Photo by: Thomas Campbell/Texas A&M Athletics
Aggies to Face North Carolina for Trip to Sweet 16
Mar 17, 2018 | Men's Basketball
NCAA West Regional • Second Round
North Carolina (26-10; 11-7 ACC) vs. Texas A&M (21-12; 9-9 SEC)
Sunday, March 16, 2018 • 4:15 p.m. (CT)
Spectrum Center • Charlotte, N.C.
TELEVISION: CBS (For more info – 12thMan.com/TV)
Jim Nantz, Play-by-Play
Grant Hill & Bill Raftery, Commentary
Tracy Wolfson, Reporting
RADIO: WTAW 1620 AM (Bryan-College Station)
Dave South, Play-by-Play
Mike Caruso, Commentary
SATELLITE RADIO: Sirius Ch. 138 / XM Ch. 20
LIVE VIDEO: https://www.ncaa.com/march-madness-live/2
LIVE AUDIO: https://www.siriusxm.com/collegebasketballschedule
LIVE MOBILE LIVE STATS: https://www.ncaa.com/game/basketball-men/d1/2018/03/18/texas-am-north-carolina
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CHARLOTTE – The Aggies' run in the 2018 NCAA Tournament continues Sunday evening inside Charlotte's Spectrum Center when Texas A&M faces North Carolina at 4:15 p.m. (CT) during March Madness' second round.
Sunday's contest will be televised on CBS with Jim Nantz calling the play-by-play action, Grant Hill and Bill Raftery providing commentary and Tracy Wolfson reporting. Additionally, radio coverage will be available on the Aggie Sports Network, which can be heard locally in the Bryan/College Station area on Talk Radio 1620 WTAW.
Texas A&M (21-12), the NCAA West Region's No. 7 seed, advanced to the round of 32 with a 73-69 victory over 10th-seeded Providence on Friday. The Aggies' advanced forward in the tournament behind double-double efforts from A&M's two-headed monster on the interior, Tyler Davis and Robert Williams, as well 18 points from Admon Gilder and a Texas A&M NCAA Tournament-record eight assists by TJ Starks.
No. 2 seed North Carolina (26-10) advanced to the second round with an 84-66 win over 15th-seeded Lipscomb Friday afternoon. The Tar Heels saw all five starters score in doubles figures against the Bison, led by junior Kenny Williams' 18 points. Senior Theo Pinson recorded a double-double, 15 points and 10 rebounds, in the opening round victory.
North Carolina leads the all-time series with Texas A&M, 2-1, winning the last two match ups during the 2000 and 2001 season. The Aggies and Tar Heels played to an epic double-overtime thriller in the 1980 NCAA Tournament. The Maroon & White topped the Dean Smith-coached Tar Heels in the second round at The Super Pit in Denton, Texas, behind a 23-point effort by David Britton and Rynn Wright's double-double performance.
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North Carolina (26-10; 11-7 ACC) vs. Texas A&M (21-12; 9-9 SEC)
Sunday, March 16, 2018 • 4:15 p.m. (CT)
Spectrum Center • Charlotte, N.C.
TELEVISION: CBS (For more info – 12thMan.com/TV)
Jim Nantz, Play-by-Play
Grant Hill & Bill Raftery, Commentary
Tracy Wolfson, Reporting
RADIO: WTAW 1620 AM (Bryan-College Station)
Dave South, Play-by-Play
Mike Caruso, Commentary
SATELLITE RADIO: Sirius Ch. 138 / XM Ch. 20
LIVE VIDEO: https://www.ncaa.com/march-madness-live/2
LIVE AUDIO: https://www.siriusxm.com/collegebasketballschedule
LIVE MOBILE LIVE STATS: https://www.ncaa.com/game/basketball-men/d1/2018/03/18/texas-am-north-carolina
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CHARLOTTE – The Aggies' run in the 2018 NCAA Tournament continues Sunday evening inside Charlotte's Spectrum Center when Texas A&M faces North Carolina at 4:15 p.m. (CT) during March Madness' second round.
Sunday's contest will be televised on CBS with Jim Nantz calling the play-by-play action, Grant Hill and Bill Raftery providing commentary and Tracy Wolfson reporting. Additionally, radio coverage will be available on the Aggie Sports Network, which can be heard locally in the Bryan/College Station area on Talk Radio 1620 WTAW.
Texas A&M (21-12), the NCAA West Region's No. 7 seed, advanced to the round of 32 with a 73-69 victory over 10th-seeded Providence on Friday. The Aggies' advanced forward in the tournament behind double-double efforts from A&M's two-headed monster on the interior, Tyler Davis and Robert Williams, as well 18 points from Admon Gilder and a Texas A&M NCAA Tournament-record eight assists by TJ Starks.
No. 2 seed North Carolina (26-10) advanced to the second round with an 84-66 win over 15th-seeded Lipscomb Friday afternoon. The Tar Heels saw all five starters score in doubles figures against the Bison, led by junior Kenny Williams' 18 points. Senior Theo Pinson recorded a double-double, 15 points and 10 rebounds, in the opening round victory.
North Carolina leads the all-time series with Texas A&M, 2-1, winning the last two match ups during the 2000 and 2001 season. The Aggies and Tar Heels played to an epic double-overtime thriller in the 1980 NCAA Tournament. The Maroon & White topped the Dean Smith-coached Tar Heels in the second round at The Super Pit in Denton, Texas, behind a 23-point effort by David Britton and Rynn Wright's double-double performance.
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NOTES FROM THE OPENING ROUND WIN OVER PROVIDENCE
TEAM NOTES
- The Aggies shot a blistering 68.0 percent from the floor in the second half (17-of-25) to help open up the game late, finishing the contest at 26-of-52 overall from the floor … the Maroon & White took the lead for good with 8:09 to play, building as much as an 11-point advantage with less than 30 seconds to play.
- Texas A&M posted eight blocks against Providence, setting the program record for blocks in an NCAA Tournament game ... additionally, a trio of Aggies registered multiple blocks on the day, the first time the Aggies have accomplished the feat in the NCAA Tournament.
- The Aggies took a 28-27 lead into the locker room after outrebounding the Friars 23-16 in the opening frame … for the game, A&M owned a commanding 44-23 edge in rebounding.
- A&M used the starting lineup combination of TJ Starks, Admon Gilder, DJ Hogg, Robert Williams and Tyler Davis for the 12th time this season (7-5).
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
- Junior Admon Gilder posted a team-high 18 points on the afternoon, the most he has scored in four career NCAA Tournament game ... the Dallas native's previous high was 11 points against Green Bay and Northern Iowa in the 2016 NCAA Tournament.
- Sophomore Robert Williams corralled 14 rebounds to become the 28th member of Texas A&M's 500-Rebound Club … Williams became the third Aggie to reach the milestone this season, joining teammates Tyler Davis and Tonny Trocha-Morelos … Williams added 13 points on 6-for-9 shooting to register his 18th career double-double as well as his seventh this season.
- Junior Tyler Davis pulled down 15 boards to pass Ronnie Peret (735 rebounds from 1966-69) for 12th on A&M's all-time rebounding list ... the 15 rebounds tied for the second most by an Aggie in an NCAA Tournament game … Davis added 14 points as he went 6-for-10 from the floor to earn his 18th career double-double (12th this season).
- Williams & Davis became the 11th & 12th players in Texas A&M program history to pull down double-digit rebounds in an NCAA Tournament game.
- Davis and Williams registered double-doubles against Providence, marking just the second time in program history that a pair of Aggies accomplished the feat in the same NCAA Tournament game (Billy Bob Barnet 12 points/11 rebounds & Steve Niles 17 points/16 rebounds against Trinity in 1969)
- Freshman TJ Starks had an impressive NCAA Tournament debut finishing with 15 points and eight assists … the guard set the Texas A&M NCAA Tournament assists record with eight dishes … the Dallas native passed David Britton (7 vs Louisville 3/14/1980) and Donald Sloan (7 vs BYU 3/19/2009) on the all-time ledger.
- Aggie head coach Billy Kennedy improved to 136-97 during his seven-year tenure at Texas A&M and 347-276 in 20 seasons as a head coach.
TEXAS A&M IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
- Following Friday's win against Providence, the Aggies are 12-14 all-time in 14 appearances in the NCAA Tournament.
- Texas A&M has advanced to the round of 16 five times -- 1951*, 1969†, 1980, 2007, 2016 (* 16-team field † 25-team field) ... this included a trio of Sweet 16 appearances since the tournament field expanded to 48 teams -- in 1980, under the direction of Shleby Metcalf; in 2007, led by head coach Billy Gillispie; and in 2016 under Billy Kennedy.
- The Aggies have now won their opening game in the NCAA Tournament in seven of their last eight tourney appearances since 2006.
- A&M head coach Billy Kennedy is 4-3 as a head coach during four appearances the NCAA Tournament … Kennedy's three victories in the NCAA Tournament at Texas A&M are the most by an Aggie head coach, tying former A&M coaches Shelby Metcalf, Billy Gillispie and Mark Turgeon (3).
- The selection to this season's NCAA Tournament is the 14th in program history for Texas A&M as well as the second bid in the last three seasons ... Texas A&M has made the field in eight of the last 13 years.
- A&M enjoyed a school-record run of six consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances from 2006-2011.
- Entering the 2018 tournament, five players on the Aggies roster have NCAA Tournament experience - Tyler Davis (3 games), Admon Gilder (3 games), DJ Hogg (3 games), Tonny Trocha-Morelos (3 games) and Duane Wilson (1 game at Marquette).
- A&M head coach Billy Kennedy has led three schools to the NCAA Tournament, Southeastern Louisiana in 2005, Murray State in 2010 and Texas A&M in 2016 and 2018 ... Kennedy is 3-3 as a head coach in the NCAA Tournament.
AGGIES VS. THE 2018 NCAA TOURNAMENT FIELD
- The Aggies have played 16 games against opponents who heard their names called on Selection Sunday and have compiled a 7-9 record against the group.
- This season, Texas A&M has notched wins over Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Buffalo, Kentucky, Missouri and West Virginia.
- The Maroon & White own five victories this season that reached the Round of 32 in this year's bracket; Alabama, Auburn, Buffalo, Kentucky and West Virginia.
TEXAS A&M'S NCAA COACHES
- Billy Kennedy is the fifth Texas A&M men's basketball coach to lead his team to the NCAA Tournament. Legendary Aggie coach Shelby Metcalf (1963-90) is the all-time NCAA tourney appearances leader among the group, leading the school the Big Dance five times. Kennedy (3-1) joins Billy Gillispie (2004-07), who was 3-2 in NCAA Tournament games during his tenure in Aggieland, as the only A&M coaches to hold a winning record in the tourney.
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