Aggie Basketball Game #23:
Georgia (15-7, 6-4 SEC) at Texas A&M (16-6, 7-3 SEC)
Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2015 · 6 p.m. (CT)
Reed Arena (12,989) · College Station, Texas
TV: SEC Network (For more info – 12thMan.com/TV)
Dave Baker, Play-by-Play
Dane Bradshaw, Commentary
RADIO: Texas A&M Radio Network
Dave South, Play-by-Play
Al Pulliam, Commentary
Local: WTAW 1620 AM (College Station/Bryan)
Satellite Radio: Sirius Ch. 92 / XM Ch. 190
LIVE AUDIO/STATS: 12thMan.com
LIVE MOBILE LIVE STATS: tamustats.com
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COLLEGE STATION – After playing four of its last five games away from home, the Texas A&M men's basketball team begins a pivotal three-game homestand Wednesday evening when the Aggies host Georgia at 6 p.m. inside Reed Arena.
The Aggies (16-6, 7-3 SEC) are in the thick of the SEC race behind top-ranked Kentucky, entering the week tied for second place in the standings alongside Arkansas and Ole Miss. Georgia (15-7, 6-4 SEC), meanwhile, is just a game back as the jockeying to build post-season resumes heats up.
The game will be nationally televised on the SEC Network with Dave Baker (play-by-play) and Dane Bradshaw (commentary) calling all the action. The match-up can also be heard on the Texas A&M Sports Network with local coverage in Bryan/College Station on WTAW 1620 AM.
Texas A&M remains one of the league's hottest teams with seven wins in its last eight contests, including an 83-61 victory at Missouri on Saturday.
During the win over the Tigers, A&M used a balanced scoring attack to fill up the box score, placing four players in double-digit scoring for the seventh time this season.
Junior guard Danuel House led the way by contributing a game-high 20 points to reach the 20-point mark for the fourth time this season. The Fresno, Texas, native is averaging 15.9 points per contest during league play to rank fifth among all SEC players, while teammate Jalen Jones is not far behind, sharing sixth place with a 15.0 point-per-game average in SEC contest.
The Missouri win also saw a pair of Aggies hit significant milestones as junior guard Alex Caruso tied a career high with 11 assists to bring his career total to 409, making him just the sixth A&M player to reach the 400-assist plateau. Senior forward Kourtney Roberson, meanwhile, pulled down five boards against the Tigers to gain sole possession of 10th place on A&M's all-time rebounding list with 744 career boards.
Georgia comes to Aggieland after earning a 56-53 victory over Tennessee in Athens, Ga., on Saturday, giving the team its sixth win during its last eight games.
Senior forward Marcus Thornton, who returned to action against the Volunteers after missing time with an injury, highlights a list of five Bulldogs who average double-digit scoring this season. Thornton scores 13.2 points per contest while also leading the team with a 7.1 rebound-per-game average.
QUICK HITS
• Texas A&M's upcoming three-game homestand will go a long way in determining the team's post-season fate as the Aggies enter the week holding the No. 33 spot in the NCAA's Daily RPI Report (2/10) ... Georgia ranks No. 25, Florida No. 67 and LSU No. 51.
• The Aggies remain one of the SEC's hottest teams, having won seven of their last eight games, including Saturday's 83-61 victory at Missouri ... A&M enters the week sharing second place in the SEC standings with Arkansas and Ole Miss at 7-3 in league play, but the Bulldogs sit just one game back with a 6-4 record in conference games.
• Georgia and Florida stand out as the only two schools Texas A&M has not defeated in SEC play since joining the league in 2012-13.
• Junior Alex Caruso tied a career high with 11 assists during Saturday's win at Missouri to give him 409 in his career and make him just the sixth Aggie to reach the 400-assist plateau ... the College Station native paces the SEC with 127 dimes this year and is seeking to become the first player to lead the SEC in assists during back-to-back seasons since Florida's Nick Calathes in 2008 and 2009.
• Junior Danuel House continues to be one of the SEC's top scorers after scoring 20 points at Mizzou ... the 20-point outing was House's fourth of the season and increased his team-leading scoring average to 14.1 points per game ... during SEC play, House ranks fifth in the league by averaging 15.9 points per game ... fellow Aggie junior Jalen Jones is tied for sixth at 15.0 points per SEC contest.
• Forward Kourtney Roberson pulled down five rebounds on Saturday at Missouri to give him 744 for his A&M career, which leaves him in sole possession of 10th place on A&M's all-time rebounding list ... up next is Bryan Davis, who pulled down 757 boards from 2006-2010, in ninth place.
• Additionally, Roberson ranks third among active SEC players with 573 rebounds since the 2012-13 campaign when A&M joined the SEC ... Georgia's Marcus Thornton checks in at second with 580 career boards.
SERIES HISTORY VS. GEORGIA (GEORGIA LEADS 3-0)
• Wednesday will be the fourth all-time meeting between the Aggies & Bulldogs on the hardwood.
• Last season, Georgia earned a 62-50 win at Stegeman Coliseum in Athens ... the Aggies were led by 17 points from Jamal Jones, who went 5-of-21 from the field in the contest.
• The lone meeting at Reed Arena in the series game on Jan. 26, 2013, when the Bulldogs earned a 59-52 win.
• Texas A&M floor general Billy Kennedy is 0-3 against the Bulldogs, while Georgia's Mark Fox is 3-0 against the Aggies.
UP NEXT
The Aggies' three-game home stand continues on Saturday as Texas A&M welcomes the Florida Gators to Reed Arena for a 5:30 p.m. contest that will be televised on SEC Network.
GREEN NAMED TO ALLSTATE GOOD WORKS TEAM
Texas A&M men's basketball senior guard Jordan Green was selected on Feb. 10 to be a part of the prestigious 2014-15 Allstate NABC Good Works Team® in lieu of all he gives back to the community while off the court.
The Allstate NABC and WBCA Good Works Teams® are each comprised of 10 student-athletes; five from NCAA® Division I and five from NCAA Divisions II, III and the NAIA. A record total of 158 nominees from the NABC and 93 nominees from the WBCA were announced in early December 2014.
The Allstate NABC and WBCA Good Works Teams® have made it their mission to protect the integrity of the sport by highlighting the “good works'” that occur after the final buzzer. In addition to being college athletes and full-time students, these 20 young men and women have dedicated their invaluable free time to making a difference in the world around them. They each boast a long list of remarkable accolades that serve to inspire fans and communities across the nation.
Members of the Allstate NABC Good Works Team® will be invited by Allstate, an official corporate partner of the NCAA, to the 2015 NABC Convention and 2015 NCAA Men's Final Four® in Indianapolis, where they will participate in a community service project benefitting the host city. Members of the Allstate WBCA Good Works Team® will be recognized during the 2015 WBCA Convention and at the 2015 NCAA Women's Final Four® in Tampa, and will also participate in a local community service project.
CARUSO HITS 400 ASSIST PLATEAU; LEADS SEC IN DIMES
With an 11-assist performance on Feb. 7 at Missouri, junior Alex Caruso became just the sixth Aggie to notch 400 career assists as he now has 409 for his three-year career to rank sixth all-time in school history.
Last season, Caruso led the SEC with 170 assists and once again finds himself atop the league's category with 127 helpers this year. He is seeking to become the first SEC player to lead the league in assists in back-to-back seasons since Nick Calathes of Florida in 2008 and 2009.
ROBERSON ASCENDING AGGIE REBOUNDING LIST
Senior Kourtney Roberson joined the prestigious 500-Rebound Club last season and has continued into his senior season, moving up the list of the most prolific rebounders in school history. The Arcadia, La., native climbed two spots into a tie for 10th place on the all-time rebounding list with a six-board performance at Ole Miss on Feb. 4. Roberson enters the Georgia game with 744 career boards, needing 13 to tie Bryan Davis (757 career rebounds from 1970-73) for ninth place.