COLLEGE STATION, Texas-The Texas A&M basketball team gets an unofficial start to its season on Thursday when the Aggies host the Dallas Baptist Patriots in an exhibition game at Reed Arena. Tipoff is set for 7:05 p.m.
"I'm really excited, and I think they are probably more excited," associate head coach Glynn Cyprien said. "I wish we had more practice time, like any coach, but I think these guys are just ready to run up and down against somebody different."
The Aggies welcome back 10 letterwinners and three starters from last year's 24-9 NCAA Tournament team. Texas A&M has been picked as co-favorites to win the Big 12 title by the league's head coaches, and the Aggies also appear in the top 20 nationally in both major polls.
"We've got really good senior leadership," Cyprien said. "Dash (Harris) and Dave (Loubeau) have been phenomenal leading this team, and we also have veterans that have played a lot of minutes. This is a good ball club. We're not nearly where we want to be, and we shouldn't be. It's too early in the year. But these guys are working hard every day to get things accomplished on the floor."
12th Man TV will provide free live video of Thursday's game on aggieathletics.com.
EXHIBITION GAME
Dallas Baptist PATRIOTS (20-12 in 2010-11)
at
(#19/20) Texas A&M AGGIES (24-9 in 2010-11)
Thursday, November 3 • 7:05 PM (CT)
Reed Arena (12,989) • College Station, Texas
TV: None
RADIO: None
FREE LIVE VIDEO: 12th Man TV (aggieathletics.com) / Will Johnson, Play-by-Play
LIVE STATS: aggieathletics.com
TICKETS: available at the door or online at tickets.12thmanfoundation.com
RANKINGS: A&M is 19th in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll and 20th in The Associated Press poll.
TUNE IN LIVE
Fans can watch the game worldwide free of charge through the new 12th Man TV on aggieathletics.com ... Will Johnson will handle play-by-play duties ... iPad users can also watch the game through the new Texas A&M Athletics app ... visit the iTunes store for more information or to purchase.
TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets start at $8 and can be purchased online (tickets.12thmanfoundation.com), over the phone (888-99-AGGIE) or in person at any box office (Kyle Field or Reed Arena).
STUDENT TICKETS
A&M students who have purchased the "All-Sports Option" can simply present their student ID at the north or south ticket entrances for admission ... student entrances open 75 minutes before tipoff ... those without the option can purchase tickets at any open box office (Kyle Field or Reed Arena) on gameday.
SCOUTING DALLAS BAPTIST
Dallas Baptist is an NCAA Division II program that competes in the Heartland Conference ... the Patriots return 4 starters from a team that went 20-12 and won the NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) championship ... top returning players include junior F Nick Fox (17.7 ppg, 6.1 rpg), senior F Jordan McGowen (13.3 ppg, 6.8 rpg) and senior G Armie Lewis (7.9 ppg, 3.2 apg) ... DBU is coached by Blake Flickner (Kansas '98), who sports a record of 93-66 entering his sixth season at the helm ... for more information visit www.dbupatriots.com.
A LOOK AT THE AGGIES
Texas A&M returns 10 letterwinners and 3 starters from a team that went 24-9, finished third in the Big 12 at 10-6 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for a school-record sixth straight season ... leading the returnees are junior F and preseason All-Big 12 pick Khris Middleton (North Charleston, S.C.), senior G Dash Harris (Los Angeles) and senior F David Loubeau (Miami).
WHAT'S BACK
The 2011-12 Aggie roster will feature 25 games of NCAA Tournament experience, with Dash Harris (5), David Loubeau (5) and Elston Turner (5) leading the way ... A&M will bring back 60 percent or more statistically in 7 of 8 major categories, including starts (60%), minutes (66%), points (67%), rebounds (72%), assists (60%), blocks (84%) and free throws (72%).
WHAT'S NEW
Texas A&M welcomes in a three-member freshman class, all hailing from the Dallas/Ft Worth area-guard Jamal Branch (Arlington), guard Jordan Green (Flower Mound) and forward Grant Jolly (Southlake) ... in addition, the Aggies have one transfer-senior Zach Kinsley (Baton Rouge, La./Univ of New Orleans)-who is eligible to play this fall.RARIFIED AIR
Texas A&M is one of only 8 schools in the entire country that have won 24 or more games in each of the last 5 seasons (Butler, BYU, Kansas, Memphis, Pittsburgh, Texas A&M, VCU, Xavier) ... A&M is one of just 12 schools that have made the NCAA Tournament in each of the last 6 seasons (Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas, Marquette, Michigan State, Pittsburgh, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Villanova, Wisconsin, Xavier) ... the Aggies are one of only 4 Big 12 schools to post winning conference records in each of the last 3 seasons (A&M, Kansas, K-State, Texas) ... in fact, when looking at the "Super 6" conferences (Big East, Big 12, ACC, Big Ten, SEC, Pac-10), it puts A&M in some pretty elite company ... only 18 of the 73 teams who have competed in those leagues over the last 3 years have accomplished that feat.
CHAMPIONSHIP-CALIBER STAFF
Billy Kennedy has put together a veteran staff in his first season in Aggieland ... the group has a combined 89 years of collegiate coaching experience ... over the last decade, the staff has been a part of 18 conference titles and 22 postseasons (15 NCAA, 7 NIT) ... in 2010-11, each staff member won a championship at his respective school and as a group averaged 25 wins on the year.
2011-12 SCHEDULE: A LOOK AHEAD
Texas A&M will play a minimum of 11 games against NCAA Tournament teams this season and host 19 games at Reed Arena ... the Aggies will play at least three games against teams that advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament this past March in Florida and Kansas-and that's not counting a potential matchup with another Elite Eight squad in Arizona ... a minimum of 21 of A&M's games this year will come against teams with .500 or better records last season ... the schedule this winter features 3 teams that the Aggies have never faced-Arkansas Tech, Liberty and St. John's.UP NEXT
Texas A&M will open the regular season on Wednesday, Nov. 9 against Liberty at Reed Arena ... tipoff is set for 7:05 p.m. and the game will be televised by FSN Southwest ... the game is part of the regional rounds of the 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs Cancer ... A&M will continue play in that tournament on Nov. 17 and 18 at New York City's Madison Square Garden.