November 09, 2006
The No. 14/14-ranked Texas A&M women's basketball team (0-0) commences the 2006-07 season with high expectations. Entering the year on the national radar for the second time ever in school history, the Aggies play host to 2006 NCAA Tournament participant Pepperdine (0-0) on Friday, Nov. 10 at Reed Arena at 6 p.m. This will be the earliest start for an Aggie Basketball team in 33 seasons played. A&M previously opened the 1982-83 season versus Southwestern on Nov. 12, 1982. The team's season home opener will be a part of a doubleheader night as the No. 13-ranked Texas A&M men's basketball team takes on Prairie View immediately following the game at 8:30 p.m.
| GAME INFO |
| Friday, Nov. 10, 6 p.m. (CST) Reed Arena (12,500), College Station Tickets: |
| RECORDS |
| Texas A&M: 0-0 Pepperdine: 0-0 |
| RANKINGS |
| A&M is ranked 14th by both The Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today. |
| TELEVISION |
| None |
| LIVE VIDEO |
| Tom Turbiville, play-by-play Tap Bentz, commentary (broadcast time 5:45 p.m. CST) |
| RADIO |
| WTAW-AM 1620 (Local) Tom Turbiville, play-by-play Tap Bentz, commentary (broadcast time 5:45 p.m. CST) |
| INTERNET |
| Live Video (Free): (Aggies All-Access) Live Audio (Free): (Aggies All-Access) Live Stats: (aggieathletics.com) |
| SERIES |
| Series Tied, 1-1 Last Meeting: (12/20/00) |
| UP NEXT |
| A&M hosts Mercer Thursday, Nov. 16, 7 p.m. (CST) Reed Arena, College Station |
SCOUTING PEPPERDINE
Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount were tied as the preseason favorites to win the West Coast Conference title. Last season, the Waves upset top-seeded Santa Clara (71-67) in the championship game of the WCC Tournament to receive the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. It was their fourth all-time appearance and first under third-year coach Julie Rousseau. They later lost in the NCAA First Round to Oklahoma (78-66). The Waves return four starters including junior guard Daphanie Kennedy who averaged a team-leading 12.6 points per game last season. Three of the 15 players on the Pepperdine roster hail from states other than California or the west coast. Junior guard Shannon Johnson is a native Texan (Highland Village) from the North Dallas area. Pepperdine is one of four non-conference opponents on this year's schedule that advanced to postseason play including Washington (NCAA), Rice (WNIT) and Western Illinois (WNIT).
PROBABLE STARTING LINEUPS
TEXAS A&M
No. Name (2005-06 Stats)
#10 A'Quonesia Franklin, G, 5-3, Jr. (9.3 ppg, 4.7 apg)
#3 Takia Starks, G, 5-8, So. (11.9 ppg, 2.8 rpg)
#21 Morenike Atunrase, G/F, 5-10, Jr. (14.0 ppg, 4.1 rpg)
#24 Patrice Reado, F, 6-0, Jr. (5.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg)
#12 La Toya Micheaux, C, 6-3, So. (2.9 ppg, 5.1 rpg)
PEPPERDINE
No. Name (2005-06 Stats)
#32 Shannon Johnson, G, 5-8, Jr. (3.4 ppg, 3.0 rpg)
#22 Daphanie Kennedy, G, 5-7, Jr. (12.6 ppg, 5.0 rpg)
#31 Jessica Ross, G, 5-10, So. (5.2 ppg, 2.4 rpg)
#4 Teena Wickett, F, 6-3, Fr. (None)
#44 Teiosha George, F, 6-4, Jr. (8.4 ppg, 5.9 rpg)
SERIES NOTES
A&M and Pepperdine are tied 1-1 in the all-time series with each school capturing a win on their home courts. Both contests in the series have been decided by 10 points or less. Their most recent meeting occurred during the 2000-01 season. The Aggies claimed a 74-65 victory on Dec. 20, 2000, in College Station, while the Waves defeated A&M, 101-91, on Dec. 8, 1980, in Malibu, Calif.
AGAINST THE WCC
The Aggies are 10-5 all-time against opponents from the West Coast Conference having played Portland (2-0), Saint Mary's (4-0), San Francisco (1-3) and Santa Clara (2-1). Pepperdine is one of two schools A&M will face from the WCC this season. The Aggies will compete in the four-team Loyola Marymount Thanksgiving Tournament on Nov. 24-25 and could face LMU or American in the championship or consolation game.
AGGIES IN SEASON OPENERS
The Aggies are 20-12 all-time in season openers. They will start the year off at home for the first time since the 2002-03 campaign. A&M is 13-3 all-time in openers at home. This will only be the second time an Aggie team has played at home in a season opener during the Gary Blair Era (1-2). Last year, A&M downed Saint Peter's, 77-36, in front of any opening day record crowd of 2,386 at Reed Arena. The Aggies also shattered the school record for blocks in a game with 18 surpassing the mark of 13 set in 1995. It marked the second-most in NCAA history and broke the Big 12 record. Prior to that, both the 2003-04 and 2004-05 squads opened the year on the road at neutral tournament sites in Boston and Miami respectively.
PROGRAM ON THE RISE
In a recent season preview on ESPN.com, Texas A&M was picked as the nation's top team on the rise in a vote by the website's women's basketball analysts. With all five starters returning from last year's 23-9 NCAA Tournament squad, many analysts have high hopes for the Aggies. Junior All-American candidate Morenike Atunrase (Shreveport, La.) also received votes among the ESPN.com panel's top five players at each position in the nation.
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT THE AGGIES ...
"The A&M "Wrecking Crew" used to be one of the fiercest defenses in college football. Gary Blair has brought that mentality to the hardwood. It's all about the defense. His team was tops in the Big 12 last season, giving up just 57.5 points a game. The Aggies' average of 11 steals led to a lot of points, too. Not only are the Aggies quick and talented, they're also hungry after their first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 1996. That experience is sure to make a difference along the way." - SI.com Writer Tracy Schultz
"Texas A&M is on the rise with everybody back and looking to be even better than last year. The Aggies turned things around last season, improving from four league wins to 11 conference victories. The Aggies are young and deep and tremendously athletic. Coach Gary Blair brings the experience to the bench." - ESPN Analyst Beth Mowins
"Gary Blair has done a wonderful job at Texas A&M, just as we all expected. Coming off a 23-9 season that resulted in a third-place finish in the Big 12 and a return to the Top 25, the Aggies tied their highest-ever national ranking with the No. 14 spot in the AP Top 25. In fact, 12 years had passed since the last time Texas A&M appeared in the AP preseason poll. There's good reason to be excited about this team. After reaching the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1996 last season, the Aggies are an up-tempo squad that didn't lose any starters and added four solid recruits. Morenike Atunrase (14.0 ppg) leads the way and is a two-guard that shouldn't be overlooked. She and Takia Starks and A'Quonesia Franklin each hit at least 31 3-pointers last season. The Aggies are here to stay - they only have two seniors on their roster." - ESPN Analyst Nancy Lieberman
IN THE NATIONAL POLLS
Texas A&M tied its highest-ever national ranking with the No. 14 spot in the preseason Associated Press Top 25 Poll released on Nov. 8. The Aggies were also picked a school-best No. 14 in the USA TODAY/ESPN Coaches Top 25 Poll released on Nov. 1. Both preseason rankings rewrote A&M's previous all-time high in the national polls. The Aggies were ranked No. 18 in the AP Poll during the regular season on Jan. 24, 1995. A&M was the second-highest Big 12 Conference school appearing in the poll behind third-ranked Oklahoma (31-5). League rivals Baylor (26-7) and Texas (13-15) rounded out the poll at No. 19 and No. 25 respectively. The Aggies have enjoyed preseason billing by numerous media outlets including a No. 9 ranking by Street & Smith's, No. 9 ranking by SI.com, No. 12 ranking by CSTV.com, No. 13 ranking by ESPN.com, No. 15 ranking by Lindy's Basketball Annual and No. 24 ranking by Athlon Sports.
EXHIBITION RECAP
In exhibition play, A&M went an undefeated 2-0 for the first time since the 2003-04 season. The Aggies downed Athletes In Action (77-57) on Nov. 3 and the Houston Jaguars (94-36) on Nov. 6. The A&M defense held its two exhibition opponents to under 58 points, including a season-low 57 points versus AIA. The Aggies became the first nationally-ranked team to hold the Jaguars under 40 points during their 2006 college tour. No. 11-ranked Rutgers (54 points) on Nov. 4 and fifth-ranked Tennessee (51 points) on Nov. 5. Last season, A&M held opponents to an average of 57.5 points per game. It's no wonder that the Aggies led the Big 12 in scoring defense, total steals (353) and turnover margin (+7.8). A&M also ranked among the top four teams in scoring offense (69.6).
Team Score (Margin of Victory)
vs. Athletes In Action (exh.) 77-57 (20+)
vs. Houston Jaguars (exh.) 94-36 (58+)
SCHOOL TIES
It will be a mini-reunion of sorts for Texas A&M senior center Lenka Zimova (Partizanske, Slovakia) and Pepperdine junior guard Nakeya Isabell. Zimova and Isabell previously junior college ball at the College of Southern Idaho under coach Randy Rogers in Twin Falls, Idaho. There, Zimova was ranked No. 2 nationally among junior college post players and is the highest rated junior college player ever signed by A&M. Both started for the Golden Eagles and led the team to the 2005 NJCAA National Championship Game.
2006 EUROPEAN TOUR
The Aggies went an undefeated 5-0 during their 10-day tour through Europe from Aug. 13-23. It marked the first time in school history for A&M to play on foreign soil in France, Switzerland and Monaco. They went on to defeat Reims (69-60) on Aug. 16, F.C. Lyon (73-48) on Aug. 17, BBC Troistorrents (102-48) on Aug. 18, Martigny (108-58) on Aug. 19 and Roquebrune (88-58) on Aug. 22. It was the third squad that head coach Gary Blair took overseas during his 22-year coaching career, including a 1999 trip to Australia while the head women's basketball coach at Arkansas and a 1996 trip to Taiwan as an assistant coach with the U.S. Jones Cup Team. The Aggies look forward to making an overseas trip once every four years, which NCAA rules permit.
WHAT'S BACK
Texas A&M returns one of the nation's and Big 12's most-experienced squads returning all of its starting five to the lineup in 2006-07. More than 70 percent of last year's roster was comprised of players in their first or second year with the program. Freshmen and sophomores accounted for 75 percent of the team's scoring last season. The Aggies return their top four scorers including junior Morenike Atunrase (14.0 ppg), sophomore Takia Starks (11.9 ppg), junior A'Quonesia Franklin (9.3 ppg) and sophomore Danielle Gant (8.5 ppg). The Aggies also return experience under the basket with three of their top rebounders back in Gant (5.9 rpg), sophomore La Toya Micheaux (5.1 rpg) and junior Patrice Reado (4.5 rpg).
Category (Returning/Lost)
Scoring (84%/16%)
Rebounding (70%/30%)
Assists (83%/17%)
Blocks (82%/18%)
Steals (82%/18%)
3PT Shooting (96%/4%)
FT Shooting (83%/17%)
Minutes Played (81%/19%)
SECOND BEST
A&M was picked to finish a school-best second in the Big 12 Preseason Poll on Oct. 17. The preseason prediction is the highest ever for the Aggies since the league's inception in 1997. Prior to being picked seventh in last year's poll, the league's coaches had never tabbed A&M above No. 10. Last season, the Aggies matched their most victories ever in conference play (11). It marked the most wins for the Aggies in the Big 12 era. The record propelled the team from a seventh-place selection in the Big 12 Preseason Poll, to a program-best third-place finish at the end of the 2005-06 campaign. Defending conference champion Oklahoma received all 11 possible first-place votes for a total of 121 points. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team. A&M received the other remaining first-place vote with a total of 107 points followed by rival Texas (101), Baylor (94), Iowa State (68), Nebraska (66), Kansas State (57), Texas Tech (57), Missouri (43), Kansas (36), Colorado (26) and Oklahoma State (16).
AGGIES ON THE RADIO
All Texas A&M women's basketball games can be heard via a radio broadcast on the Texas A&M Sports Network with Tom Turbiville (play-by-play) and Tap Bentz (color analyst) calling the action live from Reed Arena on WTAW-AM (1620).
ATUNRASE ON WOODEN WATCH LIST
Junior Morenike Atunrase was recently named one of the nation's top preseason candidates for the prestigious John R. Wooden Women's Award. It marked the first time in school history a preseason nomination such as the John R. Wooden Award has been bestowed on a Texas A&M women's basketball player. Atunrase is one of the top returning players in the Big 12 Conference having been selected to the five-member preseason All-Big 12 Team last month. An All-Big 12 First Team selection a year ago, Atunrase averaged a team-leading 14.0 points and 1.8 blocks per game and led the Aggies to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1996. She was named Big 12 Freshman of the Year in 2005. Created in 1976, the award is the most prestigious individual honor in all of college basketball. Past winners include such notables as Larry Bird (1979), Michael Jordan (1984) and Tim Duncan (1997). On the women's side, Duke's Alana Beard was the inaugural winner of the award in 2004 and LSU's Seimone Augustus was a two-time recipient in 2005 and 2006.
ATUNRASE BY THE NUMBERS
5 - The number of league players named to the preseason All-Big 12 Team which included Atunrase.
29 - The number of points scored against Kansas last year, which reset a new career-high and earned her Big 12 Player of the Week honors for the first time of her career.
30 - The number of players in the nation, including Atunrase, selected as preseason candidates for the John R. Wooden Women's Award.
40 - The number of times she has blocked a shot in her last 44 contests dating back to her freshman season.
56 - The number of career starts made for the Aggies.
58 - The number of shots blocked during the 2005-06 season, which stands as the single-season school record in the category.
115 - The number of career blocks made which ranks third all-time at Texas A&M.
770 - The number of career points tallied through the end of last season.
2005 - The year in which she received Big 12 Freshman of the Year honors.
MASTER ARCHITECT, MASTER BUILDER
Texas A&M head coach Gary Blair enters his fourth season in Aggieland after building successful women's basketball programs at Arkansas (1993-03) and Stephen F. Austin (1985-93). In just three seasons at A&M, Blair and his coaching staff have guided the Aggies to the second-best two-year turnaround in Big 12 history for a team with a sub .500 record from the previous year. A&M posted a 4-12 record in 2005 and followed up with an 11-5 record in 2006 (+7 wins). Blair also led the Aggies to only their third all-time NCAA Tournament appearance in 2005-06 and first trip to the Big Dance since 1996.
WHAT AN EXCITING TIME TO BE AN AGGIE
Texas A&M is one of only four schools in the nation along with Ohio State, Tennessee and LSU, with its football and men's and women's basketball programs all currently ranked in the USA TODAY Coaches Top 25 Polls. The football team is ranked No. 23, men's basketball No. 13 and women's basketball No. 14.
AGGIES ON THE AIR
A school-record five national television games highlight the 2006-07 slate. A&M will face Big 12 Conference South foes in Baylor (Jan. 13), Texas (Jan. 21) and Oklahoma twice (Jan. 27 and Feb. 10) on Fox Sports Net. Senior Day against rival Texas (Feb. 28) may be added to the television packet as part of the Big 12's wildcard game on FSN. The Aggies will also make their first regular season and second all-time appearance on ESPN2, with an end-of-the-year matchup scheduled at Baylor (Feb. 25).
WATCH AGGIE BASKETBALL LIVE
Throughout the 2006-07 season, Texas A&M women's basketball non-televised home games will be available via a live video and audio feed on Aggies All-Access free of charge on www.AggieAthletics.com. CSTV Aggies All-Access, which debuted in September, is the most watched channel on the CSTV network. Fans can access live and archived audio and video of football, basketball, baseball, soccer, volleyball, softball, swimming, tennis and more. Ticket prices for Friday's doubleheader range from $10-$24 and can be purchased at The 12th Man Foundation Ticket Center at Kyle Field and at Reed Arena. One ticket is good for admission to both games.