Aggie Basketball Game #25:
LSU (18-7, 7-5 SEC) at Texas A&M (17-7, 8-4 SEC)
Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2015 · 8:00 p.m. (CT)
Reed Arena (12,989) · College Station, Texas
TV: SEC Network (For more info – 12thMan.com/TV)
Dave Neal, Play-by-Play
Darrin Horn, Commentary
RADIO: Texas A&M Radio Network
Dave South, Play-by-Play
Mike Caruso, 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
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COLLEGE STATION – The Texas A&M men's basketball team is back in action at Reed Arena Tuesday night, concluding a three-game homestand by hosting LSU in an 8 p.m. contest.
Tuesday's important SEC showdown will be nationally televised on SEC Network with Dave Neal calling the play-by-play and Darin Horn providing color commentary. Additionally, radio coverage will be provided on the Aggie Sports Network, which can be heard locally in the Bryan/College Station area on WTAW (1620 AM).
Both the Aggies (17-7, 8-4 SEC) and the Tigers (18-7, 7-5) enter the week in the thick of the SEC standings as well as the hunt for NCAA Tournament bids. Texas A&M has built up its post-season resume by claiming eight wins in its 10 contests, including a come-from-behind 67-64 victory at LSU on Jan. 17.
During the season's first tussle with the Bayou Bengals, the Aggies hit the comeback trail after finding themselves down 13 during the second half. Junior Danuel House provided the late-game heroics during the contest, scoring four of his 18 points during the game's final 18 seconds.
With the Aggies trailing 64-63, House knocked down a jumper at the top of the key with 23 seconds left before making two free throws with just eight seconds remaining to secure the A&M win.
Junior Jalen Jones also added 18 points in the victory.
The Tigers, meanwhile, stand out as one of the SEC's most talented teams and are led by Dallas native Jordan Mickey. The sophomore forward ranks third in the league in scoring (17.1 points per game), second in rebounding (10.8), while leading the entire nation in blocked shots (92).
QUICK HITS
• For the second time this season, the Texas A&M Aggies and the LSU Tigers will square off on the hardwood as the Tigers visit Reed Arena Tuesday.
• A month ago on Jan. 17, the Aggies traveled to Baton Rouge and, after trailing by 13 points during the second half, rallied to defeat LSU 67-64 inside the Pete Maravich Center ... The Aggies were led by 18 points from both Danuel House and Jalen Jones ... the win was the Aggies' first against the Tigers in Baton Rouge since Dec. 14, 1941.
• Senior forward Kourtney Roberson hit the 20-point plateau for just the second time during his career on Saturday against Florida, making 8-of-10 field goal attempts to finish with 20 points.
• Roberson enters the LSU game with 754 career rebounds, needing just three to tie Bryan Davis (757 rebounds from 2006-10) for ninth all-time at Texas A&M.
• Additionally, Roberson is 13 points shy of becoming the 34th member of A&M's 1,000-Point Club.
• Junior Alex Caruso is averaging 7.8 assists per game during his last five contests ... the College Station native paces the SEC with 140 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.
• Aggies Danuel House & Jalen Jones continue to rank among the SEC's top scorers during league play with House tied for fifth in the SEC with a 15.6 point-per-game average during league play and Jones in eighth at 14.2 ... Outside of the House/Jones duo only Arkansas (Bobby Portis [18.7 ppg] and Michael Qualls [15.2 ppg]) has two teammates ranked in the top eight.
SERIES HISTORY VS. LSU (LSU LEADS 17-13)
• Tuesday's contest will be the 31st meeting between the Aggies and the Tigers on the hardwood and the sixth as members of the SEC.
• Earlier this season, the Aggies erased a 13-point second half deficit to defeat the Tigers 67-64 in Baton Rouge ... Danuel House and Jalen Jones led the way with 18 points apiece for A&M ... the win over LSU in Baton Rouge was Texas A&M's first since Dec. 14, 1941.
• The series dates back to the 1916-17 season during the early days of each school's men's basketball program ... LSU earned a 24-15 victory.
• Before the Aggies joined the SEC for the 2012-13 campaign, the last meeting between the schools came on Dec. 20, 2008, when the Aggies defeated LSU 72-61 at Houston's Toyota Center.
• A&M head coach Billy Kennedy is 2-5 against LSU, having faced the Tigers once while at Centenary and once as the head coach at Southeastern Louisiana before coming to Texas A&M.
• The series has been dominated by the home team with the Aggies holding a 7-2 record in College Station and the Tigers owning a 12-2 mark in Baton Rouge.
UP NEXT
The Aggies are back on the road this weekend as they travel to Columbia, S.C., to battle the South Carolina Gamecocks ... Tip-off is slated for 11 a.m. from Colonial Life Arena with television coverage on SEC Network.
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 LSU game with 754 career boards, needing just three to tie Bryan Davis (757 career rebounds from 1970-73) for ninth place.
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 recognition 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 422 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.
Caruso has 39 assists in his last five games coming into the LSU game.