Saturday, January 13
Bryan-College Station
1:00 PM
Texas A&M
vs
Kentucky
Photo by: Craig Bisacre/Texas A&M Athletics
Aggies Gear Up for No. 6 Kentucky Wildcats
Jan 12, 2024 | Men's Basketball
BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas - The Aggies face a daunting task as they seek to get back on the winning track against the No. 6 Kentucky Wildcats at 1 p.m. on Saturday at Reed Arena.
TRENDS AND NOTABLES
MILESTONES TO WATCH
TURNING POINT
Since snapping a painful eight-game losing skid with a 56-55 win over Florida on Feb. 15, 2022, Texas A&M Basketball has emerged as the conference's winningest team in terms of total wins and SEC wins.
Total Wins by SEC Teams
(Since Feb. 15, 2022 | As of Jan. 11, 2024)
Wins vs. SEC Regular Season + SEC Tournament
(Since Feb. 15, 2022 | As of Jan. 11, 2024)
DOMINICAN RODMAN:
Drawing comparisons to former NBA great Dennis Rodman for his tenacious defense and rebounding prowess, senior F Andersson Garcia emerged as the SEC's top rebounder and one of the nation's best on the offensive glass.
DO-IT-ALL DOMINICAN
(DI Players averaging 8.5 Rebs./G + 25 assists, 20 steals, 10 blocks)
DI Offensive Rebounds Leaders
COLEMAN CONSISTENCY:
Senior F Henry Coleman III ranks No. 3 in rebounding (8.4/G), No. 2 in field goal percentage (.613) and No. 3 in double-doubles among SEC players.
SEC's 10-Point/8-Rebound Players
(Sorted by Rebounds/G)
DOUBLING THE FUN:
With five double-doubles already in 2023-24, Coleman III has matched his career high for double-doubles in a season. "Hen" also had five double-doubles in each of the past two seasons.
SEC DOUBLE-DOUBLE LEADERS
FILLING THE BOX SCORE
Wade Taylor IV, the 6-foot do-it-all dynamo from Dallas, Texas, is one of five Division I players averaging 15.0+ points while also compiling at least 60 assists and 35 steals.
MAKING THEIR TEAMS GO
(Sorted by Points/G)
SMALL STATURE, BIG STAGE
Taylor IV's 17.3 scoring ranks No. 5 among power conference players at 6-feet tall or shorter:
CLEANING THE OFFENSIVE GLASS
Texas A&M's 18.3 offensive rebounds/game rank No. 1 nationally and its 10.1 rebound margin ranks No. 15 nationally.
Division I Top Offensive Rebounding Teams
KenPom's Offensive Rebounding % Leaders
TEAM EFFORT ON OFFENSIVE GLASS:
Texas A&M has six players on its roster with at least 20 offensive rebounds and five players with more 40.0% of their total rebounds being offensive boards.
Crashing the Offensive Glass
(Sorted by Offensive Rebounds)
AT HIS BEST AGAINST THE BEST
DI Scoring Leaders vs. AP Top 25 Teams
(Min. 2 Games)
ONE OF A KIND RADFORD
Tyrece Radford is the nation's lone 6-foot-3 or shorter player with 1,500+ points and 750+ rebounds for his career. He is one of three 1,500/750 guards nationally and one of 11 1,500/750 players of any size.
Active Players with 1,500 Point/750 Rebounds
(Sorted by Points)
As of Jan. 11, 2024
- The Aggies will be seeking to tally its first ranked win of the year against the Wildcats, who enter the game on a 6-game winning streak. Previously, Texas A&M lost narrow top 25 decisions to then-No. 19 FAU, No. 4 Houston and No. 16 Auburn. The Aggies' most recent AP Top 25 win was over No. 2 Alabama on 3/4/2023.
- Under Buzz Williams, the Aggies are 0-3 against Kentucky with losses at Reed Arena in 2020 and 2022 and a 76-67 road loss last season. Williams faced the Wildcats once prior to his arrival in Aggieland as the 2017-18 Virginia Tech Hokies dropped a 93-86 decision in Lexington on 12/16/2017.
- UK leads the series 13-4 and has won four straight.
- STUDENT GIVEAWAY: '23-'24 Reed Rowdies shirts available for ALL students in the Fan Zone.
- AGGIE BASKETBALL FAN ZONE: Located at the North entry of Reed Arena, the Fan Zone includes games, giveaways, and activities for the whole family! For ALL fans opening one hour prior to tip-off.
- The game will be televised on ESPN with Dan Shulman (play-by-play) and former Duke hoops legend Jay Bilas (analyst) and Jess Sims (reporter) on the call.
- The matchup airs on the Texas A&M Radio Network, locally on 1620 AM/94.5 FM or worldwide on the 12th Man Mobile App with Andrew Monaco and Dr. John Thornton describing the action.
TRENDS AND NOTABLES
- The Aggies are No. 39 in the NET and have a 3-4 record against Quad 1 opponents.
- The Aggies remain the nation's top offensive rebounding team (18.3/G) and average nearly 2.0 more offensive rebounds/game than any other DI team (No. 2 Florida averages 16.5/G).
- The Aggies have lost the offensive rebounding battle twice this season - 14-13 vs. LSU on 1/6 and 17-15 vs. Iowa State on 11/26.
- Texas A&M stands atop KenPom's offensive rebounding percentage at 44.6, but the team's adjusted offensive efficiency has fall from No. 5 prior to the LSU game to No. 27 heading into the UK game.
- Wade Taylor IV's 17.3 scoring average ranks No. 3 nationally among DI players that have also posted 60 or more assists and 35+ steals.
- Henry Coleman III, Johni Broome (AUB) and Tyrese Samuel (UF) are the only SEC players averaging 10+ points/8+ rebounds/G.
- Andersson Garcia has emerged as the SEC's leading rebounder at 8.7/G despite coming off the bench in 12-of-15 games. As a reserve, Garcia ranks No. 1 nationally in offensive rebounds/G (3.) and No. 2 in total rebounds/G (7.8).
- Garcia and Coleman rank No. 1 and No. 3 in rebounds/G among SEC players.
- Tyrece Radford has averaged 12.0 pts/6.7 rebs in 3 games since his full-time return from injury suffered at ESPN Events Invitational over Thanksgiving week.
- Hayden Hefner has averaged 5.8 3FGA/G over his last 10 games (32.8%) after averaging just 3.0 3FGA in the first 5 games (40.0%).
- Since earning just 21 total FTA in back-to-back games vs. UVa (11/29) and DePaul (12/6), the Aggies have averaged 27.8 FTA in their last 6 games.
MILESTONES TO WATCH
- Jace Carter needs 3 rebounds to reach 400 for his total career (UIC+Texas A&M).
- For his total career (Duke+Texas A&M), Henry Coleman III needs 12 rebounds to reach 600, his next steal will be No. 100 and he needs just over 2 minutes of action to reach 2,500 minutes.
- Wildens Leveque needs 8 rebounds to reach 500 for his total career (South Carolina+UMass+Texas A&M) and he need 8:00 of play to reach 2,000 minutes.
TURNING POINT
Since snapping a painful eight-game losing skid with a 56-55 win over Florida on Feb. 15, 2022, Texas A&M Basketball has emerged as the conference's winningest team in terms of total wins and SEC wins.
Total Wins by SEC Teams
(Since Feb. 15, 2022 | As of Jan. 11, 2024)
| School | Total Games | W-L | Pct. |
| Texas A&M | 65 | 46-19 | 0.708 |
| Tennessee | 62 | 45-17 | 0.726 |
| Alabama | 60 | 44-16 | 0.733 |
| Arkansas | 63 | 40-23 | 0.635 |
| Auburn | 58 | 39-19 | 0.672 |
| Kentucky | 57 | 39-18 | 0.684 |
| Mississippi State | 59 | 37-22 | 0.627 |
| Missouri | 59 | 35-24 | 0.593 |
| Vanderbilt | 64 | 33-31 | 0.516 |
| Florida | 57 | 30-27 | 0.526 |
| Georgia | 54 | 28-26 | 0.519 |
| LSU | 57 | 28-29 | 0.491 |
| South Carolina | 54 | 28-26 | 0.519 |
| Ole Miss | 55 | 27-28 | 0.491 |
Wins vs. SEC Regular Season + SEC Tournament
(Since Feb. 15, 2022 | As of Jan. 11, 2024)
| School | Total Games | W-L | Pct. |
| Texas A&M | 33 | 25-8 | 0.758 |
| Alabama | 30 | 24-6 | 0.800 |
| Tennessee | 31 | 21-10 | 0.677 |
| Kentucky | 29 | 19-10 | 0.655 |
| Vanderbilt | 32 | 17-15 | 0.531 |
| Auburn | 28 | 16-12 | 0.571 |
| Arkansas | 30 | 15-15 | 0.500 |
| Mississippi State | 31 | 14-17 | 0.452 |
| Missouri | 31 | 14-17 | 0.452 |
| Florida | 28 | 12-16 | 0.429 |
| LSU | 30 | 9-21 | 0.300 |
| South Carolina | 28 | 9-19 | 0.321 |
| Georgia | 28 | 8-20 | 0.286 |
| Ole Miss | 29 | 6-23 | 0.207 |
DOMINICAN RODMAN:
Drawing comparisons to former NBA great Dennis Rodman for his tenacious defense and rebounding prowess, senior F Andersson Garcia emerged as the SEC's top rebounder and one of the nation's best on the offensive glass.
- Garcia leads the SEC with an average of 8.7 rebounds per game, despite being in the starting lineup for only three games. He's steadily moved to the top of the SEC statistics by averaging 11.2 boards over the past six games.
- Among players that have come off the bench in at least eight games, he is averaging a NCAA DI-best 3.9 offensive rebounds/G and ranks No. 2 in total rebounds per game at 7.8.
- Among all players, Garcia ranks No. 4 nationally (No. 1 in SEC) in offensive rebounds/G at 4.2.
- After coming off the bench in 44 of his first 45 games at Texas A&M, the native of Moca, Dominican Republic made starts vs. HCU, Prairie View A&M and LSU. His first start of the season on 12/22 resulted in a career-highs in offensive, defensive and total rebounds (9/10/19), as well as assists (4) and blocks (2). He followed with his first career double-double (11 pts./12 reb.) on 12/30.
- Garcia contributes 5.2 points and 8.7 rebounds per game with a team-best 10 blocks while also ranking No. 2 on the team in assists (25) and steals (20). He is one of eight players nationally averaging at least 8.5 rebounds per game while also contributing at least 25 assists, 20 steals and 10 blocks.
DO-IT-ALL DOMINICAN
(DI Players averaging 8.5 Rebs./G + 25 assists, 20 steals, 10 blocks)
| Player, School | Rebounds/G | Assists | Steals | Blocks |
| Hunter Dickinson, Kansas | 11.9 | 27 | 20 | 17 |
| Jonathan Mogbo, San Fran. | 10.6 | 47 | 30 | 17 |
| Riley Minix, Morehead St. | 9.4 | 36 | 21 | 19 |
| Seydou Traore, Manhattan | 9.1 | 29 | 23 | 16 |
| Earl Timberlake, Bryant | 8.8 | 73 | 23 | 24 |
| Andersson Garcia, Texas A&M | 8.7 | 25 | 20 | 10 |
| Nana Owusu-Anane, Brown | 8.6 | 26 | 20 | 18 |
| Devin Carter, Providence | 8.5 | 47 | 23 | 17 |
DI Offensive Rebounds Leaders
| Player, School | Off-Reb./G |
| Isaiah Cozart, Eastern Kentucky | 4.6 |
| Drew Cisse, Western Illinois | 4.6 |
| Mitchell Saxen, St. Mary's (CA) | 4.4 |
| Andersson Garcia, Texas A&M | 4.2 |
| Jaden Bediako, Seton Hall | 4.1 |
| Joel Soriano, St. John's | 4.1 |
| Micah Handlogten, Florida | 4 |
| Jonnivius Smith, Buffalo | 4 |
| Jonathan Mogbo, San Fran. | 3.9 |
| Lahat Thioune, South Dakota | 3.9 |
COLEMAN CONSISTENCY:
Senior F Henry Coleman III ranks No. 3 in rebounding (8.4/G), No. 2 in field goal percentage (.613) and No. 3 in double-doubles among SEC players.
- Coleman, from Richmond, Va., is one of only three SEC players averaging double figure points and 8.0 rebounds per game.
SEC's 10-Point/8-Rebound Players
(Sorted by Rebounds/G)
| Player, School | Rebs./G | Pts./G |
| Johni Broome, Auburn | 8.5 | 15.3 |
| Henry Coleman III, Texas A&M | 8.4 | 12.5 |
| Tyrese Samuel, Florida | 8.3 | 13.3 |
DOUBLING THE FUN:
With five double-doubles already in 2023-24, Coleman III has matched his career high for double-doubles in a season. "Hen" also had five double-doubles in each of the past two seasons.
- Coleman's five double-doubles rank No. 3 in the SEC.
- He was named SEC Player of the Week on 11/20 after posting double-doubles in wins over SMU and ORU.
- He had three straight double-doubles entering the ESPN Events Invitational and then produced a season-high 24 points with six rebounds in the win over Penn State. He had hit 4-of-5 shots vs. FAU before exiting at the 3:03 of the first half. He missed the entire second half and the subsequent game vs. Iowa State before returning to the lineup vs. UVa.
SEC DOUBLE-DOUBLE LEADERS
| Player, School | Double Doubles |
| Johni Broome, Auburn | 6 |
| Tyrese Samuel, Florida | 6 |
| Henry Coleman III, Texas A&M | 5 |
| Jonas Aidoo, Tennessee | 3 |
| Jimmy Bell Jr., Mississippi St. | 3 |
| Trevon Brazile, Arkansas | 3 |
| Allen Flanigan, Ole Miss | 3 |
FILLING THE BOX SCORE
Wade Taylor IV, the 6-foot do-it-all dynamo from Dallas, Texas, is one of five Division I players averaging 15.0+ points while also compiling at least 60 assists and 35 steals.
MAKING THEIR TEAMS GO
(Sorted by Points/G)
| Player, School | Pts./G | Assists | Steals |
| Jamarii Thomas, Norfolk St. | 17.7 | 68 | 42 |
| DeMarcus Sharp, Austin Peay | 17.5 | 80 | 41 |
| Wade Taylor IV, Texas A&M | 17.3 | 60 | 36 |
| Kadary Richmond, Seton Hall | 15.9 | 74 | 35 |
| Rasheed Bello, Purdue-FW | 15.6 | 70 | 36 |
SMALL STATURE, BIG STAGE
Taylor IV's 17.3 scoring ranks No. 5 among power conference players at 6-feet tall or shorter:
| Player, School | Ht. | Pts./G |
| RJ Davis, North Carolina | 6' 0'' | 20.3 |
| Kanye Clary, Penn St. | 5' 11'' | 18.8 |
| Kevin Miller, Wake Forest | 6' 0'' | 17.9 |
| Dug McDaniel, Michigan | 5' 11'' | 17.8 |
| Wade Taylor IV, Texas A&M | 6' 0'' | 17.3 |
| Max Abmas, Texas | 6' 0'' | 17.1 |
| Ezra Manjon, Vanderbilt | 6' 0'' | 16.7 |
| Markus Burton, Notre Dame | 5' 11'' | 15.9 |
| Sahvir Wheeler, Washington | 5' 9'' | 15.2 |
| Josh Hubbard, Mississippi St. | 5' 10'' | 15.1 |
CLEANING THE OFFENSIVE GLASS
Texas A&M's 18.3 offensive rebounds/game rank No. 1 nationally and its 10.1 rebound margin ranks No. 15 nationally.
- The Aggies remain the nation's top offensive rebounding team (18.3/G) and average nearly 2.0 more offensive rebounds/game than any other DI team (No. 2 Florida averages 16.5/G).
- The Aggies have lost the offensive rebounding battle twice this season - 14-13 vs. LSU on 1/6 and 17-15 vs. Iowa State on 11/26.
- Texas A&M stands atop KenPom's offensive rebounding percentage at 44.6, but the team's adjusted offensive efficiency has fall from No. 5 prior to the LSU game to No. 27 heading into the UK game.
- Dominance on the offensive glass has led to A&M shooting 110 more FGA than its opponents (7.3/G). Oppponents have shot more balls than the Aggies just twice this season, including last Saturday vs. LSU (59 to 67).
Division I Top Offensive Rebounding Teams
| School, Conference | O-Reb/G |
| Texas A&M, SEC | 18.3 |
| Florida, SEC | 16.5 |
| Towson, Coastal Athletic | 15.8 |
| South Carolina State, Mid-Eastern | 15.8 |
| St. John's, Big East | 15.6 |
KenPom's Offensive Rebounding % Leaders
| School, Conference | O-Reb % |
| Texas A&M, SEC | 44.6 |
| Towson, Coastal Athletic | 42.2 |
| St. John's, Big East | 41.2 |
| Houston, Big 12 | 41.1 |
| Florida, SEC | 41.0 |
TEAM EFFORT ON OFFENSIVE GLASS:
Texas A&M has six players on its roster with at least 20 offensive rebounds and five players with more 40.0% of their total rebounds being offensive boards.
Crashing the Offensive Glass
(Sorted by Offensive Rebounds)
| Player | O-Rbs. | Total | Pct. |
| Andersson Garcia | 63 | 130 | .485 |
| Henry Coleman III | 47 | 118 | .399 |
| Jace Carter | 30 | 73 | .411 |
| Solomon Washington | 29 | 60 | .484 |
| Wildens Leveque | 27 | 48 | .563 |
| Tyrece Radford | 24 | 51 | .471 |
AT HIS BEST AGAINST THE BEST
- Among DI players with multiple games vs. AP Top 25 teams, Wade Taylor IV ranks No. 5 nationally with a 25.7 scoring average.
- Taylor scored a career-high 35 points vs. then No. 19 FAU and earned SEC Player of the Week honors after pouring in 34 points against No. 4 Houston last Saturday at the Toyota Center.
- Taylor and Villanova's Eric Dixon are the only DI players with multiple 30-point games vs ranked teams.
DI Scoring Leaders vs. AP Top 25 Teams
(Min. 2 Games)
| Player, School | Gm. | Pts./G |
| Eric Dixon, Villanova | 2 | 33.0 |
| David Jones, Memphis | 4 | 28.3 |
| Johnell Davis, FAU | 3 | 26.7 |
| Erik Reynolds II, St. Joseph's | 2 | 26.0 |
| Wade Taylor IV, Texas A&M | 3 | 25.7 |
ONE OF A KIND RADFORD
Tyrece Radford is the nation's lone 6-foot-3 or shorter player with 1,500+ points and 750+ rebounds for his career. He is one of three 1,500/750 guards nationally and one of 11 1,500/750 players of any size.
Active Players with 1,500 Point/750 Rebounds
(Sorted by Points)
| Player, School | Ht. | Pts. | Rebs. |
| Armando Bacot, North Carolina | 6'11" | 2026 | 1497 |
| Hunter Dickinson, Kansas | 7'2" | 1900 | 965 |
| Zach Edey, Purdue | 7'4" | 1882 | 1013 |
| Baylor Scheierman, Creighton | 6'7" | 1875 | 1070 |
| Tanner Holden, Wright St. | 6'6" | 1881 | 802 |
| Tyler Burton, Villanova | 6'7" | 1762 | 932 |
| Johni Broome, Auburn | 6'10" | 1682 | 1033 |
| Charles Pride, St. Bonaventure | 6'4" | 1657 | 824 |
| Josh Oduro, Providence | 6'9" | 1591 | 828 |
| Tyrece Radford, Texas A&M | 6'3" | 1565 | 791 |
| Norchad Omier, Miami (Fla.) | 6'7" | 1558 | 1150 |
Players Mentioned
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