Faculty and staff members can purchase up to 8 tickets each at the discounted rates, starting at just $5, by logging on to tickets.12thmanfoundation.com. Click on the "home game tickets" link on the men's basketball portion of the site for details.
In addition, the general public can purchase tickets to this week's game against Arkansas Tech starting at just $5 through the Half-Price Holiday Hoops special. Log on to the website for more information.
For those unable to attend the game, 12th Man TV will broadcast it live online with Will Johnson calling the action. Cost of the game is $3.99. iPad users who have downloaded the Aggie Athletics app can watch all three games free of charge. Log on to aggieathletics.com for details.
GAME 12
Texas A&M AGGIES (8-3) vs Arkansas Tech WONDER BOYS (8-1)
Thursday, December 29, 2011 • 7:05 PM CT • TV: None • Live Video: 12th Man TV
Reed Arena (12,989) • College Station, Texas
Media Coverage
TELEVISION: None
LIVE VIDEO: 12th Man TV (PPV)
Will Johnson, Play-by-Play
Cost: $3.99 (free for iPad app users)
RADIO: Texas A&M Sports Network
Dave South, Play-by-Play
Al Pulliam, Commentary
Local: WTAW-AM 1620
Satellite Radio: Sirius 137
LIVE AUDIO/STATS: aggieathletics.com
Snapshot: Texas A&M
Record: 8-3, 0-0 Big 12
Ranking: RV (AP)
Streak: Lost 2
Last 5 / Last 10 : 3-2 / 7-3
Last Game: lost to Rice (H), 65-58 (12/22)
Head Coach: Billy Kennedy (SE Louisiana '86)
Record: 219-182 (14th year)
at Texas A&M: 8-3 (first year)
vs. Arkansas Tech: never faced
A&M Probable Starters
No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl. PPG RPG APG GP / Min
5 Dash Harris G 6-1 171 Sr. 4.5 2.4 4.5 11 / 26.7
10 David Loubeau F 6-8 234 Sr. 12.2 5.1 0.4b 11 / 25.5
22 Khris Middleton F 6-7 217 Jr. 13.8 5.3 3.3 4 / 25.3
31 Elston Turner G 6-5 211 Jr. 12.3 3.5 1.9 11 / 29.8
35 Ray Turner F 6-9 232 Jr. 11.9 6.0 0.2b 10 / 23.3
Snapshot: Arkansas Tech
Record: 8-1, 0-0 GAC (D-II)
Ranking: #17 (NABC Div 2 Coaches Poll)
Streak: Won 4
Last 5 / Last 10: 4-1 / 8-1
Last Game: def. West Florida (A), 89-85 (12/18)
Head Coach: Doug Karleskint (Mid-Am Naz. '03)
Record: 33-7 (second year)
at Arkansas Tech: 33-7 (second year)
vs. Texas A&M: never faced
Arkansas Tech Probable Starters
No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl. PPG RPG APG GP / Min
2 Johnie Davis G 6-1 150 Sr. 22.7 3.8 2.2 9 / 34.1
3 Mykel Cleveland G 6-2 200 Sr. 7.3 4.6 3.5 8 / 24.5
12 Jared Williamson G 6-2 190 Jr. 7.0 4.7 2.4 9 / 28.0
21 Marshawn Arnold G 6-4 210 Fr. 4.4 2.5 0.1 8 / 12.8
33 Matt Haney G 6-1 190 Sr. 11.9 4.4 2.7 7 / 29.0
Series History: Arkansas Tech (first meeting)
- the game will mark the first ever between the schools ... Arkansas Tech is located in Russellville, a little over an hour northwest of Little Rock.
- Arkansas Tech is ranked 17th nationally in the latest NABC Division II coaches' poll ... the Wonder Boys advanced to the NCAA D-II regional semifinals last year, racking up 25 wins and winning the Gulf South Conference ... ATU has made three straight trips to the NCAA regional semifinals.
- the Aggies have played and won 3 games all-time against current Great American Conference schools ... A&M's last game against a current member of the Great American Conference was on Nov. 17, 2007, an 85-59 win over Ouachita Baptist at Reed Arena ... the Aggies have faced Southwestern Oklahoma State twice, with both games taking place in the 1948-49 season.
Tale of the Tape
A&M ATU
63.8 points/game 78.1
55.6 opp. points/game 65.7
+8.2 scoring margin +12.4
.462 field goal % .456
.358 opp. field goal % .447
.299 3-point % .417
38.9 rebounds 35.1
+7.2 rebound margin -1.4
13.5 assists 15.4
13.9 turnovers 15.0
5.8 steals 11.7
2.5 blocks 2.6
Quick Hits
- The Aggies lead the Big 12 in four defensive categories: scoring defense, field-goal percentage defense, 3-point FG% defense and defensive rebounding; A&M ranks second in defensive rebound percentage and third in rebound margin.
- Through games of Dec. 18 (NCAA numbers did not update over Christmas), Texas A&M ranked fourth nationally in field-goal percentage defense, eighth in scoring defense, 11th in 3-point FG% defense and 14th in rebound margin.
- Over half of Texas A&M's points this season have come in the paint (370 of 702, or 52.7%) ... by comparison, last season 40 percent of A&M's points came in the paint (973 of 2192, or 40.1%).
- 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).
- 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).
- For the first time in league history, Texas A&M has been picked to win the Big 12 Conference men's basketball championship ... the Aggies sat atop the preseason coaches' poll in a tie with Kansas ... A&M has met or exceeded the preseason poll's prognostications in 6 of the last 7 seasons.
- A&M, Kansas and Texas are the only Big 12 schools that have won at least 20 games in each of the last 7 seasons.
- The loss to Rice on Dec. 22 snapped A&M's 67-game non-conference home win streak at Reed Arena (which dated back to start of 2005-06 season) and 80-game regular-season, non-conference home win streak (which dated back to 2003) ... A&M is 99-10 (.908) all-time in non-conference games inside the facility, which hosted its first basketball game in the fall of 1998.
Aggie Trends
- The Aggies have held opponents to an average of 50.2 points in 8 games at Reed Arena this year ... in those games, foes are shooting 33.8 percent from the floor and 22.1 percent from 3-point range ... opponents are averaging just 20.0 first-half points at Reed ... Rice's 65 points are the high by a visiting team this year.
- After averaging 15.8 turnovers through the first 6 games, A&M has done a better job of protecting the ball of late ... the Aggies have averaged just 11.6 turnovers over their last 5 games ... A&M had a season-low 9 turnovers against Rice.
- A&M has improved from the free-throw line of late ... in their last 3 games, the Aggies are shooting 72.3 percent from the charity stripe (34-of-47) ... A&M shot 60 percent (78-for-130) in the first 8 games of the year.
- The Aggies are 8-0 this year when leading at halftime and 8-0 when leading with 5 minutes to play.
- A&M is undefeated when holding opponents under 40 percent from the field (7-0).
- The Aggies have held 8 of their opponents under 60 points and are unbeaten in those games.
- A&M has held 6 of 11 opponents under 35 percent shooting.
- The Aggies are 6-0 this year when shooting more free throws than their opponent and 7-0 when out-rebounding them.
- A&M held four straight opponents under 50 points per game (A&M-Corpus Christi, Alcorn State, SFA, Sam Houston) for the first time since 1959.
- A&M blocked 8 shots against Sam Houston (12/7), the most since February 2009 ... the Aggies also held SHSU to 25.0 percent from the floor, the lowest since December 2007.
- A&M is averaging 2.6 blocks per game this year (26 blocks), up from last year's average of 1.5 (51 in 33 games).
- A&M has won nearly 75 percent of its games since the start of the 2006-07 season (132-48, .733) ... the Aggies are 175-66 (.726) since the start of the '04-05 campaign.
Milestone Watch
- Senior David Loubeau needs just 3 points to become a member of the school's 1,000-point club and 9 rebounds to join A&M's 500-rebound club ... Loubeau (997 points, 491 rebounds) would become just the 32nd player in school history to reach 1,000 points and only the 22nd to grab 500 boards ... if Loubeau reaches both milestones he would be only the 16th player in school history to do so (list on page 6).
- Senior Dash Harris (326 assists, 116 steals) needs 18 assists and 11 steals to move into the career top 10 in both categories.
Player Notables
- Junior Elston Turner and senior David Loubeau each scored 20 points in a Dec. 17 loss to No. 13 Florida, marking the first time this year the Aggies have had two players score 20 in a game ... that happened just once last year, in the Big 12 quarterfinals vs Missouri (David Loubeau and BJ Holmes, 20 each).
- Junior Elston Turner is shooting 46% from 3-point range (11-for-24) over his last 5 games.
- Senior Dash Harris leads the team and ranks sixth in the Big 12 in assists (4.5/game), and leads the squad, ranks third in the Big 12 and 40th nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.50) ... he was named to the Bob Cousy Award watch list.
- Junior Khris Middleton is averaging 16.3 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists since returning from surgery to repair a partially-torn meniscus (3 games).
- Senior DAVID LOUBEAU is averaging 15.7 points and 5.3 rebounds over his last 3 games while shooting 54 percent from the floor and 82 percent from the free-throw line.
- Junior Ray Turner ranks second in the Big 12 and 10th nationally in field-goal percentage (62.5%) ... Turner is averaging 13.6 points and 6 rebounds at home this year (8 games).
Protecting the Home Court
- The Aggies are the only Big 12 team to win at least 15 home games for the last seven consecutive seasons.
- A&M has won 40 of its last 44 home games, including 16 of its last 19 in Big 12 play ... the Aggies are 53-6 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, Kansas State and Rice.
- The Aggies are 87-11 (.888) at home since the start of the 2006-07 season and are 120-16 (.882) since the start of the 2004-05 campaign.
- A&M has won 35 of its last 37 home games against unranked opponents (12 of last 13 in Big 12 play).
- A&M is 161-57 (.739) in 13 seasons at Reed Arena ... the Aggies were 41-41 the first six years at Reed and are 120-16 since.
Up Next
- Texas A&M will open its 16th and final Big 12 season on Monday when the Aggies travel to Waco to face No. 6 Baylor ... the game will tip at 6 p.m. CT and will be televised by ESPNU ... A&M will then open conference play at home on Saturday, Jan. 7 against Iowa State (3 p.m., Big 12 Network).