Aggies Tip Off 2016-17 Season Friday Night

Friday, November 11

College Station

8:00 PM

Texas A&M

Northwestern State

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Nov 10, 2016 | Men's Basketball

Texas A&M Game Notes SEC Men's Basketball Buy Tickets

By: Texas A&M Media Relations

Aggie Basketball Game #1:
Northwestern State at Texas A&M
Friday, Nov. 11, 2016 · 8 p.m. (CT)
Reed Arena (12,989) · College Station, Texas

TV: SEC Network (For more info – 12thMan.com/TV)
Richard Cross, Play-by-Play
   Sean Farnham, Commentary

RADIO: WTAW 1620 AM (Bryan-College Station)
Dave South, Play-by-Play
   Al Pulliam, Commentary

LIVE AUDIO/STATS: 12thman.com/live
LIVE MOBILE LIVE STATS: tamustats.com

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COLLEGE STATION – Returning to the court following a season that yielded a record number of wins, a conference championship and a Sweet 16 run, the Texas A&M men's basketball team is ready to turn the page as the Aggies tip off the 2016-17 campaign against Northwestern State at 8 p.m. Friday inside Reed Arena.

The contest will be nationally televised on SEC Network with Richard Cross calling the play-by-play and Sean Farnham 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).

Prior to the basketball game, the Texas A&M volleyball team is in action against Mississippi State at 5 p.m. Fans who attend the volleyball match are invited to stick around for the hoops action as their volleyball ticket will also net a general admission seat for the basketball game.

The Aggies enter the new season with high expectations despite losing four key senior starters off last season's squad. This year's Texas A&M roster is not lacking for firepower and is highlighted by Preseason All-SEC honoree Tyler Davis, who emerged as one of the SEC's top centers as a rookie a year ago.

Joining Davis on the inside to give A&M one of the country's top front courts are senior Tavario Miller, junior Tonny Trocha-Morelos and athletic freshman Robert Williams. The trio of Miller, Trocha-Morelos and Williams combined for 45 points, 23 rebounds and seven blocked shots in the Aggies' exhibition win over St. Edward's last Friday.

On the perimeter the Aggies will be led at the guard spot by sophomore Admon Gilder, who notched a game-high 22 points on 8-of-10 shooting during the warm-up victory over the Hilltopers. Lipscomb transfer JC Hampton gives Texas A&M another experienced guard while DJ Hogg, who earned SEC All-Freshman Team accolades a season ago, highlights a troop of talented wing players on the roster.

Friday's game has the potential of a milestone for sixth-year Aggie head coach Billy Kennedy, who needs just one victory to become only the second Texas A&M men's basketball head coach to record 100 victories while leading the program.

The Demons come to Aggieland following an 8-20 season a year ago that saw them finish 11^th in the Southland Conference with a 5-13 league mark. Northwestern State is led by head coach Mike McConathy, who is entering his 18^th season working the hardwood in Natchitoches, La.

OPENING TIPS

• The Aggies have won 15 straight season-opening games and 16 straight home openers ... A&M is playing its season opener at home for the 16th consecutive year ... All-time, Aggie men's basketball is 47-23 in season openers since 1945.
• Texas A&M & Northwestern State have met eight previous times on the hardwood, with the Aggies leading the series 6-2 ... additionally, A&M has won the last six meetings against the Demons.
• Texas A&M returns one starter, sophomore center Tyler Davis, and eight total letterwinners back from last season's squad that captured 28 victories en route to a share of the SEC Championship and a Sweet 16 appearance.
• One of only two Aggies on this year's roster who saw action the last time Texas A&M played Northwestern State, Tavario Miller can look back fondly on the Demons' most recent time to College Station. Miller notched a career -high 15 points by going a perfect 6-of-6 from the field and 4-of-5 from the free throw line as the Aggies opened the 2014-15 campaign with a 109-68 victory over NSU.
• Davis is expected to again be one of the top big men in the SEC as he was voted First Team Preseason All-SEC by media that cover the league. A year ago, Davis and fellow sophomore DJ Hogg garnered spots on the SEC All-Freshman Team.
• The Aggies are 136-13 (.913) all-time in non-conference games inside Reed Arena, which hosted its first basketball game in the fall of 1998.
• Head coach Billy Kennedy returns for his sixth season in Aggieland ... In his 19th overall season as a head coach, Kennedy owns a 310-249 (.555) career record ... The 2016 SEC Coach of the Year has enjoyed success at previous head coaching positions at Murray State, Southeastern Louisiana and Centenary before taking his current position at A&M.

SERIES HISTORY VS NORTHWESTERN STATE (TEXAS A&M LEADS 6-2)

• Friday marks the ninth time the Aggies & Demons have squared off on the hardwood ... Texas A&M holds a 6-2 lead in the all-time series.
• A&M head coach Billy Kennedy is very familiar with Northwestern State, having served as a NSU assistant during the 1988-89 season as well as coaching at fellow Southland Conference school Southeastern Louisiana ... Kennedy is 8-7 all-time against the Demons.
• The most recent meeting between the two schools was on Nov. 14, 2014, when the Aggies, who featured seven players in double-digit scoring, defeated the Demons 109-68 at Reed Arena.
• Just two current Aggie players have seen action against Northwestern State during their careers as Tavario Miller and Chris Collins each played in the last meeting between the schools. Miller contributed a career-high 15 points in the A&M victory while Collins scored the first points of his college career on a 3-point basket.
• The series dates back to 1952 when A&M fell to Northwestern State 58-53 in College Station.
• In fact, the Demons won each of the first two meetings with the Aggies before Texas A&M began its current six-game winning streak in the series.

AGGIES TOP ST. EDWARDS 87-69 IN EXHIBITION MATCH-UP

In their final tune-up before the opening of the regular season, the Aggie men's basketball team defeated St. Edward's 87-69 during exhibition action last Friday inside Reed Arena.

Texas A&M featured four players in double-digit scoring led by sophomore Admon Gilder's 22 points. The Dallas native was efficient on the offensive end, converting 8-of-10 field goal attempts while pulling down six rebounds and chipping in three assists as well as a block.

Rookie forward Robert Williams turned heads as the Vivian, La., product scored 16 points on 5-of-7 shooting, while grabbing nine boards and blocking six shots. Joining Roberts on the inside, junior center Tonny Trocha-Morelos contributed 17 points and eight rebounds while senior Tavario Miller added 12 points.

Overall, the Aggies owned a 48-8 advantage for points in the paint while the scrappy Hilltoppers stayed within striking distance by knocking down 12 3-point baskets.

KENNEDY ON VERGE OF 100 WINS AT A&M

Aggie head coach Billy Kennedy has enjoyed successful coaching stops at Centenary (1997-99), Southeastern Louisiana (1999-05), Murray State (2006-11) and now Texas A&M (2011-).

The sixth-year Aggie coach stands on the precipice of a milestone as he needs just one victory to give him 100 during his time in College Station. Only Shelby Metcalf, who guided the Aggies to 438 wins from 1963 to 1990, has claimed more victories while guiding the Texas A&M men's basketball program than Kennedy.

On Jan. 30 of last season, when the Aggies earned a 72-62 victory over No. 14 Iowa State, Kennedy hit another career milestone as he captured his 300th victory as a collegiate head coach.

REED ARENA SUCCESS

• The Aggies were 17-1 on their home court last year and are now 225-77 (.745) all-time in 18 seasons at Reed Arena ... the Aggies were 41-41 the first six years at Reed and are 184-36 since.
• In the last three seasons, Texas A&M is 48-8 (.857) on its home floor.
• A&M has won 94 of its last 110 home games against unranked opponents (38 of last 50 in league play).
• Texas A&M was 9-0 in non-conference games at Reed Arena last season ... the Aggies are 136-13 (.913) all-time in non-conference games inside the facility, which hosted its first basketball game in the fall of 1998 ... a loss to Rice on Dec. 22, 2011, snapped A&M's 67-game non-conference home win streak at Reed Arena (which dated back to the start of the 2005-06 season) and 80-game regular-season, non-conference home win streak (which dated back to 2003), both school records.

A&M RECEIVING VOTES IN NATIONAL RANKINGS

Coming off a 28-win season that saw the Aggies claim a share of the 2016 SEC Championship and advance to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament, Texas A&M is receiving votes in both Associated Press Top 25 and in the USA Today/Coaches Poll.

The team also started unranked last season before climbing as high as No. 5 in both polls and finishing No. 12 in the final USA Today/Coaches Poll.

KENTUCKY TOPS PRESEASON SEC MEDIA POLL; AGGIES THIRD

Kentucky was predicted to win the 2017 Southeastern Conference men's basketball championship in voting by a select panel of both SEC and national media members. The Aggies were slotted third in the poll.

A year ago, Texas A&M was also predicted to finish third in the league but ended the year with a school-record 28 victories and shared the SEC regular season championship with Kentucky before advancing to the NCAA Sweet 16.

UP NEXT

The Aggies' three-game homestand to begin the season continues when they host American Monday night at 7 p.m. inside Reed Arena. The game can be seen on SEC Network PLUS.