Aggies Face SMU in Season's First Road Trip

Nov. 15, 2009

College Station, TX - Texas A&M makes it's first appearance at SMU's Moody Coliseum since 1996 when the Aggies play the Mustangs Monday night in Dallas.

GAME #2

Texas A&M Aggies(1-0, 0-0 Big 12)

vs.

SMU Mustangs

(0-1, 0-0 Conference USA)

 

Monday, Nov. 16, 2009

7:05 p.m. (CT)

Moody Coliseum (8,998 cap.)

Dallas, Texas

 

TELEVISION: None

 

RADIO: Texas A&M Sports Network

http://www.aggieathletics.com/multimedia/aggies-on-the-radio.html

Dave South, play-by-play

Al Pulliam, commentary

Sirius Satellite Radio: Channel 154

 

WEEKLY PRESS CONFERENCE AUDIO (Wednesday): http://www.aggieathletics.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/111109aaa.html

 

Texas A&M Aggies

Record: 1-0 (0-0 Big 12)

Ranking: Receiving votes (AP and Coaches)

Head Coach: Mark Turgeon (Kansas `87)

                Record: 203-140 (12th year)

                at Texas A&M: 50-21 (3rd year)

                vs. SMU: 1-0

 

Projected Texas A&M Starters

No.         Player                                   Pos.       Ht.          Wt.         Cl.           PPG       RPG       APG

5              Dash Harris                         G             6-1          175         So          9.0          2.0          3.0      

15           Donald Sloan                      G             6-3          205         Sr            14.0       5.0          4.0         

3              Derrick Roland                   G             6-4          190         Sr           12.0        2.0          3.0

10           David Loubeau                  F              6-8          230         So           20.0        9.0          --

0              Bryan Davis                         F              6-9          250         Sr           17.0        6.0          --

 

Off the Bench

11           B.J. Holmes                         G             5-11       175         Jr             3.0          1.0          --

22           Khris Middleton                F              6-7          215         Fr           2.0          8.0          --

23           Naji Hibbert                        G             6-6          200         Fr           7.0          1.0          --

45           Nathan Walkup                 F              6-7          210         Jr            2.0          5.0          --

 

SMU Mustangs

Record: 0-1 (0-0 Conference USA)

Ranking: n/a

Head Coach: Matt Doherty (North Carolina `84)

                Record:  123-130 (9th year)

                at SMU: 33-59 (4th year)

                vs. Texas A&M: 0-1

 

Series Notes

•  SMU leads the series, 90-86, but A&M won five of the last six dating back to the mid-1990s when the Southwest Conference was disbanded.

•  SMU won the last meeting in Dallas, 75-72, in 1995-96. The Mustangs have a 60-24 edge in games played in Dallas with a 23-8 mark at Moody Coliseum. The Aggies' last win at Moody Coliseum came in 1995 (79-60).

•  A&M is 235-248 against current members of Conference USA. nSMU leads the series, 90-86, but A&M won five of the last six dating back to the mid-1990s when the Southwest Conference was disbanded.

•  SMU won the last meeting in Dallas, 75-72, in 1995-96. The Mustangs have a 60-24 edge in games played in Dallas with a 23-8 mark at Moody Coliseum. The Aggies' last win at Moody Coliseum came in 1995 (79-60).

•  A&M is 235-248 against current members of Conference USA.

Key Game Notes

•  A&M and SMU are former members of the Southwest Conference, which disbanded in 1996.

•  The teams played last season in College Station for the first time since 1996 with the Aggies winning, 66-56.

•  A&M is making its first appearance at Moody Coliseum since a 75-72 loss to the Mustangs in 1996.

•  The Aggies worked out at SMU's practice facility adjoining Moody Coliseum before traveling to Anaheim, Calif. for the 2008 NCAA Tournament. The team attended the funeral for Donald Sloan's mother that day in Dallas.

•  The win against Angelo State was the 50th for Mark Turgeon at A&M as he begins his third season as head coach. Turgeon's 49 wins in his first two seasons were a Big 12 record.

•  Both teams opened their seasons with home games Saturday. The Aggies beat Angelo State, 88-69, while the Mustangs fell to South Florida, 67-61.

 

About SMU

•  The Mustangs finished 9-21 in 2008-09 and placed 12th in Conference USA with a 3-13 mark.

•  SMU is in its fourth year under Head Coach Matt Doherty. Doherty and A&M's Mark Turgeon are both former assistants under Roy Williams when he was at Kansas. In fact, Doherty replaced Turgeon in 1992 when Turgeon left Kansas to join Jerry Green's staff at Oregon.

•  The Mustangs are led by senior guard Derek Williams (6-1), who scored 19 points in the opener against South Florida. SMU led South Florida by three (32-29) at halfime before South Florida shot a blazing 65 percent from the field in the second half.

 

Last Year's Game

COLLEGE STATION (AP, Dec. 17, 2008) -- Josh Carter scored 14 points, Bryan Davis grabbed 11 rebounds and Texas A&M defeated SMU 66-56 for the Aggies' fifth straight victory. A 3-pointer by Carter, a steal and a layup by Carter and two inside baskets by B.J. Holmes gave the Aggies a 62-51 lead with 1:39 left. Robert Nyakundi led SMU with 18 points. He hit two 3-pointers as the Mustangs took an early 8-2 lead, but the Aggies (9-1) came back and led 37-27 at the half.

 

Sidebar

•  A&M's three senior starters are from the Dallas area -- Bryan Davis (Grand Prairie HS). The trio need 22 more wins to become the winningest class in A&M history. Monday's game marks the first time any of them have played in Dallas since their senior years in high school.

 

Angelo State Recap

COLLEGE STATION (AP) -- Forward David Loubeau scored a career-high 20 points as Texas A&M defeated Angelo State 88-69 on Friday night in the season opener for both teams. The Aggies used a 15-7 run over the last 4:37 of the first half to build a 17-point halftime lead at 48-31.The Aggies shot 50 percent in each half, going 16 of 32, then 17 of 34. A&M held the Rams to 38.6 percent from the field. Loubeau also tallied a team-high nine rebounds. The Aggies won going away despite shooting only 4 of 16 from the 3-point line, and 18 of 30 from the free-throw line. LaMarshall Corbett paced the Rams with a game-high 22 points. The Aggies and Rams hadn't played since the 1983-84 season. A&M now leads the all-time series 6-0.

 

Offense Notes

•  A&M had 17 fast break points against Angelo State, matching last year's season high (North Dakota). Under Mark Turgeon, the Aggies have had more fast break points just once (33 vs. Texas State in 2007-08).

•  Under Turgeon, the Aggies are 20-1 when they have at least 8 fast-break points.

•  A&M is 17-2 under Turgeon when scoring at least 80 points and are 47-9 when it scores at least 60.

•  A&M is 39-5 under Turgeon when leading at halftime.

•  The Aggies made 50.8 percent from the field in the opener. A&M is 22-0 under Mark Turgeon when it makes at least 50 percent  and is 44-11 when it makes better than 40 percent.

•  The Aggies has seven turnovers in the first 15 minutes against Angelo State in the opener, but had only three in the final 25 minutes of the game.

•  A&M is 19-6 under Mark Turgeon when they have fewer than 14 turnovers. The Aggies are 31-4 under Turgeon when they have more points off turnovers.

•  Although the Aggies are not as deep inside as in recent years, they remain productive. Bryan Davis (17 points/6 rebounds) combined for 37 points and 15 rebounds in the opener.

•  A&M scored a whopping 48 points in the paint against ASU, its most in a regulation game since it has 62 against Texas State two years ago. Under Turgeon, the Aggies are 50-15 when they score at least 20 points in the paint.

•  Four Aggies scored in double figures in the opener while another scored 9 points (Harris). A&M has five players score in double digits in the exhibition game.

•  Turgeon's teams have always been among the most balanced in college basketball. His first two teams at A&M each averaged more than 70 points per game, but no player averaged more than 14. Each team had at least six players average a minimum of 6.0 points. Turgeon's seven Wichita State teams were similarly balanced..

 

Defense Notes

•  Angelo State had 19 turnovers against the Aggies' quick defense. A&M scored 25 points off turnovers, matching last year's season high set in season opener against Arkansas-Pine Bluff. The last time the Aggies scored more points off turnovers was in the 2007-08 opener against McNeese State (28), Turgeon's first game as head coach

•  Under Turgeon, the Aggies are 31-4 when they have more points off turnovers than their opponent.

•  A&M held Angelo State to just 37.9 percent from the field in the opener. Under Turgeon, the Aggies are 26-2 when their opponent shoots under 40 percent and are 45-12 when the opponent makes under 50 percent.

•  A&M is 41-9 under Turgeon when its opponents scores fewer than 70 points.

•  The Aggies are 45-8 under Turgeon when out-rebounding their opponent. A&M is only 5-13 when being beaten on the boards.

•  Turgeon said before the season that the smaller but quicker Aggies would have to "rebound by committee." A&M did that in the opener with five players recording at least 5 rebounds. Bryan Davis (6), Donald Sloan (5).