March 04, 2005
The Texas A&M Aggies (18-8, 7-8 in Big 12) close their regular season schedule when they play the Baylor Bears (9-17, 1-14 in Big 12) on Saturday at 12:47 p.m. (Central) at the Ferrell Center (10,284 cap.) in Waco, Texas. The game will be televised regionally by ESPN Regional.
The Aggies have won three of their last four and are coming off a hard-fought 69-63 loss at No. 8-ranked Oklahoma State on Wednesday. A&M already has won 11 more games than last season (7-21), tying with San Diego as the most improved team in the country.
The Bears have lost 12 straight and are coming off a tough 72-66 loss at home on Wednesday to Texas Tech.
A&M is 2-6 in road games while Baylor is 8-8 at home.
The Aggies lead the series, 119-71, with a 46-42 record in games played in Waco, although the Bears have won five straight and are 9-7 against A&M at the Ferrell Center. The Aggies posted a 74-62 win against the Bears on Jan. 29 in College Station. Baylor won last year in Waco, 72-64.
GAME#27
Texas A&M AGGIES
(18-8 7-8 Big 12)
vs.
Baylor BEARS
(9-17, 1-14 Big 12)
12:47 p.m. (Central)
Saturday, March 5, 2005
Ferrell Center (10,284 cap.)
Waco, Texas
RADIO:
Texas A&M Sports Network
Dave South, play-by-play
Al Pulliam, commentary
Airtime: 12:30 p.m. (Central)
ONLINE: www.AggieAthletics.com
TELEVISION:
ESPN Regional
Bill Doleman, play-by-play
Reid Gettys, commentary
Casey Carter, producer
About Baylor
The Bears return three lettermen and one starter from last year's team that finished 8-21 overall and placed 11th in the Big 12 with a 3-13 record. Baylor is in its second year under head coach Scott Drew. The Bears' non-conference schedule was highlighted by a 73-72 win at Purdue. Their Big 12 win came against Colorado by a score of 67-59 on Jan. 19 in Waco. Baylor has four players averaging in double figures, led by freshman guard Aaron Bruce (6'3"), who is averaging 18.0 points, the most among freshmen and third overall in the Big 12. Sophomore forward Tim Bush (6'6") averages 13.1 points and 5.5 rebounds, while junior center Tommy Swanson (6'10") adds 11.9 points and a team-best 5.7 rebounds. Sophomore forward Patrick Fields (6'5") contributes 11.0 points per contest. Baylor ranks third in the Big 12 in free throw accuracy at 70.3 percent and ranks fourth in steals with an average of 7.7 per game. The Bears average 66.5 points per game while making 44.5 percent from the field and 36.4 percent from three-point range.
A&M Quick Notes
*Junior Antoine Wright was named National Player of the Week by The Sporting News on Feb. 28. Wright, one of the league's premier defenders, has averaged 25.0 points and 6.3 rebounds in the last four games.
*Head Coach Billy Gillipsie was named National Coach of the Week on Feb. 28 by ESPN analyst Dick Vitale, who also has named him Big 12 Co-Coach of the Year. Gillispie is a finalist for the Naismith National Coach of the Year award.
*A top candidate for Big 12 Freshman of the Year, 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 fifth overall.
*Sophomore Acie Law ranks second in the Big 12 in assists (5.1) and is the only Big 12 player 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 9.1 points in conference play, second among Big 12 reserves. A&M is 12-0 when Leach has four or more assists. Leach also ranks seventh nationally in three-point accuracy (.511) (min. 45 FGA).
*A&M leads the Big 12 in scoring defense (62.4) and ranks second in field goal percentage defense (.388), 14th best nationally.
*The Aggies are second in the league and 17th nationally in field goal percentage (.489). A&M is third in assists (16.7), ranking 19th nationally.
*A&M is 17-0 when any player besides Wright, Jones or Law scores in double figures.
*A&M is the only Big 12 team to start two freshmen in every game this season (Jones/Kirk).
*A&M is 13-0 when its opponents score 64 or fewer points and is 17-1 when its opponents make less than 45.8 percent from the field.
*A&M is 13-1 when its has 32 or more points in the paint.
Who's Hot?
*Junior Antoine Wright has averaged 25.0 points and 6.3 rebounds in the last four games, making 35-of-52 (.673) from the field, 16-of-26 (.615) from 3-point range and 14-of-18 (.778) from the free throw line.
*Freshman Joseph Jones has averaged 14.8 points and 7.0 rebounds in the last four games, making 21-of-31 (.677) from the field.
*Senior Bobby Leach has averaged 8.8 points and 4.3 assists in the last four games, making 5-of-11 three-pointers (.455) . Leach has made 22-of-24 (.917) free throws in the last seven games.
*Sophomore Acie Law scored a team-high 22 points with 4 assists at Oklahoma State and has averaged 17.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists in the last two games.
*Junior Chris Walker has averaged 7.7 points in the last three games and has made 16 straight free throws.
The Series
A&M leads the series, 119-71, including a 46-42 edge in games played in Waco. Baylor leads 9-7 in games played at the Ferrell Center and has won five straight, including a 72-64 victory last season. A&M posted a 74-62 victory on Jan. 29 in College Station. The teams are meeting for the 191st time, making Baylor A&M's second most common opponent behind Texas (206 games).
TEXAS A&M vs. Baylor
(A&M leads, 119-71)
LAST FIVE YEARS
Year Winner Site
2000-01 A&M, 73-69 College Station
Baylor, 85-59 Waco
2001-02 A&M, 63-60 College Station
Baylor, 97-45 Waco
2002-03 Baylor, 69-77 Waco
A&M, 79-60 College Station
2003-04 Baylor 72-64 Waco
Baylor, 67-61 (OT) College Station
2004-05 A&M, 74-62 College Station
The Coaches
TEXAS A&M
Billy Gillispie (Texas State '83)
18-8 at A&M (1st year)
48-40 overall (3rd year)
1-0 vs. Baylor
1-0 vs. Scott Drew
BAYLOR
Scott Drew (Butler '93)
17-38 at BU (2nd year)
37-49 overall (3rd year)
2-1 vs. Texas A&M
0-1 vs. Billy Gillispie
Sidebars
A&M head coach Billy Gillispie served as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Baylor under Harry Miller from 1994-97...Gillispie helped land the Bears' 1996 recruiting class, which was ranked as high as No. 6 nationally...Gillispie also served as a high school coach for many years in Central Texas (assistant at Killeen HS, 1985-87; head coach at Copperas Cove HS, 1987-88; head coach at Killeen Ellison HS, 1990-93)...he led Ellison HS to the state tournament in 1993...Gillispie's younger sister, Jerry Hoffman, was the long-time head girls' basketball coach at Robinson High School in Waco...A&M sophomore Marlon Pompey played at Houston's Heritage Christian Academy in 2001-02 under Jerome Tang, now an assistant at Baylor...Baylor's NCAA Faculty Representative, Michael Rogers, is the son of Bob Rogers, who served as A&M's head coach from 1957-63...Gillispie is 42-16 in his last two seasons as a head coach.
Tentative Starters
TEXAS A&M AGGIES (18-8, 7-8)
No. Player Ht. Cl. PPG RPG Other
30 Joseph Jones 6'9" Fr. 12.5 7.0 61% FG
10 Chris Walker 6'5" Jr. 4.4 3.0 79% FT
21 Antoine Wright 6'7" Jr. 17.7 6.3 49% FG
22 Dominique Kirk 6'3" Fr. 7.1 2.3 2.2 ast
1 Acie Law 6'3" So. 12.9 3.8 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. 4.3 3.0 58% FG
4 Edjuan Green 6'7" Jr. 3.5 3.4 51% FG
5 Kenneth White 6'1" Fr. 1.9 0.6 --
11 Luis Clemente 6'8" Jr. 1.8 1.4 --
33 Justin Loewe 6'4" So. 1.1 0.2 --
3 Brian Blackburn 5'8" So. 0.0 0.0 --
25 Matt Koeneke 6'6" So. 0.0 0.0 --
Gillispie Quoteboard
"We have been playing well, but I don't think we've gotten to the point where we can sleep walk against anybody. Baylor is a very capable team that we have a lot of respect for. They gave Texas Tech all they wanted the other night, so we know what we're up against. We expect them to play their best game and we'll have to play our best to have a chance to beat them. I know that sounds like coachspeak, but it's absolutely true. We'll have to fight them tooth and nail for everything. They are very well coached and can make shots. It's just like every other road game in the Big 12 -- you have to play great to be able to win. We know where we are. We're 7-8 in a good conference. We understand where we want to go. All year, our guys haven't been afraid to swing for the fences. Whether they come up short or hit a home run, they're going to swing hard."
Tale of the Tape
(2004-05 stat comparison)
A&M BU
Record 18-8 9-17
Conference 7-8 1-14
Ratings Pct. Index (RPI) 67 270
Sagarin Rating 32 213
Current Streak L1 L12
Field Goal Pct. .489 .445
Opponent FG Pct. .388 .485
3-Pt. Field Goal Pct. .392 .364
Opponent 3-Pt. Pct. .330 .368
3-Pt. Field Goal Avg. 6.3 7.6
3-Pt. FG Attempts Avg. 16.1 20.9
Free Throw Pct. .677 .703
Opponent FT Pct. .684 .751
Rebound Avg. 36.4 28.0
Offensive Reb. Avg. 11.4 10.5
Rebounding Margin +5.4 -4.5
Turnovers Avg. 14.6 16.0
Opp. Turnovers Avg. 15.5 16.5
Assists Avg. 16.7 13.4
Blocks Avg. 3.5 1.9
Steals Avg. 6.5 7.6
Scoring Avg. 74.2 66.5
Opponent Scoring 62.4 71.0
Scoring Margin +11.8 -4.5
Oklahoma State Recap
STILLWATER, Okla. (AP)- John Lucas III scored 27 points, Joey Graham added 16 and No. 8 Oklahoma State beat Texas A&M 69-63 on Wednesday night, its closest home win of the season. The Cowboys didn't score a field goal in the final 5 minutes, but they hit 15 straight free throws down the stretch to hold off the Aggies. The win was the Cowboys' 29th straight in Gallagher-Iba Arena and extended the nation's longest home winning streak. Graham gave the Cowboys the lead for good with a three-point play with 5:24 to play, putting Oklahoma State ahead 55-52. Lucas and Graham each hit six free throws and JamesOn Curry made both of his tries as Oklahoma State held on. The Aggies were within 59-58 after Wright's long jumper from the right wing, but that was as close as they would get. Lucas scored the next six points for Oklahoma State from the free throw line and Graham added four more. The Aggies gave Oklahoma State trouble for the second time this season. The Aggies lost 66-59 in College Station on Feb. 12. Each of Oklahoma State's other 19 wins have been by double figures. Acie Law IV scored 22 points to lead Texas A&M, which has lost 10 straight to Oklahoma State and hasn't won in Stillwater since the 1922-23 season. Antoine Wright added 18 points and Joseph Jones finished with 10. The Aggies rallied from an eight-point first-half deficit to tie the game at 35 on Law's driving layup, but Lucas hit a 3-pointer from the left corner and Curry added another from the right wing to put the Cowboys back on top. But the Cowboys couldn't shake the Aggies, who took a 52-50 lead with 8:31 left.
Last Month at Reed Arena
COLLEGE STATION (AP) - Acie Law scored 22 points, including 11 in the last 61?2 minutes, and freshman Joseph Jones added 21 as Texas A&M held off Baylor for a 74-62 win. A&M led 53-51 with 6:53 remaining before going on a 10-0 run, which began with a layup by Law and was highlighted by Jones' one-handed put-back dunk with just more than five minutes left. The shot gave A&M a 59-51 lead. Jones was a perfect 5-for-5 from the free throw line and also had 13 rebounds for his sixth double-double of the season. Law added nine points in the final 3:50 and also tallied two rebounds and a steal in that period. He finished with five steals and two 3-pointers for the Aggies. Baylor was led by Aaron Bruce who scored 27 points, including four 3-pointers. Baylor has now lost three straight and four of its last five games. A&M led by one at halftime and opened the second half with an 8-0 run to extend its lead to 44-35. The Aggies led early, outscoring the Bears 7-0 in the games' first two minutes.
Last Year in Waco
WACO (AP, Feb. 7, 2004) -- Harvey Thomas scored 20 points and blocked six shots and Matt Sayman had 20 points and five assists as Baylor beat Texas A&M, 72-64. Baylor led by as many as 15 before A&M pulled to within 60-56 on Jesse King's 3-pointer with 2:12 left. But A&M then committed a pair of turnovers and Baylor hit 12 of 16 free throws in the final two minutes. Kevin Turner led the Aggies with 14 points and Nick Anderson added 11. Baylor held A&M's leading scorer, Antoine Wright who had been averaging 14 points per game, to only five points. Baylor led 30-26 at halftime but opened the second half on a 13-4 run. The Bears built a 56-41 lead with a little over six minutes left when A&M began its late run. Baylor has beaten Texas A&M five straight in Waco. A&M outrebounded Baylor 43-22.
Big Turnaround
The Aggies are 18-8 this season after finishing 7-21 last season, perhaps the most dramatic turnaround in the country. The 11-win improvement to this point is tied for best nationally with San Diego, which is 15-12 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. A&M is 7-8 in Big 12 play after going 0-16 last year, its most wins in nine years of Big 12 play. According to research by the Big 12 Office, Only three other teams in NCAA history have won seven or more conference games after going winless the previous year -- Miami (Fla), 0-18 to 9-9 in Big East in 1994-95; Louisiana Tech, 0-18 to 9-9 in Sun Belt in 1994-95; and Southern Illinois, 0-16 to 7-9 in Missouri Valley in 1981-82. One more win would tie A&M with Iowa State (6-10 to 14-2 in 2000) for the best turnaround in conference play in Big 12 history. A&M also has defeated two nationally ranked teams (No. 9 Texas and No. 25 Texas Tech) in a season for only the third time in school history (1968-69 and 1978-79). Of A&M's six road losses, five were to teams ranked in the top 25 at some point this season. The Aggies took Kansas, Oklahoma State and Oklahoma to the final minutes on the road before losing.
NATION'S MOST IMPROVED TEAMS
(Increase in total victories through Thursday)
Team 2003-04 2004-05 +/-
Texas A&M 7-21 18-8 +11
San Diego 4-26 15-12 +11
Houston 9-18 18-11 +9
Holy Cross 13-15 22-5 +9
IMPROVED STATISTICS
STAT 2003-04 2004-05
Overall Record 7-21 18-8
Big 12 Record 0-16 7-8
RPI 246 67
Scoring Offense 71.9 74.2
Scoring Defense 76.4 62.4
Scoring Margin -4.5 +11.8
FG Percentage .415 .489
FG Pct. Defense .488 .388
3-Pt. FG Pct. .325 .392
3-Pt. FG Pct. Defense .390 .330
Rebounding Margin +4.7 +5.4
Blocked Shots 1.3 3.5
Points in the Paint 25.6 32.4
Points off Turnovers 15.3 18.4
Fast Break Points 7.8 11.8
Historic Debut
ESPN analyst Dick Vitale named Billy Gillispie his national coach of the week on Feb. 28 and has named him Big 12 Co-Coach of the Year with Texas Tech's Bob Knight. Gillispie's 18-8 record ties Shelby Metcalf (1963-64) for the most wins by a first-year coach in A&M history. 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 18-8 record is its best after 26 games since the 1979-80 team also started 19-7. 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. The Aggies have beaten two ranked teams, only the third time in history A&M's had at least two.
Basketball Jones
The top rated freshman center in the country by CBS SportsLine.com (fifth best overall) and a top candidate for Big 12 Freshman of the Year, Joseph Jones leads the Aggies in rebounding (7.0), 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 (1.23). He also ranks seventh nationally among freshmen in rebounding and is third in field goal percentage (.609), the best among freshman centers. His percentage ranks second in A&M history behind Rudy Woods, who made .622 as a freshman in 1978-79. Jones leads the Aggies in three-point plays with 13. 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. After 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, then followed with 16 points and seven boards in the victory against Texas Tech. 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 20 games. He 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 (5) 12.5 7.0
2. Darian Townes, Arkansas (12) 9.9 4.4
3. Patrick O'Bryant, Bradley (14) 9.8 7.2
*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 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 .517, second best by a guard. He ranks sixth in assists among the nation's sophomores. A&M is 6-3 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 with 11 points, his second double-double of the year. Laaw scored a team-high 22 points at Oklahoma State. He scored 18 points with a career-high 11 assists against UTPB, his first career double-double. He has scored in double figures in 17 games.
The Wright Stuff
A top candidate for first-team All-Big 12 honors, junior Antoine Wright was named National Player of the Week on Feb. 28 by The Sporting News. He scored 21 points against Iowa State, then added 29 against Texas Tech, making 7-of-8 three-pointers (.875) and tying the school record for three-point percentage in a game. Wright already has been named first-team all-district by the National Association of Basketball Coaches. Wright leads the team in scoring with a 17.7 average, ranking fifth in the Big 12. 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 11 in scoring, rebounding (11th, 6.3), field goal percentage (6th, .491), three-point percentage (3rd, .431) and three-point field goals (8th, 2.08). 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. 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 1,245 career points, ranking him 11th on the A&M chart. He needs 27 points to enter the top 10. 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 166 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 17.7
RPG 4.1 6.3
FG Pct. .368 .491
3-Pt. FG Pct. .297 .431
FT Pct. .626 .696
Dunks 5 20
Three Amigos
The trio of Antoine Wright, Acie Law and Joseph Jones have combined to average 43.1 points and 17.1 rebounds per game. That's 58.1 percent of the Aggies' scoring and 50.9 percent of the rebounding. A&M is 10-3 when all three score in double figures, with the only losses coming by a narrow margins at Kansas (65-60) and Oklahoma State (69-63) and at home to Oklahoma State (66-59).
Super Sub
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. Leach leads the Big 12 in three-point accuracy in conference play (1.0 FGM per game min.) at .548 (17-of-31). Among players who have made at least 20 three-pointers for the season, Leach ranks second in the Big 12 and seventh nationally, making 51.1 percent (24-47). He ranks fifth in the conference in assist/turnover ratio (2.10) and is fourth on the team in scoring (7.4). In Big 12 play, he's averaging 9.1 points, fourth on the team and second among Big 12 reserves. Leach is second on the team in assists (3.2) -- tops among all Big 12 reserves. Leach has handed out at least three assists in 12 of the last 20 games, including six in wins against No. 9-ranked Texas and Kansas State, and a season-high seven in the win against Texas Tech. A&M is 12-0 when Leach has at least four assists and is 7-0 when he scores in double figures (including 6-0 in Big 12 play). 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 9.9 points in the last nine games, while making 11-of-20 (.550) from three-point range. Leach has been A&M's top scorer off the bench in 14 straight games.
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 fifth on the team in scoring with 7.1 per game and is second with 28 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 58.0 percent from the field this season and has connected on 59.5 percent in Big 12 play. 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 (3.5) 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 (14.2) in the JUCO ranks last season at Temple College.
Stout Defense
A&M leads the Big 12 in scoring defense (62.4) and ranks second in field goal percentage defense (.388), 14th best 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 20th nationally in scoring margin (+11.8), third in the Big 12. A&M is 13-0 when its opponent scores 64 points or fewer and is 17-2 when its opponent shoots under 45.8 percent, with the only losses coming at Kansas and Oklahoma State. 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 eight 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 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, although they've won two of the last three contests after trailing at intermission. Of 52 halves played, the Aggies have been out-scored just 21 times.
Getting Offensive
The Aggies rank second in the Big 12 and 17th nationally in field goal percentage (.489) and is 20th nationally in three-point percentage (.392). 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 19 times, including 10 Big 12 games. A&M has scored 80 or more points in 10 games, including six games with more than 90. Last season, Billy Gillispie's UTEP 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 and three-point percentage and was near the bottom in scoring offense and margin.
Board Stiff
The Aggies have out-rebounded 19 of 26 opponents this season and rank fourth in the Big 12 in rebounding margin at +5.4. 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. A&M trailed Tech by 12 boards early in the second half but came back to out-rebounded the Red Raiders, 32-29.
Unselfish Aggies
The Aggies rank third in the Big 12 and are 19th nationally in assists with an average of 16.7 per game, despite having just two at Texas. For the season, 64.7 percent of A&M's field goals have been assisted, the best rate in the Big 12 and among the best nationally. Against Missouri, A&M had 28 assists and only 11 turnovers, including an astounding 19 assists and two turnovers in a 57-point second half.
Turnovers Down
The Aggies are committing an average of 14.6 turnovers per game, tied for third most in the Big 12. However, the Aggies have averaged just 12.8 turnovers in the last 16 games. A&M ranks fifth in the league in turnover margin (+0.88) and in assist/turnover ratio (1.14). A&M is averaging just 13.1 turnovers in Big 12 play, fifth fewest in the league.
A Foul Figure
The Aggies average a whopping 22.5 personal fouls per game, most in the Big 12. The Aggies have committed at least 18 personal fouls in 23 games, including a season-high 34 in the loss at Nebraska. That number has been off-set somewhat by A&M's opponents averaging 20.5 fouls per contest, second most in the league (Texas, 21.6). Consequently, the Aggies are averaging 24.0 free throw attempts per game, the most in the Big 12.
Walking the Walk
A nominee for the Big 12 All-Academic Team, junior Chris Walker, a walk-on from Dallas, has played in all 26 games and started in the last 21. Walker has made 44.9 percent from the field and nailed 11-of-26 three-pointers (.423), including one to open the game at Kansas. He made a pair of treys in the win against Texas Tech. Walker leads the team in free throw percentage at 78.8 percent (41-of-52). Walker has made 24-of-26 free throws (.923) in Big 12 play, including all six in the win against Texas, and has made 16 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 72.1 percent in Big 12 games, fourth best in the league. A&M ranks eighth overall in the Big 12 in free throw shooting (.677), improved somewhat by averaging a league-best 24.0 attempts per game. A&M has made 74.7 percent in the last six games (106-of-142).
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).
Random Notes
A&M is 17-0 when any player besides Wright, Jones and Law scores in double figures...the Aggies are 13-0 when any reserve scores in double figures...A&M is 11-0 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 three games, the Aggies have made 54.1 percent from the field (to .393 by the opponent), 46.1 percent from three-point range (.354 by the opponent) and 76.4 percent from the line, posting a +11.8 scoring margin...A&M posted a +10.1 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 91 blocked shots this season --10th most in school history -- after having just 35 all of last year.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 19 straight games.
Record Crowds
A crowd of 13,136 attended the Texas Tech game, the third time this season A&M broke its attendance record. The Oklahoma State game on Feb. 12 drew 13,016, breaking the previous record of 12,811 set against Texas on Jan. 12. A&M has drawn eight of the 16 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. 2004-05 7,849 (+28.7% from 2003-04)
2. 2002-03 6,466
CONFERENCE ATTENDANCE
Year (s) Avg.
2004-05 10,988 (+49.8% from 2004)
2002-03 8,157
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 22.0, an average of more than full years per player. 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 22.0 22.3
Source: Big 12 team media guides and websites.