Saturday, January 11
Bryan-College Station
7:00 PM
Texas A&M
vs
Alabama
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's Basketball
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/ Men's Basketball
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/ Men's Basketball
G/F
/ Men's Basketball
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F/C
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Photo by: Craig Bisacre/Texas A&M Athletics
No. 10 Aggies Host No. 5 Crimson Tide in Historic Top 10 Matchup
Jan 10, 2025 | Men's Basketball
BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION – It will be the first-ever men's basketball top 10 matchup in College Station when the No. 10 Aggies host the No. 5 Alabama Crimson Tide in a 7 p.m. battle at Reed Arena on Saturday.
STATISTICAL COMPARISON
NEED-TO-KNOWS
TOP 10 MATCHUP IN AGGIELAND: Saturday's game represents the first-ever top 10 men's basketball matchup in College Station.
SUCCESS VS. AP TOP 25: Since March of 2022, the Aggies have posted a 14-9 record against ranked teams, which is the sixth-most wins among all D1 teams in that span. The 60.9 win% ranks No. 7 among D1 teams with 20 or more games vs. ranked foes.
The Aggies' 80-78 road win over No. 17 Oklahoma on Wednesday was the team's fourth win over an AP Top 25 opponent in four opportunities in 2024-25.
STREAKING: The Aggies have won nine straight games, which is the team's longest since the 2015-16 SEC Champions had a 10-win streak.
The Aggies' win streak is tied for the third-longest in D1, behind only UC San Diego (12) and Iowa State (10).
TOP 10: At No. 10/9, the Aggies are in the AP and coaches top 10 for the first time since late December 2017 when they were ranked No. 5 AP/No. 6 coaches.
OFFENSE ON UPSWING: Although ranked last in the SEC and in the 250s in D1 in FG% (43.4%), the Aggies have hit 44.0 or higher in five straight games.
JUST WEIRD: For the first time since the start of the 2022-23 season, someone not named Wade Taylor IV is the Aggies' leading scorer. Zhuric Phelps' epic 34-point outburst vs. OU gave him the lead, 207-204.
LIMITING FGS ALLOWED: Texas A&M and Tennessee are the only SEC schools that haven't allowed more than 28 FGM in a game this season. The two teams are No. 1 and No. 2 in FGM defense at 20.2 (UT) and 21.3 (TAMU).
GETTING SECOND CHANCES: Texas A&M pounds the offensive glass for a NCAA-best 16.7 offensive rebounds/G in 2024-25.
Eighteen SEC players have reeled in 32+ offensive rebounds - the Aggies have four of them. No other school has more than two.
BOARDS ADVANTAGE: A&M has been out-rebounded just once this season and own a 11.1/G rebound margin for the season (No. 6 nationally).
BENCH IMPACT: The bench has been instrumental to its 13-2 record with a 48.5 FG% and an average of 31.1 points/game. Pharrel Payne is the top bench scorer at 9.4 points/G. Since the start of December, Payne is shooting an NCAA-best 84.4% from the field (among players with at 30 FGA).
TOP 10 SUCCESS AT REED
Texas A&M has won its last three games against AP top 10 teams at Reed Arena - beating No. 6 Kentucky (97-92 OT) and No. 6 Tennessee (85-69) last season and No. 2 Alabama (67-61) in the 2023 regular season finale.
AGGIES VS. AP TOP 25
Texas A&M has a roster full of players with proven success against AP Top 25 teams.
Henry Coleman III has logged a program-record 14 victories (against 13 losses) over AP Top 25 opponents with Wade Taylor IV and Hayden Hefner right behind with 13 wins.
Current Roster vs. AP Top 25 Opponents
ON THE DEFENSE
Despite absorbing a 54.3% shooting night from Oklahoma in their most recent game, the Aggies remain in the top 10 of KenPom's adjusted defensive efficiency ranking.
RIM PROTECTION = DEFENSE
The addition of 6-foot-9 shot-swatter Pharrell Payne and the continued development active 6-foot-7 defenders Solomon Washington and Andersson Garcia have led to the best rim protection of the Buzz Williams era.
Blocks/G in Buzz Williams Era
STAT SHEET-FILLER PHELPS
SMU transfer Zhuric Phelps is one of three power conference players, averaging 14.0+ points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game.
P5 Players Averaging 14+ pts/4 rbs/2.0 stls/2.0 asts
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
PROMOTIONS UPDATE
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.
REMINDER: PRE-PAID PARKING IS THE WAY TO GO!
TV/RADIO
- Alabama has a narrow 14-11 lead in the all-time series and has won the last two matchups.
- In SEC games, the two teams have split 16 meetings. In SEC games at Reed, the Aggies have won five of six meetings.
- Under Buzz Williams, the Aggies are 3-2 vs. the Crimson Tide.
STATISTICAL COMPARISON
| Statistic | Alabama | Opp. | Texas A&M | Opp. |
| FGM | 31.2 | 27.5 | 26.1 | 21.3 |
| FGA | 65.2 | 67.1 | 60.0 | 55.0 |
| FG% | .479 | .409 | .434 | .387 |
| 3PM | 10.1 | 6.8 | 6.9 | 7.7 |
| 3PA | 31.6 | 23.7 | 22.1 | 25.3 |
| 3P% | .321 | .287 | .314 | .305 |
| FTM | 18.4 | 15.0 | 17.6 | 13.2 |
| FTA | 26.4 | 20.7 | 24.9 | 17.5 |
| FT% | .697 | .726 | .706 | .753 |
| Off. Reb | 14.5 | 11.9 | 16.7 | 10.2 |
| Def. Reb | 30.3 | 24.2 | 25.4 | 20.8 |
| Rebounds | 44.8 | 36.1 | 42.1 | 31.0 |
| Assists | 17.5 | 10.9 | 13.1 | 13.2 |
| Steals | 6.8 | 6.7 | 8.3 | 7.7 |
| Blocks | 4.8 | 3.3 | 4.3 | 4.7 |
| Turnovers | 12.4 | 11.2 | 12.2 | 14.5 |
| Points | 90.9 | 76.7 | 76.7 | 63.5 |
NEED-TO-KNOWS
TOP 10 MATCHUP IN AGGIELAND: Saturday's game represents the first-ever top 10 men's basketball matchup in College Station.
SUCCESS VS. AP TOP 25: Since March of 2022, the Aggies have posted a 14-9 record against ranked teams, which is the sixth-most wins among all D1 teams in that span. The 60.9 win% ranks No. 7 among D1 teams with 20 or more games vs. ranked foes.
The Aggies' 80-78 road win over No. 17 Oklahoma on Wednesday was the team's fourth win over an AP Top 25 opponent in four opportunities in 2024-25.
STREAKING: The Aggies have won nine straight games, which is the team's longest since the 2015-16 SEC Champions had a 10-win streak.
The Aggies' win streak is tied for the third-longest in D1, behind only UC San Diego (12) and Iowa State (10).
TOP 10: At No. 10/9, the Aggies are in the AP and coaches top 10 for the first time since late December 2017 when they were ranked No. 5 AP/No. 6 coaches.
OFFENSE ON UPSWING: Although ranked last in the SEC and in the 250s in D1 in FG% (43.4%), the Aggies have hit 44.0 or higher in five straight games.
JUST WEIRD: For the first time since the start of the 2022-23 season, someone not named Wade Taylor IV is the Aggies' leading scorer. Zhuric Phelps' epic 34-point outburst vs. OU gave him the lead, 207-204.
LIMITING FGS ALLOWED: Texas A&M and Tennessee are the only SEC schools that haven't allowed more than 28 FGM in a game this season. The two teams are No. 1 and No. 2 in FGM defense at 20.2 (UT) and 21.3 (TAMU).
GETTING SECOND CHANCES: Texas A&M pounds the offensive glass for a NCAA-best 16.7 offensive rebounds/G in 2024-25.
Eighteen SEC players have reeled in 32+ offensive rebounds - the Aggies have four of them. No other school has more than two.
BOARDS ADVANTAGE: A&M has been out-rebounded just once this season and own a 11.1/G rebound margin for the season (No. 6 nationally).
BENCH IMPACT: The bench has been instrumental to its 13-2 record with a 48.5 FG% and an average of 31.1 points/game. Pharrel Payne is the top bench scorer at 9.4 points/G. Since the start of December, Payne is shooting an NCAA-best 84.4% from the field (among players with at 30 FGA).
TOP 10 SUCCESS AT REED
Texas A&M has won its last three games against AP top 10 teams at Reed Arena - beating No. 6 Kentucky (97-92 OT) and No. 6 Tennessee (85-69) last season and No. 2 Alabama (67-61) in the 2023 regular season finale.
AGGIES VS. AP TOP 25
Texas A&M has a roster full of players with proven success against AP Top 25 teams.
Henry Coleman III has logged a program-record 14 victories (against 13 losses) over AP Top 25 opponents with Wade Taylor IV and Hayden Hefner right behind with 13 wins.
Current Roster vs. AP Top 25 Opponents
| Player, Years (Seasons) | W-L | Pct. |
| Henry Coleman III, 2021-Pres. (4) | 14-13 | .519 |
| Wade Taylor IV, 2021-Pres. (4) | 13-13 | .500 |
| Hayden Hefner, 2020-Pres. (5) | 13-15 | .464 |
| Andersson Garcia, 2022-Pres. (3) | 11-8 | .579 |
| Manny Obaseki, 2021-Pres. (4) | 11-13 | .458 |
| Solomon Washington, 2022-Pres. (3) | 10-7 | .588 |
| Jace Carter, 2023-Pres. (2) | 6-7 | .462 |
| Pharrel Payne, 2024-Pres. (1) | 4-0 | 1.000 |
| Zhuric Phelps, 2024-Pres. (1) | 4-0 | 1.000 |
| CJ Wilcher, 2024-Pres. (1) | 4-0 | 1.000 |
| Jaelyn Lee, 2023-Pres. (1) | 1-1 | .500 |
ON THE DEFENSE
Despite absorbing a 54.3% shooting night from Oklahoma in their most recent game, the Aggies remain in the top 10 of KenPom's adjusted defensive efficiency ranking.
- The Aggies haven't allowed an opponent to reach 30 FGs this season. The season-high FGs for an opponent is 28 by Rutgers (11/30).
- Texas A&M has given up 25 or fewer FGs in seven straight games and in 14 of 15 for the season.
- Texas A&M is limiting opponents to 38.7% shooting, which is lowest since Billy Gillispie's final Aggies' squad held opponents to 37.5% from the field in 2006-07.
- Only four opponents have managed higher that 45% shooting vs. the Aggies.
- The Aggies held Wake Forest (44) and HCU (45) to 45 or fewer points.
RIM PROTECTION = DEFENSE
The addition of 6-foot-9 shot-swatter Pharrell Payne and the continued development active 6-foot-7 defenders Solomon Washington and Andersson Garcia have led to the best rim protection of the Buzz Williams era.
Blocks/G in Buzz Williams Era
| Year | Blocks/G | Opp. FG% | Leader, Blocks/G |
| 2019-20 | 2.9 | .409 | Josh Nebo, 1.9 |
| 2020-21 | 1.9 | .450 | Jonathan Aku, 0.4 |
| 2021-22 | 3.4 | .414 | Ethan Henderson, 1.9 |
| 2022-23 | 2.3 | .407 | Dexter Dennis, 0.6 |
| 2023-24 | 3.0 | .429 | Solo Washington, 1.1 |
| 2024-25 | 4.3 | .387 | Pharrell Payne, 1.2 |
STAT SHEET-FILLER PHELPS
SMU transfer Zhuric Phelps is one of three power conference players, averaging 14.0+ points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game.
- Phelps has been particularly effective in generating steals. He's had two or more thefts 11 times, including a season-high seven vs. ACU (12/28).
- His 34 points and six 3-pointers at OU were career highs. His 34 points vs. the No. 17 Sooners are the third-most vs. a ranked team on the road this season.
- Phelps has scored a point/minute twice this season - 18 points in 18 minutes in A&M debut vs. ETAMU and 34 in 33 vs. OU.
- He flirted with a triple-double vs. ACU when he posted 12 points, 10 rebounds and seven steals.
- His 2.5 steals/G rank No. 19 nationally and No. 2 among SEC players.
P5 Players Averaging 14+ pts/4 rbs/2.0 stls/2.0 asts
| Player, School | Rebounds/G | Steals/G | Assists/G | Points/g |
| Adou Thiero, Arkansas | 5.9 | 2.0 | 2.2 | 16.9 |
| Braden Smith, Purdue | 4.7 | 2.1 | 8.9 | 15.4 |
| Zhuric Phelps, Texas A&M | 4.6 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 14.8 |
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 |
| vs. Texas Tech (12/8) | A&M led 64-61 | :50 | W, 72-67 |
| vs. Purdue (12/14) | A&M led 69-66 | :09 | W, 70-66 |
| at Oklahoma (1/8) | OU led 78-77 | 1:05 | W, 80-78 |
PROMOTIONS UPDATE
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.
REMINDER: PRE-PAID PARKING IS THE WAY TO GO!
- New in 2024-25: Prepaid parking is available, https://tamu.pmreserve.com/. Sales are available onsite via cash or credit but prepaid is encouraged.
- Any valid Texas A&M permit parking/season permit parking allowed in Lots 100a-c, 100e & 100f, 100g, 100d, 100j, 100m, 100t, 74, 95 and 97
- Texas A&M Track & Field is hosting the 2025 Texas High School Indoor Championship on Saturday at the R.A. "Murray" Fasken Indoor Track, which located in the same general area as Reed Arena. The meet is scheduled to end at 7:10 p.m.
TV/RADIO
- 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. It is also available on SiriusXM on channels: 161 or 191.
- The game will be broadcast on ESPN with Dave O'Brien and Corey Alexander providing the description.
Northwestern State Postgame: Bucky McMillan
Monday, November 03
Northwestern State Postgame: Rashaun Agee, Ruben Dominguez
Monday, November 03
Highlights: Texas A&M 98, NWST 68
Monday, November 03
Media Availability: Bucky McMillan
Wednesday, October 29
