Aggies Renew Rivalry vs. Red Raiders at Coast-to-Coast Challenge

FORT WORTH – The No. 22 Texas A&M men's basketball team renews its rivalry with former conference foe Texas Tech as the second game of the 2024 US LBM Coast-to-Coast Challenge double-header at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 8 at Dickies Arena.

• Texas A&M and Texas Tech met at least twice annually as members of the Southwest Conference and the Big 12 Conference from 1958-2012, but the two teams haven't clashed on the hardwood in a regular season contest since the Aggies beat the Red Raiders, 47-38, on Valentine's Day in 2012.
• It will be the first non-conference meeting between the programs since a Dec. 16, 1953 meeting (TT 58, @A&M 55) when the Aggies were in the SWC and Texas Tech was still a member of the Border Conference.
• In 126 previous meetings since 1941, the Red Raiders hold a narrow 64-62 advantage in the series although the Aggies have claimed the last six matchups.
• The two teams met in a preseason exhibition last year with the Red Raiders tallying an 89-84 decision in the Compete 4 Cause Classic at the Super Pit in Denton. 

 
STATISTICAL COMPARISON

Statistic	Texas Tech	Texas A&M
FGM	31.4	25.2
FGA	60.8	60.4
FG%	.516	.417
3PM	9.5	6.7
3PA	23.3	22.9
3P%	.409	.291
FTM	14.6	18.3
FTA	18.3	26.4
FT%	.801	.693
Off. Rebounds	11.4	17.1
Def. Rebounds	26.0	26.7
Rebounds	37.4	43.8
Assists	17.3	12.4
Steals	8.9	7.1
Blocks	2.5	4.1
Turnovers	10.6	12.6
Points	86.9	75.4

 
TV/RADIO

• Calling the action on ESPN2 are Rich Hollenberg (play-by-play) and King McClure (color).
• 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.

 
NEED-TO-KNOWS

• The win over Wake Forest marked the 80th win of Wade Taylor's career and puts him at No. 13 on the all-time wins list in Texas A&M in just three seasons and nine games.
• The 16 rebounds gathered by Andersson Garcia against Wake Forest were a season-high and are tied for No. 23 on the D1 single game rebounds list in 2024-25 (as of 12/5).
• Last season's NCAA leaders in offensive rebounds/G (17.4) are back at the top of the leaderboard at 17.1/G. Of note, however, is that the Aggies have been out-rebounded on the offensive glass in each of the past two games.
• Texas A&M has been out-rebounded just once this season - 42-35 by Rutgers (11/30). The Aggies have won the rebound battle by at least six in every other game and own a 10.0/G rebound margin for the season.
• Henry Coleman III leads the SEC and ranks in a tie for No. 17 nationally in offensive rebounds/G. Among D1 players averaging less than 22:00 minutes/G, HCIII ranks No. 3 nationally.
• The Aggies are 7-0 when Coleman (11.1 points/G) reaches 10 points and 0-2 when he does not.
• The Aggies' two lowest shooting games in 2024-25 (32.4% vs. Oregon, 36.5% at UCF) resulted in losses.
• Since a season-low 53.8 FT% vs. Southern (11/20), the Aggies have put together four straight games of 69.6% or higher (74.5% cumulative).

 
DEFENSIVE VS. DEACONS
Texas A&M limited Wake Forest to just 44 points in the SEC/ACC Challenge matchup with the Demon Deacons at Reed Arena on 12/3.

• It was the first time Texas A&M had held a power conference opponent to fewer than 50 points since Buzz Williams' first season when the Aggies beat Ole Miss, 57-47, on Jan. 7, 2020.
• It was the fewest points allowed to a power conference team since the 2016-17 Aggies beat Missouri, 60-43, on Feb. 28, 2017.
• It was the first time the Aggies have held a non-conference opponent from a power conference under 50 points since Shelby Metcalf's 1978-79 team beat Bob Knight's No. 10-ranked Indiana squad, 54-49, in the first round of the Sea Wolf Classic in Anchorage, Alaska.

 
COLEMAN PROVIDES SPARK
Veteran Henry Coleman III has been a sparkplug off the bench for the Aggies for much of 2024-25, but has been in the starting lineup for the last three games.

• Coleman has been crashing the offensive glass to the tune of 3.7/G, which ranks tNo. 17 nation­ally among all players.
• Among D1 players averaging less than 22:00 minutes/G, Coleman ranks No. 3 nationally.
• Coleman is averaging 11.1 points and 6.4 re­bounds per game, which would be career highs, in only 21.6 minutes per game, which would be a career low.

 
2024-25 DI Off. Rebounds Leaders
(While averaging less than 22:00 min./G)
 

Player, School	Min/G	Off. Rebs/G
Tobe Awaka, Arizona	18.3	4.4
Sasa Ciani, UIC	20.9	4.1
Henry Coleman III, Texas A&M	21.6	3.7
Mor Seck, Fresno State	14.4	3.6
Keba Keita, BYU	19.3	3.4

 
ONE-POSSESSION GAMES
Similar to 2023-24, Texas A&M has already been involved in multiple games that were one-posses­sion contests after the under-4:00 media timeout in the second half.
 
Texas A&M in Tight Games in 2024-25

Opponent (Date)	Score	Time	Result
at UCF (11/4)	A&M led 61-60	1:31	L, 61-64
vs. Oregon (11/26)	70-70 tie	2:21	L, 70-80
vs. Creighton (11/27)	CU led 70-69	:58	W, 77-74
vs. Rutgers (11/30)	RU led 77-76	3:10	W, 81-77

 
SCORING THE BALL
Texas A&M has three players with more 1,000 career points and two more within range of quadruple digits.
 
Texas A&M's Active Career Points Leaders

Player	Points	Years
Wade Taylor IV	1,730	4th
Zhuric Phelps	1,242	4th
Henry Coleman III	1,146	5th
Jace Carter	945	4th
CJ Wilcher	857	5th

 
REBOUNDING THE BALL
Texas A&M has three players with more 500 career rebounds.
 
Texas A&M's Active Career Rebounds Leaders

Player	Points	Years
Henry Coleman III	707	5th
Andersson Garcia	699	5th
Jace Carter	525	4th
Pharrel Payne	390	3rd
Zhuric Phelps	341	4th