January 09, 2006
The Texas A&M men's basketball team takes its first Big 12 road trip on Wednesday to play the Oklahoma State Cowboys at 8 p.m. at Gallagher-Iba Arena. The game will be televised nationally by ESPN2.
Game #13
Texas A&M Aggies (11-1, 1-0 Big 12)
vs.
Oklahoma State Cowboys (10-5, 0-1 Big 12)
Wednesday, Jan. 11
8:05 p.m. (Central)
Gallagher-Iba Arena (13,611 cap.)
Stillwater, Okla.
TELEVISION
ESPN2 (national)
Play-by-Play: Dave Barnett
Analyst: Stephen Bardo
RADIO
Texas A&M Sports Network
Play-by-Play: Dave South
Analyst: Colin Killian
Sirius Satellite Radio: n/a
MEDIA RELATIONS CONTACTS
Oklahoma State: Mike Noteware
405-6122-4843 (cell)
Texas A&M: Colin Killian
979-229-4706 (cell)
SERIES
OSU leads, 25-8
In Stillwater: OSU leads,10-1
at Gallagher-Iba Arena: OSU leads, 10-0
Last Meeting: OSU 69, A&M 63, 2004-05 in Stillwater
Streaks: Oklahoma State has beaten the Aggies 11 straight times since A&M posted a 64-59 victory in College Station in 2000.
PROJECTED A&M STARTERS
1 Acie Law IV (6-3, 185, Jr-2L, 14.6 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 3.2 apg
22 Dominique Kirk (6-3, 180, So-1L, 7.5 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 3.2 apg)
10 Chris Walker (6-5, 210, Sr-1L, 2.7 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 0.7 apg)
42 Marlon Pompey (6-8, 225, Jr-2L, 7.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 1.4 blk)
30 Joseph Jones (6-9, 250, So-1L, 15.6 ppg, 7.1 rpg, .582 FG)
PROJECTED OKLAHOMA STATE STARTERS
00 Byron Eaton (G, 5-11, 218, Fr-Hs, 8.4 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 4.0 apg)
24 JamesOn Curry (G, 6-3, 190, So-1L, 13.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 4.7 apg)
1 Terrel Harris (G, 6-4, 187, Fr-Hs, 3.1 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 0.9 apg)
4 Mario Boggan (F, 6-7, 235, Jr-Tr, 14.1 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 0.9 apg)
40 Kenny Cooper (C, 6-10, 258, Fr-Hs, 2.9 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 0.2 apg)
Key Game Notes
* A&M is 1-0 for the first time in Big 12 play. The last time the Aggies were 2-0 in league play was 1994, when they began Southwest Conference play with a 7-0 mark.
* A&M is 0-1 on the road this season. Oklahoma State is 7-1 at home.
* A&M is coming off a 63-55 win against Texas Tech at home on Saturday while Oklahoma State lost at Missouri, 69-61, on Saturday.
* A&M has never won at Gallagher-Iba Arena (0-10). The Aggies lone win in Stillwater came 83 years ago (1922-23) by a score of 24-17.
* A&M has lost 20 straight games played in the state of Oklahoma since a 60-58 win against Bill Self?â„¢s Oral Roberts team in the first-round of the 1994 Bank IV Classic in Tulsa.
* The teams had one common non-conference opponent. A&M beat Northwestern State, 73-61, at home on Dec. 31, while OSU lost to Northwestern State, 68-64, at home on Dec. 5.
About Oklahoma State
* The Cowboys have advanced to the NCAA Tournament for eight straight years and advanced to the Final Four in 2004.
* OSU went 26-7 last year, placing third in Big 12 at 11-5 and advancing to the NCAA Sweet 16.
* Oklahoma State beat Tennessee, 89-73, at home on Dec. 22, just five days after the Volunteers shocked No. 2-ranked Texas, 95-78, in Austin.
* The Cowboys?â„¢ non-conference losses were to Northwestern State (68-64), Boston College (76-68), Gonzaga (64-62) and Alabama-Birmingham (90-71) .
* OSU coach Eddie Sutton is the nation?â„¢s second-winningest active coach with 791 victories, ranking him fifth on the all-time chart.
* Sutton has posted a 38-6 career record against Texas A&M, including an 18-1 mark at Oklahoma State.
* OSU has four players averaging in double figures, led by junior forward Mario Boggan (6-7), who is averaging 14.1 points.
* Oklahoma State leads the Big 12 in field goal accuracy, making 51.8 percent.
Sidebars
* A&M head coach Billy Gillispie served as an assistant coach at Tulsa from 1997-00 under Bill Self, helping the Golden Hurricane to the Elite Eight in 2000.
* A&M assistant coach Alvin Brooks served as an assistant at Texas Tech in 1999-01 under James Dickey, who is now an assistant at Oklahoma State.
* A&M assistant Buzz Williams is a 1994 graduate of Oklahoma City University.
* A&M video coordinator Albert Johnson is an Oklahoma City native, a 1998 graduate of Langston University and is the former head coach of Athletes First, a highly successful Oklahoma AAU program.
Last Year at OSU
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 March 2, 2005, its closest home win of the season. The Cowboys didn?â„¢t score a field goal in the final 5 minutes but they hit 15 straight free throws down the stretch.
Official Basketball Box Score
Texas A&M vs Oklahoma State
03/02/05 6:05 p.m. at Stillwater, Okla. (Gallagher-Iba Arena)
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VISITORS: Texas A&M 18-8, 7-8
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
21 WRIGHT, Antoine..... f 7-11 4-7 0-2 0 6 6 3 18 1 2 0 0 40
30 JONES, Joseph....... c 3-6 0-0 4-4 2 4 6 5 10 1 1 0 0 27
01 LAW, Acie........... g 8-15 1-5 5-7 0 4 4 4 22 4 1 0 1 40
10 WALKER, Chris....... g 3-9 2-5 0-0 2 1 3 5 8 0 0 0 0 31
22 KIRK, Dominique..... g 0-2 0-2 0-0 0 0 0 3 0 1 1 0 0 15
04 GREEN, Edjuan....... 0-0 0-0 0-0 1 2 3 0 0 1 0 0 0 5
15 LEACH, Bobby........ 1-3 1-2 0-0 0 1 1 1 3 1 3 0 1 26
33 LOEWE, Justin....... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0+
42 POMPEY, Marlon...... 0-1 0-0 2-2 1 0 1 4 2 1 2 0 0 16
TEAM................ 1 2 3
Totals.............. 22-47 8-21 11-15 7 20 27 25 63 10 10 0 2 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 10-21 47.6% 2nd Half: 12-26 46.2% Game: 46.8% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 5-10 50.0% 2nd Half: 3-11 27.3% Game: 38.1% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 4-6 66.7% 2nd Half: 7-9 77.8% Game: 73.3% 1
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HOME TEAM: Oklahoma State 21-5, 11-4
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
14 Graham, Joey........ f 3-11 1-3 9-9 1 4 5 2 16 0 1 0 0 31
23 McFarlin, Ivan...... f 2-2 0-0 3-4 1 9 10 4 7 1 3 2 3 32
15 Lucas, John......... g 7-13 5-8 8-8 0 2 2 1 27 3 2 0 2 38
20 Bobik, Daniel....... g 3-4 2-3 0-0 0 2 2 1 8 3 0 0 0 37
24 Curry, JamesOn...... g 3-7 1-3 2-4 1 2 3 4 9 2 1 1 0 32
21 Graham, Stephen..... 0-2 0-0 0-0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 13
42 Crawford, Terrence.. 0-3 0-1 2-2 0 2 2 3 2 0 0 0 0 17
TEAM................ 1 1
Totals.............. 18-42 9-18 24-27 5 21 26 15 69 10 7 3 5 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 11-22 50.0% 2nd Half: 7-20 35.0% Game: 42.9% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 6-12 50.0% 2nd Half: 3-6 50.0% Game: 50.0% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 5-8 62.5% 2nd Half: 19-19 100 % Game: 88.9% 2
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Officials: R-Scott Olson, U1-Mike Thibodeaux, U2-Verne Harris
Technical fouls: Texas A&M-None. Oklahoma State-None.
Attendance: 12681
Score by Periods 1st 2nd Total
Texas A&M..................... 29 34 - 63
Oklahoma State................ 33 36 - 69
Last Year at Reed
COLLEGE STATION (AP)- John Lucas III scored 18 points, Joey Graham added 17 and No. 10 Oklahoma State recovered from poor first-half shooting to beat Texas A&M 66-59 on Feb. 12, 2005. After the Aggies pulled to 62-59, Ivan McFarlin scored three points in the final minute to ensure the Cowboys?â„¢ fifth straight win. McFarlin made a layup with 51 seconds left to extend Oklahoma State?â„¢s lead and quiet the raucous crowd, the largest in A&M history.
Official Basketball Box Score
Oklahoma State vs Texas A&M
02/12/05 5 p.m. at Reed Arena; College Station, Texas
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VISITORS: Oklahoma State (19-3, 9-2)
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
14 Graham, Joey........ * 6-11 3-4 2-2 1 6 7 4 17 2 4 1 2 29
15 Lucas, John......... * 7-16 1-3 3-3 3 1 4 2 18 7 4 0 1 34
20 Bobik, Daniel....... * 1-5 1-4 0-2 0 6 6 4 3 2 0 0 1 32
23 McFarlin, Ivan...... * 6-6 0-0 1-3 2 6 8 4 13 3 3 1 0 30
24 Curry, JamesOn...... * 2-9 0-2 1-2 1 6 7 3 5 2 3 0 0 33
21 Graham, Stephen..... 2-5 1-1 2-2 1 1 2 1 7 1 1 0 0 22
42 Crawford, Terrence.. 1-1 0-0 1-2 0 1 1 2 3 2 2 0 0 20
TEAM................ 3 1 4
Totals.............. 25-53 6-14 10-16 11 28 39 20 66 19 17 2 4 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 11-30 36.7% 2nd Half: 14-23 60.9% Game: 47.2% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 3-7 42.9% 2nd Half: 3-7 42.9% Game: 42.9% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 4-4 100 % 2nd Half: 6-12 50.0% Game: 62.5% 1
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HOME TEAM: Texas A&M (15-6, 4-6)
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
01 LAW, Acie........... * 7-12 1-3 1-3 0 1 1 5 16 5 6 0 1 37
10 WALKER, Chris....... * 1-3 1-2 0-0 1 4 5 4 3 1 0 0 1 32
21 WRIGHT, Antoine..... * 4-16 1-7 4-5 1 3 4 4 13 1 3 1 2 40
22 KIRK, Dominique..... * 1-3 1-3 0-0 0 4 4 1 3 2 0 0 1 17
30 JONES, Joseph....... * 4-10 0-0 4-5 2 4 6 3 12 1 2 1 1 36
15 LEACH, Bobby........ 1-3 0-1 4-4 0 4 4 2 6 2 3 0 1 25
33 LOEWE, Justin....... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0+
42 POMPEY, Marlon...... 2-4 0-0 2-4 3 0 3 1 6 0 0 0 1 13
TEAM................ 1 2 3
Totals.............. 20-51 4-16 15-21 8 22 30 20 59 12 14 2 8 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 9-25 36.0% 2nd Half: 11-26 42.3% Game: 39.2% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 1-8 12.5% 2nd Half: 3-8 37.5% Game: 25.0% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 4-5 80.0% 2nd Half: 11-16 68.8% Game: 71.4% 1
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Officials: Scott Thornley, Mark Whitehead, Eddie Jackson
Technical fouls: Oklahoma State-None. Texas A&M-None.
Attendance: 13016
Score by Periods 1st 2nd Total
Oklahoma State................ 29 37 - 66
Texas A&M..................... 23 36 - 59
Texas Tech Recap
COLLEGE STATION (AP) - Acie Law scored 14 of his 21 points in the second half as Texas A&M overcame a nine-point halftime deficit to beat Texas Tech 63-55 on Saturday in the Big 12 Conference opener for both schools. With Aggies leading scorer Joseph Jones on the bench for more than half the game with foul trouble, Law recovered from a poor shooting first half to lead the A&M comeback. A&M went on a 15-2 run to open the second half on the strength of tough defense and hot shooting by Law and Dominique Kirk. Kirk made two 3-pointers in that span and Law?â„¢s bucket with just under 14 minutes remaining put A&M ahead 37-36. It was the Aggies first lead since they were up 2-0. The win breaks a streak of 10 straight losses in conference openers dating back to 1995 for the Aggies. The last time A&M won a league opener was a 90-80 victory, also over Tech, in the old Southwest Conference. The Aggies have won 11 home games in a row and their home record for the last two seasons is 28-3. Jarrius Jackson led Tech with 21 points, and Martin Zeno had 18 points and eight rebounds. Tech led by as many as 14 and owned a 34-25 halftime lead after Zeno and Jackson combined for 27 points. A&M got in an early hole after making just two of its first 15 shots.
Official Basketball Box Score
Texas Tech vs Texas A&M
01/07/06 5 p.m. at Reed Arena; College Station, TX
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VISITORS: Texas Tech 8-7, 0-1
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
03 Zeno, Martin........ * 6-9 0-1 6-10 4 4 8 2 18 2 5 0 1 40
22 Jackson, Jarrius.... * 7-14 1-3 6-8 0 5 5 3 21 3 6 0 1 40
30 Prince, Michael..... * 1-2 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 4 2 2 1 0 0 26
32 Plefka, Jon......... * 1-2 0-0 1-1 1 3 4 3 3 1 0 0 0 31
44 Dora, Darryl........ * 2-7 0-0 0-0 1 5 6 1 4 7 4 0 0 31
20 Voskuil, Alan....... 0-1 0-1 2-2 1 0 1 2 2 0 1 0 0 5
21 Lowhorn, Dior....... 1-3 0-0 3-5 1 2 3 0 5 0 0 0 0 18
33 White, LucQuente.... 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 9
TEAM................ 1 2 3
Totals.............. 18-39 1-5 18-26 9 22 31 16 55 16 18 0 2 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 14-23 60.9% 2nd Half: 4-16 25.0% Game: 46.2% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 1-3 33.3% 2nd Half: 0-2 0.0% Game: 20.0% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 5-7 71.4% 2nd Half: 13-19 68.4% Game: 69.2% 3
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HOME TEAM: Texas A&M 11-1, 1-0
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
01 LAW, Acie........... * 8-18 1-4 4-5 1 3 4 2 21 3 2 0 2 35
10 WALKER, Chris....... * 1-2 1-2 0-0 3 2 5 2 3 5 1 0 1 30
22 KIRK, Dominique..... * 3-8 3-8 0-0 0 2 2 5 9 1 0 1 0 27
30 JONES, Joseph....... * 3-7 0-0 0-0 3 1 4 5 6 2 4 0 0 17
42 POMPEY, Marlon...... * 1-3 0-0 2-2 2 4 6 4 4 3 1 1 1 36
02 BENNETT, Martellus.. 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 3
05 WHITE, Kenneth...... 0-2 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 3
12 SMITH, Eddie........ 1-2 0-0 1-2 0 1 1 2 3 3 1 0 1 16
23 CARTER, Josh........ 5-10 3-6 0-0 1 1 2 2 13 0 0 1 1 20
44 KAVALIAUSKAS,Antanas 2-3 0-0 0-1 0 2 2 3 4 0 1 0 0 13
TEAM................ 1 1 2
Totals.............. 24-56 8-21 7-10 11 17 28 26 63 18 10 3 6 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 10-32 31.3% 2nd Half: 14-24 58.3% Game: 42.9% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 3-11 27.3% 2nd Half: 5-10 50.0% Game: 38.1% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 2-2 100 % 2nd Half: 5-8 62.5% Game: 70.0% 2
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Officials: R-Curtis Shaw, U1-Danny Hooker, U2-Brad Ferrie
Technical fouls: Texas Tech-None. Texas A&M-None.
Attendance: 10389
Score by Periods 1st 2nd Total
Texas Tech.................... 34 21 - 55
Texas A&M..................... 25 38 - 63
Looking Ahead
* The Aggies play host to Oklahoma (1 p.m./ESPN2) on Saturday before playing consecutive road games next week at Kansas State on Wednesday and Iowa State next Saturday.
Streaking Aggies
* The Aggies?â„¢ 11-1 start matches the second-best start in school history.
* Last year, A&M also started 11-1, its best start since the 1959-60 started 11-1. A&M also had an 11-1 start in 1959-60. The best start in school history was in 1919-20, when the Aggies finished 19-0.
* The 10-game winning streak to open the season tied for the fifth longest in school history and is the second longest (behind last year?â„¢s 11-game streak) since the 1959-60 Aggies also won 10 straight.
Who?â„¢s Hot?
* After missing the Savannah State game with a concussion, junior Acie Law has scored in double figures in five straight games, averaging 15.0 points in that span. Law scored 21 to lead the comeback win against Tech, including 14 in the second half.
* Freshman Josh Carter has scored 13 points in each of the last two games, making 57.9 percent from the field and 50.0 percent (4-8) from three-point range.
* Sophomore Dominique Kirk scored nine points and made 3-of-4 three-pointers in the second half in the comeback win against Tech. Kirk is making 41.3 percent from three-point range this season.
* Junior Marlon Pompey has averaged 5.3 rebounds in th last three games.
* Senior Chris Walker handed out a career-high five assists against Tech after entering the game with only three for the season. Walker also made a key three-pointer in A&M?â„¢s second-half rally.
Talking Points
* A&M is 1-0 for the first time in Big 12 play. The last time the Aggies were 2-0 in league action was in 1994, when they began Southwest Conference play with a 7-0 mark.
* A&M has never won at Gallagher-Iba Arena (0-10). The Aggies lone win in Stillwater came 83 years ago (1922-23) by a score of 24-17.
* A&M ranks eighth nationally in scoring margin at +17.8 per game.
* After leading at half in each of the first 10 games, A&M has trailed at intermission the last two games.
* A&M has trailed by double digits just once (14 to Texas Tech) and came back to win that game.
* A&M leads the Big 12 and ranks 11th nationally in scoring defense at 57.2 points per game.
* In 43 games under Billy Gillispie, only one opponent has shot better than 48 percent against A&M.
* The Aggies rank 27th nationally in assists/turnovers ratio (1.29) and are 18th in assists (18.4).
* A&M is forcing an average of 22.3 turnovers per game, most in the Big 12, and lead the nation in defensive turnover percentage (turnovers per 100 possessions) at 32.4 percent.
* A&M is 28-3 at home under Billy Gillispie.
* A&M and Kansas are the only Big 12 teams to average 75.0+ points while allowing fewer than 60.0.
* A&M has scored 25.6 percent of its points from the free throw line, the most in the Big 12 and 12th most nationally.
* The Aggies rank second in the nation in free throw rate (free throws made divided by field goal attempts) at 35.6 percent.
* A&M averages 23.7 personal fouls per game, most in the Big 12 and fifth most nationally. Opponents have scored 32.8 percent of their points from the line, the highest rate in the nation.
* After making just 28.2 percent of their three-pointers in th last 5 1/2 games (including the first half against Tech), A&M made 50.0 percent (5-10) in the second half against the Red Raiders.
* A&M has averaged 12.2 offensive rebounds and 13.0 second-chance points.
* A&M has averaged 29.2 points in the paint to just 16.5 by its opponents.
* A&M current crop of first-year players was ranked as the ninth best nationally by HoopScoop and that was before the late addition of 6-10 freshman Chinemelu Elonu. The early 2006 class also is ranked ninth nationally and includes four of the top 10 players in Texas.
* A&M has 16 Texas high school products on its 19-man roster, the most in school history. The season before Billy Gillispie?â„¢s arrival, the Aggies had just four Texas players, including two walk-ons.
* Acie Law and Marlon Pompey are the only players who were on the A&M roster two years ago. Of the 19 players listed, 90 percent are first or second-year players.
Joseph Jones
* Sophomore Joseph Jones averaged 18.5 points and 9.8 rebounds in the four games prior to Texas Tech, but played just 17 minutes because of early foul trouble against the Red Raiders and finished with six points and four rebounds.
* Jones is averaging 15.6 points and a team-best 7.1 rebounds while making 58.2 percent from the field and 77.8 percent from the free throw line.
* CBS Sportsline.com ranks Jones as the seventh best center in the country.
* Jones, Oklahoma?â„¢s Taj Gray and Kansas State?â„¢s Cartier Martin are the only Big 12 players to rank among the league?â„¢s top 10 in scoring (9th), rebounding (8th), FG percentage (5th), and FT percentage (4th).
* In his last nine complete games (not counting Grambling, when he played less than one minute), Jones is averaging 18.4 points and 8.5 rebounds.
* Against North Texas, he scored a career-high 35 points (the most by an Aggie in 11 years) and tied his career-best with 13 rebounds.
* Jones has had three double-doubles, tied for third most in the Big 12.
* He scored 24 points against Auburn, 22 against Northwestern State and 20 against Tulane.
* Jones has been among the best in the Big 12 at getting to the free throw line, averaging 6.6 attempts per game. He?â„¢s made 77.8 percent from the line, a big improvement over last season, when he made just 62.6 percent.
* After earning freshman All-America honors last season (CollegeInsider.com), Jones was rated as the Big 12?â„¢s top rebounder by some preseason publications.
* Jones was named honorable mention All-Big 12 as a freshman after averaging 12.7 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.
* He made 57.7 percent from the field and connected on 109-of-174 free throws (.626), an A&M freshman record for makes and attempts.
Acie Law IV
* Junior Acie Law scored 21 points, including 14 in the second half, to lead A&M?â„¢s comeback win against Texas Tech. The Aggies trailed by 14 in the first half.
* After missing the Savannah State game with a concussion, Law has bounced back to score in double figures in all five games since.
* He?â„¢s scored in double figures in all but the Grambling game, when he had eight points before suffering the concussion early in the second half.
* Law is averaging 14.6 points and 3.2 assists per game while making 48.4 percent from the field and 76.5 percent from the free throw line.
* Law, Iowa State?â„¢s Curtis Stinson and Texas Tech?â„¢s Jarrius Jackson are the only Big 12 players to average at least 14.5 points with a minimum of 3.0 assists.
* He ranks 12th in the Big 12 in scoring, 12th in field goal percentage, 13th in assists, 12th in steals (2.00) and 10th in assist/turnover ratio (1.63).
* Law scored a career-high 30 points against Mississippi Valley State.
* Last year as a sophomore, Law established himself as one of the Big 12?â„¢s top perimeter players, averaging 12.0 points and ranking third in the league with 4.9 assists.
* Law earned honorable mention All-Big 12 honors and also garnered a spot on the league?â„¢s All-Improved Team. He was rated as the Big 12?â„¢s top passer this season by some preseason publications.
Eddie Smith
* The 2005 National JUCO Player of the Year, senior Eddie Smith is averaging 5.9 points and 3.6 assists per game while making 45.5 percent (5-11) from three-point range.
* He has started to establish himself as one of the top defensive players in the Big 12. He helped limit Texas Tech?â„¢s high-scoring Jarrius Jackson to 1-of-6 shooting in the second half of A&M?â„¢s comeback win.
* Smith ranks eighth in the Big 12 in assists and is third in assist/turnover ratio (2.39).
* He scored 15 points in the opener against Southern, had 14 against Grambling, along with a season-best seven assists, and added 12 against Northwestern State.
* A relentless player on the both ends of the court, Smith averaged 18.2 points and 6.0 assists in leading Moberly Area (Mo.) Community College to the NJCAA national title game.
Antanas Kavaliauskas
* Junior Antanas Kavaliauskas is working to establish himself as a presence in the paint, averaging 6.2 points and 2.9 rebounds.
* He is averaging 8.0 points in his last six games, making 19-of-30 (.633) from the field, but he did not play against Pacific.
* Kavaliauskas scored a season-high 15 points against Savannah State and had 12 Grambling. He added 13 points and a career-best 7 rebounds against TSU.
* He is making a team-best 62.5 percent from the field.
* He made a three-pointer against Grambling.
* Kavaliauskas averaged 17.6 points and 10.0 rebounds last season at Barton County (Kan.) Community College and was widely considered to be the most improved JUCO player in the country as a sophomore.
* Last summer, he helped Lithuania to the FIBA Under 21 World Championship in Argentina.
Chris Walker
* In a story straight out of Hollywood, Chris Walker joined the Aggies last year as an unknown walk-on and earned a spot in the starting lineup, playing a key role in A&M?â„¢s NIT run.
* A true walk-on, Walker had been a student at A&M and had won an intramural basketball championship (his team was the Bill Waltons) the night before Billy Gillispie was hired as head coach.
* At 6?â„¢5?, Walker was dubbed a ?powerless forward? by Gillispie, but held his own against the much bigger, more talented forwards in the Big 12, earning a spot on the league?â„¢s All-Defense Team by The Daily Oklahoman.
* A member of the 2005 Big 12 All-Academic Team, he had a high-paying job awaiting him in the computer technology industry, but decided to use his final year of eligibility.
* Walker suffered a knee injury last summer and was expected to miss the first few weeks of the season, but has played in every game, starting five times, and is averaging 2.7 points.
* He made a key three-pointer in the seocnd half of A&M?â„¢s comeback win against Texas Tech, adding five rebounds and a career-high five assists.
* Walker has started all 17 straight Big 12 games.
* He graduated with a degree in computer science in December (3.8 GPA).
* One of the biggest surprises for the Aggies has been the play of freshman Josh Carter, who has started in five games and is averaging 8.5 points.
* He ranks 10th in the Big 12 in three-pointers per game (1.67), the most of any league freshman.
* He has scored 13 points in each of the last two games against Pacific and Texas Tech.
* Carter scored a career-high 20 points against Grambling, making 7-of-7 shots from the field and setting a school record for three-point percentage by making 5-of-5.
* He scored 15 points against Mississippi Valley State, making 4-of-4 three-pointers, and handed out nine assists against Tulane.
* Despite a tough shooting night against Penn State (4-14), he made a key three-pointer in the final minutes to help secure the win.
* His older brother, Warren, plays for Illinois.
Dominique Kirk
* Sophomore Dominique Kirk may be the team?â„¢s steadiest perimeter player, starting in all 43 games in his career.
* Kirk is averaging 7.5 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists while making 41.3 percent from three-point range (19-46).
* He missed his first five shots against Texas Tech, then made three straight three-pointers in second half rally.
* Kirk ranks fourth in the Big 12 in assists/turnover ratio at 2.38 and is 14th in assists.
* He scored a season-high 17 points against Savannah State and has 10 against Tulane.
* Kirk has scored at least 8 points in seven games.
* He has made 15-of-34 three-pointers (.441) in the last eight games.
* Kirk has made three treys in four games. He ranks 12th in the Big 12 in three-pointers per game (1.58).
Marlon Pompey
* Junior Marlon Pompey has started in 11 games and is averaging 7.8 points and 3.8 rebounds.
* Pompey leads the team and ranks seventh in the Big 12 in blocked shots with 1.42 per game.
* He ranks 11th in the Big 12 in free throw percentage, making 72.7 percent (40-55). He entered the season as a 55 percent career free throw shooter.
* Pompey has had at least one block in 11 games and has had at least two in five games.
* He scored a career-high 16 points with a season-high 6 rebounds and 3 blocks against Northwestern State.
* Pompey had 12 points in each of the first two games against Southern and Mississippi Valley.
Martellus Bennett
* Freshman Martellus Bennett, a member of the A&M football team, joined the team on Nov. 28 and has quickly made an impact.
* Bennett is averaging 4.3 points and 2.1 rebounds.
* Bennett scored 18 points against Grambling and followed with 12 against Savannah State, reaching double figures in free throw attempts in both games.
* He ranks second on the team with six blocked shots, including a key one late in his debut against Penn State.
* Bennett was rated as the top tight end prospect in the country out of high school and was rated as the 21st best hoops prospect by HoopScoop.
* He was named the 2005 Houston prep player of the year in basketball.
* Bennett was named second-team freshman All-America on the gridiron last fall.
* He?â„¢s the first football lettermen to play basketball at A&M since Billy Bob Barnett in 1969.
Getting to The Line
* The Aggies are averaging a whopping 27.8 free throw attempts per game, most in the Big 12.
* A&M has scored 25.6 percent of its points from the line, the most in the Big 12 and the 12th most in the nation.
* The Aggies rank second nationally in free throw rate (free throws made divided by field goal attempts) at 35.6 percent. This stat measures a team?â„¢s profiency at getting to the free throw line.
A Foul Number
* The Aggies are averaging 23.7 personal fouls per game, most in the Big 12 and fifth most nationally.
* A&M?â„¢s opponents have scored 32.8 percent of their points from the free throw line, the highest rate in the nation.
Making History
* Billy Gillispie is 32-11 in his second year as A&M?â„¢s head coach, the second-best coaching start in school history. D.X. Bible was 35-8 through his first 43 games in 1920-22.
* Gillispie is 56-19 in his last three years as a coach, the second best in that span among Big 12 coaches behind Oklahoma?â„¢s State?â„¢s Eddie Sutton (67-16).
* Gillispie has built a sparkling 44-4 (.917) record in home games in his last three seasons as a coach.
* Gillispie?â„¢s last two teams led the nation in improvement, a first in college basketball history.
* His 2003-04 team at Texas-El Paso posted an 18-win increase (6-24 in 2002-03 to 24-8) and his 2004-05 A&M team had a 14-win improvement (7-21 in 2003-04 to 21-10).
* The Aggies also went 8-8 in Big 12 play in 2005, becoming only the third college team ever to go .500 in league play after finishing winless the previous year (0-16). The others were Miami (Fla) (0-18 to 9-9 in Big East) and Louisiana Tech (0-18 to 9-9 in Sun Belt), both in 1994-95.0
* Gillispie was the consensus 2005 Big 12 coach of the year and was a finalist for national coach of the year honors.