Aggies Close Out Regular Season Against Ole Miss

Saturday, March 9

Oxford, Miss.

1:00 PM

Texas A&M

Ole Miss

Photo by: Craig Bisacre/Texas A&M Athletics

Mar 08, 2024 | Men's Basketball

Game Notes vs. OM Media Availability: Garcia Media Availability: Leveque Media Availability: Buzz Williams

By: Brad Marquardt, Assistant AD/Athletics Communications

OXFORD - The Texas A&M men's basketball team closes out regular season play with a crucial road matchup against Ole Miss at 1 p.m. on Saturday at the Pavilion at Ole Miss. The Rebels represent a NET Quad 2 opponent for the Aggies.

Texas A&M and Ole Miss are mirror opponents in 2024 with the Rebels handing the Aggies a narrow 71-68 loss at Reed Arena on 1/27.
The Aggies under Buzz Williams have posted a 4-2 record vs. the Rebels.
A&M owns the advantage in the all-time series, 10-5, including 9-5 in SEC games. The Aggies are 3-4 in Oxford since joining the SEC.

TV/RADIO INFORMATION

The game will be televised by CBS with Brad Nessler (play-by-play) and Jay Wright (analyst) 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

Manny Obaseki has started the past two games for the Aggies (both wins) while contributing double-digit points in both contests. His start vs. UGA on 3/2 marked his first return to the starting five since the NIT Championship game vs. Xavier on 3/31/22 at Madison Square Garden. In last two games, Obaseki is slashing 14.5 points/4.0 rebounds/2.0 assists while averaging 27:00 of playing time (In the first 27 games of 2023-24, Obaseki averaged 10:30 of court time).
In Aggie hoops vernacular, a "turkey" is three consecutive defensive stops. Six has become a magic number of sorts with the Aggies compiling an 11-2 record in games with six or more turkeys, including five straight wins. The last team to beat the Aggies with six or more turkeys was Ole Miss (6).
Fourteen of the Aggies' 30 games have been tied or a one-possession game after the final 4:00 media timeout. Texas A&M is 7-7 in those games.
Guard standouts Wade Taylor IV and Tyrece Radford have reached 10+ points in the same game 19 times in 2023-24 with the Aggies compiling a 12-7 record in those games. In games when they both reached 14 points, the W-L improves to 8-2, but with two straight defeats (at VU, home vs. SC).
The dynamic duo have hit 20 points in the same game five times in their career, leading the Aggies to three of the school's top-ranked wins - No. 2 Alabama (3/4/23), No. 6 Kentucky (1/13/24) and No. 6 Tennessee (2/10/24).
SEC Sixth-Man of the Year candidate Andersson Garcia leads the league in offensive rebounds (4.6) and total rebounds (9.5)
The 6-foot-7 Garcia needs 21 rebounds to become the third Aggie to reach 300 boards in a season, joining Claude Riley (317) and Tyler Davis (313).
The last 6-foot-7 or shorter SEC player to reach 300 rebounds was Auburn's Cinmeon Bowers, who had 326 in 2014-15.
Garcia's 133 offensive rebounds are already the school record (123 by Tyler Davis in 2017-18) and is the tNo. 14 SEC season total since 1996-97 in just 30 games. His 4.6 o-rebs/G rank behind only Oscar Tshiebwe's 5.8 in 2022-23 and 5.3 in 2021-22 in that span.
Texas A&M is the SEC leader in rebounding margin at 8.4 and rank No. 2 in rebounds at 42.8.
The SEC's leader in fewest turnovers for the full season and league play, the Aggies are 11-2 when they have nine or fewer turnovers in a game.

MILESTONES TO WATCH

Tyrece Radford needs 15 points to become the fifth player in school history to reach 400 points in three consecutive seasons.
Jace Carter (148), Solomon Washington (147) and Radford (143) are all within range to 150 rebounds this season.