big 12 in assists with 5.3 per game and is second on the team in scoring (13.5). He is the only Big 12 player to average at least 10.0 points and 5.0 assists. Law also ranks fifth in the Big 12 in field goal percentage at .535, second best by a guard. Law is one of just seven players nationally to average at least 10.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists and is the only one among those players to shoot at least 50 percent from the field. Law ranks sixth in assists among the nation's sophomores. A&M is 6-1 when Law leads the team in scoring. Law scored 24 points with six assists in the upset of No. 9 Texas, making 10-of-13 from the field and 3-of-5 three-pointers, and scored 17 in the victory over Kansas State, making 3-of-4 three-pointers. He scored a career-high 25 points in the win against Houston while adding nine assists and making 12-of-12 free throws, the best free throw performance by an A&M player since 1987. He added 19 points (with a career-high eight rebounds) against Penn State, making the winning free throws with 11 seconds left. Law added 22 points against Baylor, then handed out a career-high 14 assists against Missouri to go along with 11 points, his second double-double of the year. He scored 18 points with a career-high 11 assists against UTPB, his first career double-double. He has scored in double figures in 16 games. In the last six games, Law has averaged 15.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 5.8 assists while making .559 from the field, .474 of his three-pointers and .789 from the line.
The Wright Stuff
A top candidate for first-team All-Big 12 honors, junior Antoine Wright leads the team in scoring with a 17.0 average, ranking eighth in the Big 12. Wright earned Midseason First-Team All-Big 12 honors by the Rocky Mountain News in early January. He's the only player in the league to average at least 17.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists. Wright is one of four players nationally to average at least 17.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists while making at least 40 three-pointers and connecting on 45 percent from the field. Perhaps the Big 12's most versatile player, Wright also is the only player to rank among the league's top 15 in scoring, rebounding (12th, 6.3), field goal percentage (10th, .470), three-point percentage (4th, .408) and three-point field goals (10th, 1.90). Wright has had five double-doubles and missed three more by just a single rebound. A&M is 4-1 when Wright has a double-double. After being held to one point in the first half at Kansas, Wright helped the Aggies pull off a near-upset with 13 second-half points, including a trio of three-pointers, one that tied the game in the final minute. He scored 18 points and tied his career-high with 12 rebounds at Texas Tech. Wright scored a season-high 24 points against Oklahoma and added 23 points against Grambling. He scored 20 points with eight rebounds and six assists against Missouri. Wright also has emerged as one of the Big 12's top defensive players, generally guarding the opponents' top offensive player. In last season's loss to Houston, Wright allowed the Cougars' Andre Owens to score 41 points -- the most against the Aggies since 1977. This year, Wright held Owens to just four points in an impressive 93-80 victory. After earning Big 12 Freshman of the Year honors and being named third-team All-Big 12 in 2002-03, Wright was named honorable mention All-Big 12 last season. If he were named All-Big 12 this year, he would become only the 10th player in school history to earn an all-conference designation three times. Wright is on pace to become only the third A&M player to earn all-conference honors four times, joining Bernard King (1999-03) and Vernon Smith (1977-81), who are the top two scorers in school history. Wright has scored 1,141 career points, ranking him 19th on the A&M chart. In addition to his obvious statistical improvements, Wright has been taking the ball to the basket more aggressively this season, reflected in part by his team-high 17 dunks. Wright had 11 dunks in 56 career games entering the season. Wright's 150 three-point field goals are the second most on A&M's career list.
THE WRIGHT WAY
STAT 2003-04 2004-05
PPG 13.5 17.0
RPG 4.1 6.3
FG Pct. .368 .470
3-Pt. FG Pct. .297 .408
FT Pct. .626 .695
Dunks 5 17
A&M CAREER SCORING
Player Years Points
1. Bernard King 1999-03 1,990
2. Vernon Smith 1977-81 1,778
3. John Beasley 1963-66 1,594
4. Winston Crite 1983-87 1,576
5. Rynn Wright 1977-81 1,495
6. Claude Riley 1979-83 1,383
7. Carroll Broussard 1959-62 1,382
8. Bennie Lenox 1961-64 1,344
9. Todd Holloway 1983-87 1,331
10. Rudy Woods 1978-82 1,272
Closing in:
19. Antoine Wright 2002-05 1,141
Three Amigos
The trio of Antoine Wright, Acie Law and Joseph Jones have combined to average 42.9 points and 17.6 rebounds per game. That's 57.3 percent of the Aggies' scoring and 50.3 percent of the rebounding. A&M is 9-2 when all three score in double figures, with the only losses coming by a narrow 65-60 margin at Kansas and a close 66-59 loss to Oklahoma State.
Leach's Reach
Celebrating his 23rd birthday on Wednesday, Bobby Leach is one of the Big 12's most improved players and has emerged as one of the top reserves in the league. The Aggies' lone senior, he ranks sixth in the conference in assist/turnover ratio (2.13) and is fifth on the team in scoring (7.2). In Big 12 play, he's averaging 9.6 points, fourth on the team and third among Big 12 reserves. Leach is second on the team in assists (3.1) and has made 18-of-34 (.529) from three-point range after making just 5-of-16 (.313) all of last season. Leach has handed out at least three assists in nine of the last 15 games, including a season high of six in wins against No. 9-ranked Texas and Kansas State. A&M is 9-0 when Leach has at least four assists. He's scored in all but two games this season and had 14 points against Baylor and a career-high 20 against Missouri, making 4-of-5 three-pointers. He is averaging 12.3 points in the last four games, while making 5-of-7 (.714) from three-point range. Leach has scored at least nine points in eight of the last nine games and has been A&M's top scorer off the bench in nine straight.
Captain Kirk
Freshman Dominique Kirk has scored in double figures in six games, is fourth on the team in scoring with 7.5 per game and is tied for second with 22 three-point field goals, making 34 percent. Against Alabama A&M, Kirk scored a career-high 18 points and also posted personal bests in rebounds (7) and steals (4). Kirk added 15 points in the win against Houston and scored nine against Missouri, making his final three three-pointers after an 0-4 start. Kirk's brother, Ed Kirk, was a third-team Div. II All-American at Alaska-Anchorage in 2001.
Fresh Look
A&M is the only Big 12 team to start two freshmen in every game. Dominique Kirk and Joseph Jones also are the only Aggies to start in every game. The only other season in A&M history when two freshmen started in every game was in 1998-99 with Bernard King and Jamaal Gilchrist.
Pompey Pays Off
Sophomore Marlon Pompey played sparingly last year as a freshman because of a nagging leg injury, but he still managed to make 9-of-11 (.818) shots from the field. Against North Carolina A&T in the opener, he scored a career-high 12 points with five boards while making 6-of-6 from the field. He scored six points and posted a career-high eight rebounds in the win against Houston, then followed with five points and six boards against Penn State. He scored eight points at Texas Tech, and had a seven-point, seven-rebound performance at Oklahoma. A defensive stopper, Pompey has scored at least five points in 12 games this season and has had seven games with five or more rebounds. He ranks fifth on the team in rebounds (3.4) and is third in blocks (12).
Green Machine
Junior Edjuan Green scored a career-high 17 points with nine rebounds against Prairie View A&M, and scored 14 points with a career-high 11 rebounds against Grambling for his first career double-double. He ranks sixth on the team in scoring (4.3) and is fourth in rebounding (3.7) while making 55.4 percent (31-of-56) from the field. Green had six rebounds in just eight minutes at Kansas, including four offensive boards. As a senior at Spring High School in 2002, Green ranked second in rebounding in the Greater Houston area, just behind Emeka Okafor (formerly of Connecticut) and just ahead of Lawrence Roberts (Mississippi State). Green ranked second nationally in rebounding in the JUCO ranks last season at Temple College, averaging 14.2 per game.
Stout Defense
A&M leads the Big 12 in scoring defense (60.9), ranking 21st nationally, and ranks second in field goal percentage defense (.384), ranking ninth nationally. The Aggies led the nation in field goal percentage defense before Oklahoma made a 53.2 percent on Jan. 18, the only time this season an opponent has shot better than 48 percent. The Aggies rank 11th nationally in scoring margin (+14.0), third in the Big 12. A&M is 11-0 when its opponent scores 64 points or fewer and is 14-1 when its opponent shoots under 45 percent. UTPB scored just 36 points, the fewest by an opponent since the Aggies beat Texas, 73-29, in 1958-59. UTPB also made just 20.8 percent from the field, the lowest by an opponent in A&M history. Prairie View scored just 15 second-half points, making just 4-of-26 (.154) from the field as A&M broke away from a six-point halftime lead to a 42-point win, allowing just 40 points. The Aggies matched their season-best by allowing 36 points against Louisiana-Monroe, the third lowest total in that school's history. Last season, A&M held just six opponents to under 40 percent field goal accuracy in 28 games. This year, 11 opponents have shot 40 percent or under.
Taking the Lead
A&M has trailed by more than seven points in just five games this season, falling behind by 17 at Penn State before rallying to win, 62-60, trailing by 16 at Texas Tech (70-56 loss) and at home against No. 18 Oklahoma (a 70-54 loss), falling behind by 14 at Nebraska (a 77-67 loss), and trailing by 15 against Oklahoma State. In non-conference play, the Aggies faced just two second-half deficits, briefly trailing Alabama A&M, 47-46, at the 14:04 mark, and trailing Penn State, 45-28, at the 18:11 mark. A&M has led wire-to-wire in five games. The Aggies have led at halftime in 14 games. Of 42 halves played, the Aggies have been out-scored just 14 times.
Getting Offensive
The Aggies rank second in the Big 12 and 17th nationally in field goal percentage (.491). Last year, A&M shot better than 45 percent just six times, including only one game in Big 12 play. This season, the Aggies have shot at least 44.9 percent 15 times, including six Big 12 games. A&M has scored 80 or more points in eight games, including five games with more than 90. Last season, Billy Gillispie's UTEP team scored at least 80 points in 15 of its 32 games. The Miners ranked among the national leaders in scoring offense, scoring margin, field goal percentage, three-point percentage and free throw percentage. Meanwhile, A&M ranked last in the Big 12 in field goal percentage and three-point percentage and was near the bottom in scoring offense and margin.
Board Stiff
The Aggies have out-rebounded 16 of 21 opponents this season and lead the Big 12 in rebounding margin at +7.0, ranking 14th nationally. The Aggies have had a double-figure rebounding margin in seven games, including a whopping 43-22 margin against Baylor. The only teams to out-board the Aggies have been Penn State (39-35), Texas (39-33), Oklahoma (31-25), Oklahoma State (39-30) and Nebraska (38-27). A&M bounced back to beat the Sooners on the boards, 38-31, in Norman. Kansas State out-boarded the Aggies, 20-12, in the first half, but A&M posted a dominating 24-9 margin in the second half.
Unselfish Aggies
The Aggies rank third in the Big 12 and are 11th nationally in assists with an average of 17.3 per game. For the season, 364 of the Aggies' 552 field goals (.659) have been assisted, the best rate in the Big 12 and among the best nationally. Against Missouri, A&M had 28 assists and only 11 turnovers, including an astounding 19 assists and two turnovers in a 57-point second half.
Turnovers Down
The Aggies are committing an average of 15.2 turnovers per game, second most in the Big 12. However, the Aggies have averaged just 13.2 turnovers in the last 11 games. A&M ranks fourth in the league in turnover margin (+1.52) and is fifth in assist/turnover ratio (1.14). A&M is averaging just 13.5 turnovers in Big 12 play, tied for fifth fewest in the league.
A Foul Figure
The Aggies average a whopping 22.1 personal fouls per game, most in the Big 12. The Aggies have committed at least 18 personal fouls in 18 games, including a season-high 34 in the loss at Nebraska. That number has been off-set somewhat by A&M's opponents averaging 21.1 fouls per contest, second most in the league (Texas, 21.4). Consequently, the Aggies are averaging 24.9 free throw attempts per game, the most in the Big 12. A&M is averaging 2.2 more attempts per game than its opponents.
Walking the Walk
Junior Chris Walker, a walk-on from Dallas, has played in all 21 games and started in the last 16. Walker has made 51.1 percent (24-of-47) from the field and nailed 5-of-12 three-pointers, including one to open the game at Kansas, where he finished with seven points. He leads the team in free throw percentage at 75.0 percent (33-of-44). Walker has made 16-of-18 free throws (.889) in Big 12 play, including all six in the win against Texas. He scored 12 points against UTPB and added nine points and a team-high four assists against Alabama A&M. He posted a career-high nine rebounds against Houston. Prior to this season, Walker had not played organized basketball since 2001-02, when he earned freshman All-America honors at UT-Dallas, an NCAA Div. III school. Walker transferred to A&M for academic reasons and is an academic All-America candidate. His high school coach, Darryn Shearmire, is an old friend of Billy Gillispie's and contacted the new coach about Walker during the summer.
On the Line
A&M has improved considerably from the free throw line since Big 12 play began. The Aggies made just 63.3 percent in non-conference play, but have made 69.9 percent in Big 12 games, sixth best in the league. A&M ranks 10th overall in the Big 12 in free throw shooting (.659), off-set somewhat by averaging a league-best 25.1 attempts per game.
Lone Star Roster
When he began looking for a head basketball coach last March, Texas A&M Director of Athletics Bill Byrne said he wanted someone with Texas ties to help the Aggies attract some of the state's homegrown talent. Last year, only four players on the roster were from Texas, including a pair of non-scholarship players. This season, 12 of the 17 players on Billy Gillispie's roster are products of Texas High Schools, the most in school history. Only twice in the previous 26 seasons has A&M had as many as 11 Texas players - in 1996-97 under Tony Barone, and in 1978-79 under Shelby Metcalf. Billy Gillispie is the first native Texan (Graford) to serve as A&M's head basketball coach since J.B. Reid (1929-35), not including John Thornton (San Antonio), who was interim head coach for just 12 games in 1989-90. In addition, Gillispie hired two Texas natives as assistant coaches - Alvin Brooks (Houston) and Buzz Williams (Van Alystyne). The last Texan to be an assistant at A&M was Thornton (1981-90). The last time A&M has two full-time assistant coaches from Texas was in 1981-82, when Thornton joined Barry Davis (Galveston) on Shelby Metcalf's staff. Thornton is now the senior associate athletic director at A&M.
What Positions?
Billy Gillispie has chosen not to list player positions on the roster. "Our players play so many positions that it's really not accurate to designate someone as a guard or forward anymore," Gillispie said.
On the Block
The Aggies already have posted 79 blocked shots this season after having just 35 all of last year. The Aggies had 10 blocks against Grambling, tying for third most in school history.
Steady Lineup
The Aggies used five different starting lineups in the first eight games, but have started the same group in the last 14 contests (Acie Law, Dominique Kirk, Antoine Wright, Chris Walker and Joseph Jones). A&M is the only Big 12 team to have started two true freshmen in every game (Jones and Kirk).
Record Crowds
A crowd of 13,016 attended the Oklahoma State game, breaking the A&M record of 12,811 set against Texas on Jan. 12. A&M has drawn seven of the 15 largest crowds in A&M annals in the last seven home games. A&M has attracted at least 9,000 for seven straight games, a streak matched in the Big 12 only by Kansas, Oklahoma State and Oklahoma. The crowd of 11,200 that attended the Houston game on Dec. 29 was the school's largest for a non-conference opponent. It also was a school record for a game played during the Christmas break. The North Carolina A&T game attracted an attendance of 6,929, the best for a home opener in school history. The previous best was 6,511 against North Texas in the first game played at Reed Arena in 1998-99. A&M averaged 5,338 for the 10 non-conference home games, a school record for non-conference attendance. Last year under Billy Gillispie, UTEP enjoyed the largest attendance increase in college basketball, averaging 10,282 per game.
Season Attendance
Year (s) Avg.
1. 2002-03 6,466
Closing:
2004-05 7,546 (+23.7% from 2003-04)
Conference Attendance
Year (s) Avg.
1. 2002-03 8,157
Closing:
2004-05 11,226 (+53.1% from 2004)
Young & Restless
With an average age of 19.8, A&M's starting lineup is the youngest in the Big 12 while Oklahoma State's is the oldest at 22.8, an average of three full years. A&M's overall average of 20.4 is the second youngest in the league behind Baylor's 20.2.
BIG 12 AVERAGE AGES
Team Starters Roster
Texas A&M 19.8 20.4
Texas Tech 20.0 20.4
Colorado 20.0 20.5
Kansas State 20.2 20.5
Baylor 20.6 20.2
Oklahoma 20.6 20.4
Missouri 20.8 20.4
Kansas 21.0 20.5
Nebraska 21.4 21.1
Texas 21.6 20.4
Iowa State 21.8 20.9
Oklahoma State 22.8 22.3
Source: Big 12 team media guides and websites.