February 18, 2005
Hoping to end a two-game losing skid, the Texas A&M Aggies (15-7, 4-7 in Big 12) meet the Colorado Buffaloes (13-10, 4-7 in Big 12) on Saturday at 2 p.m. (Mountain)/3 p.m. (Central) at the Coors Center (11,064 cap.) in Boulder, Colo. The game will be televised on a regional basis by ESPN Regional.
The Aggies have lost two straight for only the second time this season. 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 75-40 loss to Texas on Wednesday in Austin, their biggest loss of the year. The Buffaloes have won three of their last four games and have been idle since a 82-49 non-conference win against South Dakota State at home on Monday.
A&M is 1-5 in road games this season, including an 0-5 mark in Big 12 play. Colorado is 9-3 in at home, but just 2-3 in conference games.
GAME #23
Texas A&M AGGIES
(15-7 4-7 Big 12)
vs.
Colorado BUFFALOES
(13-10, 4-7 Big 12)
2 p.m. (Mountain)/ 3 p.m (Central)
Saturday, Feb. 19, 2005
Coors Center (11,064 cap.)
Boulder, Colo.
RADIO:
Texas A&M Sports Network
Dave South, play-by-play
Colin Killian, commentary
Airtime: 2:45 p.m. (Central)/1:45 p.m. (Mountain)
ONLINE: www.AggieAthletics.com
TELEVISION:
ESPN Regional
(Available on ESPN Full Court)
Dave Armstrong, play-by-play
Matt Doherty, commentary
Mike Helling, producer
About Colorado
The Buffaloes return eight lettermen and one starter from last year's team that finished 18-11 overall, finished fourth in the Big 12 at 10-6 and advanced to the NIT. Colorado is in its ninth year under head coach Ricardo Patton. The Buffs opened Big 12 play with four straight losses, but have since gone 5-3, including an overtime win at Iowa State (54-52), a win at Kansas State (70-60) and a home victory against Texas (88-79). Colorado is led by freshman guard Richard Roby (6'6"), who leads the team in scoring at 15.7 points per game and has made 47 three-pointers. Junior forward Chris Copeland (6'8') adds 12.9 points and a team-best 6.1 rebounds, while sophomore guard Marcus Hall (6'1") adds 11.9 points and leads the team with 4.4 assists. The Buffaloes lead the Big 12 in blocked shots with 5.9 per game.
Who's Hot?
*Junior Antoine Wright has scored in double figures in eight of the last nine games, averaging 15.4 points and 7.1 rebounds in that span. He scored a season-low four points at Texas, but had eight rebounds.
*Sophomore Acie Law has averaged 14.1 points, 3.6 rebounds and 5.1 assists in the last seven games while making 35-of-68 (.515) from the field, 10-of-23 (.435) from 3-point range and 19-of-24 (.792) from the free throw line.
*Freshman Joseph Jones has averaged 14.0 points and 6.8 rebounds in the last five games, making 26-of-47 (.553) from the field.
*Senior Bobby Leach has averaged 10.8 points in the last five games, including a career-high 20 against Missouri, making 6-of-9 three-pointers (.667).
The Series
Colorado leads the series, 9-1, with a 4-0 record in games played in Boulder, all at the Coors Center. The Buffaloes have beaten the Aggies five straight times since a 74-69 A&M victory in College Station in 2000. Colorado posted a 76-70 win last year in College Station and a 98-83 victory two years ago in Boulder. A&M and Colorado first met in the 1969 NCAA Midwest Regional in Manhattan, Kan., where the Buffaloes recorded a 97-82 win.
TEXAS A&M vs. Colorado
(CU leads, 9-1)
Year Winner Site
1968-69 Colorado, 97-82 Manhattan, Kan.
1996-97 Colorado, 77-64 Boulder
1997-98 Colorado, 68-67 College Station
1998-99 Colorado, 71-61 Boulder
1999-00 A&M, 74-69 College Station
Colorado, 79-53 Kansas City
2000-01 Colorado, 88-58 Boulder
2001-02 Colorado, 92-77 College Station
2002-03 Colorado, 98-83 Boulder
2003-04 Colorado, 76-70 College Station
The Coaches
TEXAS A&M
Billy Gillispie (Texas State '83)
15-7 at A&M (1st year)
45-39 overall (3rd year)
0-0 vs. Colorado
0-0 vs. Ricardo Patton
COLORADO
Ricardo Patton (Belmont '80)
156-124 at CU (9th year)
156-124 overall (9th year)
8-1 vs. Texas A&M
0-0 vs. Billy Gillispie
Sidebars
The top scorers from each team, A&M junior Antoine Wright and Colorado freshman Richard Roby, were teammates three years ago at Lawrence Academy (Groton, Mass.), where they captured a state championship...both players are from San Bernardino, Calif., where they also played AAU ball together, along with CU junior Antoine McGee...Billy Gillispie is 39-15 (.736) as a head coach over the last two seasons...A&M's seven-point loss to Oklahoma State was the Cowboys' smallest margin of victory this season...Gillispie coached his last game as head coach at UTEP in Denver, dropping an 86-83 decision to Maryland in the first round of the 2004 NCAA Tournament before accepting the A&M job the following week...the A&M-CU game has big implications for seeing for the Big 12 Tournament as A&M, Colorado, Nebraska and Missouri each have 4-7 league records.
Tale of the Tape
(2004-05 stat comparison)
A&M CU
Record 15-7 13-10
Conference 4-7 4-7
Ratings Pct. Index (RPI) 106 52
Sagarin Rating 52 84
Current Streak L2 W1
Field Goal Pct. .481 .436
Opponent FG Pct. .387 .428
3-Pt. Field Goal Pct. .377 .359
Opponent 3-Pt. Pct. .326 .309
3-Pt. Field Goal Avg. 5.9 7.3
3-Pt. FG Attempts Avg. 15.6 20.2
Free Throw Pct. .663 .634
Opponent FT Pct. .661 .726
Rebound Avg. 37.2 36.9
Offensive Reb. Avg. 12.2 12.5
Rebounding Margin +5.7 -0.9
Turnovers Avg. 15.0 14.7
Opp. Turnovers Avg. 16.4 13.9
Assists Avg. 16.6 13.9
Blocks Avg. 3.6 5.9
Steals Avg. 7.0 7.0
Scoring Avg. 73.3 71.3
Opponent Scoring 61.5 72.8
Scoring Margin +11.8 -1.5
Tentative Starters
TEXAS A&M AGGIES (15-7, 4-7)
No. Player Ht. Cl. PPG RPG Other
30 Joseph Jones 6'9" Fr. 12.1 7.0 1.4 blk
10 Chris Walker 6'5" Jr. 4.0 2.9 75% FT
21 Antoine Wright 6'7" Jr. 16.4 6.4 46% FG
22 Dominique Kirk 6'3" Fr. 7.2 2.2 2.3 ast
1 Acie Law 6'3" So. 13.3 3.9 5.1 ast
Off the Bench
No. Player Ht. Cl. PPG RPG Other
15 Bobby Leach 6'0" Sr. 7.1 2.7 3.1 ast
4 Edjuan Green 6'7" Jr. 4.1 3.7 53% FG
42 Marlon Pompey 6'8" So. 4.1 3.4 55% FG
11 Luis Clemente 6'8" Jr. 1.9 1.5 --
5 Kenneth White 6'1" Fr. 1.9 0.7 --
33 Justin Loewe 6'4" So. 1.3 0.3 --
3 Brian Blackburn 5'8" So. 0.0 0.0 --
25 Matt Koeneke 6'6" So. 0.0 0.0 --
Gillispie Quoteboard
"Texas played really well and dominated the game in every way you can, on offense and defense. They finished all their plays. They were just tougher than us. We shot 13-of-50 and you aren't going to do very well when you shoot 13-50. We lacked zip on our passes, energy on our cuts and didn't finish anything. I think we missed five wide-open layups in the first half. Colorado has an outstanding team and, like everyone else in the Big 12, they are tough to beat, especially at home. Roby is one of the best freshmen in the Big 12. They are really solid on both ends of the court and can really shoot the three-pointer. We know we'll have to play much better better offensively that we have the last couple of games."
Texas Recap
AUSTIN (AP) -- Brad Buckman had 18 points and 13 rebounds and Texas used a smothering defense to overwhelm rival Texas A&M in a 75-40 rout Wednesday night. The Longhorns, who had fallen out of the Top 25 this week for the first time in three seasons, avenged a loss to the Aggies a month ago when Texas was ranked No. 9. Acie Law scored nine to lead A&M, which shot just 26 percent. Texas hit five of its first six shots, suffocated the Aggies with tight man-to-man defense and took control when Sydmill Harris hit the first of his two 3-pointers of the half four minutes in. Trailing 16-12 with 8:45 left, the Aggies scored just four points the rest of the half while the Longhorns hassled A&M shooters on the perimeter and muscled them under the basket after freshman forward Joseph Jones went to the bench with two early fouls. Kenny Taylor had 12 points in the half and Buckman closed it when he stole the ball at midcourt, split two defenders on the fast break for a reverse layup and converted the 3-point play when he was fouled. Texas led 37-16 at the break. The Aggies, who led the Big 12 in fewest points allowed at 61 points per game, didn't have the offense to catch up. Law, who scored 24 against Texas a month ago, was just 2-of-9 shooting. Texas just kept stretching the lead, opening the second with a 9-3 run when Harris and Gibson hit 3-pointers to make it 48-19. Jones, the Aggies' best interior threat and only real hope to match Buckman, fouled out midway through the second half.
Last Year vs. Colorado
COLLEGE STATION (AP, Feb. 28, 2004) -- Blair Wilson scored 15 of his 19 points in the second half, including three straight 3-pointers that put Colorado ahead for good, as the Buffaloes beat Texas A&M 76-70. David Harrison had 21 points and eight rebounds to lead Colorado. Michel Morandais scored 12 points with nine assists. Kevin Turner led A&M with 21 points. The Aggies led 42-36 at halftime on 50 percent shooting. But A&M was held to just 29 percent in the second half (7-of-24). Colorado used a 9-2 run early in the second half to cut the A&M lead to two points. A layup by Lamar Harris tied the game at 49-49. Harris scored six points in a row during the stretch and finished with nine points and nine rebounds. Three of A&M's seven field goals in the second half came in the final minute after Colorado already had built a double-digit lead. With the game tied at 51, Wilson hit the 3-pointers, separated only by a pair of free throws by Harrison as Colorado jumped out to a 62-55 lead. Three of A&M's seven field goals in the second half came in the final minute after Colorado had already built a double-digit lead. Wilson hit 6-of-6 at the free-throw line in the final 1:05.
Two Years Ago in Boulder
BOULDER, Colo. (AP, Feb. 15, 2003) -- Michel Morandais scored 24 points and Stephane Pelle added 21 points and 12 rebounds as Colorado beat Texas A&M 98-83. Colorado had five players in double figures, including David Harrison, who had 15 points and 11 rebounds for his sixth double-double of the season. Antoine Wright and Bernard King each scored 21 points for A&M. King went 5-for-6 from the free-throw line. Colorado led 42-37 at halftime and open the second half with a 21-7 run, culminating in a 3-pointer by Blair Wilson to make it 63-44 with 12:56 to play. The Aggies pulled to within 14 points with 2:15 left after a 3-pointer by Dylan Leal. Wright scored the final six points for the Aggies. A&M led 12-4 early in the game but Colorado responded with four unanswered baskets and never trailed again. Colorado was 7-of-11 on 3-pointers and shot 61 percent from the floor. A&M shot only 38 percent from the floor and hit 12 of 29 3-pointers.
Big Turnaround
The Aggies are 15-7 this season after finishing 7-21 last season, one of the most dramatic turnarounds in the country this season. A&M also is 4-7 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 13-11 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. 17)
Team 2003-04 2004-05 +/-
San Diego 4-26 13-11 +9
Texas A&M 7-21 15-7 +8
Arizona State 10-17 17-9 +7
Albany 5-23 12-12 +7
Illinois State 10-19 16-9 +6
The Citadel 6-22 12-11 +6
IMPROVED STATISTICS
STAT 2003-04 2004-05
Overall Record 7-21 15-7
Big 12 Record 0-16 4-7
RPI 246 106
Scoring Offense 71.9 73.3
Scoring Defense 76.4 61.5
Scoring Margin -4.5 +11.8
FG Percentage .415 .481
FG Pct. Defense .488 .387
3-Pt. FG Pct. .325 .377
3-Pt. FG Pct. Defense .390 .326
Rebounding Margin +4.7 +5.7
Blocked Shots 1.3 3.6
Points in the Paint 25.6 32.7
Points off Turnovers 15.3 19.1
Fast Break Points 7.8 12.1
Historic Start
Billy Gillispie's 15-7 start is the second best by a first-year coach in A&M history. The record is 16-6 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 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) 15-7
Basketball Jones
The top rated freshman center in the country by CBS SportsLine.com -- the third best overall -- 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 (7.0), ranking seventh in the Big 12, and is third in scoring (12.1). 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 (1.36). 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 eight freshmen in the country to average at least 10.0 points and 7.0 rebounds.
NATION'S BEST FRESHMEN CENTERS
(CBS SportsLine.com)
Rk Player, School PPG RPG
1. Joseph Jones, Texas A&M 12.1 7.0
2. Darian Townes, Arkansas 10.0 4.5
3. Patrick O'Bryant, Bradley 8.8 7.2
4. Kirk Archibeque, N. Colo. 11.5 5.8
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 5.1 per game and is second on the team in scoring (13.3). He is the only Big 12 player to average at least 10.0 points and 5.0 assists. Law also ranks sixth in the Big 12 in field goal percentage at .521, 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 6-2 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 seven games, Law has averaged 14.1 points and 5.1 assists while making .515 from the field, .435 of his three-pointers and .792 from the line.
The Wright Stuff
A top candidate for first-team All-Big 12 honors, junior Antoine Wright already has been named first-team all-district by the National Association of Basketball Coaches. Wright leads the team in scoring with a 16.4 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 16.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists. 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, 6.4), field goal percentage (11th, .457), three-point percentage (5th, .385) and three-point field goals (10th, 1.82). 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 1,145 career points, ranking him 18th 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 16.4
RPG 4.1 6.4
FG Pct. .368 .457
3-Pt. FG Pct. .297 .385
FT Pct. .626 .680
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:
18. Antoine Wright 2002-05 1,145
Three Amigos
The trio of Antoine Wright, Acie Law and Joseph Jones have combined to average 41.8 points and 17.3 rebounds per game. That's 57.0 percent of the Aggies' scoring and 50.6 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
Senior 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 (2.09) and is fifth on the team in scoring (7.1). In Big 12 play, he's averaging 9.2 points, fourth on the team and tied for second among Big 12 reserves. Leach is second on the team in assists (3.1) and has made 19-of-36 (.528) 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 16 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 10.8 points in the last five games, while making 6-of-9 (.667) from three-point range. Leach has scored at least nine points in eight of the last 10 games and has been A&M's top scorer off the bench in 10 straight.
Captain Kirk
Freshman Dominique Kirk has scored in double figures in six games, is fourth on the team in scoring with 7.2 per game and is third with 22 three-point field goals. 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 13 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 (4.1) and is fourth in rebounding (3.7) while making 52.5 percent 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 (61.5), ranking 29th nationally, and ranks second in field goal percentage defense (.387), ranking 13th 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 23rd nationally in scoring margin (+11.8), fifth 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 six games this season, falling behind by 17 at Penn State before rallying to win, 62-60. The only game A&M has trailed more in was the 75-40 loss at Texas. 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 44 halves played, the Aggies have been out-scored just 16 times.
Getting Offensive
The Aggies rank fourth in the Big 12 and 24th nationally in field goal percentage (.481). 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 22 opponents this season and rank fourth the Big 12 in rebounding margin at +5.7. The Aggies have had a double-figure rebounding margin in seven games, including a whopping 43-22 margin against Baylor. 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 fourth in the Big 12 and are 24th nationally in assists with an average of 16.6 per game, despite having just two at Texas. For the season, 366 of the Aggies' 565 field goals (.648) have been assisted, the second 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 15.0 turnovers per game, second most in the Big 12. However, the Aggies have averaged just 12.9 turnovers in the last 12 games. A&M ranks fifth in the league in turnover margin (+1.41) and is seventh in assist/turnover ratio (1.11). A&M is averaging just 13.2 turnovers in Big 12 play, fourth fewest in the league.
A Foul Figure
The Aggies average a whopping 22.3 personal fouls per game, most in the Big 12. The Aggies have committed at least 18 personal fouls in 19 games, including a season-high 34 in the loss at Nebraska. That number has been off-set somewhat by A&M's opponents averaging 20.8 fouls per contest, second most in the league (Texas, 21.6). Consequently, the Aggies are averaging 24.3 free throw attempts per game, tied with Texas for the most in the Big 12.
Walking the Walk
Junior Chris Walker, a walk-on from Dallas, has played in all 22 games and started in the last 17. Walker has made 49.0 percent from the field and nailed 6-of-15 three-pointers (.400), 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 70.4 percent in Big 12 games, fifth best in the league. A&M ranks 11th overall in the Big 12 in free throw shooting (.663), off-set somewhat by averaging a league-best 24.3 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 had two full-time assistant coaches from Texas was in 1981-82, when Thornton joined Barry Davis (Galveston) on Shelby Metcalf's staff.
Random Notes
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...the Aggies already have posted 80 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...the Aggies used five different starting lineups in the first eight games, but have started the same group in the last 15 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.