February 25, 2005
The Texas A&M Aggies (17-7, 6-7 in Big 12) play their final regular-season home game of the season on Saturday when they play host to the No. 25-ranked (USA Today/ESPN) Texas Tech Red Raiders (17-7, 9-4 in Big 12) at 3 p.m. (Central) at Reed Arena (12,500 cap.) in College Station, Texas.
The game is sold out for the general public although limited student tickets are still available.
The game will be televised by ESPN Regional and also will be available on the ESPN Full Court package.
A&M will honor its lone senior, Bobby Leach, prior to the game.
The Aggies have won two straight and are coming off an impressive 75-59 win at home against Iowa State on Tuesday. A&M already has won 10 more games than last season (7-21), the second biggest improvement in the country this season (see page 4).
The Red Raiders are 2-2 in their last four games and are coming off a 69-65 home victory against Texas on Tuesday.
A&M has won the most home games in school history with a 15-2 mark at Reed Arena, while Tech is 4-4 in true road games.
The Red Raiders lead the series, 60-50, but A&M has a 30-20 edge in games played in College Station and a 3-3 mark at Reed Arena. Tech has won four straight against the Aggies, including a 70-56 win on Jan. 15 in Lubbock. Tech won last year in College Station, 80-78.
GAME #25
Texas A&M AGGIES
(17-7 6-7 Big 12)
vs.
#25 Texas Tech RED RAIDERS
(17-7, 9-4 Big 12)
3 p.m. (Central)
Saturday, Feb. 26, 2005
Reed Arena (12,500 cap.)
College Station, Texas
RADIO:
Texas A&M Sports Network
Dave South, play-by-play
Al Pulliam, commentary
Airtime: 2:45 p.m. (Central)/1:45 p.m. (Mountain)
ONLINE: www.AggieAthletics.com
SIRIUS SATELLITE: TBA
TELEVISION:
ESPN Regional
(ESPN Full Court Package)
Dave Armstrong, play-by-play
Reid Gettys, commentary
TICKETS:
Limited student tickets available;
General public tickets sold out
About Texas Tech
The Red Raiders return eight lettermen and three starters from last year's team that finished 23-11 overall, tied for fifth in the Big 12 at 9-7 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. Tech is in its fourth year under head coach Bob Knight. Senior guard Ronald Ross (6'2') leads a group of four Red raiders averaging in double figures with 17.0 points per game, while sophomore guard Jarrius Jackson (6'1') adds 15.3 points, freshman guard Martin Zeno (6'5") scores 13.5 and senior forward Devonne Giles (6'8") contributes 11.8 points with a team-high 6.2 rebounds. Tech leads the Big 12 in scoring with 80.7 points per game and also leads the league in assists (18.0), assist/turnover ratio (1.41) and turnover margin (+5.0). The Red Raiders also lead the Big 12 in free throw accuracy, making 77.3 percent.
Aggie Quick Notes
*Junior Antoine Wright, an All-Big 12 candidate, has been named first-team all-district by the NABC. Wright, one of the league's premier defenders, has averaged 26.5 points in the last two games.
*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 (.523). 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 9.4 points in conference play, second among Big 12 reserves. A&M is 11-0 when Leach has four or more assists. Leach also ranks fourth nationally (first in the Big 12) in three-point percentage (.524) among players who have made at least 10 three-pointers.
*A&M leads the Big 12 in scoring defense (62.1) and ranks second in field goal percentage defense (.384), 9th best nationally.
*The Aggies are second in the league and 21st nationally in field goal percentage (.486). A&M is third in assists (16.7), ranking 20th nationally.
*One more conference victory would give A&M's its most in nine years of Big 12 play. No Big 12 school has every won more league games in any conference after going winless the year before.
*A&M is 16-0 when any player besides Wright, Jones or Law scores in double figures.
*A&M has attracted seven of the 15 largest home crowds in school history since Dec. 29.
*A&M is the only Big 12 team to start two freshmen in every game this season (Jones/Kirk).
*A&M is 12-0 when its opponents score 64 or fewer points and is 16-1 when its opponents make less than 45.0 percent from the field.
*A&M is 13-1 when its has 32 or more points in the paint.
*Junior Antoine Wright has averaged 26.5 points and 7.0 rebounds in the last two games, making 17-of-27 (.630) from the field, 5-of-11 (.455) from three-point range and 14-of-15 (.933) from the free throw line.
*Freshman Joseph Jones has averaged 16.5 points and 7.5 rebounds in the last two games, making 12-of-15 (.750) from the field.
*Senior Bobby Leach has averaged 10.5 points and 4.5 assists in the last two games, making 3-of-6 three-pointers (.500) . Leach has made 18-of-20 (.900) free throws in the last five games.
*Sophomore Marlon Pompey has made 18-of-25 (.720) from the field in the last nine games.
*Freshman Dominique Kirk scored a Big 12 career-high 15 points against Iowa State. Kirk is averaging 11.5 points and 5.5 rebounds in the last two games, making 5-of-9 (.556) three-pointers and 4-of-4 free throws.
The Series
Texas Tech leads the series, 60-50, but A&M owns a 30-20 edge in games played in College Station and a 3-3 mark at Reed Arena. Tech has won four straight since a 64-59 A&M win in College Station two years ago. The Red Raiders beat A&M, 70-56, on jan. 15 in Lubbock and posted a close 80-78 win last year at Reed Arena. The last three games at Reed have been decided by five points or less.
TEXAS A&M vs. Texas Tech
(Tech leads, 60-50)
LAST 10 GAMES
Year Winner Site
2000-01 A&M, 72-70 Lubbock
A&M, 62-52 College Station
2001-02 Tech, 72-70 College Station
Tech, 74-53 Lubbock
Tech, 80-71 Kansas City
2002-03 A&M, 64-59 College Station
Tech, 70-69 Lubbock
2003-04 Tech, 80-78 College Station
Tech, 76-60 Lubbock
2004-05 Tech, 70-56 Lubbock
The Coaches
TEXAS A&M
Billy Gillispie (Texas State '83)
17-7 at A&M (1st year)
47-39 overall (3rd year)
0-3 vs. Texas Tech
0-3 vs. Bob Knight
TEXAS TECH
Bob Knight (Ohio State '62)
85-40 at Tech (4th year)
849-329 overall (40th year)
10-2 vs. Texas A&M
3-0 vs. Billy Gillispie
Sidebars
The last time A&M beat two nationally-ranked teams in one season was in 1978-79, when Shelby Metcalf's Aggies beat five top-20 teams, including Bob Knight's No. 10-ranked Indiana Hoosiers at the Great Alaska Shootout...the only other season in which A&M beat two ranked teams was in 1968-69...Knight's first three visits to Reed Arena have been thrillers with each decided by five points or less...Knight's Red Raiders posted two-point wins in 2002 (72-70) and 2004 (80-78) while the Aggies recorded a 64-59 win in 2003...Billy Gillispie is 41-15 (.732) in his last two years as a head coach and...A&M has received votes in the AP top-25 poll for six straight weeks...A&M freshman Joseph Jones and Tech sophomore Darryl Dora played on the same Houston Select AAU team in 2002...A&M junior Chris Walker and Texas Tech senior Joey Hawkins have played with and against each other since junior high as are both from Grapevine...Walker went to Grapevine HS and Hawkins attended Colleyville Heritage.
Tentative Starters
TEXAS A&M AGGIES (17-7, 6-7)
No. Player Ht. Cl. PPG RPG Other
30 Joseph Jones 6'9" Fr. 12.5 7.1 61% FG
10 Chris Walker 6'5" Jr. 4.1 2.9 78% FT
21 Antoine Wright 6'7" Jr. 17.2 6.4 47% FG
22 Dominique Kirk 6'3" Fr. 7.5 2.5 2.3 ast
1 Acie Law 6'3" So. 12.5 3.7 5.1 ast
Off the Bench
No. Player Ht. Cl. PPG RPG Other
15 Bobby Leach 6'0" Sr. 7.4 3.0 3.2 ast
42 Marlon Pompey 6'8" So. 4.4 3.2 59% FG
4 Edjuan Green 6'7" Jr. 3.7 3.4 51% FG
5 Kenneth White 6'1" Fr. 2.0 0.6 --
11 Luis Clemente 6'8" Jr. 1.8 1.5 --
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
"Texas Tech is playing as well as anyone in our league right now. They beat us soundly out in Lubbock so we know we have a tremendous challenge on our hands. They are really well-coached and they don't make many mistakes. The Iowa State game was a great win for us. They have a good team. They're quick and they're strong. The biggest key was having Joseph Jones in the game. I thought we did a great job of executing our zone offense in the second half. We played inside out. We got it in there and Joe scored. If he didn't score, he forced the double team and was able to fan it out and we made some shots. That's the way you're supposed to play against the zone. The reason we were in foul trouble is we weren't moving our feet as well as we needed to. We were reaching a little bit. Joe didn't play very well in the first half, but he came back and played extremely well in the second half. He's a competitor. All of them really played well. I thought our defense was pretty good all night long. They really competed hard, contested shots, and willed themselves to a win against a really good team."
Tale of the Tape
(2004-05 stat comparison)
A&M TT
Record 17-7 17-7
Conference 6-7 9-4
Ratings Pct. Index (RPI) 85 28
Sagarin Rating 39 20
Current Streak W2 W1
Field Goal Pct. .486 .479
Opponent FG Pct. .384 .426
3-Pt. Field Goal Pct. .384 .414
Opponent 3-Pt. Pct. .325 .371
3-Pt. Field Goal Avg. 6.0 5.0
3-Pt. FG Attempts Avg. 15.6 12.1
Free Throw Pct. .677 .773
Opponent FT Pct. .677 .670
Rebound Avg. 37.0 35.8
Offensive Reb. Avg. 11.8 11.7
Rebounding Margin +5.7 -0.0
Turnovers Avg. 14.9 12.7
Opp. Turnovers Avg. 16.1 17.8
Assists Avg. 16.7 18.0
Blocks Avg. 3.6 4.1
Steals Avg. 6.8 8.0
Scoring Avg. 74.2 80.7
Opponent Scoring 62.1 69.6
Scoring Margin +12.1 +11.0
Iowa State Recap
COLLEGE STATION (AP) -- Antoine Wright scored 21 points, Joseph Jones added 17 and Texas A&M went on a 17-0 run in the second half to end Iowa State's seven-game winning streak 75-59 on Tuesday night. Wright started the decisive spurt with a layup and Jones ended it with a putback, turning a close game into an improbable rout for the resurgent Aggies. The Cyclones went more than 13 minutes without a basket during one miserable stretch in the second half and finished the game by shooting 28 percent -- easily their worst performance of the season. Curtis Stinson led Iowa State with 15 points. Will Blalock and Jared Homan each scored 14. The Aggies had little trouble solving Iowa State's "attack" zone, opening a huge lead even though starting point guard Acie Law missed much of the game with foul trouble. A&M shot 50 percent against the Big 12's top defense, including 7-of-16 from 3-point range, and committed only 13 turnovers. Stinson scored on a layup with 15:29 left in the second half, pulling Iowa State within 34-33. Wright followed with a layup of his own, Law scored on the next possession, Jones hit two free throws and Dominique Kirk hit a 3 to give A&M a 10-point lead. Wright punctuated the run by leaping high over two defenders to rebound his own miss and called a timeout as he tumbled to the court. He finished off the possession with a thunderous one-handed dunk that gave A&M a 49-33 lead. As an indication of the Aggies' surprising dominance under the basket, Texas A&M outscored Iowa State 34-18 in the paint.
Last Month in Lubbock
LUBBOCK (AP, Jan. 15, 2005) -- Ronald Ross scored 27 points as Texas Tech beat Texas A&M 70-56. Tech never trailed and the Red Raiders were aided by a cold-shooting Aggie team. A&M made just 22 percent from the field in the first half and didn't climb into double digits until nearly 14 minutes into the game. The Aggies came into the game second in the conference in field goal percentage at 50 percent. Against Tech, they shot just 40 percent on 21-of-53 from the field for the game. They were no better when it came to 3-pointers. The Aggies hit on only 2-of-13, well below their 40 percent season average. Despite the poor shooting, the Aggies crept back in the second half and pulled within 46-41 on a pull-up jumper in the lane by Dominique Kirk with 9:52 remaining in the game. Tech countered with a 14-4 run, including six points by Darryl Dora to go up 60-45 with 5:19 to go. The Aggies got no closer. The Red Raiders' largest lead came with about 45 seconds remaining when they led 70-54. Ross made 11-of-15 from the field and grabbed eight rebounds. Martin Zeno added 18 points for Texas Tech, and Dora had a season-high 11. Antoine Wright scored 18 points and had 12 rebounds for Texas A&M, while Joseph Jones added 13 points and 11 rebounds.
Last Year at Reed Arena
COLLEGE STATION (AP, Jan. 24, 2004) -- Andre Emmett scored 23 points, including the go-ahead basket with 6 seconds to play, and No. 18 Texas Tech beat Texas A&M, 80-78. The Red Raiders led by 12 points late in the first half, but scrapped to for a 40-37 halftime lead and the Aggies stayed in it in the second half. There were seven ties in the second half, the last at 78-78 on a putback by Jesse King with 20 seconds to play. Emmett fought his way to the basket for the winning layup, despite complaints from the A&M bench that he traveled. Jarrius Jackson added 16 points and Mikey Marshall had 14 for the Red Raiders, who shot 61 percent from the field. Acie Law had 14 points for the Aggies, who shot 50 percent. The Aggies took a 49-46 lead with 16:11 left in the game on a three-point play by Antoine Wright. That was A&M's first lead since the opening minutes of the game and set the tone for a tight battle down to the finish. A&M won 64-59 in College Station in 2003, denying Bob Knight his 800th career victory.
Big Turnaround
The Aggies are 17-7 this season after finishing 7-21 last season, one of the most dramatic turnarounds in the country. A&M also is 6-7 in Big 12 play after going 0-16 last year. The 10-win improvement to this point is tied for best in the country with San Diego, which is 14-11 after finishing 4-26 last season. A&M's turnaround already is the second best in A&M history and also is third best in Big 12 annals. No Big 12 school, as a member of any conference, has ever won more league games (6) that the 2005 Aggies after going winless the year before.
NATION'S MOST IMPROVED TEAMS
(Increase in total victories through Thursday)
Team 2003-04 2004-05 +/-
San Diego 4-26 15-11 +11
Texas A&M 7-21 17-7 +10
Arizona State 10-17 18-10 +8
Houston 9-18 17-10 +8
Holy Cross 13-15 21-5 +8
Albany 5-23 13-13 +8
IMPROVED STATISTICS
STAT 2003-04 2004-05
Overall Record 7-21 17-7
Big 12 Record 0-16 6-7
RPI 246 87
Scoring Offense 71.9 74.2
Scoring Defense 76.4 62.1
Scoring Margin -4.5 +12.1
FG Percentage .415 .486
FG Pct. Defense .488 .384
3-Pt. FG Pct. .325 .384
3-Pt. FG Pct. Defense .390 .325
Rebounding Margin +4.7 +5.7
Blocked Shots 1.3 3.6
Points in the Paint 25.6 32.8
Points off Turnovers 15.3 18.6
Fast Break Points 7.8 12.0
Historic Debut
Billy Gillispie's 17-7 start is the second best by a first-year coach in A&M history. The record is 18-6 shared by A&M's first coach, F.D. Steger, in 1912-15 and Shelby Metcalf in 1963-64. Gillispie already has tied for the second 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 17-7 record is its best after 24 games since the 1993-94 team also started 17-7. 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. Billy Gillispie (2004-05) 17-7
John Floyd (1950-51) 17-12
4. 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 (12.5). 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 (1.29). He also ranks seventh nationally among freshmen in rebounding and is third in field goal percentage (.611), the best among freshman centers. Jones leads the Aggies in three-point plays with 11. 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. Aftre getting into early foul trouble and scoring just two points in the first half, Jones finished with 17 points and seven rebounds in the win against Iowa State. 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 17 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
(Rated by CBS SportsLine.com)
Rk Player, School PPG RPG
1. Joseph Jones, Texas A&M (3) 12.5 7.1
2. Darian Townes, Arkansas (10) 9.9 4.4
3. Patrick O'Bryant, Bradley (17) 9.3 7.3
4. Kirk Archibeque, N. Colo. (31) 11.7 5.8
*overall position rank in parentheses
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 (12.5). 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 .523, 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 17.2 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 (10th, 6.4), field goal percentage (7th, .472), free throw percentage (14th, .714), three-point percentage (5th, .391) and three-point field goals (10th, 1.88). 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 and followd with a 21-point effort against Iowa State. He had 24 points against Oklahoma, 23 points against Grambling and 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 1,198 career points, ranking him 16th on the A&M chart, and is on track to enter the top 10 by season's end. 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 20 dunks. Wright had 11 dunks in 56 career games entering the season. Wright's 155 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 17.2
RPG 4.1 6.4
FG Pct. .368 .472
3-Pt. FG Pct. .297 .391
FT Pct. .626 .714
Dunks 5 20
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 1,198
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 56.9 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. However, the Aggies are 16-0 when any player outside the trio scores in double figures.
Leach's Reach
Senior Bobby Leach, A&M's lone senior, is one of the Big 12's most improved players and has emerged as one of the top reserves in the league. Among all Big 12 players who have made at least 20 three-pointers, Leach has been the league's best shooter, making 52.4 percent (22-42, ranking him fourth nationally (20 FGM min.). He ranks seventh in the conference in assist/turnover ratio (2.11) and is fifth on the team in scoring (7.4). In Big 12 play, he's averaging 9.4 points, fourth on the team and second among Big 12 reserves. Leach is second on the team in assists (3.1) -- tops among Big 12 reserves -- and has made 22-of-42 (.524) from three-point range after making just 5-of-16 (.313) all of last season. Leach has handed out at least three assists in 11 of the last 18 games, including a season high of six in wins against No. 9-ranked Texas and Kansas State. A&M is 11-0 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 9-of-15 (.600) from three-point range. Leach has scored at least nine points in nine of the last 12 games and has been A&M's top scorer off the bench in 12 straight.
Captain Kirk
Freshman Dominique Kirk has scored in double figures in seven games, including a Big 12 career-high 15 against Iowa State. A&M is 7-0 when Kirk scores in double digits. Kirk is fourth on the team in scoring with 7.5 per game and is second with 27 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. He's making 58.5 percent from the field this season. 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.
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 (3.7) and is fourth in rebounding (3.4) 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 leads the Big 12 in scoring defense (62.1) 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 17th nationally in scoring margin (+12.1), fourth in the Big 12. A&M is 12-0 when its opponent scores 64 points or fewer and is 16-1 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, 13 opponents have shot 40 percent or under, including four under 30 percent, the most in school history.
Taking the Lead
A&M has trailed by more than seven points in just six games this season, including 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 the last two games, A&M has trailed by no more than two points. 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 48 halves played, the Aggies have been out-scored just 18 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 45 percent 17 times, including eight 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 24 opponents this season and rank fourth in the Big 12 and 29th nationally in rebounding margin at +5.7. The Aggies have had a double-figure rebounding margin in eight games, including a whopping 43-22 margin against Baylor. K- State out-boarded A&M, 20-12, in the first half, but A&M posted a 24-9 margin in the second half.
Unselfish Aggies
The Aggies rank third in the Big 12 and are 20th nationally in assists with an average of 16.7 per game, despite having just two at Texas. For the season, 400 of the Aggies' 618 field goals (.647) 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 14.9 turnovers per game, second most in the Big 12. However, the Aggies have averaged just 13.1 turnovers in the last 14 games. A&M ranks fifth in the league in turnover margin (+1.17) and is fifth in assist/turnover ratio (1.12). 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 22.6 personal fouls per game, most in the Big 12. The Aggies have committed at least 18 personal fouls in 21 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, 21.4). 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 24 games and started in the last 19. Walker has made 45.6 percent from the field and nailed 7-of-18 three-pointers (.389), including one to open the game at Kansas, where he finished with seven points. He leads the team in free throw percentage at 78.0 percent (39-of-50). Walker has made 22-of-24 free throws (.917) in Big 12 play, including all six in the win against Texas, and has made 14 straight. 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 72.4 percent in Big 12 games, fifth best in the league. A&M ranks seventh overall in the Big 12 in free throw shooting (.677), improved somewhat by averaging a league-best 24.6 attempts per game. A&M has made 76.4 percent in the last four games (84-of-110).
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
A&M is 16-0 when any player besides Wright, Jones and Law scores in double figures...the Aggies are 12-0 when any reserve scores in double figures...A&M is 10-0 when it has four players score in double figures...the Aggies are 13-1 when it scores at least 32 points in the paint...in the last two games, the Aggies have made 55.2 percent from the field (to .349 by the opponent), 45.5 percent from three-point range (.316 by the opponent) and 80.7 percent from the line, posting a +15.5 scoring margin...A&M has posted a +8.3 scoring margin in Big 12 home games...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 86 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 have started the same lineup in 17 straight games.
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 since Dec. 29. 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 7,538 (+23.6% from 2003-04)
Conference Attendance
Year (s) Avg.
1. 2002-03 8,157
2004-05 10,680 (+45.6% 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.