Aggie Basketball Game #24:
Florida (12-12, 5-6 SEC) at Texas A&M (16-7, 7-4 SEC)
Saturday, Feb. 14, 2015 · 5:30 p.m. (CT)
Reed Arena (12,989) · College Station, Texas
TV: SEC Network (For more info – 12thMan.com/TV)
Dave Neal, Play-by-Play
Darin Horn, Commentary
Kayce Smith, Sidelines
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. 93 / XM Ch. 190
LIVE AUDIO/STATS: 12thMan.com
LIVE MOBILE LIVE STATS: tamustats.com
--
COLLEGE STATION – A Valentine's Day date with the Gators is up next for the Texas A&M men's basketball team as the Aggies host Florida at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday inside Reed Arena.
The Aggies (16-7, 7-4 SEC) enter the weekend with a share of fourth place in the SEC standings as the league's teams look build post-season resumes as well as bolster their seeding for the upcoming SEC Tournament, which will take place at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena March 15-18.
Saturday's contest will be televised across the country on the SEC Network with Dave Neal (play-by-play) and Darin Horn (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.
Both teams will be looking to bounce back from tough losses on their home court as the Aggies fell to Georgia 62-53 at Reed Arena on Wednesday.
The Gators, meanwhile, lost to Ole Miss on a last-second 3-pointer Thursday night at the O'Connell Center in Gainesville. The 62-61 setback to the Rebels dropped Florida's overall record to 12-12 this season and its SEC mark to 5-6.
In addition to a variety of in-game promotions, special $5 tickets are available for the Florida game by visiting the website http://12mf.info/?BUsc6V and entering the promo code: ROCKREED
QUICK HITS
• Texas A&M's three-game homestand continues Saturday afternoon when the Aggies face Florida ... A&M, which is 4-1 following a loss this season, is searching for a bounce back win after falling 62-53 to Georgia Wednesday at Reed Arena.
• Florida stands out as one of only two schools (Georgia) Texas A&M has not defeated in SEC play since joining the league in 2012-13.
• Junior Alex Caruso led the Aggies in points (20), rebounds (6) and assists (4) during Wednesday's contest ... the College Station native paces the SEC with 131 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.
• Despite missing a portion of the first half against Georgia with an injury, junior Danuel House contributed 14 points on 5-of-11 shooting against the Bulldogs ... House, who ranks fifth in the SEC by averaging 15.7 points per conference game, has contributed 13 or more points in nine of 11 league games played ... fellow Aggie junior Jalen Jones ranks ninth at 14.0 points per SEC contest.
SERIES HISTORY VS. FLORIDA (FLORIDA LEADS 4-1)
• Saturday will be the sixth meeting between the Aggies and Gators on the hardwood and just the second in College Station during SEC play.
• Last season on Feb. 1, the two teams squared off inside Florida's O'Connell Center ... the third-ranked Gators earned a 69-36 win.
• During the most recent meeting prior to the Aggies joing the Gators in the SEC, the two schools met Dec. 17, 2011, at Bank Atlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla., during the Orange Bowl Classic ... The result was a 84-64 UF victory ... A&M was led in scoring by David Loubeau and Elston Turner, who finished with 20 apiece.
• The two schools first met on Jan. 2, 1992, when the Tony Barone-led Aggies fell to Florida 73-46 in Gainesville ... The next season on Dec. 22, 1992, the Aggies got a measure of revenge by handing the Gators a 84-64 defeat in College Station.
• A&M head coach Billy Kennedy is 0-3 vs the Gators while UF's Billy Donovan has won all three times he's faced A&M.
UP NEXT
Texas A&M's three-game homestand concludes Tuesday when, for the second time this season, the Aggies face the LSU Tigers ... Tip-off is slated for 8:00 p.m. at Reed Arena with television coverage on the 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 413 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 131 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 Florida game with 748 career boards, needing nine to tie Bryan Davis (757 career rebounds from 1970-73) for ninth place.