Saturday, December 5
Tempe, Ariz.
9:30 PM
Texas A&M
at
Arizona State
Aggies Face Arizona State in Tempe Saturday
Dec 04, 2015 | Men's Basketball
Aggie Basketball Game #9:
No. 18 Texas A&M (7-1) at Arizona State (5-2)
Saturday, Dec. 5, 2015 · 9:30 p.m. (CT)
Wells Fargo Arena (14,198) · Tempe, Ariz.
TV: ESPN2 (For more info – 12thMan.com/TV)
Roxy Bernstein, Play-by-Play
Adrian Branch, Commentary
RADIO: Texas A&M Radio Network
Dave South, Play-by-Play
Mike Caruso, Commentary
Local: WTAW 1620 AM (College Station/Bryan)
LIVE AUDIO/STATS: 12thMan.com
LIVE MOBILE LIVE STATS: tamustats.com
--
COLLEGE STATION – The No. 18 Texas A&M men's basketball team hits the road this weekend for Tempe, Ariz., where the Aggies will face Arizona State on Saturday in a 9:30 p.m. (CT) contest inside ASU's Wells Fargo Arena.
The SEC-Pac 12 showdown will be nationally televised on ESPN2 with Roxy Bernstein calling the play-by-play and Adrian Branch 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).
Despite having already ventured away from College Station for three games, Saturday's contest will be the first true road contest for the Aggies this season, as well as the first time Texas A&M has played in Tempe since 1997.
After sitting out the first four games this season, senior forward Jalen Jones returned to the lineup for the Battle4Atlantis where he began to return to the form that garnered second-team All-SEC honors a year ago. The Dallas native is averaging 22.5 points per game during his last two contests, including a 22-point showing against FGCU on Thursday at Reed Arena.
The Sun Devils, meanwhile, come into Saturday's contest with a 5-2 record after a 79-77 win at Creighton on Thursday.
Led by first-year head coach Bobby Hurley, the Sun Devils feature a trio of players who average double-digit points this season in junior forward Savon Goodman (13.9 points per game), senior guard Gerry Blakes (12.3) and sophomore guard Tra Holder (12.0).
Last season, Texas A&M and Arizona State squared off in College Station, with the Aggies earning a 72-71 victory.
OPENING TIPS
• Saturday's game in Tempe will be the Aggies' first true road game of the season.• A year ago, the two teams squared off in College Station, with Texas A&M earning a hard-fought 72-71 victory at Reed Arena ... Senior Alex Caruso led the way with 23 points, going 9-of-11 from the field ... Jalen Jones added 13 points in the win.
• Additionally, Caruso is second on the NCAA's active steals list and just of four active players with 200+ steals ... He stands just two steals behind the active leader (Kahlil Felder, Oakland) ... Caruso is also fifth on the NCAA's active assists list, when he gets to 500 he will be just one of five active players to have 500 assists.
• Texas A&M moved up to No. 18 in this week's Associated Press poll as well as entered the USA Today Coaches Poll this week at No. 20 ... Last week's appearance in the AP poll marked the first time A&M has been ranked since Dec. 12, 2011, when it was No. 22 in both the AP and USA Today Coaches' Poll.
• Texas A&M appeared at the No. 48 spot in Dec. 4th's NCAA RPI Report ... Each of the Aggies' next three opponents also occupy a spot in the top 100 Arizona State (75), Kansas State (74) and Baylor (97) ... A&M has already faced four schools with a spot in the top 100 [Gonzaga (32), Syracuse (36), Texas (38) & Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (62)], compiling a 3-1 record against the group.
SERIES HISTORY VS. ARIZONA STATE (ASU LEADS 4-1)
• The Aggies and Sun Devils will be facing off for the sixth time on the hardwood.• Arizona State fell to A&M at Reed Arena last season 72-71 with Kourtney Roberson hitting a free throw with 5.1 seconds remaining to put the Aggies on top for good.
• Arizona State head coach Bobby Hurley's first game as a head coach came against the Aggies, leading Buffalo to College Station to tip off the 2013-14 season at Reed Arena ... The Aggies won 82-58.
• Hurley was the assistant coach for his brother Dan Hurley at Wagner when the Seahawks came to College Station and lost 86-51 in December of 2010.
• The first meeting between the schools occurred on Dec. 27, 1987, when the Sun Devils earned 79-73 win during the Rainbow Classic in Honolulu, Hawai'i.
UP NEXT
The Aggies return to College Station to face off against former Big 12 foe Kansas State on Dec. 12 at Reed Arena … Tip-off is slated for 4:30 p.m. and the game will be televised by SEC Network.AGS TURN HEADS WITH RUNNER-UP SHOWING AT BATTLE4ATLANTIS
Playing against one of the best fields of any in-season tournament in front of national TV audience, the Battle4Atlantis (Paradise Island, Bahamas) stood out as a huge stage for Texas A&M to make an impression on the college basketball world. The Aggies did not disappoint, winning a pair of games to reach the event's title game and turning heads of national media pundits along the way.After opening the event by defeating rival Texas 84-73 on Nov. 25, the Aggies returned to the court on Nov. 26 where they downed No. 10 Gonzaga 62-61. The win stood out as the program's first over a top-10 opponent since a 80-63 victory over Texas on Jan. 30, 2008.
Following the win over the Zags, the Aggies received praise from the national media on twitter:
@JonRothstein (Jon Rothstein, CBS Sports): Texas A&M with a statement win over Gonzaga in the Bahamas. Aggies are FOR REAL. Legitimate challenger in the SEC. Advance to title game.
@ESPNAndyKatz (Andy Katz, ESPN): Well now. That was an NCAA type game. Aggies defended Kyle Wiltjer and Zags well on last possession.
@franfraschilla (Fran Fraschilla, ESPN): Not a classier guy in coaching than Texas A&M's @Coach_Kennedy. Very solid program win over Gonzaga. Terrific nucleus for 15-16 & future.
Despite a 74-67 loss to Syracuse in the championship game, Texas A&M generated a significant amount of buzz at the Battle4Atlantis and signaled that it would be a team to be reckoned with on the national scene this season.
Aggies Topple No. 10 Gonzaga for first Top-10 Win since `08
A final shot from the Zags' guard Silas Melson rimmed out during the closing seconds of a 62-61 win over No. 10 Gonzaga on Nov. 26 at the Battle4Atlantis to give the Aggies a signature win during the campaign's opening month, as well as their first over a top-10 opponent in eight seasons.The victory was the Aggies' first over a top-10 opponent (AP rankings) since a 80-63 victory over Texas on Jan. 30, 2008, as well as the first over any ranked opponent since a 70-68 win over #20 Missouri in College Station on Feb. 7, 2013
A&M RETURNS TO THE TOP 25
Entering the season with high aspirations, Texas A&M got off to a hot start and racing out to a 4-0 record allowing them to climb back into the Nov. 23rd edition of the Associated Press rankings at No. 25.It marked the first time the Aggies have appeared in the rankings since they were No. 22 in the AP rankings on Dec. 12, 2011.
Texas A&M is currently ranked No. 18 by the Associated Press and No. 20 in the USA Today Coaches Poll.
HOUSE & JONES NAMED TO BATTLE4ATLANTIS ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Following a strong showing in the Bahamas, seniors Danuel House and Jalen Jones were named to the Battle4Atlantis All-Tournament team. House led the Aggies with a 17.7 point-per-game scoring average during the event, while Jones contributed a game-high 23 points in the title contest.AGGIE HOOPS TO PLAY IN 2016 DIRECTV WOODEN LEGACY
The Texas A&M men's basketball team is California-bound next season as the Aggies were announced as one of eight teams set to participate in the 2016 DIRECTV Wooden Legacy.The field for the annual tournament, dedicated to legendary UCLA coach John Wooden who delivered 10 national championships, includes UCLA (Pac-12). Cal State Northridge (Big West), Dayton (Atlantic 10), Nebraska (Big Ten), New Mexico (Mountain West), Portland (West Coast), Texas A&M (Southeastern) and Virginia Tech (Atlantic Coast).
The tournament will be played on Nov. 24-25 in Cal State Fullerton's Titan Gym with the final day of play on Nov. 27 at the Honda Center in Anaheim.
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G/F
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's BasketballTexas Southern Postgame: Bucky McMillan
Thursday, November 06
Texas Southern Postgame: Rylan Griffen, Josh Holloway
Thursday, November 06
Highlights: Texas A&M 104, TSU 70
Thursday, November 06
Northwestern State Postgame: Bucky McMillan
Monday, November 03
