February 08, 2008
No. 18-ranked Texas A&M goes for its fifth straight win on Saturday when the Aggies battle the Missouri Tigers at 12:47 p.m. at Mizzou Arena. The game will be televised by ESPN Regional.
GAME #24
#18/18 Texas A&M Aggies
(19-4, 5-3 Big 12 Conference)
vs.
Missouri Tigers
(13-10, 3-5 Big 12 Conference)
Saturday, Feb. 9
12:47 p.m. (CST)
Mizzou Arena (15,061 cap.)
Columbia, Mo.
TELEVISION
ESPN Regional
Play-by-Play: Dave Armstrong
Analyst: Jon Sundvold
RADIO
Texas A&M Sports Network
Play-by-Play: Dave South
Analyst: Al Pulliam
Sirius Satellite Radio: 130 (MU broadcast)
TEXAS A&M AGGIES
Record: 19-4 (5-3 Big 12)
Ranking: 18th (USA Today/ESPN), 18th (AP)
RPI: 27
Last Game: Won at Iowa State (69-51) on Tuesday
Head Coach: Mark Turgeon (Kansas ?'87)
Record: 172-123 (10th year)
at Texas A&M: 19-4 (1st year)
vs. Missouri: 0-0
TENTATIVE TEXAS A&M STARTERS
No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Class PPG RPG APG
22 Dominique Kirk G 6-4 185 Sr-3L 8.5 3.5 3.8
15 Donald Sloan G 6-3 205 So-1L 9.4 4.1 3.1
23 Josh Carter F 6-7 200 Jr-2L 13.3 4.4 --
30 Joseph Jones F 6-9 255 Sr-3L 11.4 5.3 --
0 Bryan Davis F/C 6-9 250 So-1L 8.9 4.9 --
MISSOURI TIGERS
Record: 13-10 (3-5 Big 12)
Ranking: Unranked
RPI: 84
Last Game: Lost at Kansas (90-71) on Monday
Head Coach: Mike Anderson (Tulsa ?'82)
Record: 120-63 (6th year)
at Missouri: 31-22 (2nd year)
vs. Texas A&M: 0-1
TENTATIVE MISSOURI STARTERS
No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Class PPG RPG APG
2 Keon Lawrence G 6-2 180 So-1L 10.5 3.7 2.6
4 J.T. Tiller G 6-3 190 Fr-Hs 6.9 2.0 --
33 Matt Lawrence F 6-6 205 Jr-2L 8.9 2.9 --
32 Vaidotas Volkus F 6-8 220 Sr-1L 2.7 1.9 --
1 DeMarre Carroll F 6-8 225 Jr-Tr 13.7 7.4 --
Key Game Notes
*A&M?â„¢s 19-4 start is the second best in school history after 23 games behind last year?â„¢s 20-3 start. It is the best start by a first-year head coach in A&M history.
*A&M?â„¢s 5-3 start in Big 12 play is also the second best in school history behind last year?â„¢s 7-1 start.
*The Aggies have won four straight and are coming off a 69-51 win at Iowa State on Tuesday.
*The Tigers have lost five of their last seven games and are coming off a 90-71 loss at Kansas on Monday.
*A&M is 2-3 in true road games this season, 2-2 in Big 12 play, but have won two straight. The Aggies have won 11 of their last 15 Big 12 road games since 2006.
*Missouri is 11-2 at home, 2-2 in Big 12 play.
About Missouri
*The Tigers finished 18-12 last season, placing sixth in the Big 12 with a 7-9 mark.
*Missouri is in its second season under Coach Mike Anderson, who previously coached at UAB.
*The Tigers only home losses this season were to Kansas (76-70) and Nebraska (66-62). Their top home wins have been against Kansas State (77-74), Texas (97-84) and Purdue (73-63).
*Missouri also beat Maryland (84-70) in non-conference play and had losses to Michigan State, Arkansas, California, Illinois and Mississippi State.
*The Tigers are led by senior guard Stefhon Hannah (6-1), who is averaging 14.7 points but has missed the last three games with a broken jaw. Junior forward DeMarre Carroll (6-8) averages 13.7 points and a team-best 7.4 rebounds.
Series Notes
*Missouri leads the series, 11-5, with a 5-1 edge in games played in Columbia.
*A&M has won three straight against the Tigers and is 1-0 at the Mizzou Arena after posting a 54-51 win two years ago. A&M won last year?â„¢s game in College Station, 94-78.
Sidebars
*Missouri Associate Head Coach Melvin Watkins served as head coach at Texas A&M for six seasons from 1998-04. Watkins recruited and signed current A&M standout Joseph Jones.
*Missouri senior forward Marshall Brown is from Austin (LBJ High School).
*A&M Senior Athletic Assistant Bill Walker is a native of Warrensburg, Mo., where he earned first-team all-state honors as a high school senior. He played collegiately at State Fair CC in Sedalia, Mo., and at Missouri-Rolla. Walker served as an assistant coach at Missouri-St. Louis (1989-96) and Central Missouri State (1996-99).
Who?â„¢s Hot?
*Junior Josh Carter scored 19 points with 10 rebounds against Texas, his third career-double-double and his second in Big 12 play this season. He followed with 12 points at Iowa State, making 4-of-6 three-pointers. Carter ranks second in career 3-point accuracy in Big 12 history at .435 and has scored in double figures in 16 of the last 17 games.
*Senior guard Dominique Kirk owns the Big 12 record for consecutive starts with 119 and needs one more to tie the A&M career record. Kirk is the winningest player in school history with an 89-30 (.748) 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. His primary defensive assignment in Big 12 play this year has made just 30 percent from the field. Kirk ranks second in the Big 12 (11th nationally) in assist/turnover ratio (2.93) and leads the league in free throw accuracy (.947) in conference play.
*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 was a consensus preseason first-team All-Big 12 pick. He 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 in December (agricultural leadership), scored has scored in double figures in 19 games, including 11 of the last 12. Jones scored a season-high 18 points with 6 rebounds against Oklahoma.
*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 (30) and steals (24) and is third in rebounding (4.9). He is making .635 from the field in Big 12 play and has averaged 14.5 points and 7.5 rebounds in the last two games.
*Freshman DeAndre Jordan, a preseason freshman All-America pick, ranks sixth nationally in field goal percentage (.664, 125 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.
*Sophomore Donald Sloan has averaged 11.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.0 assists in the last five games.
Aggie Angles
*The Aggies rank fourth nationally in rebounding margin at +9.0. A&M has out-rebounded its opponent in all 19 wins.
*A&M has posted a win against a top 10 team four straight years. Prior to that, A&M had only four top-10 victories in its entire history. The Aggies have beaten 10 ranked teams in the last four seasons.
*A&M?â„¢s 19-4 record under Mark Turgeon is the best coaching debut in school history. It is the second-best record after 23 games in school history behind last year?â„¢s 20-3 start.
*A&M leads the Big 12 and ranks 8th nationally in field goal percentage defense at .376, and has held 14 opponents under 40 percent. The Aggies are allowing just 61.0 points per game, just behind last year?â„¢s school record of 59.4. A&M has held three of its last four opponents to 56 points or fewer.
*A&M ranks 13th nationally in field goal accuracy at 48.9 percent.
*A&M, Kansas and Georgetown are the only schools to rank among the top 15 nationally in offensive and defensive field goal percentage and in scoring margin (12th, +14.6).
*The Aggies?â„¢ 66 home wins in the last four seasons are tied for the most in the nation in that period with Memphis.
*A&M is 46-11 since the start of last season, 11th most in the country in that span.
*A&M has had more free throw attempts than its opponent in all 19 wins.
*With six players listed at 6-9 or taller, the 2007-08 Aggies are the tallest in school history and among the biggest in college basketball. At 7-0, 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).
*The Aggies are among the most balanced scoring teams in college basketball. Eight different players have scored in double figures this season and A&M is the only Big 12 team with six players averaging more than 8.5 points.
*A&M climbed five spots to No. 18 in the USA Today/ESPN coaches?â„¢ poll and the AP poll this week. The Aggies have been ranked in both polls a school record 34 straight weeks. Prior to this streak, A&M had been ranked a total of 27 weeks in its history.
*A&M has made .728 from the free throw line in the last four games. In Big 12 play, four of the five starters are making at least 70 percent from the line. Donald Sloan has made just .455 in conference play, but is 6-of-6 in the last two games.