February 21, 2005
The Texas A&M Aggies (16-7, 5-7 in Big 12) hope to cool off the Big 12's hottest team when they play host to the Iowa State Cyclones (15-8, 7-5 in Big 12) on Tuesday at 8 p.m. (Central) at Reed Arena (12,500 cap.). The game will be televised in Iowa by ESPN Regional and also will be available on the ESPN Full Court package.
The Aggies are coming off an impressive 92-77 win at Colorado on Saturday, ending a 20-game Big 12 road losing streak. A&M already has won nine more games than last season (7-21), making it one of the most improved teams in the country.
After opening league play with five losses, the Cyclones have won seven straight, including a 63-61 overtime win on Saturday at No. 2-ranked Kansas.
A&M has won the most home games in school history with a 14-2 mark at Reed Arena, while Iowa State is 3-6 in true road games.
The Cyclones lead the series, 7-2, with a 3-1 edge in games played in College Station and a 2-1 record at Reed Arena.
GAME #24
Texas A&M AGGIES
(16-7 5-7 Big 12)
vs.
Iowa State CYCLONES
(15-8, 7-5 Big 12)
8 p.m. (Central)
Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2005
Reed Arena (12,500 cap.)
College Station, Texas
RADIO:
Texas A&M Sports Network
Dave South, play-by-play
Al Pulliam, commentary
Airtime: 7:45 p.m. (Central)/1:45 p.m. (Mountain)
ONLINE: www.AggieAthletics.com
SIRIUS SATELLITE: TBA
TELEVISION:
ESPN Regional
(Iowa Only/ESPN Full Court Package)
Bill Doleman, play-by-play
Reid Gettys, commentary
About Iowa State
The Cyclones return nine lettermen and three starters from last year's team that finished 20-13 overall, finished eighth in the Big 12 at 7-9 and advanced to the NIT semifinals. Iowa State is in its second year under head coach Wayne Morgan. The Cyclones opened Big 12 play with five straight losses, but have since won seven straight, including overtime wins at Texas (92-80) and at Kansas (63-61). ISU is led by sophomore guard Curtis Stinson (6'3"), who leads the team in scoring at 17.7 points per game and leads the Big 12 in steals with 2.5 per contest. Senior center Jared Homan (6'10') adds 13.1 points and a team-best 7.7 rebounds, while sophomore guard Will Blalock (6'0") adds 12.2 points and leads the team with 4.8 assists. The Cyclones lead the conference in steals with 9.3 per game and rank second in turnover margin at +4.6.
Quick Notes
*Junior Antoine Wright, an All-Big 12 candidate, has been named first-team all-district by the NABC. Wright tied his career high with 32 points at Colorado. A&M is 4-1 when Wright has a double-double. Wright 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, which ranks him third overall. A&M is 6-1 when Jones has a double-double.
*Sophomore Acie Law ranks second in the Big 12 in assists (5.1) and is sixth in field goal percentage (.521). Law is one of only two Big 12 players to average at least 10.0 points and 5.0 assists.
*Senior Bobby Leach has emerged as one of the league's top reserves and one of the most improved players, averaging 9.6 points in conference play, second among Big 12 reserves. A&M is 10-0 when Leach has four or more assists and is 6-0 when he scores in double figures.
*A&M ranks second in the Big 12 in scoring defense (62.2) and in field goal percentage defense (.388), 15th best nationally.
*The Aggies are fourth in the league and 21st nationally in field goal percentage (.486). A&M is third in assists (16.6), ranking 24th nationally.
*The Aggies have out-rebounded 17 of 23 opponents and rank fourth in the Big 12 in rebounding margin (+6.0).
*A&M is averaging just 13.1 turnovers in the last 13 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 15-1 when its opponents make less than 45.0 percent from the field.
Who's Hot?
*Junior Antoine Wright tied his career high with 32 points against Colorado. He made 9-of-13 shots from the field and 11-of-11 from the free throw line.
*Freshman Joseph Jones has averaged 14.3 points and 7.0 rebounds in the last six games, making 33-of-55 (.600) from the field.
*Senior Bobby Leach has averaged 11.3 points in the last six games, making 8-of-12 three-pointers (.667). Leach has made 14-of-15 free throws in the last four games.
*Sophomore Marlon Pompey scored 11 points against Colorado, a career-high for a Big 12 game, while making 5-of-6 from the field. He's made 16-of-22 from the field (.727) in the last eight games.
*Sophomore Acie Law is making 52.1 percent from the field and 41.8 percent from three-point range. In Big 12 play, he's made .759 from the free throw line.
The Series
Iowa State leads the series, 7-2, with a 3-1 record in games played in College Station and a 2-1 mark at Reed Arena. A&M won the last game played in College Station by a score of 66-54 in 2003. Iowa State has since won two straight, posting a 97-70 victory in the first round of the 2003 Big 12 Tournament in Dallas and a come-from-behind 91-82 win last year in Ames.
TEXAS A&M vs. Iowa State
(ISU leads, 7-2)
Year Winner Site
1996-97 Iowa State, 71-57 College Station
1997-98 Iowa State, 68-59 Ames
1998-99 Iowa State, 64-53 College Station
1999-00 Iowa State, 65-58 Ames
2000-01 Iowa State, 72-53 College Station
2001-02 A&M, 52-50 Ames
2002-03 A&M, 66-54 College Station
Iowa State, 97-70 Dallas
2003-04 Iowa State, 91-82 Ames
The Coaches
TEXAS A&M
Billy Gillispie (Texas State '83)
16-7 at A&M (1st year)
46-39 overall (3rd year)
0-0 vs. Iowa State
0-0 vs. Wayne Morgan
IOWA STATE
Wayne Morgan (St. Lawrence '73)
35-21 at ISU (2nd year)
126-105 overall (7th year)
2-1 vs. Texas A&M
0-0 vs. Billy Gillispie
Sidebars
The last time Wayne Morgan visited Reed Arena as a head coach was in 2001-02, when his Long Beach State team fell to the Aggies, 71-56...Morgan was an assistant at Iowa State two years ago when the Cyclones lost to A&M, 66-54, at Reed Arena...Billy Gillispie is 40-15 (.727) in his last two years as a head coach...A&M has received votes in the AP top-25 poll for six straight weeks...Iowa State received 51 votes in this week's poll (26th), just missing their first appearance of the season in the top 25.
Tentative Starters
TEXAS A&M AGGIES (16-7, 5-7)
No. Player Ht. Cl. PPG RPG Other
30 Joseph Jones 6'9" Fr. 12.3 7.1 1.3 blk
10 Chris Walker 6'5" Jr. 4.0 3.0 76% FT
21 Antoine Wright 6'7" Jr. 17.0 6.4 47% FG
22 Dominique Kirk 6'3" Fr. 7.2 2.3 2.3 ast
1 Acie Law 6'3" So. 12.9 3.7 5.1 ast
Off the Bench
No. Player Ht. Cl. PPG RPG Other
15 Bobby Leach 6'0" Sr. 7.4 2.9 3.1 ast
42 Marlon Pompey 6'8" So. 4.4 3.3 58% FG
4 Edjuan Green 6'7" Jr. 3.9 3.6 51% FG
5 Kenneth White 6'1" Fr. 2.1 0.6 --
11 Luis Clemente 6'8" Jr. 1.9 1.5 --
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
"I was awfully proud of our guys for the way they came out against Colorado after the way we got whipped at Texas. They are emotional guys and are very passionate about what they do. I knew they were tough enough to bounce back, but I wasn't sure how they would handle it emotionally. It's unbelievable what Iowa State has been able to do. They've done a great job maximizing their possessions offensively and defensively. It's an amazing feat they've been able to accomplish. Curtis Stinson is a very talented player who reminds me a lot of a former Southwest Conference player at Baylor, Vinnie Johnson. He knows how to play and makes everyone around him better. They do a great job of knowing where people are and are very well-schooled. Iowa State is very organized in their defensive approach. They do a great job with their hands and get a lot of loose balls. When the ball goes to the high post, they are like a bunch of piranhas going after it."
Tale of the Tape
(2004-05 stat comparison)
A&M ISU
Record 16-7 15-8
Conference 5-7 7-5
Ratings Pct. Index (RPI) 92 51
Sagarin Rating 44 46
Current Streak W1 W7
Field Goal Pct. .486 .449
Opponent FG Pct. .388 .413
3-Pt. Field Goal Pct. .382 .306
Opponent 3-Pt. Pct. .327 .304
3-Pt. Field Goal Avg. 6.0 3.8
3-Pt. FG Attempts Avg. 15.6 12.5
Free Throw Pct. .673 .674
Opponent FT Pct. .667 .685
Rebound Avg. 37.2 34.5
Offensive Reb. Avg. 12.0 11.4
Rebounding Margin +6.0 -0.8
Turnovers Avg. 15.0 12.8
Opp. Turnovers Avg. 16.1 17.4
Assists Avg. 16.6 14.1
Blocks Avg. 3.6 3.8
Steals Avg. 6.8 9.3
Scoring Avg. 74.1 68.6
Opponent Scoring 62.2 63.7
Scoring Margin +11.9 +4.8
Colorado Recap
BOULDER, Colo. (AP) -- Antoine Wright matched a career-high with 32 points and Joseph Jones added 16 points as Texas A&M won its first Big 12 Conference road game by beating Colorado 92-77 Saturday. Wright was 9-for-13 shooting and 11-of-11 from the free throw line for A&M. Wright also outplayed Richard Roby of Colorado, a high school teammate at Lawrence Academy in Groton, Mass. Roby managed 21 points. Andy Osborn had 16 points with four 3-pointers. A&M rarely missed, shooting 71 percent in the first half, and with Wright and Jones combining for 28 points, led 51-33 at the break. Wright had 11 points with three 3-pointers in an 18-0 run that put the Aggies ahead 35-13 with seven minutes left in the half. Colorado tried several defenses to slow A&M down, but it was Marcus Hall's aggressive play and eight points in a three-minute stretch that closed the gap to 38-25. But Jones answered with six points over the final 2:31 that gave the Aggies an 18-point edge. A&M extended its lead to 65-42 with a 14-2 run, including eight points from Wright, early in the second half. The lead was 82-60 when Roby, who was 1-for-4 shooting in the first half, scored 10 straight points for Colorado to make it 82-70 with 4:02 left. Roby's layup off a steal got the Buffaloes as close as 83-75 with 2:30 remaining. But A&M put the game away when Dominique Kirk buried a 3-pointer and Wright converted a layup off a back door cut on its next two possessions.
Last Year vs. Iowa State
AMES, Iowa (AP, Jan. 28, 2004) -- Will Blalock scored 20 of his 22 points in the second half as Iowa State came from behind to defeat Texas A&M, 91-82. Jared Homan and Jake Sullivan scored 20 points each and Curtis Stinson added 14 as the Cyclones ran their home-court winning steak to 11 games. A&M was led by Jesse King's 21 points. Iowa State set a Big 12 record by attempting 53 free throws. The Cyclones made 37. ISU was 28 of 42 at the line in the second half as A&M was whistled for 25 fouls. Iowa State attempted just two field goals in the last 5 1/2 minutes and kept the Aggies at bay by making 21 of 28 free throws in the last four minutes. Iowa State trailed by as many as eight points in the first half and was down 36-29 before scoring the last four points of the half to cut the deficit to three, 36-33, at halftime. Blalock scored eight points as Iowa State opened the second half with a 14-3 run and never trailed the rest of the way. A&M got 17 points from Antoine Wright and 13 by Acie Law.
Two Years Ago at Reed
COLLEGE STATION (AP, Feb. 19, 2003) -- Bernard King scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half as Texas A&M pulled away from Iowa State late for a 66-54 victory. King picked up his third foul less than a minute into the second half. The senior responded with eight unanswered points to erase a 30-29 halftime deficit. King would score six more as part of a 17-3 A&M run midway through the period. The run gave A&M a double-digit lead they never relinquished. Keith Bean posted a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Iowa State shot just 30-percent in the second half and made just 2-6 from 3-point range. Early in the first half, Iowa State's shooters could not be stopped, going on a 9-0 run and breaking away to a 22-13 lead. The Cyclones pulled away from the Aggies with four 3-pointers in the opening 10 minutes of play. Iowa State scored just eight points in the last 10 minutes of the first while forwards Antoine Wright and Keith Bean led on the offensive end to cut the lead down to 30-29 at halftime.
Big Turnaround
The Aggies are 16-7 this season after finishing 7-21 last season, one of the most dramatic turnarounds in the country this season. A&M also is 5-7 in Big 12 play after going 0-16 last year. The nine-win improvement to this point is the second best in the country behind San Diego, which is 14-11 after finishing 4-26 last season. A&M's turnaround already is the third best in A&M history and also is third best in Big 12 annals.
NATION'S MOST IMPROVED TEAMS
(Increase in total victories through Feb. 20)
Team 2003-04 2004-05 +/-
San Diego 4-26 14-11 +10
Texas A&M 7-21 16-7 +9
Arizona State 10-17 18-9 +8
Albany 5-23 13-12 +8
Illinois State 10-19 17-9 +7
IMPROVED STATISTICS
STAT 2003-04 2004-05
Overall Record 7-21 16-7
Big 12 Record 0-16 5-7
RPI 246 92
Scoring Offense 71.9 74.1
Scoring Defense 76.4 62.2
Scoring Margin -4.5 +11.9
FG Percentage .415 .486
FG Pct. Defense .488 .388
3-Pt. FG Pct. .325 .382
3-Pt. FG Pct. Defense .390 .327
Rebounding Margin +4.7 +6.0
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 16-7 start is the second best by a first-year coach in A&M history. The record is 17-6 by A&M's first coach, F.D. Steger, in 1912-15 and Shelby Metcalf in 1963-64. Gillispie already has tied for the third 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 17-6 record is its best after 23 games since the 1993-94 team also started 17-6. 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. Billy Gillispie (2004-05) 16-7
Dana X. Bible (1920-21) 16-6
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 leads the Aggies in rebounding (7.1), ranking seventh in the Big 12, and is third in scoring (12.3). 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 (1.30). 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 12.3 7.1
2. Darian Townes, Arkansas 9.9 4.4
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 (12.9). He is one of only two Big 12 players 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 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.
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 17.0 average, ranking sixth in the Big 12. Wright earned Midseason First-Team All-Big 12 honors by the Rocky Mountain News in early January. He and Oklahoma State's Joey Graham are the only players in the league to average at least 17.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists. Wright also is the only player to rank among the league's top 15 in scoring, rebounding (12th, 6.4), field goal percentage (9th, .467), free throw percentage (13th, .713), three-point percentage (5th, .387) and three-point field goals (10th, 1.87). 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 tied his career high with 32 points at Colorado, had 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 1,177 career points, ranking him 15th 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 18 dunks. Wright had 11 dunks in 56 career games entering the season. Wright's 153 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 6.4
FG Pct. .368 .467
3-Pt. FG Pct. .297 .387
FT Pct. .626 .713
Dunks 5 18
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:
15. Antoine Wright 2002-05 1,177
Three Amigos
The trio of Antoine Wright, Acie Law and Joseph Jones have combined to average 42.2 points and 17.2 rebounds per game. That's 57.0 percent of the Aggies' scoring and 50.2 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 seventh in the conference in assist/turnover ratio (2.12) and is fourth on the team in scoring (7.4). In Big 12 play, he's averaging 9.6 points, fourth on the team and second among Big 12 reserves. Leach is second on the team in assists (3.1) and has made 21-of-39 (.538) from three-point range after making just 5-of-16 (.313) all of last season. Leach has handed out at least three assists in 10 of the last 17 games, including a season high of six in wins against No. 9-ranked Texas and Kansas State. A&M is 10-0 when Leach has at least four assists. He's scored in all but two games this season and had 14 points against Baylor and Colorado, and a career-high 20 against Missouri, making 4-of-5 three-pointers. He is averaging 11.3 points in the last six games, while making 8-of-12 (.667) from three-point range. Leach has scored at least nine points in nine of the last 11 games and has been A&M's top scorer off the bench in 11 straight.
Captain Kirk
Freshman Dominique Kirk has scored in double figures in six games, is fifth on the team in scoring with 7.2 per game and is second with 24 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 scored eight points at Colorado, including a late three to thwart at CU comeback attempt and ice the victory. 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. Pompey scored a Big 12 career high of 11 points at Colorado, making 5-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 14 games this season and has had seven games with five or more rebounds. He ranks fifth on the team in rebounds (3.3) 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 eighth on the team in scoring (3.9) and is fourth in rebounding (3.6) while making 50.8 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 ranks second in the Big 12 in scoring defense (62.2), ranking 36th nationally, and ranks second in field goal percentage defense (.388), ranking 15th 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 19th nationally in scoring margin (+11.9), fourth in the Big 12. A&M is 11-0 when its opponent scores 64 points or fewer and is 15-1 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, 12 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 six games. The Aggies have led at halftime in 15 games. Of 46 halves played, the Aggies have been out-scored just 17 times.
Getting Offensive
The Aggies rank second in the Big 12 and 21st nationally in field goal percentage (.486). 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 16 times, including seven Big 12 games. A&M has scored 80 or more points in nine games, including six 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 17 of 23 opponents this season and rank fourth the Big 12 in rebounding margin at +6.0. The Aggies have had a double-figure rebounding margin in eight 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, 381 of the Aggies' 594 field goals (.641) 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 13.1 turnovers in the last 13 games. A&M ranks sixth in the league in turnover margin (+1.13) and is sixth in assist/turnover ratio (1.10). A&M is averaging just 13.4 turnovers in Big 12 play, fourth fewest in the league.
A Foul Figure
The Aggies average a whopping 22.4 personal fouls per game, most in the Big 12. The Aggies have committed at least 18 personal fouls in 20 games, including a season-high 34 in the loss at Nebraska. That number has been off-set somewhat by A&M's opponents averaging 20.9 fouls per contest, second most in the league (Texas, 21.6). Consequently, the Aggies are averaging 24.6 free throw attempts per game, the most in the Big 12.
Walking the Walk
Junior Chris Walker, a walk-on from Dallas, has played in all 23 games and started in the last 18. Walker has made 47.2 percent from the field and nailed 6-of-16 three-pointers (.375), including one to open the game at Kansas, where he finished with seven points. He leads the team in free throw percentage at 76.1 percent (35-of-46). Walker has made 18-of-20 free throws (.900) 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 72.0 percent in Big 12 games, fifth best in the league. A&M ranks seventh overall in the Big 12 in free throw shooting (.673), improved somewhat by averaging a league-best 24.6 attempts per game. A&M has made 76.2 percent in the last four games (64-of-84).
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 83 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...A&M's 92 points at Colorado were its most in any Big 12 game and were its most in a conference road game in 15 years...the Aggies used five different starting lineups in the first eight games, but have started the same group in the last 16 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. 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
2004-05 7,546 (+23.7% from 2003-04)
CONFERENCE Attendance
Year (s) Avg.
1. 2002-03 8,157
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.