March 08, 2005
Winners of four of their last five games, the No. 7-seeded Texas A&M Aggies (19-8, 8-8 in Big 12) play the No. 10-seeded Kansas State Wildcats (16-11, 6-10 in Big 12) in the first round of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Tournament on Thursday at 6 p.m. (Central) at Kemper Arena (18,278 cap.) in Kansas City, Mo.
The game will be televised regionally by ESPN Regional and nationally by ESPNU.
The winner will play No. 2-seeded Kansas in the quarterfinals on Friday at 6 p.m. A&M is going for its first Big 12 Tournament victory after losing the opening game eight straight years.
The Aggies defeated the Wildcats, 65-51, on Jan. 22 in College Station, and lost their conference opener at Kansas, 65-60, on Jan. 5. Kansas State leads the series, 10-4, and is 1-0 against A&M in Big 12 Tournament play, posting an 87-76 victory in Kansas City in 1999. Kansas leads the series with A&M, 10-0, and has not played the Aggies in the Big 12 Tournament.
A&M's last postseason win came in the semifinals of the 1994 Southwest Conference Classic, when the Aggies defeated Texas Tech, 89-85. A&M has lost 11 straight postseason games starting with the 1994 SWC title game, an 87-62 loss to Texas, followed by two first-round losses in the SWC Classic in 1995 and 1996.
The Aggies have not played on a neutral court this season and are 3-6 in road games. A&M lost to Missouri in last year's opening round in Dallas, 74-68.
2005 PHILLIPS 66 BIG 12 TOURNAMENT
Texas A&M AGGIES
19-8 Overall
8-8 Big 12 (7th)
Kemper Arena (18,278 cap.)
Kansas City, Mo.
Thursday, March 10
Game 1: Missouri (#8) vs. Nebraska (#9), 11:30 a.m.
Game 2: Iowa State (#5) vs. Baylor (#12), 2 p.m.
Game 3: Texas A&M (#7) vs. Kan. St. (#10), 6 p.m.
Game 4: Texas (#6) vs. Colorado (#11), 8:20 p.m.
Friday, March 11
Game 5: Game 1 winner vs. Okla. (#1), 11:30 a.m.
Game 6: Game 2 winner vs. Texas Tech (#4), 2 p.m.
Game 7: Game 3 winner vs. Kansas (#2), 6 p.m.
Game 8: Game 4 winner vs. Okla. St. (#3), 8:20 p.m.
Saturday, March 12
Game 9: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 1 p.m.
Game 10: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 3:20 p.m.
Sunday, March 13
Game 11: Championship Game, 2 p.m.
RADIO:
Texas A&M Sports Network
Dave South, play-by-play
Al Pulliam, commentary
Airtime: 20 min. prior to tipoff
ONLINE: www.AggieAthletics.com
TELEVISION
Games 1-8 ESPN Regiona/ESPNU
Games 9-10 ESPN Regional or ESPN2
Game 11 ESPN
(check local listings)
Aggie Quick Notes
*Junior Antoine Wright has been named first-team All-Big 12 by the Associated Press, A&M's first first-team selection in Big 12 history.
*Head Coach Billy Gillipsie has been named Big 12 Coach of the Year by The Associated Press and the league's coaches. Gillispie is a finalist for the Naismith National Coach of the Year award.
*Freshman Joseph Jones is the top-ranked freshman center in the country by CBS SportsLine.com, which ranks him sixth overall. Jones has been named honorable mention All-Big 12 and honorable mention Freshman All-America.
*Sophomore Acie Law has been named honorable mention All-Big 12 and ranks second in the Big 12 in assists (5.1). He is the only Big 12 player to average at least 13.0 points and 5.0 assists.
*Senior Bobby Leach has been named to the Big 12 All-Reserve Team. A&M is 12-0 when Leach has four or more assists.
*A&M ranks second the Big 12 in scoring defense (62.9), the best by the Aggies since 1980-81.
*A&M ranks second the Big 12 in field goal percentage defense (.391), the best in school history.
*The Aggies are second in the league and 14th nationally in field goal percentage (.494).
*A&M ranks second in the Big 12 and 11th nationally in three-point percentage (.400), the best in school history.
*A&M is third in the Big 12 in assists (16.6), ranking 18th nationally.
*A&M is 18-0 when any player besides Wright, Jones or Law scores in double figures.
*A&M is only the second Big 12 team to start two freshmen every game, joining the 1999-00 Aggies.
*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 23.2 points in the last five games, making 40-of-61 (.656) from the field and 20-of-32 (.625) from 3-point range.
*Freshman Joseph Jones has averaged 14.2 points and 6.8 rebounds in the last five games, making 24-of-37 (.649) from the field.
*Senior Bobby Leach has averaged 12.0 points and 4.0 assists in the last five games, making 8-of-15 three-pointers (.433) . Leach has made 32-of-34 (.941) free throws in the last eight games and scored a career-high 25 points at Baylor.
*Sophomore Acie Law scored a team-high 22 points at Oklahoma State and has averaged 15.7 points and 5.7 assists in the last three games while making 52.8 percent from the field.
*Junior Chris Walker has averaged 8.3 points in the last three games and has made 19 of his last 20 free throws (.950).
A&M's Tourney History
In the old SWC, A&M won tournament titles in 1980 and 1987 and was runner-up in 1976, 1986 and 1994. A&M had an all-time record of 16-19 at the SWC Classic, but is 0-8 in the Big 12 Tournament, making the Aggies 16-27 overall in conference postseason tournaments. The 1987 Aggies won the SWC Classic as the No. 8 seed in the eight-team event to advance to the NCAA Tournament, A&M's last appearance. A&M has been seeded higher than 10th at the Big 12 tournament just once before as they entered the 2003 event as the No. 8 seed but lost to Iowa State, 97-70. That was the only other time A&M has been the higher seeded team.
TEXAS A&M at Big 12 Tourney
(0-8 record)
Year Result Site
2004 #5 Missouri 74, #12 A& 68 Dallas
2003 #9 Iowa State 97, #8 A&M 70 Dallas
2002 #5 Texas Tech 80, #12 A&M 71 KC
2001 #6 Missouri 77, #11 A&M 62 KC
2000 #7 Colorado 79, #10 A&M 53 KC
1999 #7 Kansas St. 87, #10 A&M 76 KC
1998 #5 Baylor 66, #12 A&M 63 KC
1997 #6 Oklahoma 67, #11 A&M 58 KC
A&M vs. The Field
vs. Baylor
Overall: A&M leads, 120-71
Neutral: A&M leads, 3-2
vs. Colorado
Overall: Colorado leads, 9-2
Neutral: Colorado leads, 2-0
vs. Iowa State
Overall: Iowa State leads, 7-3
Neutral: Iowa State leads, 1-0
vs. Kansas
Overall: Kansas leads, 10-0
Neutral: Kansas leads, 1-0
vs. Kansas State
Overall: Kansas State leads, 10-4
Neutral: Kansas State leads, 3-0
vs. Missouri
Overall: Missouri leads, 11-3
Neutral: Missouri leads, 3-0
vs. Nebraska
Overall: Nebraska leads, 10-3
Neutral: Nebraska leads, 1-0
vs. Oklahoma
Overall: Oklahoma leads, 22-1
Neutral: Oklahoma leads, 3-0
vs. Oklahoma State
Overall: Okla. St. leads, 25-8
Neutral: Okla. St. leads, 4-2
vs. Texas
Overall: Texas leads, 126-80
Neutral: Tied, 4-4
vs. Texas Tech
Overall: Tech leads, 60-51
Neutral: Tied, 5-5
Tentative Starters
TEXAS A&M AGGIES (19-8, 8-8)
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. 4.6 2.9 79% FT
21 Antoine Wright 6'7" Jr. 17.6 6.2 49% FG
22 Dominique Kirk 6'3" Fr. 6.9 2.3 2.3 ast
1 Acie Law 6'3" So. 13.0 3.7 5.1 ast
Off the Bench
No. Player Ht. Cl. PPG RPG Other
15 Bobby Leach 6'0" Sr. 8.0 3.1 3.2 ast
42 Marlon Pompey 6'8" So. 4.3 3.0 59% FG
4 Edjuan Green 6'7" Jr. 3.4 3.2 51% FG
5 Kenneth White 6'1" Fr. 1.8 0.5 --
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 --
Sidebars
A&M head coach Billy Gillispie has previous experience in the Big 12 Tournament as an assistant coach at Baylor under Harry Miller...The No. 9-seeded Bears fell to No. 8 seed Oklahoma State, 80-66, in the opening game of the first tournament in 1997...Gillispie is 43-16 in his last two seasons as a head coach...Gillispie served as an assistant coach under Kansas' Bill Self when Self as at Tulsa (1997-00) and Illinois (2000-02)...A&M assistant coach Alvin Brooks was an assistant at Texas Tech under James Dickey (now an assistant at Oklahoma State) for the 2000 and 2001 tournaments in Kansas City...director of basketball operations Chris Salinas served as a graduate assistant last year at Kansas State under Jim Wooldridge...video coordinator Albert Johnson coached Athletes First from 2000-02, an Oklahoma AAU team that included Kansas State's Clent Stewart, Oklahoma's David Godbold, Colorado's Keith Smith and Kansas' J.R. Giddens, Jeremy Case and Darnell Jackson...A&M's Joseph Jones and Texas Tech's Darryl Dora are former AAU teammates...A&M's Antoine Wright and Colorado's Richard Roby have been close friends since junior high in San Bernardino, Calif., and played together on a state championship team at Lawrence Academy in Groton, Mass.
Head Coach
Billy Gillispie (Texas State '83)
19-8 at A&M (1st year)
49-40 overall (3rd year)
Gillispie Quoteboard
How excited are your players about going to Kansas City?
"Every player everywhere is excited. This is what you play for. We're excited about going up to Kansas City and playing in one of the top two conference tournaments in the country. Everybody is excited right now. It is like spring training for baseball. Everybody thinks they're going to win it. That's why March Madness is what it is. It'll be an extremely fun deal."
Have you talked with your team about how A&M has not won a Big 12 Tournament game?
"No. This team hasn't lost any games in the Big 12 Tournament. This team didn't lose 20 in a row on the road, this team didn't lose 17 in a row last year. This team is 0-0 in conference tournament play and we don't worry about those kinds of things. I think what they've been able to do this year is to focus on practice and take one day at a time. If we play a game that day, it's what they concentrate on. Win, lose, or draw, we try to get better the next day."
Is there an area your team has not improved?
"I think we've improved in almost every area. I know our transition defense is really great, our transition offense has slowed down a little bit probably, but it has had flashes where it was fantastic. The teams in this league don't give you any opportunities like that. Our half-court defense has greatly improved and in our half-court offense we've really been playing well. They've always played very, very hard and very well together. I think we weren't any good when we started, so I think it's a lot easier to improve."
Do you feel like there are other teams that offer you better match-ups than Kansas State?
"There's no good match-up for us. That's the way it is in conference.I don't even know who's in our bracket. I know Kansas State is in our bracket, and that's it. If we get to thinking anything otherwise, then we're in trouble. They've played as well as anyone over the past five or six games. It's going to be a road game for us. They'll definitely have the home court advantage. If you're lucky enough to survive and advance, then you worry about the next one."
Do you now see your freshmen as battle-tested?
"I've never had the luxury to treat those guys like they were freshmen. I was thinking the other day that I've coached Joseph and Dominique and all those guys like they were seniors because we didn't have much of a margin for error and no time for them to be freshmen. That's unfortunate for those guys, but I do think that will help them get better more quickly. We've gone after them just like they were seniors because of the way our roster is."
How is it being named as Big 12 Coach of the Year by your peers?
"It's a nice award. It's very nice to be recognized by your peers, but it's a team award and we'll have some more individual awards for the players as we go. Those guys are very deserving, but I think all of us really bought into it and when good things happen it's because we've gone through the right process and everyone has contributed. That's definitely the case with this situation."
More on Gillispie
After engineering one of the most dramatic turnarounds in college basketball history, Texas A&M's Billy Gillispie has been named Big 12 Coach of the Year by The Associated Press and the league's head coaches. In his first year at A&M, Gillispie inherited a team that finished 7-21 overall and 0-16 in Big 12 play last season and had lost six seniors. The Aggies are 19-8 this year going into the Phillips 66 Big 12 Tournament and finished 8-8 in Big 12 play, only the third team in college basketball annals to finish .500 in league play after going winless the previous season. The last A&M coach to earn conference coach of the year honors was Tony Barone, who earned Southwest Conference honors in 1994.Gillispie also is a finalist for Naismith National Coach of the Year honors. So far this season, A&M's 12-win improvement from last season ties San Diego as the best for the best turnaround in the country this year. Last season at Texas-El Paso, Gillispie had an 18-win improvement, tying for the best turnaround in college basketball history. He's likely the only coach in NCAA history to perform such incredible turnarounds in back-to-back seasons. Other highlights for Gillispie:
*Named National Coach of the Week on Feb. 28 by ESPN's analyst Dick Vitale
*Aggies are 19-8 overall, their first winning season in 11 years and only their second in the last 16 seasons, despite a starting lineup that ranks as the youngest in the Big 12
*Aggies were 8-8 in Big 12 play, their most conference wins in nine years of Big 12 play.
*A&M ranked at the bottom of most major offensive and defensive stats last year, but rank among the league leaders this season
*19 wins are the most by a first-year A&M coach
*A&M started season 11-0, its best since 1919-20
*11-game winning streak was third longest in A&M history and the longest since 1919-21
*Defeated No. 9-ranked Texas, 74-63, A&M's first win against a top-10 ranked team since 1982
*Defeated No. 25-ranked Texas Tech, 85-63, only the third time in A&M history that the Aggies have beaten at least two nationally ranked teams
*Posted six wins against RPI top 100 teams
Big Turnaround
The Aggies are 19-8 this season after finishing 7-21 last season, perhaps the most dramatic turnaround in the country. The 12-win improvement to this point is tied for the best nationally with San Diego, which is 16-13 after finishing 4-26 last season. A&M's turnaround tied for the best in A&M history. A&M finished 8-8 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 two other teams in NCAA history have finished .500 in any conference after going winless the previous year -- Miami (Fla), 0-18 to 9-9 in Big East in 1994-95 and Louisiana Tech, 0-18 to 9-9 in Sun Belt in 1994-95. A&M's eight-game league turnaround matches the Big 12 record set by Iowa State in 2000 (6-10 to 14-2). 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 (twice in 1968-69 and five in 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 minute on the road before losing.
NATION'S MOST IMPROVED TEAMS
(Increase in total victories through Monday)
Team 2003-04 2004-05 +/-
Texas A&M 7-21 19-8 +12
San Diego 4-26 16-13 +12
Holy Cross 13-15 24-5 +11
Winthrop 16-12 27-5 +11
Old Dominion 17-12 28-5 +11
IMPROVED STATISTICS
STAT 2003-04 2004-05
Overall Record 7-21 19-8
Big 12 Record 0-16 8-8
RPI 246 66
Scoring Offense 71.9 74.5
Scoring Defense 76.4 62.9
Scoring Margin -4.5 +11.6
FG Percentage .415 .494
FG Pct. Defense .488 .391
3-Pt. FG Pct. .325 .400
3-Pt. FG Pct. Defense .390 .334
Rebounding Margin +4.7 +5.3
Blocked Shots 1.3 3.5
Points in the Paint 25.6 31.5
Points off Turnovers 15.3 17.9
Fast Break Points 7.8 11.0
Historic Debut
Billy Gillispie's 19 wins are the most by a first-year coach in A&M history, breaking the record of 18 set 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 19-8 record is its best after 27 games since the 1979-80 team was 20-7 en route to a school-record 26-8 mark. 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 for only the third time in school history.
Making a Run
The Aggies have won four of their last five games and have put up some gaudy statistics in that span. In those five games, A&M has made 55.7 percent from the field (to 40.9 percent by the opponents), 48.9 percent from three-point range, 75.2 percent from the free throw line and out-scored the opposition by an average of 11.0 points per game. In games that they've won, A&M has been dominant all season, posting an average scoring margin of +21.6 in the 19 wins. Only three of A&M's wins have been decided in single digits, including just one in Big 12 play (84-76 to Baylor in the finale).
All-Big 12 Trio
Three Aggies earned all-conference accolades this season (Antoine Wright, Joseph Jones and Acie Law), tying A&M with Kansas, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State for the most selections. The last time A&M had three players earn all-conference status was in 1980. Wright earned first-team All-Big 12 honors by The Associated Press, making him A&M's first first-team pick in the nine-year history of the league.
Basketball Jones
The top rated freshman center in the country by CBS SportsLine.com (sixth best overall), Joseph Jones has been named honorable mention All-Big 12 by the league's coaches and also was named honorable mention Freshman All-America by Rivals.com. In addition, Jones was named to the Big 12 All-Freshman Team. He 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 (1.26). Jones's 34 blocks are the most by an A&M player since Calvin Davis had 38 in 1996-97. He also ranks seventh nationally among freshmen in rebounding and is third in field goal percentage (.606), 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, and is third best by a freshman in Big 12 history. It also ranks 23rd nationally among all players who have made at least 100 field goals. 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 in Coillege Station, 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. Jones has made 91-of-146 free throws, setting an A&M freshman record for attempts (128 by Todd Holloway in 1983-84) and one shy of Holloway's freshman mark for free throws made (92).
NATION'S BEST FRESHMEN CENTERS
(Rated by CBS SportsLine.com)
Rk Player, School PPG RPG
1. Joseph Jones, Texas A&M (6) 12.5 7.0
2. Darian Townes, Arkansas (9) 10.2 4.6
3. Patrick O'Bryant, Bradley (15) 10.0 7.4
*overall position rank in parentheses
Law and Order
An honoable mention All-Big 12 pick, sophomore Acie Law also was named to the Big 12's All-Improved Team. Law ranks second in the Big 12 in assists with 5.1 per game and is second on the team in scoring (13.0). He is the only Big 12 player to average at least 13.0 points and 5.0 assists. Law also ranks sixth in the Big 12 in field goal percentage at .529, 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 18 games.
The Wright Stuff
A first-team All-Big 12 pick by The Associated Press and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, junior Antoine Wright was named National Player of the Week on Feb. 28 by The Sporting News and enters the Big 12 Tournament as one of the nation's hottest players. In the last five games, Wright has averaged 23.2 points while making 65.6 percent from the field and 62.5 percent from three-point range (20-of-32). He's made 15-of-21 (.714) three-pointers in the last three games. Wright also has been named first-team all-district by the National Association of Basketball Coaches. Wright leads the team in scoring with a 17.6 average, ranking sixth 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 12 in scoring, rebounding (12th, 6.2), field goal percentage (7th, .493), three-point percentage (1st, .411) and three-point field goals (6th, 2.22). 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. Wright led the Big 12 in three-point accuracy in league play at 44.8 percent, third best in school history and the best since Big 12 play began. Wright is the first A&M player to lead a Big 12 stat category since 1998. His season percentage of .441 is chasing the record of .430 set last season by Kevin Turner (min. 100 att.). 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 scored 21 points against Iowa State, then added 29 against Texas Tech, making 7-of-8 three-pointers (.875) and setting the school record for three-point percentage in a conference game. 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. He is 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 1,261 career points, ranking him 11th on the A&M chart. He needs 11 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 170 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 17.6
RPG 4.1 6.2
FG Pct. .368 .493
3-Pt. FG Pct. .297 .441
FT Pct. .626 .683
Dunks 5 20
Three Amigos
The trio of Antoine Wright, Acie Law and Joseph Jones have combined to average 43.1 points and 16.9 rebounds per game. That's 57.9 percent of the Aggies' scoring and 51.1 percent of the rebounding. A&M is 11-3 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). Wright and Law have combined to score 826 points, making them A&M's best 1-2 scoring punch since Joe Wilbert and Tony McGinnis combined for a record 1,143 points in 1994-95.
Super Sub
Senior Bobby Leach, A&M's lone senior, has been named to the Big 12 All-Reserve Team and ranks as one of the top performers off the bench in school history. Leach ranks third nationally in three-point percentage (min. 25 FGM) at .529 (27-of-51), best of any Big 12 player under that standard. In Big 12 play, he made a stunning 57.1 percent (20-of-35), against a Big 12 best. He ranks sixth in the conference in assist/turnover ratio (2.12) and is fourth on the team in scoring (8.0). In Big 12 play, he's averaging 10.1 points, fourth on the team and second among Big 12 reserves. Leach is second on the team in assists (3.2). In Big 12 play, he led all Big 12 reserves in rebounding (3.5), assists (3.1), field goal percentage (.495), three-point percentage and free throiw percentage (.818). Leach has handed out at least three assists in 13 of the last 21 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 8-0 when he scores in double figures (including 7-0 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 11.4 points in the last 10 games, while making 14-of-24 (.583) from three-point range. Leach has been A&M's top scorer off the bench in 15 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 29 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
Dominique Kirk and Joseph Jones, both true freshmen, are the only Aggies to start in every game and are only the second freshmen tandem in Big 12 history to start in every game. The only other season when two freshmen started in every game was in 1998-99, when A&M's Bernard King and Jamaal Gilchrist started in all 28 games.
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 59.2 percent from the field this season and connected on 61.5 percent in Big 12 play. Pompey is third on the team with eight dunks, including a highlight-reel slam against Baylor. 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 (3.4) and is fourth in rebounding (3.2) 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 ranks second in the Big 12 in scoring defense (62.9), the fourth best in school history and the best since the 1980-81 team allowed 60.4. A&M also ranks second in field goal percentage defense (.391), the best in school history and among the top 20 nationally. The A&M record is .394 set by the 1961-062 team. 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 (+11.6), third in the Big 12 and third best in school history. The last time A&M had a better average margin was when it set the school record at +12.8 in 1975-76. A&M is 13-0 when its opponent scores 64 points or fewer and is 16-2 when its opponent shoots under 45 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. In addition, A&M has allowed the fewest field goals made and attempted in the Big 12.
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 by 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 16 games and are 15-1 in those games. The Aggies are 18-0 when they lead with five minutes left.
Getting Offensive
The Aggies rank second in the Big 12 and 14th nationally in field goal percentage (.494), the fifth best in school history and the best since the 1988-89 team made 50.6 percent. A&M ranks third in the league -- and 11th nationally -- in three-point accuracy, making 40.0 percent, breaking the school record of .374 set in 1990-91. A&M made .404 in league play, breaking the school mark of .393 set in 1991. 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 20 times, including 11 Big 12 games. A&M has shot better than 50 percent in 13 games. A&M has scored 80 or more points in 11 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.
Bombs Away
Of the 11 players on A&M's active roster, 10 have made at least one three-pointer this season. The only exception is Marlon Pompey. Only Pompey and Luis Clemente did not make a three-pointer in Big 12 play this season.
Board Stiff
The Aggies have out-rebounded 20 of 27 opponents this season and rank fourth in the Big 12 in rebounding margin at +5.3. A&M is 16-4 when out-rebounding its opponents. 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.
Efficient Aggies
The Aggies rank third in the Big 12 and are 18th nationally in assists with an average of 16.6 per game, despite having just two at Texas. A&M has had just 1,412 field goal attempts, second fewest in the Big 12. For the season, 64.4 percent of A&M's field goals 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 14.4 turnovers per game, tied for fourth most in the Big 12. However, the Aggies have averaged just 12.6 turnovers in the last 17 games. A&M ranks fifth in the league in turnover margin (+0.89) and in assist/turnover ratio (1.15). A&M is averaging just 12.9 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 and 11th most nationally. The Aggies have committed at least 18 personal fouls in 24 games, including a season-high 34 in the loss at Nebraska. That number has been off-set somewhat by A&M's opponents averaging 20.7 fouls per contest, second most in the league. Consequently, the Aggies are averaging 24.3 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 27 games and started in the last 22. Walker has made 45.9 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 78.6 percent (44-of-56). Walker has made 27-of-30 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, fourth best in the league. A&M ranks eighth overall in the Big 12 in free throw shooting (.679), improved somewhat by averaging a league-best 24.3 attempts per game. A&M has made 74.1 percent in the last seven games (129-of-174). Three Aggies have had perfect free throw shooting games with at least 10 attempts -- Ace Law, 12-of-12 vs. Houston; Antoine Wright, 11-of-11 at Colorado, and Bobby Leach, 10-of-10 at Baylor -- another first in A&M history.
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.
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 18-0 when any player besides Antoine Wright, Joseph Jones or Acie Law scores in double figures. ...the Aggies are 14-0 when any reserve scores in double figures...A&M is 12-0 when it has four players score in double figures...the Aggies are 13-1 when it scores at least 32 points in the paint...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 94 blocked shots this season -- ninth 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 20 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.
1. 2004-05 10,988 (+49.8% from 2004)
2. 2002-03 8,157