COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Aggie hoops fans got their first glimpse at the 2014-15 Texas A&M men's basketball team Friday night as the Aggies hosted the Maroon & White Scrimmage at Reed Arena. During the spirited split-squad affair, the Maroon squad edged the White team 49-41.
"I think we had some fun,” Texas A&M head coach Billy Kennedy said. “That's what we wanted to do was have fun. We wanted to push the ball and get it up and down the court. It got a little sloppy, but we expected that. I really like our effort and am excited about the year."
A trio of newcomers highlighted the effort Friday night as Danuel House, Jalen Jones and Tonny Trocha-Morelos each contributed 11 points during the two 12-minute halves.
Trocha-Morelos, a freshman from Cartagena, Colombia, was a perfect 4-of-4 from the floor, including a pair of 3-point baskets, while leading all rebounders with six.
One of the team's four returning starters, junior guard Alex Caruso, picked up right where he left off during his breakout sophomore season by scoring nine points to go along with a team-high seven assists. Senior Kourtney Roberson, meanwhile, chipped in 10 points and five rebounds.
Freshman guard Alex Robinson notched nine points in his first appearance on the court as an Aggie while dishing out four assists. Fellow rookie Avery Johnson Jr. also got into the act, contributing eight points during the contest.
Following an exhibition against Texas A&M-Commerce on Nov. 5 at Reed Arena, the 2014-15 campaign gets underway in earnest Nov. 14 when Texas A&M welcomes Northwestern State to Aggieland for the season opener.
ABOUT THE 2014-15 AGGIES
The Aggies bring back a solid core of returners off last season's 18-win club, including four starters and four more letterwinners. Highlighting the list of returners are junior guard Alex Caruso and forward Kourtney Roberson. Emerging as one of the SEC's top playmakers a year ago, Caruso led the league in total assists (170), assists per game (5.0) and total steals (6.9) while also seeing his scoring average jump from 5.5 points per game as a freshman in 2012-13 to 9.0 last season.
Roberson, meanwhile, averaged 9.8 points per contest last season while leading the Aggies in rebounding (230 total rebounds / 6.8 rebounds per game). A product of Arcadia, La., he collected five double-doubles a year ago and enters his senior season with seven during his A&M career.
Senior Jordan Green and junior Antwan Space are also back from last season's starting line-up bringing valuable experience after combining for 49 starts for the Maroon & White a year ago.
In addition to the solid group of returners, seven talented newcomers join the fold, including notable freshmen Peyton Allen (G), Alex Robinson (PG) and Tonny Trocha-Morelos (C), who are expected to play significant roles during their first season in the program.
Also joining the mix on the court this season will be junior guard/forward Jalen Jones, who was ruled eligible for the start of this season by the NCAA following his transfer from SMU last December. The Dallas native comes to A&M after leading the Mustangs in scoring in scoring by averaging 14.0 points per game while contributing 7.7 rebounds per contest during the 2012-13 campaign.
Head coach Billy Kennedy enters his fourth season in College Station and brings new blood into his coaching staff, adding Amir Abdur-Rahim and former Mississippi State head coach Rick Stansbury as assistants.
SEASON TICKETS AVAILABLE
An affordable, family entertainment option, season tickets begin as low as $100. Annual per seat contributions are required for some seating areas. Contact the 12th Man Foundation for additional information or to order tickets by calling 888-992-4443 or logging onto www.12thManFoundation.com.