No. 22 Aggies Challenge No. 24 Bears on Wednesday in Waco

Feb. 23, 2010

Complete Game Notes

Waco, Tex. - No. 22-ranked Texas A&M battles No. 24 Baylor on Wednesday at 8 p.m. in Waco. The game will be televised nationally by ESPNU.

Game 27
#22/23 Texas A&M Aggies
(19-7, 8-4 Big 12 Conference)
vs.
#24 Baylor Bears
(20-6, 7-5 Big 12 Conference)

Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2010
8 p.m. (CT)
Ferrell Center (10,347 cap.)
Waco, Texas

TELEVISION: ESPNU
Carter Blackburn, play-by-play
Stephen Howard, commentary
Dish Network Channel 148
Direct TV Channel 609

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: 130

Texas A&M Basketball Digital Media
Texas A&M Weekly Press Conference Audio (Monday): /ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=27300&ATCLID=205220668
Texas A&M Media Almanac (complete bios, history and records): http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/352a4862
Mark Turgeon's Virtual Guide to Texas A&M Basketball: http://coachturgeon.com/
Aggie Basketball Fast Break blog: http://blogs.aggieathletics.com/fastbreak/
 
Texas A&M Aggies
http://www.aggieathletics.com/sports/m-baskbl/tam-m-baskbl-body.html
Record: 19-7 (8-4 Big 12)
Ranking: #22 (AP), #23 (ESPN/USA Today)
RPI: #12
Last Game: Won at Iowa State (60-56) on Saturday
Head Coach: Mark Turgeon's (Kansas `87)
               Record: 221-147 (12th year)
               at Texas A&M: 68-28 (3rd year)
               vs. Baylor: 3-2
 
Projected Texas A&M Starters
No.  Player             Pos.   Ht.   Wt.   Cl.   PPG   RPG   APG
5    Dash Harris         G     6-1   175   So    5.0   3.3   3.2       
15   Donald Sloan        G     6-3   205   Sr   17.9   3.8   2.0         
22   Khris Middleton     G     6-7   215   Fr    6.0   3.6    --
10   David Loubeau       F     6-8   230   So    9.0   4.8    --
0    Bryan Davis         F     6-9   250   Sr   10.0   7.9    --

Off the Bench
2    Derrek Lewis        G     6-5   195   Jr    1.6   0.5    --
11   B.J. Holmes         G     5-11  175   Jr    9.1   2.4    --
21   Ray Turner          F     6-8   220   Fr    2.1   2.2    --
23   Naji Hibbert        G     6-6   200   Fr    2.1   1.7    --
45   Nathan Walkup       F     6-7   210   Jr    5.8   3.3    --

Baylor Bears
http://www.baylorbears.com/sports/m-baskbl/bay-m-baskbl-body.html
Record: 20-6 (7-5 Big 12 Conference)
Ranking: #24 (AP), RV (ESPN/USA Today)
RPI: 17
Last Game: Lost at Oklahoma State (82-75) on Saturday
Head Coach: Scott Drew (Butler `93)
               Record:  121-112 (8th year)
               at  Baylor: 101-101 (7th year)
               vs. Texas A&M: 4-9
 
Projected Baylor Starters
No.  Player             Pos.  Ht.    Wt.   Cl.  PPG    RPG   APG
45   Tweety Carter       G    5-11   185   Sr   16.3   2.9   6.2      
24   LaceDarius Dunn     G    6-4    205   Jr   18.9   4.6    --
41   Anthony Jones       F    6-10   195   So    6.7   5.3    --
13   Ekpe Udoh           F    6-10   240   Jr   13.4  10.5    --         
50   Josh Lomers         C    7-0    280   Sr    6.5   3.5    --

Big 12 Conference: http://www.big12sports.com/SportSelect.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=10410&KEY=&SPID=13134&SPSID=106110
NCAA: http://www.ncaa.com/statistics/index.html

Series Notes
* A&M leads the series, 127-73, with a 50-43 record in Waco and an 11-10 edge at the Ferrell Center.
*The teams have split the series the last two years. Baylor posted a 72-68 win last year in Waco. After that loss, A&M closed the regular season with six straight victories. A&M has won nine of the last 11 games overall.
*A&M's last win in Waco was by a score of 71-57 two years ago. A&M has won four of the last five in Waco.    
 
Game Notes
*A&M and Baylor are meeting in men's basketball for the 201st time. The Bears are A&M's second-most common opponent behind Texas (216 games).
*A&M has won five of its last six games and is coming off a 60-56 road win at Iowa State on Saturday. Baylor has won three of its last four but is coming off an 82-75 road loss at Oklahoma State on Saturday.
*After opening Big 12 play with a 1-2 mark, A&M has won seven of its last nine games, including three straight road victories at Missouri, Texas Tech and Iowa State.
*The Aggies are 4-4 (3-3 Big 12) in true road games while Baylor is 13-1 (5-1 Big 12) in home games.
*A&M is 14-4 in its last 18 Big 12 games, second in the conference only to Kansas' 17-1 mark in that span.
*A&M's 8-4 start in Big 12 play is its second-best in the league's 14-year history. The 2006-07 team, which finished 27-7 and advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16, started 10-2.
*A&M has played eight nationally-ranked opponents, the most of any Big 12 team, and has played four teams ranked in the top 10 in this week's AP poll (Kansas, Kansas State, West Virginia and New Mexico). A&M played four nationally-ranked non-conference foes (that doesn't include New Mexico, which entered the rankings the next week). The Aggies' schedule-to-date is ranked as the sixth-toughest nationally by CBS Sports.
*A&M will play two nationally-ranked teams (Baylor and Texas) this week, running its total of ranked opponents to 10 and breaking the school record of nine set in 1978-79.
*A&M is 3-5 against ranked teams this season with wins against No. 19 Clemson (69-60), No. 16 Minnesota (66-65) and No. 20 Baylor (78-71). Six of the Aggies' seven losses have been to teams that have been ranked in the top 25 for multiple weeks (Texas, West Virginia, Washington, New Mexico and Kansas State). The other loss was at Oklahoma State, one of the nation's toughest venues. A&M is 16-2 (7-1 Big 12) against unranked foes.
*The three wins against ranked opponents ties for the third most in school history with the 2005-06 team. The school record is five in 1978-79. The 2006-07 Sweet Sixteen team had 4 wins vs. ranked foes. If one includes only the regular season, the three wins against ranked opponents ties for the second most in school annals.
*In Big 12 play, A&M ranks last in the league in three-point percentage (.247) but is second in two-point percentage (.519). Baylor at .520.
*A&M is 11-1 this season when scoring at least 70 points.
*A&M leads the Big 12 in fewest average turnovers (12.3)
*A&M has averaged 34.3 points in the paint in the last six games along with 15.3 offensive rebounds and 13.2 second-chance points.
*A&M is 16-2 this season when out-rebounding its opponents.
*A&M has posted an average rebounding margin of +9.5 in the last six games and has had at least a +8 margin in five of those contests. Through the first 20 games, A&M had a +0.4 margin. A&M out-rebounded top-ranked Kansas by 8, the best all season by a Jayhawks opponent.
*A&M is 17-2 this season when it has more free throw attempts than its opponent.
*A&M held Kansas to just 59 points, the first time the Jayhawks have failed to score at least 72 in league play this season.
*A&M is 16-1 this season when its opponents score fewer than 70 points.
*A&M has rallied from double-digit deficits in three of its last four wins. All but two conference games have been decided by seven points or fewer.
*Senior Bryan Davis has scored in double figures in five of his last six games against Baylor. The top two scoring games of his career have been against the Bears - a career-high 30 points (14 reb.) in the five overtime win in College Station in 2008 and 22 points (8 reb.) this year in College Station. Davis is averaging 11.4 points and 8.5 rebounds in Big 12 play. He has posted double figures in rebounding in three straight games and in four of the last five contests.
*Davis needs one steal to become the second A&M player to score 1,000 points with 500 rebounds, 100 blocks, 100 steals and 100 assists (joining Winston Crite, 1983-87).
*Freshman Khris Middleton scored a team-high 14 points in the win at Iowa State. He is averaging 7.6 points and 4.0 rebounds in Big 12 play.
*Sophomore David Loubeau has averaged 13.5 points and 7.5 rebounds in the last six games.
*Senior Donald Sloan has scored in double figures in five straight games against Baylor, including two consecutive 20-point outings. He ranks third in the Big 12 in scoring with an 18.5 average in league games. In the last five minutes of A&M's eight Big 12 wins, Sloan has averaged 5.1 points and made 30-of-34 (.882) from the free throw line.

About Baylor
* The Bears finished 24-15 last season and placed ninth in the Big 12 with a 5-11 mark. Baylor advanced to the championship game of the postseason NIT.
*The Bears are in their seventh season under Coach Scott Drew. Baylor is led by junior guard LaceDarius Dunn, who averages 18.9 points, and senior guard Tweety Carter, who adds 16.3 points.
*Baylor's lone home loss this season was by a score of 76-74 to No. 6 Kansas State on Jan. 26.
 
Earlier This Season
COLLEGE STATION (AP/Feb. 6, 2010) - Bryan Davis scored 22 points and B.J. Holmes hit three late 3-pointers to lead A&M to a 78-71 victory over No. 20 Baylor.The Bears led for most of the game until A&M was able to rally behind the key 3-pointers by Holmes. Holmes made 3s with 5:19 and 4:52 remaining to bring the Aggies within one point each time. Holmes came through again from long range with 1:31 remaining, when his 3-pointer gave A&M a 72-66 lead.

Last Year in Waco
WACO, Texas (AP, Feb. 14, 2009) -Curtis Jerrells and Tweety Carter scored 14 points apiece to lead Baylor past Texas A&M 72-68 in a physical game. Trailing by five, the Aggies pulled within 70-68 on a 3-pointer by Bryan Davis, Derrick Roland and Sloan had 13 apiece. Kevin Rogers and Anthony Jones scored 12 each for Baylor. The loss dropped A&M to 3-7 in Big 12 play, but the Aggies won their last six games to tie for fourth (9-7) in the final standings.
 
Roland's Value
*Senior guard Derrick Roland will miss the rest of the season after breaking his right leg on Dec. 22 against Washington. Roland was considered by many to be the top perimeter defender in the Big 12. He was the Aggies' No. 2 scorer, a team captain and perhaps the team's top leader.
*To illustrate Roland's importance to the team, because of foul trouble or injury he played fewer than 25 minutes in all three losses. His fewest minutes played came in the close losses to New Mexico (14 minutes, early foul trouble) and Washington (16 minutes, leg injury). He also got in foul trouble against West Virginia (24 minutes) and was on the bench during a key second-half run by the Mountaineers.

 
Depleted Roster
*When last season ended, Coach Turgeon thought he would have four senior starters returning in 2009-10. But All-Big 12 center Chinemelu Elonu opted to remain in the NBA Draft and was chosen late in the second round by the Los Angeles Lakers. Then Roland was lost before the Christmas break to a season-ending broken leg.
*In addition,  Turgeon expected to have the services of freshmen big men Kourtney Roberson (6-9, 230) and Ray Turner (6-8, 220) when fall practice began. However, Roberson did not qualify and Turner was not cleared by the NCAA clearinghouse to even practice until mid-December. A&M re-signed Roberson, who is attending a prep school, in November as part of the 2010 recruiting class.
*In addition, DeAndre Jordan entered the 2008 NBA Draft after his freshman season. He would have been a junior this year. Jordan was a second-round pick by the Los Angeles Clippers.