October 31, 2006
The 13th-ranked Texas A&M men's basketball team opens its two-game exhibition schedule against Midwestern State, an NCAA Division II team, on Wednesday at 8 p.m. at Reed Arena.
Tickets range from $10-$24 and can be purchased at The 12th Man Foundation Ticket Center at Kyle Field and at Reed Arena.
Aggies Athletes Involved is also sponsoring a coat drive at all four men's and women's exhibition games. Coat donors will have a chance to win a basketball autographed by the team. All donated coats and blankets will be donated to Twin City Mission.
The game will be broadcast locally on WTAW-AM (1150) with Dave South on play-by-play and Al Pulliam on commentary.
The Aggies return four starters and their top six scorers from last season, when they finished 22-9 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. A&M is ranked in the preseason coaches' poll for the first time since 1980.
Senior Acie Law IV (6-3) and junior Joseph Jones (6-9) are preseason first-team All-Big 12 picks. Law led the Aggies last year with a 16.1 scoring average while Jones added 15.1 points and a team-best 6.5 rebounds.
Midwestern State returns two starters and six lettermen from last year's 16-11 team that placed fifth in the Lone Star Conference. Senior center Eric Dawson (6-9) averaged 15.7 points and 9.8 rebounds last season while senior guard Chad Rickett (6-1) added 13.0 points.
The game also will mark the debut of senior guard Drew Coffman (6-2), a transfer from Texas Tech.
The Aggies play their final exhibition against the Lithuanian Academy on Friday at 8:30 p.m. at Reed Arena, the second game of a double-header with the A&M women's team.