March 18, 2005
After winning their first postseason game in 23 years, the Texas A&M Aggies (20-9, 8-8 in Big 12) play the DePaul Blue Demons (20-10, 10-6 in Conference USA) in the second round of the National Invitation Tournament on Saturday at 1 p.m. (Central) at Allstate Arena (17,500 cap.).
The NIT started in 1938 and is the oldest tournament in college basketball. The first four rounds of the 40-team event will be played at home sites, with the semifinals and championship scheduled for March 29 and March 31 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
The winner of the A&M-DePaul game will advance to the third round to face Holy Cross, St. Joseph's or Buffalo at a site and date to be determined.
A&M's last postseason appearance came in the 1994 NIT, when it lost in the first round in overtime to the University of New Orleans, 79-73, in New Orleans. The Aggies are coming off an 82-74 first-round win against Clemson on Wednesday in College Station, their first postseason win since a 69-65 victory against Washington in the second round of the 1982 NIT.
The Blue Demons are coming off a 75-70 first-round victory against Missouri on Tuesday in Columbia, Mo. A&M is 3-6 in true road games this season while DePaul is 14-2 at home. A&M and DePaul have never met.
The Aggies are playing in their sixth NIT and are making their 12th overall postseason appearance, including six NCAA Tournaments. The Aggies have a 5-5 record in NIT play.
A&M made the NIT quarterfinals in 1978 and 1982, but had since lost three straight first-round games (1985, 1986, 1994) prior to beating Clemson.
GAME #30
Texas A&M AGGIES
20-9, 8-8 Big 12 (7th)
VS.
DePaul BLUE DEMONS
20-10, 10-6 C-USA (T4th)
1 p.m. (Central)
Saturday, March 19, 2005
Allstate Arena (17,500 cap.)
Rosemont, Ill.
Kansas City, Mo.
RADIO:
Texas A&M Sports Network
Dave South, play-by-play
Colin Killian, commentary
Airtime: 12:40 p.m. (Central)
ONLINE: www.AggieAthletics.com
TELEVISION:
None
About DePaul
The Blue Demons return three starters from last year's team that finished 22-10 overall, won a share of the Conference USA title and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. DePaul is making its 37th postseason appearance, its 15th in the NIT. The Blue Demons are in their third season under coach Dave Leiteo, who has a 58-33 record. DePaul is led by senior forward Quemont Greer (6'7"), a first-team All-Conference USA pick who leads the league in scoring with an 18.2 average and also leads the team in rebounding at 7.4. Senior guard Drake Diener (6'5") averages 14.1 points and scored a career-high 30 in the first-round win at Missouri, making seven three-pointers. Diener leads C-USA in three-point percentage (.463). Sophomore guard Sammy Mejia (6'6") adds 11.4 points. The Blue Demons are one of C-USA's top shooting teams, making 44.4 percent from the field while limiting their opponents to just 42.3 percent.
Who's Hot?
*Junior Antoine Wright has averaged 21.9 points in the last seven games, making 63.1 percent from the field and 25-of-43 (.581) from three-point range.
*Freshman Joseph Jones has averaged 15.0 points and 7.6 rebounds in the last seven games, making 61.0 percent from the field. Jones scored a career-high 25 points against Clemson on Wednesday.
*Senior Bobby Leach has averaged 11.7 points and 3.4 assists in the last seven games.
*Junior Chris Walker has averaged 8.4 points in the last five games and has made 26 of his last 29 free throws (.897). He scored 10 points against Clemson.
*Sophomore Acie Law scored 12 points with seven assists against Clemson.
Quick Notes
*GOING BOTH WAYS: A&M is the only team in the country to rank in the top 16 nationally in both field goal percentage (14th, .490) and field goal percentage defense (16th, .396).
*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. Jones has been named honorable mention All-Big 12 and Freshman All-America.
*Sophomore Acie Law has been named honorable mention All-Big 12 and ranks second in the Big 12 in assists (5.2).
*Senior Bobby Leach has been named to the Big 12 All-Reserve Team. A&M is 12-1 when Leach has four or more assists.
*A&M ranks second the Big 12 in scoring defense (63.4), the best by the Aggies since 1980-81.
*A&M ranks second the Big 12 in field goal pct. defense (.396), second best in school history.
*The Aggies are second in the league and 14th nationally in field goal percentage (.490).
*A&M ranks third in the Big 12 and 17th nationally in three-point percentage (.393), a school record.
*A&M is 19-0 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 percent from the field.
*A&M is 14-1 when its has 32 or more points in the paint.
TEXAS A&M in the NIT
(5-5 record)
Year Result Site
1979 A&M 79, New Mexico 68 Albuquerque
A&M 67, Nevada 64 Reno
Alabama 72, A&M 68 Houston
1982 A&M 60, Lamar 58 College Station
A&M 69, Washington 65 Seattle
Purdue 86, A&M 68 W .Lafayette, Ind.
1985 New Mexico 80, A&M 67 Albuquerque
1986 Wyoming 79, A&M 70 Laramie, Wy.
1994 New Orleans 79, A&M 73 (OT) N.Orleans
2005 A&M 82, Clemson 74 College Station
Tentative Starters
TEXAS A&M AGGIES (20-9, 8-8 Big 12)
No. Player Ht. Cl. PPG RPG Other
30 Joseph Jones 6'9" Fr. 12.8 7.2 60% FG
10 Chris Walker 6'5" Jr. 4.8 3.1 79% FT
21 Antoine Wright 6'7" Jr. 17.7 6.1 50% FG
22 Dominique Kirk 6'3" Fr. 6.7 2.3 2.2 ast
1 Acie Law 6'3" So. 12.7 3.6 5.2 ast
Off the Bench
No. Player Ht. Cl. PPG RPG Other
15 Bobby Leach 6'0" Sr. 8.2 3.0 3.1 ast
42 Marlon Pompey 6'8" So. 4.2 3.0 59% FG
4 Edjuan Green 6'7" Jr. 3.4 3.1 52% FG
5 Kenneth White 6'1" Fr. 1.6 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 freshman Joseph Jones' 25 points against Clemson tied a school record for postseason play (Sonny Benefield also had 25 against Trinity in the 1969 NCAAs)...Jones' effort was the most by an Aggie in NIT play...A&M's 82 points tied the school postseason record (82 in a losing cause against Colorado in the 1969 NCAAs)...A&M's 14 steals were a team postseason record...DePaul joins the Big East Conference next season...A&M head coach Billy Gillispie attended a 1978 NIT game as a senior at Graford (Texas) HS, watching Abe Lemons' Texas team Texas beat Temple, 72-58, in the first round in Austin en route to winning the title...A&M is 134-150 against current members of Conference USA...A&M is 117-129 against TCU and Houston, which were former members of the Southwest Conference with the Aggies...A&M is 17-21 against other C-USA schools...DePaul and East Carolina are the only C-USA schools A&M has not played...A&M defeated C-USA member Houston on Dec. 29 in College Station, 93-80...DePaul beat Houston, 68-57, on Jan. 8 in Rosemont...A&M last visited Chicago in 1995-96, posting a 79-62 win at Illinois-Chicago under coach Tony Barone...At No. 32, A&M is the highest team in the Sagarin Ratings not to make the NCAAs.
TEXAS A&M vs. DePaul
(0-0)
Year Result Site
A&M and DePaul have never played
Tale of the Tape
(2004-05 stat comparison)
A&M DePaul
Record 20-9 20-10
Conference 8-8 10-6
Ratings Pct. Index (RPI) 71 53
Sagarin Rating 32 59
Current Streak W1 W1
Field Goal Pct. .490 .444
Opponent FG Pct. .396 .423
3-Pt. Field Goal Pct. .393 .351
Opponent 3-Pt. Pct. .341 .347
3-Pt. Field Goal Avg. 6.3 5.8
3-Pt. FG Attempts Avg. 16.1 16.4
Free Throw Pct. .682 .674
Opponent FT Pct. .673 .706
Rebound Avg. 35.9 36.4
Offensive Reb. Avg. 11.2 13.3
Rebounding Margin +4.7 +4.7
Turnovers Avg. 14.3 12.1
Opp. Turnovers Avg. 15.4 12.5
Assists Avg. 16.5 14.1
Blocks Avg. 3.5 3.4
Steals Avg. 6.6 5.6
Scoring Avg. 74.3 68.3
Opponent Scoring 63.4 63.7
Scoring Margin +10.9 +4.6
Clemson Recap
COLLEGE STATION -- Freshman center Joseph Jones scored a season-high 25 points to lift Texas A&M to its first postseason win in 23 years, an 82-74 victory over Clemson in the first round of the NIT Wednesday night. Jones dominated inside against Clemson's burly frontcourt in the second half, going 7-for-9 from the field for 19 points, including three powerful two-handed dunks. He also grabbed seven rebounds. Acie Law added 12 points and seven assists, and Bobby Leach had 13 points for the Aggies (20-9), who were making their first postseason appearance in 11 years. Freshman guard Cliff Hammonds scored a season-high 26 points to lead Clemson. Clemson gave A&M fits early with its smothering full-court pressure and an amazing shooting display by Hammonds. The Aggies were forced into 12 turnovers and Hammonds scored the Tigers' final 10 points of the first half, including back-to-back 3s, to give Clemson a 42-34 lead. A&M rallied with a 15-2 run early in the second half, started by Law's fallaway 3 at the shot-clock buzzer and ended with his layup that gave the Aggies a 51-46 lead. Antoine Wright sparked that run with three steals that led to seven points, including his nifty behind-the-back pass to Jones that resulted in a three-point play. Jones took over from there, scoring 14 of A&M's next 19 points to hold off a late charge by Clemson. Mostly because of Jones' bulldozing moves in the lane, the Aggies shot 67 percent in the second half. The Tigers just couldn't build on their strong performance in the ACC tournament, which included a first-round win over Maryland before narrowly missing out on a huge upset of North Carolina in the next round. Clemson needed every one of Hammonds' points with senior Sharrod Ford, Clemson's leading scorer and rebounder, struggling against Jones in the worst game of his senior season. In the final game of his career at Clemson, Ford had just three points on 1-for-2 shooting and three rebounds before fouling out with 7 minutes left. Shawan Robinson, who scored 41 points during Clemson's ACC tournament run, finished with just eight points.
Big Turnaround
The Aggies are 20-9 this season after finishing 7-21 last season, the most dramatic turnaround in the country. The 13-win improvement to this point is the best nationally this season. A&M's turnaround is also 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 Thursday)
Team 2003-04 2004-05 +/-
Texas A&M 7-21 20-9 +13
New Mexico 14-14 26-6 +12
San Diego 4-26 16-13 +12
Holy Cross 13-15 25-6 +12
Winthrop 16-12 27-6 +11
Old Dominion 17-12 28-5 +11
IMPROVED STATISTICS
STAT 2003-04 2004-05
Overall Record 7-21 20-9
Big 12 Record 0-16 8-8
RPI 246 71
Scoring Offense 71.9 74.3
Scoring Defense 76.4 63.4
Scoring Margin -4.5 +10.9
FG Percentage .415 .490
FG Pct. Defense .488 .396
3-Pt. FG Pct. .325 .393
3-Pt. FG Pct. Defense .390 .341
Rebounding Margin +4.7 +4.7
Blocked Shots 1.3 3.5
Points in the Paint 25.6 31.2
Points off Turnovers 15.3 18.0
Fast Break Points 7.8 10.8
Historic Debut
Billy Gillispie's 20 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 19-9 record is its best after 28 games since the 1979-80 team was 21-7 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.
Aggies On a Roll
The Aggies have won five of their last seven games and have put up some impressive statistics in that span. In those seven games, A&M has made 52.9 percent from the field (to 41.2 percent by the opponents), 44.0 percent from three-point range, 71.9 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 +20.9 in the 20 wins. Only four 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 (eighth best overall), Joseph Jones has been named honorable mention All-Big 12 and also was named to CollegeInsider.Com's Freshman All-America Team. In addition, Jones was named to the Big 12 All-Freshman Team. He leads the Aggies in rebounding (7.2), ranking seventh in the Big 12, and is second in scoring (12.8). 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 (1.22). Jones's 37 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 (.600), 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 25th nationally among all players who have made at least 100 field goals. Jones leads the Aggies in three-point plays with 14. He scored a career-high 25 points against Clemson in the NIT. 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 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 101-of-162 free throws, setting an A&M freshman record for free throws made and attempted.
NATION'S BEST FRESHMEN CENTERS
(Rated by CBS SportsLine.com)
Rk Player, School PPG RPG
1. Joseph Jones, Texas A&M (8) 12.8 7.2
2. Darian Townes, Arkansas (13) 10.2 4.6
3. Patrick O'Bryant, Bradley (17) 10.0 7.4
*overall position rank in parentheses
Law and Order
An honorable 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 5.2 per game and is third on the team in scoring (12.7). He is the only Big 12 player to average at least 12.7 points and 5.0 assists. Law also ranks sixth in the Big 12 in field goal percentage at .504, 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 scored 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 20 games.
The Wright Stuff
A first-team All-Big 12 pick by The Associated Press and several major daily newspapers, junior Antoine Wright was named National Player of the Week on Feb. 28 by The Sporting News and in recent weeks has been among the nation's hottest players. In the last seven games, Wright has averaged 22.0 points while making 62.8 percent from the field and 58.1 percent from three-point range (25-of-43). He's made 20-of-32 (.625) three-pointers in the last five games, averaging 4.0 three-pointers per game, despite not even attempting a three against Clemson. Wright also has been named first-team all-district by the NABC and the USBWA. Wright leads the team in scoring with an 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 13 in scoring, rebounding (13th, 6.1), field goal percentage (7th, .497), three-point percentage (1st, .442) 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 .442 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 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, and tallied 28 points against Kansas State in the Big 12 Tournament. 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 1,298 career points, ranking him 10th on the A&M chart. He needs 33 points to move into ninth. 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 21 dunks. Wright had 11 dunks in 56 career games entering the season. Wright's 175 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 6.1
FG Pct. .368 .497
3-Pt. FG Pct. .297 .442
FT Pct. .626 .693
Dunks 5 21
Three Amigos
The trio of Antoine Wright, Acie Law and Joseph Jones have combined to average 43.2 points and 16.9 rebounds per game. That's 58.1 percent of the Aggies' scoring and 51.4 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 Jones have combined to score 885 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 eighth nationally in three-point percentage (min. 25 FGM) at .491 (28-of-57), second best of any Big 12 player under that standard. In Big 12 play, he made a stunning 57.1 percent (20-of-35), best in the league. He ranks third in the conference in assist/turnover ratio (2.07) and is fourth on the team in scoring (8.2). In Big 12 play, he averaged 10.1 points, fourth on the team and second among Big 12 reserves. Leach is second on the team in assists (3.1). 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 throw percentage (.818). Leach has handed out at least three assists in 14 of the last 23 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 12-1 when Leach has at least four assists and is 9-0 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 12 games, while making 15-of-30 (.500) from three-point range. Leach has been A&M's top scorer off the bench in 17 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 6.7 per game and is second with 30 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 have started more games than any freshmen tandem in Big 12 history. 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 58.7 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 (3.1) while making 52.4 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 (63.4), the fourth best in school history and the best since the 1980-81 team allowed 60.4. A&M also ranks second in the Big 12 and 16th nationally in field goal percentage defense (.396), second best in school history. The A&M record is .394 set by the 1961-62 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 20th nationally in scoring margin (+10.9), 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 17 games and are 15-2 in those games. The Aggies are 19-0 when they lead with five minutes left.
Getting Offensive
The Aggies rank second in the Big 12 and 14th nationally in field goal percentage (.490), the seventh best in school history and the best since the 1988-89 team made 50.6 percent. A&M ranks third in the league -- and 17th nationally -- in three-point accuracy, making 39.3 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 21 times, including 11 Big 12 games. A&M has shot better than 50 percent in 14 games. A&M has scored 80 or more points in 12 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 year.
Board Stiff
The Aggies have out-rebounded 20 of 29 opponents this season and rank fourth in the Big 12 in rebounding margin at +4.7. 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 in College Station, but A&M posted a 24-9 margin in the second half. A&M trailed Tech by 12 boards early in the second half in College Station, but came back to out-rebound the Red Raiders, 32-29.
Efficient Aggies
The Aggies rank fourth in the Big 12 and are 21th nationally in assists with an average of 16.5 per game, despite having just two at Texas. A&M has had just 1,515 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 14.3 turnovers per game, tied for fifth most in the Big 12. However, the Aggies have averaged just 12.6 turnovers in the last 19 games and set a Big 12 Tournament record with seven against Kansas State. A&M ranks sixth in the league in turnover margin (+1.1) and is fourth in assist/turnover ratio (1.2). A&M averaged just 12.9 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 and 12th most nationally. The Aggies have committed at least 18 personal fouls in 26 games, including a season-high 34 in the loss at Nebraska. That number has been off-set somewhat by A&M's opponents averaging 21.1 fouls per contest, second most in the league. Consequently, the Aggies are averaging 24.7 free throw attempts per game, most in the Big 12.
Walking the Walk
A member of the Big 12 All-Defense Team (Daily Oklahoman), junior Chris Walker, a walk-on from Dallas, has played in all 29 games and started in the last 24. Walker has made 45.2 percent from the field and nailed 13-of-33 three-pointers (.394), 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 78.5 percent (51-of-65). Walker 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. Walker also made the Big 12 All-Academic Team.
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 made 72.0 percent in Big 12 games, fourth best in the league. A&M ranks ninth overall in the Big 12 in free throw shooting (.682), enhanced somewhat by averaging 24.7 attempts per game. A&M has made 73.2 percent in the last 10 games (172-of-235). 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 19-0 when any player besides Antoine Wright, Joseph Jones or Acie Law scores in double figures. ...the Aggies are 15-0 when any reserve scores in double figures...A&M is 13-0 when it has four players score in double figures...the Aggies are 14-1 when they score 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 101 blocked shots this season -- eighth 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 22 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. A&M set school records for season attendance, averaging 7,885 per game, and for conference season attendance, averaging 10,988 per game. The Aggies enjoyed a 29 percent increase in overall attendance and a 50 percent increase in conference attendance. Last year under Billy Gillispie, UTEP enjoyed the largest attendance increase in college basketball, averaging 10,282 per game.