Feb. 26, 2010
COLLEGE STATION - No. 22-ranked Texas A&M battles No. 21 Texas in the State Farm Lone Star Showdown on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Reed Arena. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN.
Game 28 #22/23 Texas A&M Aggies (19-8, 8-5 Big 12 Conference) vs. #21/21 Texas Longhorns (22-6, 8-5 Big 12 Conference)
Saturday, Feb. 27, 2010 1 p.m. (CT) Reed Arena (12,989 cap.) College Station, Texas
TELEVISION: ESPN Ron Franklin, play-by-play Fran Fraschilla, commentary Dish Network Channel 140 Direct TV Channel 206 ESPN360.com
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: 123
Texas A&M Basketball Digital Media Texas A&M Weekly Press Conference Audio (Monday): http://www.aggieathletics.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/022210aab.html 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: 19-8 (8-5 Big 12) Ranking: #22 (AP), #23 (ESPN/USA Today) RPI: #18 Last Game: Lost at #24 Baylor (70-66) on Wednesday Head Coach: Mark Turgeon's (Kansas `87) Record: 221-148 (12th year) at Texas A&M: 68-29 (3rd year) vs. Texas: 2-3
Projected Texas A&M Starters No. Player Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl. PPG RPG APG 5 Dash Harris G 6-1 175 So 4.9 3.2 3.2 15 Donald Sloan G 6-3 205 Sr 18.1 3.7 2.1 22 Khris Middleton G 6-7 215 Fr 6.0 3.7 -- 10 David Loubeau F 6-8 230 So 8.8 4.8 -- 0 Bryan Davis F 6-9 250 Sr 10.2 8.0 --
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 2.4 2.6 -- 23 Naji Hibbert G 6-6 200 Fr 2.1 1.7 -- 45 Nathan Walkup F 6-7 210 Jr 5.6 3.2 --
Texas Longhorns http://www.texassports.com/sports/m-baskbl/tex-m-baskbl-body.html Record: 22-6 (8-5 Big 12 Conference) Ranking: #21 (AP), #21 (ESPN/USA Today) RPI: 22 Last Game: Beat Oklahoma State (69-59) on Wednesday Head Coach: Rick Barnes (Lenir-Rhyne `77) Record: 494-245 (23rd year) at Baylor: 292-111 (13th year) vs. Texas A&M: 20-6 (including 2-0 at Clemson)
Projected Texas Starters No. Player Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl. PPG RPG APG 50 J'Covan Brown G 6-1 185 Fr 9.7 2.5 2.3 0 Avery Bradley G 6-2 180 Fr 12.5 3.0 2.2 24 Justin Mason F 6-2 195 Sr 3.6 2.0 -- 5 Damion James F 6-7 225 Jr 17.7 10.7 -- 34 Dexter Pittman C 6-10 290 Sr 10.6 6.0 --
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 * Texas leads the series, 131-84, but owns a narrow 7-5 margin in the last 12 games.
*The teams have split the regular-season series the last five years with the home team prevailing each year.
*A&M has a 54-50 lead in games played in College Station. Texas has a 6-5 edge at Reed Arena but the Aggies have won five straight against the Longhorns at home.
Game Notes *A&M and Texas have split the regular season series five straight seasons with the home team winning each game. The then-No. 1-ranked Longhorns edged the Aggies, 72-67, in overtime on Jan. 16 in Austin.
*A&M is coming off a 70-66 road loss at No. 24 Baylor on Wednesday. Texas has won two straight and is coming off a 69-59 win against Oklahoma State at home on Wednesday.
*The Aggies are 13-1 (5-1 Big 12) in home games while Texas is 5-4 (3-3 Big 12) in true road games.
*A&M's only home loss this season was to No. 1-ranked Kansas (59-54) in the last home game on Feb. 15.
*The Texas game will be the fourth straight sellout at Reed Arena. A&M has twice set its single game attendance record in that stretch. The record of 13,657 was set against Kansas on Feb. 15.
*A&M has won 16 of its last 17 home games, including eight of its last nine in Big 12 play. The Aggies are 29-3 at home in the last two seasons with a 11-3 mark in conference games.
*A&M is 14-5 in its last 19 Big 12 games, second in the conference only to Kansas' 18-1 mark in that span.
*A&M has played nine 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.
*No. 21 Texas is the Aggies' 10th ranked opponent, which breaks the school record of nine set in 1978-79.
*A&M is 3-6 against ranked teams this season with wins against No. 19 Clemson (69-60), No. 16 Minnesota (66-65) and No. 20 Baylor (78-71). Seven of the Aggies' eight losses have been to teams that have been ranked in the top 25 for multiple weeks (Kansas, Texas, West Virginia, Washington, Baylor, New Mexico and Kansas State). The other loss was at Oklahoma State. 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 third in two-point percentage (.505). Baylor at .513 and Kansas is making .507.
*A&M is 11-1 this season when scoring at least 70 points.
*A&M leads the Big 12 in fewest average turnovers (12.2).
*A&M has averaged 33.1 points in the paint in the last seven 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 is 17-2 this season when it has more free throw attempts than its opponent but is just 2-6 when its opponent gets more attempts.
*In Big 12 play,m A&M had held its opponents to an average of 8.6 points under their respective scoring averages. Only Kansas State and Oklahoma State have exceeded their averages against the Aggies.
*A&M ranks second in the Big 12 in scoring defense (67.6) in conference play.
*A&M held top-ranked 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 three conference games have been decided by seven points or fewer. A&M is 6-2 in games decided by four points or fewer.
*Senior Bryan Davis has averaged 16.0 points in his last two games vs. Texas. Davis is averaging 11.5 points and 11.3 rebounds in the last six games. He has posted double figures in rebounding in four straight games and in five of the last six contests.
*Davis is 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).
*Jujior B.J. Holmes scored 11 points (3-3 treys) vs. Texas last year in College Station, but was 0-8 (0-4 treys) last month in Austin. In the last six games, Holmes has averaged 10.0 points and made 14-of-32 (.438) from three-point range.
*Senior Donald Sloan has averaged 17.3 points in his last three games vs. Texas. He scored 21 points last month in Austin. Sloan ranks third in the Big 12 in scoring with an 18.8 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.
*Freshman Ray Turner had six points and a career-high eight rebounds at Baylor. In the last six games, he's averaged 4.2 points and 4.2 rebounds.
*Five of the Aggies' top nine scorers are underclassmen (three freshmen, two sophomores).
About Texas *The Longhorns attained the first No. 1 ranked in school history in January and has been in the top 25 all year.
*Texas is in its 13th season under Coach Rick Barnes.
*The Longhorns are led by senior forward Damion James, who is averaging 17.7 points and 10.7 rebounds per game. Freshman guard Avery Bradley adds 12.5 points per contest.
Earlier This Season in Austin AUSTIN, Texas (AP/Jan. 16, 2010)--Texas knew life at the top would be tough, and the Longhorns' first week at No. 1 was every bit as hard as they expected. Damion James scored 26 points, including seven in overtime, and the top-ranked Longhorns rallied for a rugged 72-67 win over Texas A&M on Saturday night. James made a 3-pointer with 1 minute left in overtime and blocked a 3-point attempt by Texas A&M's Mark Turgeon's said. "They have so many players, so many weapons." Texas A&M was in control and had taken the home crowd out of it when Davis spun around Pittman for a layup that gave the Aggies a 10-point lead early in the second half. But Davis, who would eventually foul out in overtime, soon picked up his third foul and went to the bench. James pulled Texas to 44-37 with a 3-pointer and followed it with a three-point play after a steal. Another jump shot by James and his soaring dunk pulled Texas to 48-46. He scored 12 points during a 15-6 Texas run. J'Covan Brown's jumper for Texas tied it at 60 and the Longhorns had a chance to win in the final seconds of regulation. Texas A&M tried to set up for the winning shot but Sloan was stripped of the ball. Bradley sprinted to the basket but his layup skirted around the rim and Texas' Alexis Wangmene and James missed tip-in chances to win at the buzzer. In overtime, James and Sloan traded baskets and Texas A&M led 67-66 on David Loubeau's dunk with 1:18 left. After James made his 3-pointer, Dogus Balbay made one of two free throws. His only point of the game put Texas up 70-67 with 30 seconds left. On their final possession, the Aggies swung the ball to Holmes in the left corner but James leaped and stretched out his hand to block the shot. Brown grabbed the ball, got fouled, and made two free throws with 3 seconds left for the final points. "I was like `He ain't getting the shot off," James said. "It was a big play."
Last Year in College Station COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP/Feb. 16, 2009)--Chinemelu Elonu and Donald Sloan added 14 points for the Aggies.
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.