January 25, 2008
No. 16-ranked Texas A&M tries to break a three-game losing skid on Saturday when it plays Oklahoma State at Gallagher-Iba Arena. The nationally-televised game (ESPN) is set for 1 p.m.
GAME #20
#16/18 Texas A&M Aggies
(15-4, 1-3 Big 12 Conference)
vs.
Oklahoma State Cowboys
(10-8, 1-3 Big 12 Conference)
Saturday, Jan. 26
1 p.m. (CST)
Gallagher-Iba Arena (13,611 cap.)
Stillwater, Okla.
TELEVISION
ESPN
Play-by-Play: Ron Franklin
Analyst: Fran Fraschilla
RADIO
Texas A&M Sports Network
Play-by-Play: Dave South
Analyst: Al Pulliam
Sirius Satellite Radio: n/a
TEXAS A&M AGGIES
Record: 15-4 (1-3 Big 12)
Ranking: 16th (USA Today/ESPN), 18th (AP)
RPI: 53
Last Game: Lost to Baylor (116-110) on Wedneday
Head Coach: Mark Turgeon (Kansas ?'87)
Record: 168-123 (10th year)
at Texas A&M: 15-4 (1st year)
vs. Oklahoma State: 0-2
TENTATIVE TEXAS A&M STARTERS
No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Class PPG RPG APG
22 Dominique Kirk G 6-4 185 Sr-3L 8.0 3.4 4.0
15 Donald Sloan G 6-3 205 So-1L 9.3 3.9 3.1
23 Josh Carter F 6-7 200 Jr-2L 13.5 4.1 --
30 Joseph Jones F 6-9 255 Sr-3L 11.4 5.4 --
0 Bryan Davis F/C 6-9 250 So-1L 8.5 4.8 --
OKLAHOMA STATE COWBOYS
Record: 10-8 (1-3 Big 12)
Ranking: Not ranked
RPI: 135
Last Game: Lost to Texas (63-31) on Monday
Head Coach: Sean Sutton (Oklahoma State ?'92)
Record: 32-21 (2nd year)
at Oklahoma State: 32-21 (2nd year)
vs. Texas A&M: 1-2
TENTATIVE OKLAHOMA STATE STARTERS
No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Class PPG RPG APG
00 Byron Eaton G 5-11 215 Jr-2L 9.6 3.2 3.1
1 Terrel Harris G 6-0 190 Jr-2L 11.7 4.8 1.6
23 James Anderson G 6-6 195 Fr-Hs 15.6 3.3 --
5 Marcus Dove F 6-9 215 Sr-3L 10.9 5.9 --
21 Ibrahima Thomas C 6-11 238 Fr-Hs 5.4 3.9
Key Game Notes
*The Aggies have lost three straight games for the first time since early in the 2006 Big 12 season, when they also started 1-3. A&M eventually started 3-6 that season before running off eight straight wins.
*The Aggies are coming off a 116-110 five-overtime loss to Baylor at home on Wednesday.
*Oklahoma State has been idle since a 63-61 loss to Texas at home on Monday.
*A&M is 0-3 in true road games this season, falling to Arizona, Texas Tech and Kansas State.
*Oklahoma State is 9-1 at home. The loss to Texas ended a 10-game home winning streak for the Cowboys.
About Oklahoma State
*The Cowboys finished 21-13 last season, placing 7th in the Big 12 with a 6-10 mark. They advanced to the NIT, where they lost in the opening round.
*Oklahoma State is in its second season under Coach Sean Sutton.
*Oklahoma State is led by freshman guard/forward James Anderson (6-6), who is averaging 15.6 points per game and has made 42 three-point field goals. Junior guard Terrel Harris (6-5) averages 11.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and has made almost 85 percent from the free throw line to lead the Big 12. Senior forward Marcus Dove (6-9) adds 10.9 points and a team-best 5.9 rebounds.
*Oklahoma State ranks third in the Big 12 in free throw percentage, making .713.
*The Cowboys also rank third in the league in three-pointers per game with a 7.39 average.
Series Notes
*OSU leads the series, 27-11, with an 11-2 advantage in games played in Stillwater and an 11-1 mark at Gallagher-Iba Arena.
*A&M swept the regular season series last year, posting a 67-49 win in College Station and a 66-46 victory in Stillwater, its first win at Gallagher-Iba Arena. It was A&M?â„¢s first win in Stillwater since 1923.
*Oklahoma State won the last meeting, edging the Aggies (57-56) in the first round of the Big 12 Championship in Oklahoma City.
*Prior to last season, the previous two games in Stillwater were decided by close margins. OSU had a 69-63 win in 2005 and held on for a 79-77 victory in 2006.
Sidebars
*A&M freshman Derrek Lewis is from Tulsa, where he led Union HS to a 26-1 record and the Class 6A state semifinals last season.
*Oklahoma State has three Texans on its roster -- junior guard Byron Eaton (Dallas), Terrel Harris (Dallas) and Tyler Hatch (Fort Worth).
Who?â„¢s Hot?
*Sophomore Bryan Davis posted career highs in rebounding (30) and rebounding (14) against Baylor for his first career-double-double. Davis leads the team in blocks (26) and steals (17) and is third in rebounding (4.8). He ranks fifth in the Big 12 in blocks (1.37).
*A preseason All-America candidate, senior forward Joseph Jones was named MVP of the Dick?â„¢s Sporting Goods NIT Season-Tip-Off in November. Jones is listed among the top 50 candidates for the Wooden Award and is a consensus preseason first-team All-Big 12 pick. Jones ranks among the school?â„¢s career top 10 in scoring, rebounding, blocked shots, field goal percentage, steals, free throws and free throw attempts. Jones, who graduated on Dec. 14 (agricultural leadership), scored has scored in double figures in 16 games, including eight straight.
*Senior guard Dominique Kirk owns the Big 12 record for consecutive starts with 115. Kirk is the winningest player in school history with an 85-30 (.739) record. A defensive All-American last year, Kirk has been named the Big 12?â„¢s top defender for the second straight preseason by The Sporting News. He ranks fifth in the Big 12 in assists (4.0) and ranks second in the Big 12 (19th nationally) in assist/turnover ratio (2.71). Kirk scored 13 points with 5 assists against Baylor.
*Junior Josh Carter ranks second in career three-point accuracy in Big 12 history at 43.6 percent. He leads the team with a 13.5 scoring average and has scored in double figures in 13 straight games.
*Freshman DeAndre Jordan, a preseason freshman All-America pick, ranks second nationally in field goal percentage (.703, 100 FGA min.). A member of the preseason NIT all-tournament team, Jordan made an A&M and Big 12 record 17 straight field goal attempts in November. Jordan scored 14 points with 9 rebounds against Colorado, including five dunks. One of the dunks was named one of the top four plays in college basketball that week by ESPN.
*Sophomore Donald Sloan tied his career with with 18 points against Baylor and added 7 assists and a career-best 7 rebounds. Sloan has averaged 12.6 points in the last five games.
Aggie Angles
*The Aggies rank fifth nationally in rebounding margin at +9.8. A&M outrebounded its first 17 opponents, but has been out-boarded in each of the last two games.
*A&M?â„¢s 15-4 record under Mark Turgeon is the best coaching debut in school history.
*A&M ranks 13th nationally in field goal percentage defense at .376 and has held 12 opponents under 40 percent. The Aggies are allowing just 62.1 points per game, just behind last year?â„¢s school record of 59.4.
*A&M ranks 14th nationally in field goal accuracy at 49.2 percent.
*The Aggies?â„¢ 64 home wins in the last four seasons are the most in the nation in that period.
*A&M is 42-11 since the start of last season, ranking among the winningest teams in the country in that span.
*A&M is averaging 24.4 bench points per game, 33 percent of its total offensive output.
*With six players listed at 6?â„¢9? or taller, the 2007-08 Aggies are the tallest in school history and among the biggest in college basketball. At 7?â„¢0?, freshman DeAndre Jordan is the fourth 7-footer to play at A&M, joining Andy Slocum (1999-04), Steve Niles (1968-71) and Lewis Qualls (1960-63).
*Like Mark Turgeon?â„¢s teams at Wichita State, the Aggies are among the most balanced in college basketball. Eight different players have scored in double figures this season and seven are averaging between 6-14 points. Turgeon?â„¢s teams at WSU always had at least six players averaging in a similar range.
*A&M fell to No. 16 in the USA Today/ESPN coaches?â„¢ poll and to No. 18 in the AP poll this week. The Aggies have been ranked in both polls a school record 32 straight weeks. Prior to this streak, A&M has been ranked a total of 27 weeks in its entire history.