March 15, 2011
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - No. 20 Texas A&M (24-8) is the No. 7 seed in the Southwest Region and will open NCAA Tournament action on Friday afternoon against No. 10-seed Florida State (21-10) at the United Center in Chicago. The game will tip 30 minutes following the end of the Notre Dame/Akron game, which starts at 12:40 p.m. (CT) (approximately 3:10 p.m.). TBS will broadcast the game nationally.
The Aggies will be making their school-record sixth consecutive appearance and 12th overall in the NCAA Tournament. Last year, A&M advanced to the second round before falling to Purdue in overtime, 63-61.
The winners of Friday's second-round games will meet Sunday afternoon in the third round, with a trip to the NCAA Southwest Regional at the Alamodome in San Antonio on the line.
For ticket information fans are asked to visit www.12thmanfoundation.com. Information will be updated there as soon as it becomes available.
(#20/24) Texas A&M AGGIES (24-8)
at NCAA SECOND & THIRD ROUNDS
Friday, March 18 - Sunday, March 20, 2011
United Center (20,917) • Chicago, Illinois
TELEVISION: TBS HD
Spiro Dedes, Play-by-Play
Bob Wenzel, Commentary
Jaime Maggio, Reporter
RADIO: Westwood One (National)
Wayne Larrivee, Play-by-Play
John Thompson, Commentary
Satellite: Sirius 127, XM 242
RADIO: Texas A&M Sports Network
Dave South, Play-by-Play
Al Pulliam, Commentary
Local: WTAW-AM 1620
NCAA SECOND ROUND SCHEDULE (United Center, Chicago)
Friday, March 18
(#2) Notre Dame vs (#15) Akron, 12:40 PM CT (TBS)
(#7) Texas A&M vs (#10) Florida State, approx 3:10 PM CT (TBS)
(#3) Purdue vs (#14) St. Peter's, 6:20 PM CT (TNT)
(#6) Georgetown vs (#11) USC/VCU, approx 8:50 PM CT (TNT)
IMPORTANT LINKS:
Texas A&M Postseason Note Packet: Click Here
Texas A&M Clippings: Click Here
2010-11 Texas A&M Media Supplement: Click Here
Mark Turgeon's Virtual Guide to Aggie Basketball: Click Here
TRAVEL PLANS
The Aggies will arrive in Chicago on Wednesday evening and will be headquartered at The Palmer House Hilton (312-726-7500).
MEDIA RELATIONS CONTACT INFO
Matt Simon and Alan Cannon will accompany the team to Chicago:
Assistant Director (Basketball contact): Matt Simon - matts@athletics.tamu.edu
Associate AD/Media Relations: Alan Cannon - acannon@athletics.tamu.edu
TEAM CAPSULE
TEXAS A&M AGGIES
Record: 24-8, 10-6 Big 12 (T-3rd)
Ranking: 20th (USAT/ESPN), 24th (AP)
Streak: Lost 1
Last 5 / Last 10: 2-3 / 7-3
Last Game: lost to (#10) Texas (N), 70-58 (Friday)
Head Coach: Mark Turgeon (Kansas `87)
Record: 250-158 (13th year)
at Texas A&M: 97-39 (4th year)
in NCAA Tourney (career/A&M): 5-4 / 3-3
Tourney Appearance (Last): 12th (2010: 2nd Round)
All-Time NCAA Record: 9-12
TEXAS A&M'S TOURNAMENT HISTORY (11 Appearances, 9-12 record)
1951 West Regional - First Round
Washington 62, Texas A&M 40
(Kansas City, Missouri)
1964 Midwest Regional - First Round
Texas Western 68, Texas A&M 62
(Dallas, Texas)
1969 Midwest Regional - First Round
Texas A&M 81, Trinity 66
(Fort Worth, Texas)
Sweet Sixteen - Second Round
Drake 81, Texas A&M 63
(Manhattan, Kansas)
Consolation Round
Colorado 97, Texas A&M 82
(Manhattan, Kansas)
1975 Midwest Regional - First Round
Cincinnati 87, Texas A&M 79
(Lubbock, Texas)
1980 Midwest Regional - First Round
(#6) Texas A&M 55, (#11) Bradley 53
(Denton, Texas)
Midwest Regional - Second Round
(#6) Texas A&M 78, (#3) North Carolina 61 (2 OT)
(Denton, Texas)
Sweet Sixteen - Semifinals
(#2) Louisville 66, (#6) Texas A&M 55 (OT)
(Houston, Texas)
1987 Midwest Regional - First Round
(#5) Duke 58, (#12) Texas A&M 51
(Indianapolis, Indiana)
2006 Atlanta Regional - First Round
(#12) Texas A&M 66, (#5) Syracuse 58
(Jacksonville, Florida)
Atlanta Regional - Second Round
(#4) LSU 58, (#12) Texas A&M 57
(Jacksonville, Florida)
2007 Midwest Regional - First Round
(#3) Texas A&M 68, (#14) Penn 52
(Lexington, Kentucky)
Midwest Regional - Second Round
(#3) Texas A&M 72, (#6) Louisville 69
(Lexington, Kentucky)
Sweet Sixteen - Semifinals
(#2) Memphis 65, (#3) Texas A&M 64
(San Antonio, Texas)
2008 West Regional - First Round
(#9) Texas A&M 67, (#8) BYU 62
(Anaheim, California)
West Regional - Second Round
(#1) UCLA 51, (#9) Texas A&M 49
(Anaheim, California)
2009 East Regional - First Round
(#9) Texas A&M 79, (#8) BYU 66
(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
East Regional - Second Round
(#1) Connecticut 92, (#9) Texas A&M 66
(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
2010 South Regional - First Round
(#5) Texas A&M 69, (#12) Utah State 53
(Spokane, Washington)
South Regional - Second Round
(#4) Purdue 63, (#5) Texas A&M 61 (OT)
(Spokane, Washington)
NCAA Tourney Tidbits
Texas A&M (24-8) earned the No. 7 seed in the Southwest Regional and will open play with a second-round matchup Friday afternoon against No. 10-seed Florida State (21-10) at Chicago's United Center (approx. 3:10 p.m./TBS).
The winner of Friday's game advances to Sunday's third round (Time TBA/TBS) against either No. 2-seed Notre Dame (26-6) or No. 15-seed Akron (23-12) ... a berth in the Sweet 16 and a trip to San Antonio will be on the line.
Texas A&M is making its sixth straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament and 12th overall ... prior to this streak, A&M had never played in consecutive NCAA Tournaments and had not been to the NCAAs since 1987 ... 6 of the Aggies' 12 appearances, and 6 of their 9 NCAA wins, have come since 2006.
A&M is one of just 12 schools that have made the NCAA Tournament in each of the last 6 seasons ... the Aggies join Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas, Marquette, Michigan State, Pittsburgh, Tennessee, Texas, Villanova, Wisconsin and Xavier in that elite field.
TEAMS APPEARING IN LAST 6 NCAA TOURNAMENTS
TEXAS A&M Duke
Texas Pittsburgh
Kansas Gonzaga
Xavier Marquette
Michigan State Tennessee
Villanova Wisconsin
Only one other team in the field (Pittsburgh) has advanced past the first round in each of the previous 5 NCAA Tournaments ... A&M has done so in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010.
ADVANCING PAST NCAA 1ST ROUND IN EACH OF LAST FIVE YEARS
Pittsburgh
TEXAS A&M
A&M is one of just 3 schools to have won a postseason game in each of the last 6 years (5 NCAA/1 NIT), joining North Carolina (5 NCAAs/1 NIT) and Memphis (4 NCAAs/2 NITs).
POSTSEASON WINS IN EACH OF THE LAST SIX SEASONS
North Carolina: 5 NCAAs/1 NIT
TEXAS A&M: 5 NCAAs/1 NIT
Memphis: 4 NCAAs/2 NIT
Texas A&M is making the 12th NCAA Tournament appearance in school history ... the Aggies are 9-12 in their previous 11 appearances, advancing to the Sweet 16 in 1969, 1980 and 2007.
Texas A&M is 5-4 this season against teams that earned bids to the NCAA Tournament.
A&M has been eliminated from the NCAA Tournament by heart-breaking losses in 4 of the last 5 years, with each of those games decided in the final four seconds ... in 2006, LSU's Darrel Mitchell hit a long three-pointer with three seconds left to lift the Tigers to a 58-57 second-round victory in Jacksonville, Fla ... in 2007, Memphis's Antonio Anderson made two free throws with three seconds left for a 65-64 win in San Antonio ... in Anaheim in 2008, UCLA came from behind to secure a 51-49 victory with a controversial finish in the final moments ... last season, Purdue's Chris Kramer hit a running layup with 4.2 seconds left in overtime to give the Boilermakers a 63-61 win in Spokane ... top-seeded Connecticut ousted the Aggies in a 2009 second-round game in Philadelphia (92-66).
LAST-SECOND NCAA HEARTBREAKS
2006 LSU 58, A&M 57 Mitchell sinks 3-pointer with :03 left
2007 Memphis 65, A&M 64 Anderson sinks 2 FTs with :03 left
2008 UCLA 51, A&M 49 Sloan's FG att. blocked with :03 left
2010 Purdue 63, A&M 61 (OT) Kramer hits running layup with :04 left
The Aggies are 6-5 in NCAA play in the last five years ... prior to the 2006 first-round win against Syracuse, A&M's last NCAA Tournament win was in 1980, when the No. 6-seeded Aggies beat No. 3 seed North Carolina, 78-61, in double overtime in Denton, Texas ... A&M then fell in the Midwest Regional finals to eventual national champion Louisville, 66-55, in overtime.
In that North Carolina game, neither team scored in the first overtime as UNC went into its famed Four Corners Offense, but A&M broke loose in the second overtime, setting NCAA Tournament records for most overtime points (25) and largest victory margin in overtime (17).
Texas A&M has never been a No. 7 seed ... the Aggies' highest seed ever was No. 3 (2007) ... A&M advanced to the Sweet 16 that year ... the Aggies have been seeded No. 3 (2007), No. 5 (2010), No. 6 (1980), No. 9 (2008, 2009) and No. 12 (1987, 2006) in their history.
A&M SEEDING HISTORY
SEED YEARS RECORD
#3 2007 2-1
#5 2010 1-1
#6 1980 2-1
#9 2008, 2009 2-2
#12 1987, 2006 1-2
(tournament seeding began in 1978)
Texas A&M is 4-0 as the higher-seeded team since the tourney began seeding regionals in 1978.
A&M's 2011 active roster has a combined 27 games of NCAA Tournament experience, but a majority of that has come off the bench or late in first-round wins ... the Aggies total just 6 starts in NCAA play (2 each for Dash Harris, David Loubeau and Khris Middleton) ... A&M players have a total of 421 minutes of NCAA experience (15.6 per game average) ... only 4 players have more than 50 career NCAA minutes--BJ Holmes (98), Loubeau (79), Harris (85) and Nathan Walkup (61).
The Windy City
The Aggies' most recent visit to Chicagoland also came in the postseason ... Texas A&M knocked off DePaul, 75-72, at Allstate Arena in Rosemont in the second round of the Postseason NIT on March 19, 2005.
Texas A&M's last regular-season game in Chicago was on Jan. 2, 1996, a 79-62 win over UIC.
Sidebars
Texas A&M head coach Mark Turgeon wife, Ann, is a Chicago native.
Junior David Loubeau is the lone Floridian on the Aggie roster ... Loubeau is a native of Miami and attended Westlake Prep.
Junior Dash Harris hails from Los Angeles but prepped at Montverde Academy in Montverde, a suburb of Orlando.
Aggie Associate Head Coach Scott Spinelli (spuh-NELL-ee) spent two seasons (2001-03) as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Loyola-Chicago.
SERIES SNAPSHOTS
Florida State
Florida State has won 2 of the 3 meetings between the schools all-time ... the squads have not met on the hardwood, however, since the 1977-78 season.
The last meeting came in the winter of 1977, with the Seminoles defeating the Aggies 100-77 in the first round of the Birmingham Classic in Birmingham, Alabama.
A&M's only win in the brief series came in the winter of 1956, an 83-74 victory in Tallahassee.
The teams have two common opponents, Baylor and Boston College ... A&M is 0-3 against those teams while FSU is 2-0, defeating the Bears 68-61 over Christmas in Hawai'i and BC 67-51 during the ACC regular season.
Texas A&M is 8-17 all-time against ACC teams, with Clemson (6 games, 3-3) the most common opponent ... the Aggies faced Boston College on Thanksgiving Day at the Old Spice Classic in Orlando, falling 67-65 ... A&M rebounded from that by going on a 13-game win streak.
Mark Turgeon has faced Florida State and Leonard Hamilton one time, in the opening round of the 2004 Postseason NIT in Wichita ... FSU defeated Wichita State, 76-65.
SERIES HISTORY: FSU
Series: FSU leads, 2-1
In NCAA Tournament: never faced
At Neutral Sites: FSU leads, 2-0
Mark Turgeon vs. Florida State: 0-1
Leonard Hamilton vs. A&M: 1-0
A&M vs ACC: 8-17
Notre Dame
The teams have never faced each other on the basketball court.
There are no common opponents for the schools this season ... both were in the Old Spice Classic in Orlando over Thanksgiving but did not play each other ... UND won the event, downing Georgia, Cal and Wisconsin ... A&M went 2-1 with victories over Manhattan and Temple.
Texas A&M is 5-11 all-time against Big East teams, with Seton Hall (3 games, 0-3) the most common opponent ... the Aggies' last matchup with a Big East foe was against then No. 8 West Virginia in the 2009 76 Classic in Anaheim ... the Mountaineers won the game, 73-66.
A&M is 4-6 all-time against teams from the state of Indiana (Valpo 2-0, Indiana 1-3, Purdue 1-3) ... the Aggies' last game against a team from the Hoosier State came in the second round of last year's NCAA Tournament, when Purdue knocked A&M out 63-61 in overtime.
Mark Turgeon has never faced Notre Dame or Mike Brey.
SERIES HISTORY: NOTRE DAME
Series: never faced
In NCAA Tournament: never faced
Mark Turgeon vs. Notre Dame: never faced
Mike Brey vs. A&M: never faced
A&M vs Big East: 5-11
Akron
The teams have split two meetings ... last season, the Aggies defeated Akron at Reed Arena, 74-62, on Dec. 4 ... the Zips were victorious in the only other game, a 75-67 triumph in Akron in the winter of 1948.
Temple is the only common opponent ... A&M downed the Owls, 54-51, at the Old Spice Classic in Orlando ... Temple defeated Akron in mid-December, 82-47.
A&M is 5-5 all-time against MAC teams ... Kent State (3 games, 1-2) is the most common opponent.
Mark Turgeon is 1-0 all-time against Akron and Keith Dambrot.
SERIES HISTORY: AKRON
Series: tied, 1-1
In NCAA Tournament: never faced
At Neutral Sites: never faced
Mark Turgeon vs. Akron: 1-0
Keith Dambrot vs. A&M: 0-1
A&M vs MAC: 5-5
SUB-REGIONAL FIELD: A CLOSER LOOK
No. 7 Seed Texas A&M (24-8)
Record: 24-8, 10-6 Big 12 (T-3rd)
Rankings: 20th (ESPN/USA Today), 24th (AP) ... 29th (NCAA RPI), 33rd (Sagarin Ratings)
Bid: At-Large (Big 12 Conference)
Tourney History: sixth straight NCAA bid ... 12th overall ... No. 5 seed in South Regional last year, lost to Purdue 63-61 (OT) in second round in Spokane ... best finish was Round of 16 (1980, 2007) ... 2 Sweet 16 appearances (1980, 2007).
Head Coach: Mark Turgeon (Kansas '87) ... 97-39 in 4th year at A&M ... 250-158 in 13th year overall.
Team Stats (per game): 68.9 pts, 36.3 rebs, 13.5 ast, 1.6 blk, 6.5 stl, 1.04 ast/to ... 44.5 fg%, 70.3 ft%, 33.8 3pt%.
Opponent Stats (per game): 61.0 pts, 29.8 rebs, 0.83 ast/to ... 41.1 fg%, 68.9 ft%, 31.8 3pt%.
Statistical Leaders: PPG - Khris Middleton (14.3), David Loubeau (11.9), BJ Holmes (9.8) ... RPG - Nathan Walkup (5.6), Khris Middleton (5.2), David Loubeau (4.9) ... Assists - BJ Holmes (102), Dash Harris (99), Khris Middleton (89) ... Blocks - Ray Turner (16), David Loubeau (12), Kourtney Roberson (7).
No. 10 Seed Florida State (21-10)
Record: 21-10, 11-5 ACC (3rd)
Rankings: NR (ESPN/USA Today), NR (AP) ... 54th (NCAA RPI), 44th (Sagarin Ratings)
Bid: At-Large (Atlantic Coast Conference)
Tourney History: third straight NCAA bid ... 13th overall ... No. 9 seed in West Regional last year, lost to Gonzaga 67-60 in first round in Buffalo ... best finish was runner-up (1972) ... 1 Final Four appearance (1972) ... 3 Sweet 16 appearances (1972, 1992, 1993).
Head Coach: Leonard Hamilton (Tennessee-Martin '71) ... 174-115 in 9th year at FSU ... 374-325 in 24th year overall.
Team Stats (per game): 69.3 pts, 39.0 rebs, 12.5 ast, 5.7 blk, 8.8 stl, 0.77 ast/to ... 43.6 fg%, 66.3 ft%, 33.0 3pt%.
Opponent Stats (per game): 62.3 pts, 34.3 rebs, 0.71 ast/to ... 36.4 fg%, 70.7 ft%, 30.1 3pt%.
Statistical Leaders: PPG - Chris Singleton (13.8), Derwin Kitchen (9.9), Michael Snaer (8.6) ... RPG - Chris Singleton (7.1), Bernard James (5.7), Derwin Kitchen (5.5) ... Assists - Derwin Kitchen (113), Luke Loucks (68), Michael Snaer (68) ... Blocks - Bernard James (71), Chris Singleton (40), Xavier Gibson (18).
No. 2 Seed Notre Dame (26-6)
Record: 26-6, 14-4 Big East (2nd)
Rankings: 20th (ESPN/USA Today), 5th (AP) ... 8th (NCAA RPI), 8th (Sagarin Ratings)
Bid: At-Large (Big East Conference)
Tourney History: second straight NCAA bid ... 7th in last 11 years ... 31st overall ... No. 6 seed in South Regional last year, lost to Old Dominion 51-50 in first round in New Orleans ... 1 Final Four appearance (1978) ... 15 Sweet 16 appearances (last in 2003).
Head Coach: Mike Brey (George Washington '82) ... 237-119 in 11th year at Notre Dame ... 336-171 in 16th year overall.
Team Stats (per game): 76.0 pts, 36.9 rebs, 16.7 ast, 3.7 blk, 4.6 stl, 1.56 ast/to ... 46.6 fg%, 72.5 ft%, 39.2 3pt%.
Opponent Stats (per game): 65.6 pts, 32.5 rebs, 1.31 ast/to ... 40.9 fg%, 71.3 ft%, 35.0 3pt%.
Statistical Leaders: PPG - Ben Hansbrough (18.5), Tim Abromaitis (15.3), Carleton Scott (11.6) ... RPG - Carleton Scott (7.1), Tim Abromaitis (6.1), Tyrone Nash (5.9) ... Assists - Ben Hansbrough (137), Eric Atkins (104), Tyrone Nash (85) ... Blocks - Carleton Scott (50), Jack Cooley (18), Tyrone Nash (18).
No. 15 Seed Akron (23-12)
Record: 23-12, 9-7 MAC (3rd/East)
Rankings: NR (ESPN/USA Today), NR (AP) ... 108th (NCAA RPI), 128th (Sagarin Ratings)
Bid: Automatic (Mid-American Conference Tournament Champions)
Tourney History: third NCAA bid (1986, 2009) ... No. 13 seed in South Regional in last appearance (2009), lost to Gonzaga 77-64 in first round in Portland ... has never advanced past the first round.
Head Coach: Keith Dambrot (Akron '82) ... 162-74 in 7th year at Akron ... 270-144 in 13th year overall.
Team Stats (per game): 70.5 pts, 34.5 rebs, 14.5 ast, 3.6 blk, 6.7 stl, 1.20 ast/to ... 43.3 fg%, 70.6 ft%, 36.1 3pt%.
Opponent Stats (per game): 65.6 pts, 37.3 rebs, 0.82 ast/to ... 41.4 fg%, 65.6 ft%, 31.7 3pt%.
Statistical Leaders: PPG - Nikola Cvetinovic (11.9), Brett McKnight (10.3), Brett McClanahan (10.1) ... RPG - Nikola Cvetinovic (7.0), Zeke Marshall (4.8), Brett McClanahan (3.6) ... Assists - Alex Abreu (124), Steve McNees (101), Nikola Cvetinovic (72) ... Blocks - Zeke Marshall (88), Mike Bardo (8), Josh Egner (6).
GAME NOTES
Racking Up the Ws
Texas A&M's 24 wins match the total for each of the last two seasons (24-10 in 2008-09, 24-10 in 2009-10) ... the Aggies have reached the 24-win mark for the fifth straight year and just the seventh time in the program's 99-year history.
The 24 wins ties for the fourth most in school history in a single season ... the record is 27, set in the 2006-07 campaign ... only three teams have totaled more wins than this year's squad (27 by 2006-07, 26 by 1979-80, 25 by 2007-08).
MOST SINGLE-SEASON WINS, A&M HISTORY
Year Wins
1. 2006-07 27
2. 1979-80 26
3. 2007-08 25
4. 2010-11 24
1978-79, 2008-09, 2009-10 24
With a 71-66 win over Iowa State on Feb. 16, Texas A&M secured its seventh consecutive 20-win season ... before this stretch, which started with the 2004-05 season, Aggie basketball had six 20-win seasons in its entire history ... A&M's other 20-win campaigns were in 1974-75, 1975-76, 1978-79, 1979-80, 1981-82 and 1985-86.
Mark Turgeon is the only coach in school history to record 4 straight 20-win campaigns ... he has led his teams to at least 20 wins in now 7 of the last 8 seasons ... only the legendary Shelby Metcalf (6) has more 20-win seasons to his name in Aggie history.
A&M, Kansas and Texas are the only Big 12 schools that have won at least 20 games in each of the last seven seasons.
Emerging Big 12 Power
Texas A&M opened the 2009 Big 12 campaign with a 3-7 record ... from that point on (starting with an 81-66 win over Texas on Feb. 16 of that year), the Aggies have posted a 27-11 Big 12 record (6-0 to close 2009, 11-5 in 2010 and 10-6 in 2011) ... it's the second-best record over that span among conference teams, trailing only Kansas (34-4).
A&M's 10 Big 12 wins matched the third highest total in school history (13 in 2007, 11 in 2010, 10 in 2006).
The Aggies posted back-to-back 10-plus win seasons in Big 12 play for just the second time ever (2006-2007) ... it is only the second time in the last 25 years that an A&M team has accomplished that feat ... prior to '06-07, the last time an Aggie squad recorded consecutive double-digit win seasons in conference play was in 1985 (10) and 1986 (12).
2011 is A&M's third consecutive winning season in Big 12 play ... Mark Turgeon is the first coach in program history to guide the Aggies to three consecutive winning campaigns in Big 12 action ... A&M finished 9-7 in 2009 and 11-5 last year.
Texas A&M won its fifth straight Big 12 game with a victory over Oklahoma (Feb. 23), matching the third-longest Big 12 win streak in school history ... it is already the fifth time under Mark Turgeon that an Aggie team won at least 4 Big 12 games in a row ... before Turgeon arrived in Aggieland, a Big 12 win streak of at least 4 games had happened just three times in school history.
LONGEST BIG 12 WINNING STREAKS, A&M HISTORY
Year Wins
1. 2006 7
2. 2009 6
3. 2011 5
2008, 2007 5
2011 is the seventh consecutive year that the Aggies have won at least 8 Big 12 games ... A&M had never won more than 6 Big 12 games prior to 2005.
Over the last three Big 12 seasons (2009-11), Texas A&M is a combined 18-6 in the back half of the Big 12 schedule (final 8 games of each year) ... the Aggies closed league play 6-2 in 2009, 6-2 in 2010 and 6-2 in 2011.
The Aggies won 4 of their first 5 Big 12 games, matching the 2006-07 team for the best Big 12 start in school history.
The Aggies have won 49 Big 12 games since the start of the 2007 league season ... prior to that, A&M had totaled only 43 victories in the first 10 years of Big 12 play.
Aggie Trends
Texas A&M is 16-1 this season when leading (or tied) heading in to the locker room ... the Aggies have overcome halftime deficits 7 times.
The Aggies are a perfect 20-0 this year when having the lead with 5 minutes to play.
A&M is 23-5 this year (88-24 all-time under Turgeon) when it holds foes to under 50% shooting ... 22-2 (80-14 under Turgeon) when the Aggies hold opponents to under 45% from the floor ... and 14-0 (54-4 under Turgeon) when foes shoot less than 40%.
One of A&M's goals every game is to make more free throws than the opponent shoots, which emphasizes the need to get to the charity stripe ... this year, that strategy has proven true, as the Aggies are 20-2 when they shoot more free throws then their opponents.
Texas A&M has emerged victorious in 22 of 25 games this year where the Aggies win the rebounding battle.
Turgeon has called this one of the best passing teams he's ever had ... when Texas A&M totals 10 or more assists, the team is 23-3 this year.
The Aggies are 21-5 this year (83-16 all-time under Turgeon) when holding foes to under 70 points.
Four of A&M's 8 losses this year have come by 9 or fewer points ... two (BC and Baylor) have gone down to the final possession, and a third (Nebraska) was a one-possession game with 1:11 to play.
Texas A&M is averaging 15.2 points off turnovers per game ... under Turgeon, the Aggies are 58-13 (13-4 this year) when they have more points off turnovers than their opponent.
Texas A&M is averaging 13.5 assists per game this year, on pace for its highest average since the 2006-07 season.
Texas A&M has scored at least 40 points in the paint in four games this year ... under Turgeon, A&M is 92-28 when scoring at least 20 points in the paint (22-5 this year).
Three players are averaging at least 4.9 rebounds per game--Nathan Walkup (5.6), Khris Middleton (5.2) and David Loubeau (4.9) ... by comparison just one did so last season--Bryan Davis (8.1).
Texas A&M has won nearly 75 percent of its games since the start of the 2006-07 season (124-44, .738) ... the Aggies are 167-62 (.729) since the start of the '04-05 campaign.
Under Mark Turgeon, the Aggies have won 14 of their last 18 games following a loss.
A&M shot 48.4 percent (122-for-252) on its 5-game win streak (Feb. 9-23).
at Neutral Sites
Texas A&M is 4-2 in neutral-site games this season ... the Aggies went 2-1 in the Old Spice Classic in Orlando over Thanksgiving, defeating then No. 20 Temple (54-51) and Manhattan (74-45), and losing by two to Boston College (67-65) ... A&M next topped Arkansas in overtime (71-62) on Dec. 18 at American Airlines Center in Dallas ... the Aggies split a pair of games at last week's Big 12 Championship in Kansas City, toppling Missouri (86-71) before falling to No. 10 Texas (70-58).
Texas A&M is 16-12 under Mark Turgeon in neutral-site games.
Road Warriors
Texas A&M has played 7 of its last 10 games away from Reed Arena (at Baylor, Kansas, Oklahoma State, Colorado and Texas Tech; Missouri and Texas at Sprint Center in Kansas City) ... the Aggies have a 7-3 record in that span.
Texas A&M is 9-6 away from Reed Arena this season ... in those games, the Aggies are holding opponents to 63.0 points and 42.1 percent shooting per game ... A&M has out-rebounded teams away from home this year by an average of 5 boards (34.1-29.1).
The Aggies have won 15 of their last 24 games away from Reed Arena dating back to early February of last season ... three of those eight losses have been by 4 points or less and 5 of the 8 have come to top-10 teams.
Mark Turgeon has won more Big 12 road games (15) than any Aggie coach in the 15-year history of the league.
A&M's Big 12 wins this year came in some very tough venues ... Oklahoma was unbeaten (8-0) at Lloyd Noble before the Aggies took a league-opening win in Norman ... both Colorado (12-1) and Oklahoma State (11-1) had experienced just one loss before Texas A&M earned victories on those trips.
The Aggies' road losses in Big 12 play this year came at Texas (Jan. 19), Nebraska (Jan. 29), Baylor (Feb. 26) and Kansas (March 2) ... those teams were a combined 65-8 at home this year (combined 25-7 in Big 12 play).
A&M's Big 12 road record (4-4) trailed only Kansas (7-1) and Texas (6-2) ... the Aggies, Horns and Jayhawks were a combined 17-7 away from home in league play, while the other nine teams were a combined 12-60.
Success Against Ranked Teams
The Aggies are 4-4 this season against ranked opponents, picking up a 54-51 win over Temple (No. 20 USAT/ESPN, No. 21 AP) on Nov. 28 at the Old Spice Classic in Orlando, a 63-62 win over Washington (No. 21 AP, No. 22 USAT/ESPN) on Dec. 11 at Reed Arena, a 91-89 home victory over Missouri (No. 12 USAT/ESPN, No. 15 AP) on Jan. 15, and a 64-56 defeat of Kansas State (No. 24 USAT/ESPN) on Jan. 22 ... the Aggies' only losses have come to Texas (3 times) and Kansas (1) ... 3 of the 4 losses have come away from home.
The four wins against ranked opponents ties for the second-most in school history and is one shy of the all-time record, held by the 1978-79 team (5) ... both last year's squad and the 2006-07 Sweet 16 team had 4 wins vs ranked foes.
MOST TOP-25 WINS, SCHOOL HISTORY
Season Wins Teams (ranking)
1. 1978-79 5 Indiana (10), UNLV (15), USF (19), Kentucky (11), Arkansas (11)
2. 2010-11 4 Temple (20), Washington (21), Missouri (12), K-State (24)
2009-10 4 Clemson (19), Minnesota (16), Baylor (20), Texas (21)
2006-07 4 Oklahoma St (12), Kansas (6), Texas (25), Louisville (16)
5. 2005-06 3 Colorado (25), Texas (6), Syracuse (21)
Big 12 Honors
Texas A&M placed three on the coaches' All-Big 12 teams, released March 6 ... sophomore Khris Middleton (2nd team), junior David Loubeau (3rd team) and senior BJ Holmes (honorable mention) ... it was the first honor of its kind for all three.
It marked only the third time that the Aggies placed at least three on the coaches' All-Big 12 squads, joining the 2005 (Antoine Wright, Acie Law, Joseph Jones) and 2007 (Acie Law, Joseph Jones, Antanas Kavaliauskas, Josh Carter) teams.
Balancing Act
The loss of A&M's top three scorers from last year (Donald Sloan, Derrick Roland, Bryan Davis) appeared to be a challenge that would have to be met by a "team" effort, and so far that's been the case ... the Aggies have four players averaging 9.4 points per game or more in B.J. Holmes (9.8) and Nathan Walkup (9.4).
A total of 9 players have combined for 94 double-figure outings (Middleton 26, Loubeau 18, Holmes 18, Walkup 16, Hibbert 6, Roberson 6, Harris 2, Turner 1, Lewis 1) through 32 games.
Head Coach Mark Turgeon
Turgeon is the only coach in school history to lead the Aggies to four straight NCAA Tournaments.
The only coaches with more wins than Mark Turgeon (97) in their first four years at a Big 12 school are his mentors at Kansas, Larry Brown (108 in 1983-87) and Roy Williams (103 in 1988-92), and current KU coach Bill Self (105 in 2003-07). Ironically, Turgeon was a point guard for those teams under Brown and was an assistant coach in Williams' first three seasons with the Jayhawks.
Turgeon was named Big 12 Coach of the Year by The Dallas Morning News for the second straight season.
Turgeon is the only coach in Big 12 history to win 24 or more games in each of his first four seasons.
Turgeon's 73 wins at A&M from 2007-10 were the most ever by an A&M coach in a three-year period ... the previous mark was 70 by Billy Gillispie (2004-07).
Turgeon has led the Aggies to 4 straight 20-win seasons, including 4 of the top 7 victory totals in the school's 99-year basketball history.
Turgeon is the only coach in school history to win 23 or more games four times.
Turgeon's 25 wins in 2007-08 tied for the most by a first-year coach in the history of any Big 12 school and were an A&M record for a coach in his debut. Tom Penders went 25-9 in his first year at Texas (1988-89) prior to the formation of the Big 12.
Turgeon has led his teams to at least 20 wins in 7 of the last 8 seasons (his Wichita State team won 17 games in 2006-07) ... his teams have advanced to postseason play 7 times in the last 8 years. Turgeon's record in the last 7 years is 161-71 (.694).
Turgeon has led his teams to 5 NCAA Tourneys in the last 6 years, winning at least one game in each appearance.
As a player, assistant coach and head coach, Turgeon has compiled a 26-12 NCAA Tournament record (8-4 as a player, 13-4 as an assistant, 5-4 as a head coach). Turgeon is the only active Big 12 head coach to play and coach in an NCAA Final Four.
In 13 NCAA Tournament appearances as a player, assistant coach and head coach, Turgeon has lost a first-round NCAA game just once (Oregon in 1995 under Coach Jerry Green).
Turgeon Ranks No. 2 in Aggieland
Mark Turgeon (97 wins) passed Bob Rogers (92 in six seasons) as the second-winningest coach in school history with a Feb. 16 win over Iowa State ... the win was also the 20th of the season for the Aggies, making Turgeon the first ever coach to lead A&M to 4 straight 20-win seasons ... Shelby Metcalf (438 wins in 26 1/2 seasons) is the Aggies' all-time winningest coach.
WINNINGEST COACHES, SCHOOL HISTORY
Coach Wins Seasons Years
1. Shelby Metcalf 438 28 ½ 1964-90
2. Mark Turgeon 97 3+ 2007-
3. Bob Rogers 92 6 1958-63
4. D.X. Bible 90 7 1921-29
5. Tony Barone 76 7 1991-98
Saluting the Seniors
A&M's Class of '11--Marshall Carrell, Andrew Darko, BJ Holmes, Derrek Lewis and Nathan Walkup--has a four-year record of 97-38 entering the NCAA Tournament, the third winningest class in school history (100 by 2010, 98 by 2009).
A&M's senior class needs 4 more wins to become the winningest class in school history ... it is just the fourth class in school history to total at least 90 victories ... the Class of 2011 is 97-38 (.719) entering the NCAA Tournament, trailing only the 2010 (100-38, .725), and 2009 (98-37, .726) classes in the record books.
This year's class is the only one in school history to record three consecutive winning seasons in Big 12 play.
The class has become just the third in school history to advance to four straight NCAA Tournaments.
It is only the fourth class in school history to record four straight 20-win seasons.
The Class of '11 finished its career a perfect 39-0 in non-conference home games, including wins over LSU, Arizona and Washington ... the class finished its career with a 62-9 record at Reed Arena ... the seniors have played in front of the six largest crowds in school history.
This year's seniors led the team to a 13-game win streak, the longest in 91 years and the third-longest in program history.
Down to the Wire
Texas A&M is 7-2 this year in "last possession" games (3 or fewer points, or OT) ... the Aggies have a 1-point win over Washington (63-62), a 1-point win at Oklahoma State (67-66), a 2-point win over Missouri (91-89), and 3-point wins over Temple (54-51), Colorado (73-70) and Texas Tech (70-67) ... the Aggies took Arkansas to overtime before emerging victorious, 71-62 ... A&M's 2-point losses this year came to Boston College (65-67) and Baylor (74-76).
Overall, A&M is 8-2 this year in games decided by fewer than 5 points ... and 11-4 this year in games decided by fewer than 10 points.
Aggies in the NCAA Rankings
In the latest NCAA rankings (as of March 13), A&M ranked 16th nationally in rebounding margin (+6.5) ... the Aggies have out-rebounded 25 of 32 opponents this season ... A&M is 86-15 under Turgeon (22-3 this year) when matching or out-rebounding their foes.
A&M also ranked 23rd in the country in scoring defense (61.0 ppg).
Protecting the Ball
Texas A&M did a good job limiting turnovers in conference play ... the Aggies committed 191 turnovers (11.9 per game) in Big 12 play, second fewest in the league (Texas, 183) ... A&M, which averaged 14 turnovers per game in non-conference play, has committed 387 on the entire season, the third fewest of any Big 12 team (Colorado 362, Texas 370).
Let's Keep Playing
Texas A&M has already played a school-record 4 overtime games this year, and is 3-1 in those contests.
The Aggies have set a school record with 3 OT wins this season.
Texas A&M's back-to-back OT games with Baylor (Feb. 5) and Colorado (Feb. 9) marked just the third time in school history the Aggies have played consecutive overtime games ... the most recent came in the fall of 2003, when A&M went extra with Grambling (2OT) and Houston (OT) ... the only other time it has occurred in school history was in 1984 (SMU and TCU).
A&M's 73-70 win at Colorado on Feb. 9 was the Aggies' first overtime win on the road since an 86-78 win at Alabama in the fall of 2008.
The victory in Boulder marked only the Aggies' second road OT victory in Big 12 history ... the other came at Iowa State in 2006 (86-81) ... A&M is 4-7 all-time in Big 12 overtime games (2-4 home, 2-3 away).
Home, Sweet Home
A&M finished with a 15-2 home record this year, a feat due in no small part to the Aggies' defensive effort all season long ... opponents shot 40.2 percent inside Reed and averaged 59.2 points per game.
The Aggies are the only Big 12 team to win at least 15 home games for the last seven consecutive seasons.
Only 3 teams shot better than 45 percent on A&M's home floor--Missouri (52.2), Baylor (51.8) and Texas (50.0).
Only 2 teams scored more than 70 points at Reed, with both games going to OT--Missouri (89) and Baylor (76).
A&M has won 33 of its last 36 home games, including 16 of its last 19 in Big 12 play ... the Aggies are 46-5 at home since the start of the 2008-09 season with an 19-5 mark in conference games ... those losses have come to Kansas (#1), Texas (#3), Oklahoma (#5), Baylor and Kansas State.
The Aggies are 80-8 (.909) at home since the start of the 2006-07 season and are 112-14 (.889) since the start of the 2004-05 campaign.
A&M has won 28 of its last 29 home games against unranked opponents (12 of last 13 in Big 12 play) ... under Turgeon, the Aggies are 51-4 against unranked opponents at Reed Arena, including a 16-4 mark against unranked Big 12 teams.
A&M is 154-56 (.733) in 13 seasons at Reed Arena ... the Aggies were 41-41 the first six years at Reed and are 113-15 since.
The Aggies have won 60 straight non-conference games at Reed Arena ... the streak dates back to the start of the 2005-06 season and includes wins over Arizona, Alabama, LSU and Washington, among others ... the last home non-conference loss for the Aggies was to St. Joseph's (58-51) in the 2005 NIT quarterfinals ... A&M is 92-9 all-time in non-conference games at Reed (.911).
Texas A&M has won 73 consecutive regular-season non-conference home games ... the last non-conference team to beat the Aggies at Reed Arena was Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (82-80) in 2003.
Texas A&M has averaged crowds of 9,000 or better for five straight seasons (averaged 9,000 in 2010-11) ... A&M has posted its top six single game marks, and two of the top three season averages, under Turgeon.
Locking it Down
The Aggies have used quite a few key defensive showings en route to a 24-8 record ... a look at some of the defensive efforts that have led to victories so far this season:
A&M'S LATE-GAME DEFENSIVE STANDS
Opponent Clock Situation Opponent rest of game Result Notable
Texas Tech 3:33 left down 2 (65-63) 1 FG, 0 FT W, 70-67 layup came with :10 left & 3-pt lead
Colorado 3:29 left down 6 (58-52) 0/3 FG, 2/2 FT (reg/OT) W, 73-70 (OT) CU 3-16 (19%) from field over span
Kansas State 4:55 left tied (48-48) 2 FG, 2 FT W, 64-56 late 3-ptr came with :12 left & 9-pt lead
Missouri 1:35 left-OT down 2 (87-85) 1 FG, 0 FT W, 91-89 (OT) MU's bucket came on tip-in at end of game
Oklahoma St. 15:08 left up 3 (43-40) 1 FG, 6 FT W, 71-48 OSU scoreless over final 5:41
Nicholls St. 4:09 left up 9 (62-53) 0 FG, 2 FT W, 66-55
McNeese St. 3:43 left up 3 (56-53) 2 FG, 0 FT W, 66-57 last MSU FG came w/:00.1 left in game
Arkansas 6:42 left down 6 (58-52) 0 FG, 2 FT W, 71-62 (OT) UA also scoreless in OT until layup w/:16 left
Washington 5:02 left up 5 (61-56) 2 FG, 2 FT W, 63-62
Pacific 5:19 left up 9 (63-54) 1 FG, 2 FT W, 79-59 FG was 3-pointer with :06 left in game
SFA 3:00 left up 7 (57-50) 1 FG, 0 FT W, 62-53
Temple 6:42 left down 1 (47-46) 1 FG, 2 FT W, 54-51
Manhattan 12:49 left up 5 (43-38) 2 FG, 3 FT W, 74-45
In the last 3 minutes of games this season, the Aggie defense has held foes to 30.4 percent shooting (49-of-161) from the field and 24.2 percent (16-of-66) from 3-point range.
Battling Back
Texas A&M has erased four double-digit deficits en route to victories this season ... the Aggies have also washed out two more 10-plus deficits in games which they lost by two points.
BIG COMEBACKS (10+ POINT DEFICITS)
Opponent Largest Deficit Score / Time Final
Texas Tech (2/12) 10 8-18 / 12:30, 1st W, 70-67
Missouri (1/15) 12 7-19 / 13:00, 1st W, 91-89 (OT)
McNeese State (12/31) 10 18-28 / 7:51, 1st W, 66-57
Arkansas (12/18) 10 35-45 / 17:26, 2nd W, 71-62 (OT)
Baylor (2/5) 14 25-39 / 6:12, 1st L, 74-76 (OT)
Boston College (11/25) 11 38-49 / 13:50, 2nd L, 65-67
On Feb. 9, A&M trailed Colorado 58-52 with 3:29 to play in Boulder ... the Aggies held Colorado to just 2 free throws for the remainder of regulation, rallying to tie the game at 60 and force OT ... A&M went on to win the game, 73-70 ... the Buffs shot 19 percent (3-of-16) over the final 8:29 (including OT), managing the 3 field goals and 4 free throws.
Cracking the Top 10
Texas A&M earned its first top-10 ranking in over three years in January, checking in at No. 10 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll (Jan. 17) ... the last time the Aggies sat in the national top 10 was on Nov. 26, 2007, when they were ranked ninth in both major polls.
It also marked just the fifth time in school history that a Texas A&M team has broken the top 10 in a season, joining the 1959-60, 2006-07 and 2007-08 squads ... A&M's school-record ranking in the polls is No. 6, set in the 2006-07 season.
Hot Start
Texas A&M matched the best 20-game start in school history with a 17-3 record to open the year.
Of note, the 1919-20 team had the best start (and finish) in school history, completing the year a perfect 19-0.
Thirteen in a Row
Texas A&M rattled off 13 straight wins over just under a two-month span from Nov. 26-Jan. 15 ... the 13-game streak was the longest in 91 years and the third-longest in school history, and included wins over then No. 12 Missouri, then No. 20 Temple, then No. 21 Washington and against Arkansas on a neutral court in Dallas.
LONGEST WIN STREAKS, TEXAS A&M HISTORY
Year(s) Wins
1. 1919-21* 25
2. 1914-16* 20
3. 2010-11 13
4. 2004-05/1921-22 11
* spanned two seasons
Over the 13-game win streak, Aggie foes averaged just 57.4 points per game and were out-rebounded by a margin of 10.4 boards ... they were held to 38.6 percent shooting from the field and 28.6 percent from 3-point range ... the combined record of the teams on the streak (as of Jan. 17) was 127-88 (.591).
Tobi Oyedeji (1992-2010)
Tobi Oyedeji (pronounced O-yuh-day-jee), a member of the incoming Class of '14, was lost tragically following a car accident in Houston on May 16, 2010.
A memorial scholarship has been set up in Tobi's honor and he has a locker inside the Aggies' Reed Arena locker room.
His good friend, Ray Turner, has switched jerseys to No. 35, Tobi's number, for this season.
The team will wear a memorial patch with Tobi's last name emblazoned on it on the right shoulder of the jersey.
NBA Aggies
There are currently 3 Aggies playing in the NBA: Antoine Wright (Sacramento Kings), Acie Law IV (Golden State Warriors) and DeAndre Jordan (Los Angeles Clippers) ... prior to 2007, A&M never had more than one active NBA player.
An Aggie has been chosen in four of the last six NBA Drafts. DeAndre Jordan in 2008 (second round to the Los Angeles Clippers).
Prior to Wright's selection in 2005, A&M had not had a player drafted since Winston Crite in 1987.
Aggies Ink Two Texas Standouts
COLLEGE STATION (11/10/10)--Jamal Branch and Jordan Green signed national letters-of-intent to play college basketball at Texas A&M, the school announced. "We are excited about our 2011 class so far," Aggie coach Mark Turgeon said. "We feel like we have added two quality, high-character young men that will fill needs for our program. Jordan and Jamal will fit in great with what we have coming back next year, plus Jamal and Jordan will complement each other throughout their careers."
JAMAL BRANCH (G, 6-3, 170, Arlington/Grace Preparatory Academy): A consensus four-star prospect ... a 6-3, 170-pound point guard who plays at Grace Preparatory Academy in Arlington, Texas ... named the best defender in the Class of 2011 by scout.com and ranked No. 47 nationally ... rated the No. 8 point guard in the country and No. 53 overall by ESPN.com ... a member of the ESPNU 100 ... grades at 94 out of 100 by ESPN.com ... the No. 5 prospect in Texas and No. 67 nationally by rivals.com ... is the No. 2 player on the Maroon and White Report's Hoops Hot List for 2011 ... chose Texas A&M over Texas, Kansas and UCLA.
JORDAN GREEN (G, 6-4, 180, Flower Mound/Flower Mound HS): A 6-4, 180-pound shooting guard from Flower Mound High School in Flower Mound, Texas ... rated among the top shooting guards in the class by both ESPN.com and Scout.com ... ranked 12th overall in Texas by rivals.com and 114th nationally ... rated fourth on the Maroon and White Report's Hoops Hot List for 2011 ... is the first player in his school's history to sign a Division I basketball scholarship straight out of high school ... chose Texas A&M over Marquette, Oklahoma State, UNLV and Utah. 
