March 16, 2010
March Madness On Demand - Watch Online
No. 5 seed Texas A&M battles No. 12 seed Utah State on Friday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Spokane, Wash. The game will be televsied by CBS Sports and CBS College Sports starting at approximately 1:45 p.m. (PT)/3:45 p.m. (CT).
2010 NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT
First Round
Friday, March 19
Approx. 1:45 p.m. (PT)/3:45 p.m. (CT)
(actual game time will be 25 minutes after the end of the 11:30 a.m. (PT) Purdue-Siena game)
Spokane, Wash.
Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena (12,210 cap.)
#5 Texas A&M Aggies
(23-9,11-5 Big 12 Conference, Tied for 2nd place)
No. 23 on AP and ESPN/USA Today polls
vs.
#12 Utah State Aggies
(27-7,14-2 Western Athletic Conference, 1st place)
Receiving votes in AP and ESPN/USA Today polls
TELEVISION:
CBS Sports (regional)
Tim Brando, play-by-play
Mike Gminski, commentary
Check Local Listings
CBS College Sports (national)
Direct TV Channel 613
Dish Network Channel 152
Check Local Listings
RADIO:
Texas A&M Sports Network
http://www.aggieathletics.com/multimedia/aggies-on-the-radio.html
Dave South, play-by-play
Al Pulliam, commentary
Sirius Satellite Radio: 126
Texas A&M Basketball Digital Media
Texas A&M Press Conference Audio (Monday): http://www.aggieathletics.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/031510aaa.html
Texas A&M Media Almanac (complete bios, history and records): http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/352a4862
Mark Turgeon's Virtual Guide to Texas A&M Basketball: http://coachturgeon.com/
Mark Turgeon's (Kansas `87)
Record: 225-149 (12th year)
at Texas A&M: 72-30 (3rd year)
vs. Utah State:0-0
Projected Texas A&M Starters
No. Player Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl. PPG RPG APG
5 Dash Harris G 6-1 175 So 5.0 3.3 3.3
15 Donald Sloan G 6-3 205 Sr 18.2 3.72.3
22 Bryan Davis F 6-9 250 Sr 9.57.9--
Off the Bench
2 B.J. Holmes G 5-11 175 Jr 9.32.4 --
21 Ray Turner F 6-8 220 Fr 2.82.6--
23 Naji Hibbert G 6-6 200 Fr1.91.5--
45 Nathan Walkup F 6-7 210 Jr 5.3 3.3--
Utah State Aggies
http://www.utahstateaggies.com/sports/m-baskbl/ust-m-baskbl-body.html
Record:27-7 (14-2 Western Athletic Conference, 1st)
Ranking: Receiving votes (both polls)
RPI:30; SOS: 100
Last Game: Lost to New Mexico State (81-63) in WAC Championship (March 13)
Head Coach: Stew Morrill (Gonzaga `74)
Record:512-236 (24th year)
atUtah State:294-98 (12th year)
vs. Texas A&M:1-1 (as coach at Colorado State)
Projected Utah State Starters
No. Player Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl. PPG RPG APG
5 Pooh Williams G6-3 200 Jr8.8 1.82.3
21 Jared Quayle G 6-2180 Sr12.56.34.2
24 Tyler NewboldG6-4210 Jr8.04.03.0
35 Nate Bendall F 6-9 245 Jr10.4 5.4--
42 Tai Wesley F6-7 240 Jr13.66.6--
Big 12 Conference: http://www.big12sports.com/SportSelect.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=10410&KEY=&SPID=13134&SPSID=106110
Western Athletic Conference: http://www.wacsports.com/SportSelect.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=10100&SPID=4126&SPSID=45988
NCAA: http://www.ncaa.com/statistics/index.html
Series Notes
• The series is tied, 1-1, but A&M has a 1-0 edge in games played a neutral sites.
• Utah State posted a 94-71 victory in Logan, Utah, in 1963-64. A&M recorded a 78-73 win in the consolation game of the Indiana Classic in 10983-84 in Bloomington, Ind.
• A&M is 6-5 all-time against current members of the Western Athletic Conference. The last time A&M played a current WAC member was in the second round of the 2006 Shelby Metcalf Classic in College Station, when the Aggies beat Louisiana Tech, 75-59.
• Mark Turgeon's has never coached against Stew Morrill or Utah State. Morrill is 1-1 against Texas A&M, with both games played during his seven-year stay at Colorado State. In 1996-97, Tony Barone's Aggies defeated the Rams 59-58 in Fort Collins, Colo. In 1997-98, the Rams posted an 86-82 overtime win in College Station.
Tournament Notes
• A&M is making its fifth straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Prior to this streak, A&M had never played in consecutive NCAA Tournaments and had not been to the NCAAs since 1987.
• A&M is one of just 12 schools that have made the NCAA Tournament in each of the last five seasons. Only two other teams in the field (Texas and Pittsburgh) have advanced past the first round in each of the previous four NCAA Tournaments.
• A&M has been eliminated from the NCAA Tournament by heart-breaking losses in three of the last four years with each of those games decided in the final three seconds. In 2006, LSU's Darrel Mitchell hit a long three-pointer with three seconds left to lift the Tigers to a 58-57 second-round victory in Jacksonville, Fla. In 2007, Memphis' Antonio Anderson made two free throws with three seconds left for a 65-64 win in San Antonio. In Anaheim in 2008, UCLA came from behind to secure a 51-49 victory with a controversial finish in the final moments. Top-seeded Connecticut ousted the Aggies in last year's second-round game in Philadelphia (92-66).
• A&M is one of just three schools to have won a postseason game in each of the previous five years. The others are North Carolina (5 NCAAs) and Memphis (1 NIT, 4 NCAAs). UNC and Memphis are both in the NIT this year.
• A&M is making the 11th NCAA Tournament appearance in school history. The Aggies are 8-11 in their previous 10 appearances, advancing to the Sweet Sixteen in 1969, 1980 and 2007.
• The Aggies are 5-4 in NCAA play in the last four years. Prior to the 2006 first-round win against Syracuse, A&M's last NCAA Tournament win was in 1980, when the No. 6-seeded Aggies beat No. 3 seed North Carolina, 78-61, in double overtime in Denton, Texas. A&M then fell in the Midwest Regional finals to eventual national champion Louisville, 66-55, in overtime.
• In that North Carolina game, neither team scored in the first overtime as UNC went into its famed Four Corners Offense, but A&M broke loose in the second overtime, setting NCAA Tournament records for most overtime points (25) and largest victory margin in overtime (17).
• A&M's has played basketball in Spokane once before, falling to Washington State, 75-66, at the Veterans Memorial Arena in 1997-98.
• The Aggies are 3-3 this season in neutral site games. A&M beat No. 19 Clemson (69-60) and No. 16 Minnesota (66-65) at the 76 Classic and downed Nebraska (70-66) in last week's Big 12 Championship tournament. The Aggies lost to No. 8 West Virginia (73-66) at the 76 Classic, to New Mexico (84-81) at the Toyota Center in Houston, and to top-ranked Kansas (79-66) in the Big 12 semifinals.
• A&M is 7-9 this season against teams that advanced to the 2010 NCAA Tournament.
Strong Finish
• A&M is 9-3 in its last 12 games, including two losses to the overall No. 1 seed, Kansas (59-54 in College Station, 79-66 in Kansas City). The Aggies led midway through the second half in both of those games. The other loss was at No. 3 seed Baylor (70-66).
Rugged Schedule
• All nine of A&M's losses have been to teams ranked in the top 50 in the RPI. Six of the nine losses were to teams ranked in the top 10 in the RPI.
• A&M has played 11 nationally-ranked opponents, the most of any Big 12 team, and has played five games against teams ranked in the top 10 in this week's polls (Kansas, Kansas State, West Virginia and New Mexico). A&M played four nationally-ranked non-conference foes (that doesn't include New Mexico, which entered the rankings the next week). The Aggies' schedule-to-date is ranked as the sixth-toughest nationally by CBS Sports.
• The 11 nationally-ranked opponents are the most in A&M history. The old record was nine set in 1978-79.
• A&M is 4-7 against ranked teams this season with wins vs. No. 19 Clemson (69-60), No. 16 Minnesota (66-65), No. 20 Baylor (78-71) and No. 21 Texas (74-58). Eight of the Aggies' nine losses have been to teams that have been ranked in the top 25 for multiple weeks (Kansas, Texas, West Virginia, Washington, Baylor, New Mexico and Kansas State). The other loss was at Oklahoma State. A&M is 18-2 (8-1 Big 12) against unranked foes (which includes New Mexico).
• The four wins against ranked opponents ties for the second most in school history with the 2006-07 team. The school record is five in 1978-79.
Aggie Success
• A&M is making its fifth straight NCAA Tournament appearance. Prior to this streak, A&M never played in consecutive NCAA Tournaments and had not made an appearance since 1987. Five of A&M's 11 NCAA appearances, and 5 of its 8 NCAA wins, have come since 2006.
• A&M has posted six straight 20-win seasons. Before the 2004-05 season, A&M had only six 20-win seasons in its history.
• A&M is 142-55 (.721) in the last six years.
• A&M, Kansas and Texas are the only Big 12 schools that have won at least 20 games in each of the last six seasons.
• A&M is 17-5 in its last 22 Big 12 games, second only to Kansas' 20-2 mark in that span.
• A&M tied for second in the Big 12 this season, its second runner-up finish in the last four years (2007).
Basketball Mania
• The attendance of 13,717 vs. Texas on Feb. 27 broke A&M's home record for the third time this season. A&M sold out four games, topping the 13,000 mark in each game. The Aggies' season average of 9,889 ranks second on the school chart behind the record of 10,343 set in Turgeon's first season in 2007-08. A&M has posted its top five single game marks, and two of the top three season averages, under Turgeon.
• A&M has won 18 of its last 19 home games, including 10 of its last 11 in Big 12 play. The Aggies are 31-3 at home in the last two seasons with a 13-3 mark in conference games.
• A&M has won 72 of its last 79 home games, including 29 of its last 36 in Big 12 play.
• The Aggies are the only Big 12 team to win at least 15 home games for the last six consecutive seasons.
• The Aggies have won 51 straight non-conference home games, including wins against Arizona, Alabama and LSU. The last loss was to St. Joseph's (58-51) in the 2005 NIT quarterfinals. A&M has won 64 straight regular-season non-conference home games since 2003. A&M is 83-9 all-time in non-conference games at Reed (.902).
• The Aggies are 65-6 (.916) at home the last four seasons and are 97-12 (.890) in the last six years.
• A&M is 139-53 (.724) through 12 seasons at Reed Arena. The Aggies were 41-41 (.500) the first six years at Reed.
• The $23 million, 68,000-square-foot Cox-McFerrin Center for Aggie Basketball was officially dedicated in January 2009. The state-of-the-art addition includes practice gyms, locker rooms, film rooms, a weight room, training facilities and offices.
• Reed Arena has completed its 12th season as the home of A&M basketball. The 12,500-seat facility opened in 1998 and was named for Houston veterinarian Chester J. Reed `47 and his wife, Billie Jean, who contributed most of the assets used to fund the facility.
• The top 18 single-game attendance marks in A&M history have been set in the last five years. The top 14 non-conference attendance marks also have been set in the last five seasons.
• A&M has won 16 straight home games against unranked opponents (eight straight in Big 12 play). Under Turgeon, The Aggies are 40-3 against unranked opponents at Reed Arena, including a 12-3 mark against unranked Big 12 teams.
NBA Aggies
• Chinemelu Elonu earned honorable mention All-Big 12 honors last year as a junior and was named the Big 12's most improved player by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. After graduating last May, Elonu elected to forego his senior year and was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round with the 59th overall pick.
• A&M is the only Big 12 school to have a player drafted by the NBA in each of the last three years. An Aggie has been chosen in four of the last five NBA Drafts. The others were Antoine Wright in 2005 (first round to the New Jersey Nets), Acie Law IV in 2007 (first round to the Atlanta Hawks) and DeAndre Jordan in 2008 (second round to the Los Angeles Clippers). Prior to Wright's selection in 2005, A&M had not had a player drafted since Winston Crite in 1987.
• Prior to 2007, A&M never had more than one active NBA player.
• Law, Wright and Jordan each started and had 20-point efforts in NBA games last season. Wright started in 53 of 65 games for the Dallas Mavericks and had a career-high 24 points against Indiana. He was traded to the Toronto Raptors in June. Law appeared in 55 games for the Hawks and scored a career-high 22 points against Cleveland. He has since played with the Golden State Warriors and Charlotte Bobcats, and is now a member of the Chicago Bulls. Jordan played in 53 games for the Clippers last season, starting 13 times, and scored a career-high 23 points against the Los Angeles Lakers. He also had a 20-rebound game against Golden State and had 6 blocked shots against Minnesota.
All-Sports Power
• Texas A&M captured three NCAA team championships in 2008-09 (men's golf, men's outdoor track and field, women's outdoor track and field), the most of any school in the country.
• The Aggies finished 13th in the 2008-09 NACDA Director's Cup, which includes every Division I institution. A&M placed 12th in 2007-08, its highest finish.
• A&M captured the 2008-09 State Farm Lone Star Showdown against Texas for the second straight year. Points are awarded in each sport to the head-to-head winner between the schools. A&M trails 6.5 to 4.5 so far this season, but has high national rankings in men's and women's track and field as well as men's and women's golf.
• The Laboratory for the Study of Intercollegiate Athletics (LSIA) named A&M as the most efficient athletic department in the Big 12. The study analyzed the number of national and conference championships won compared to athletic budgets.
Turgeon Climbs Chart
• The only coaches with more wins than Mark Turgeon's (72) in their first three years at a Big 12 school are his mentors at Kansas, Larry Brown and Roy Williams (see chart at right). Ironically, Turgeon was a point guard for those teams under Brown and was an assistant coach in Williams' first three seasons with the Jayhawks.
• Turgeon's 72 victories are the most ever by an A&M coach in a three-year period. The previous mark was 70 wins by Billy Gillispie (2004-07).
• Turgeon has led the Aggies to three straight 20-win seasons, including three of the top six victory totals in the school's 98-year basketball history.
• Turgeon is the only coach in school history to win 23 or more games three times.
• Turgeon's 25 wins in 2007-08 tied for the most by a first-year coach in the history of any Big 12 school and were an A&M record for a coach in his debut. Tom Penders went 25-9 in his first year at Texas in 1988-89 prior to the formation of the Big 12.
• Turgeon has led his teams to at least 20 wins in six of the last seven seasons (His Wichita State team won 17 games in 2006-07). His teams have advanced to postseason play seven times in the last eight years. Turgeon's record in the last seven years is 158-74 (.681).
Most Wins in First Three Seasons at a Big 12 School
1. Larry Brown, Kansas (1983-86) 83
2. Roy Williams, Kansas (1988-91) 76
3. Mark Turgeon's, Texas A&M (2007-10) 72
Bill Self, Kansas (2003-06) 72
Eddie Sutton, Okla. St. (1990-93) 72
Larry Eustachy, Iowa State (1998-01) 72
Tom Penders, Texas (1988-91) 72
8. Billy Gillispie, Texas A&M (2004-07) 70
Texas A&M Most Season Victories
27-7 2006-07 Billy Gillispie
26-8 1979-80 Shelby Metcalf
25-11 2007-08 Mark Turgeon
24-10 2008-09 Mark Turgeon
24-9 1978-79 Shelby Metcalf
23-9 2009-10 Mark Turgeon
22-9 2005-06 Billy Gillispie
21-6 1975-76 Shelby Metcalf
21-10 2004-05 Billy Gillispie
20-7 1974-75 Shelby Metcalf
20-11 1981-82 Shelby Metcalf
20-12 1985-86 Shelby Metcalf
Mark Madness
• Turgeon was the first Kansas player to appear in four consecutive NCAA Tournaments (1984-87), including a Final Four appearance in 1986. He played in 12 NCAA Tournament games, helping the Jayhawks to an 8-4 record.
• Turgeon has led his teams to four NCAA Tournaments in the last five years, winning at least one NCAA game each year heading into the 2010 tournament.
• In 2006, he led Wichita State to the Sweet Sixteen, where it was eliminated by eventual Final Four participant George Mason (63-55). The Shockers beat Seton Hall (86-66) and Tennessee (80-73) in the first two rounds. In 2008, Turgeon's first A&M team went 1-1, beating BYU (67-62) in the opener and falling to eventual Final Four participant UCLA (51-49). Last year, the Aggies again downed BYU (79-66) before falling to Final Four-bound Connecticut (92-66).
• As an assistant coach at Kansas under Larry Brown, Turgeon helped the Jayhawks to the 1988 NCAA Championship. As an assistant at KU under Roy Williams (1988-92), he participated in three NCAA Tournaments in four years, including the 1991 national championship game.
• As a player, assistant coach and head coach, Turgeon has compiled a 25-11 NCAA Tournament record (8-4 as a player, 13-4 as an assistant, 4-3 as a head coach). Turgeon is the only active Big 12 head coach to play and coach in an NCAA Final Four.
• Turgeon also participated in the 1995 NCAA Tournament as an assistant coach at Oregon under Jerry Green. It was the Ducks' first NCAA appearance in 34 years.
• In 12 NCAA Tournament appearances as a player, assistant coach and head coach, Turgeon has lost a first-round NCAA game just once (Oregon in 1995 under Coach Jerry Green).
Senior Moment
• A&M's senior class has won 99 games (99-37, .728), surpassing last year's class (98-37, .726) as the winningest in school history. This year's class is the third straight to break the record. Before this run, the record was 85 wins by the 1982 seniors.
Player Notables
• Bryan Davis: All-Big 12 third-team and All-Defense Team selection by the league's coaches ... named CBS Sports A&M player of the Game in both NCAA games last year (12 points/9 rebounds/3 blocks vs. UConn, 21 points, 9 rebounds, 3 blocks vs. BYU) ... named to Big 12's All-Underrated team by media panel ... leads team in rebounding (7.9) and blocks (56), and is second in scoring (9.5) and steals (40) ... only player in the Big 12 to have more than 50 blocks with at least 40 steals ... ranked sixth in the Big 12 in rebounding in conference play (8.4) and was fourth in blocks (1.8) ... second in Big 12 in offensive rebounding in league play (3.6) ... posted double figures in rebounding in six of the last 10 games ... scored season-high 22 points in win vs. Baylor ... had career-high 16 rebounds in win at Texas Tech ... tied career-high with 4 steals in win at Oklahoma ... tied career-high with 4 blocks in three Big 12 games ... ranks 12th nationally and first in the Big 12 in free throw rate at .870 (180 FTA/207 FGA) ... has made 101 field goals and 102 free throws on the season ... team is 38-11 in his career when he scores in double figures, including a 16-3 mark when he scores at least 15 points... ranks 11th in A&M history in rebounds (733) and is third in blocks (152) ... one of only two players in A&M history to score 1,000 points with 500 rebounds, 100 blocks, 100 steals and 100 assists (Winston Crite, 1983-87) ... has played in 133 career games, third on the A&M chart.
• Donald Sloan: Has scored in double figures in 16 straight games and has averaged 19.2 points in the last 13 games ... All-Big 12 First Team pick by the league's coaches, joining Acie Law IV (2007) as the only first team selections from A&M in league history ... has played in a school record 136 career games ... earned all-tournament honors at the Big 12 Championship after averaging 23.5 points in two games, including 24 against top-ranked Kansas ... averaged 11.6 second-half points in team's 11 Big 12 wins ... fourth in the Big 12 in free throws made (83) and attempted (106) in league play ... tied for fourth in the Big 12 in scoring (18.4) in league play and is tied for fourth overall (18.3) ... has had 12 20+ scoring games this season, eight against Big 12 teams ... national player of the week by CollegeHoops.net on Feb. 9 after leading team to wins at Missouri and at home vs. Baylor ... ranks ninth in A&M history in career scoring (1,501) and is eighth in assists (363) ... one of just two players in A&M history to score 1,500 points with 300 assists and 400 rebounds (Bernard King, 1999-03) ... team is 50-10 when he has 3+ assists in his career, including a 27-5 mark in the last two seasons ... A&M is 54-21 in his career when he scores in double figures.
• B.J. Holmes: Named to Big 12 All-Reserve Team ... started both Big 12 tournament games for inured Dash Harris at point guard ... averaged 11.5 points, 4.0 assists and just 1.0 turnover in the tournament ... averaged 10.2 points and made .446 from 3-point range (25-56) in the last 11 games, leading team to an 8-3 record ... made just 5-of-37 (.135) from 3-point range in first seven Big 12 games ... led Big 12 in 3-point percentage (.470) in league play as a sophomore ... entered Big 12 play No. 1 in school history in career 3-point percentage at .443; now ranks fourth (.393) ... third in school history in career free throw percentage (.810) ... has made 13 straight free throws in the last six games ... has been team's top scorer off the bench 17 times.
• David Loubeau: Named Big 12's co-Most Improved Player with Kansas Marcus Morris by Fort Worth Star-Telegram ... 17 points with a game-high 9 rebounds in loss to Kansas in February... averaged 11.3 points and 5.7 rebounds in last 12 games ... has had at least three fouls in team's last seven losses ... A&M lost both games when he fouled out (at Washington and Baylor) ... scored 19 points at home vs. Texas Tech ... team is 9-2 when he scores in double figures this season and is 8-1 when he grabs at least 7 rebounds.
• DASH HARRIS: Named to Big 12 All-Defense Team by The Oklahoman ... plagued by tendonitis in right wrist since early February ... led league in assist/turnover ratio prior to injury ... suffered bruised bone in same wrist at Oklahoma on March 6 and missed Big 12 tournament... Aggies are 24-3 when he has at least 3 assists in his career, including a 14-2 mark this season ... has made .368 (21-57) from 3-point range after making .200 (3-15) all of last season ... has had 14 assists and only 5 turnovers in his last 3 games.
• Khris Middleton: Has emerged as one of Big 12's top freshmen ... has scored in double figures in three straight games, averaging 15.3 points and making .571 from the field, .461 (6-13) from three-point range and 100.0 (10-10) from the free throw line in that span ... tied career-high with 17 points and added 5 steals vs. Nebraska at Big 12 tournament ... averaged 15.5 points in two Big 12 tournament games ... averaged 7.9 points and 3.9 rebounds in Big 12 play ... has made 11 straight free throws in the last four games ... has started in 20 of the last 22 games ... has scored in double figures in nine games, including seven vs. Big 12 opponents ... had 16 points in road games at Missouri and Kansas State ... team-high 15 points in last Saturday's win at Oklahoma.
• Nathan Walkup: Has scored in double figures in five games (team is 4-1 in those games) ... career-high 16 points with 8 rebounds in win vs. Colorado ... 13 points with 8 boards at Texas ... closed regular season with 8 rebounds and a career-high 4 assists in win at Oklahoma, adding 3 points on his only trey attempt ... has made .400 (4-10) 3-pointers in the last five games ... dunk vs. Akron earned spot on ESPN top 10 plays list.
• Ray Turner: Has played a key role in team's successful Big 12 season after gaining eligibility in mid-December... scored 5 points in win vs. Nebraska at Big 12 tournament ... has averaged 3.8 points and 3.2 rebounds in last 12 games ... 9 points and 3 offensive rebounds in win vs. Texas ... 7 points and 5 boards in win vs. Baylor ... 4 points and 5 rebounds vs. Kansas ... 6 points and a career-high 8 rebounds at Baylor ... dunk at Missouri was named Big 12 Play of the Week and earned a spot on ESPN's top 10 plays list ... received a plurality of the vote (30 percent) as a write-in candidate in recent campus-wide election for president of A&M class of 2013, but declined to enter run-off election for office.
• Naji Hibbert: See page 19 for 2009-10 highlights and game-by-game stats ... has the ability to become a premier defender in the Big 12 ... has played in all 32 games ... scored 11 points vs. Prairie View A&M ... made his first three-pointer in Big 12 play in loss at Baylor ... team is 7-1 when he scores 4+ points.
Scoring
• Seven of the Aggies' top nine scorers are non-seniors who have scored 55.7 percent of the team's points.
• A&M is 48-5 under Mark Turgeon's when scoring at least 70 points, including a 14-1 mark this season. The Aggies are only 9-8 when they score fewer than 70 points.
• A&M is 58-10 under Turgeon when leading at halftime, with a 20-5 mark this season.
• The Aggies are 63-5 under Turgeon when leading with 5:00 left, including a 22-1 record this season. The lone loss was to No. 1 Kansas.
• Turgeon's A&M teams are 30-1 when they have at least 8 fast-break points, including an 11-0 mark this season.
• A&M is 20-5 this season when at least three players score in double figures. Seven active players average at least 5.0 points per game and eight average at least 13.5 minutes per game.
• Nine different players have had double-figure scoring efforts and six have led the team in scoring.
• A&M averages 21.2 bench points and has had at least 12 bench points in all but five games, which includes three losses.
Field Goal Shooting
• A&M has made .475 from the field in the last four games, including a season-high .532 vs. Oklahoma State.
• A&M is 30-0 overall under Mark Turgeon's when it makes at least 50 percent, including a 9-0 mark this season.
• The Aggies are 49-6 under Turgeon when they make better than 45 percent, including a 13-3 mark this season.
• Turgeon's teams are 63-16 when they make at least 40 percent, including a 16-5 mark this season.
• A&M ranks last in the Big 12 in three-point percentage (.333), but the Aggies have connected on 41.4 percent in the last five games.
• While A&M ranked last in the Big 12 in three-point accuracy in league play (.296), the Aggies ranked fourth in the league in two-point percentage (shots inside the three-point arc) at 50.3 percent.
• A&M, Missouri and Oklahoma are the only Big 12 schools with five players who have made four or more three-pointers in a game this season -- Donald Sloan (4 vs. New Mexico, 5 vs. Samford and Oklahoma State), Nathan Walkup (4 vs. The Citadel), Dash Harris (4 vs. Oklahoma State) and Khris Middleton (4 vs. Prairie View A&M).
Efficiency
• A&M is 14-1 this season when it has a positive assist/turnover ratio, losing only at No. 1 Texas. A&M is 44-6 under Turgeon when it has a positive ratio, including a 29-2 mark the last two seasons.
• A&M is 15-1 this season when it has at least 13 assists. The Aggies are 52-6 under Turgeon when they have 13+ assists.
Turnovers
• A&M is tied for the Big 12 lead in fewest turnovers (12.8), despite a season-high 21 in two league games (wins at Missouri and Texas Tech). A&M set a school record for Big 12 play with 4 turnovers vs. Tech at home on Jan. 30.
• A&M is 35-9 under Mark Turgeon's when it has fewer turnovers than its opponent, including a 12-4 mark this season.
• A&M averages 18.1 points off turnovers in its wins and just 12.8 in its losses.
• A&M is 45-8 under Turgeon when it outscores its opponent in points off turnovers, including a 15-3 record this season.
Inside Strength
• After out-rebounding 9 of its last 10 regular-season opponents (and posting an average margin of +7.9 in that span), the Aggies were out-rebounded in both games at the Big 12 tournament by a -4.5 margin. Through the first 20 games, A&M had only a +0.4 margin.
• The Aggies are 63-11 under Turgeon when out-rebounding their opponent, including a 19-2 mark this season. A&M outrebounded Kansas by eight (41-33) in College Station, the biggest margin by a Jayhawk opponent this season. The Aggies also had a +11 margin vs. Texas, matching the season-high for a Longhorns opponent.
• A&M has averaged 12.5 offensive rebounds and 12.8 second chance points in the last 12 games.
• Davis has posted double figures in rebounding in six of the last 10 games. He has averaged a whopping 4.0 offensive rebounds in that stretch. Davis ranked second in the Big 12 in offensive rebounding in league play (3.6).
• A&M is averaging 28.3 points in the paint this season, just under last year's average of 30.0.
From the Line
• A&M has made just .661 from the line this season, but made .791 (34-43) in its two Big 12 tournament games.
• A&M gets 25.0 percent of its points from the free throw line, second most in the Big 12 and 23rd nationally.
• A&M averages 26.9 free throw attempts per game, second most in the league and 11th nationally.
• A&M ranks sixth nationally in free throw rate (FTA divided by FGA) at .499.
• A&M is 69-14 under Turgeon when it has more free throw attempts than its opponent, including a 21-2 mark this season.
• A&M has been out-scored from the free throw line in seven of its nine losses this season, including all five losses in Big 12 play.
Defense
• In Big 12 play, A&M led the league in scoring defense (65.8). The Aggies ranked second overall (64.9) behind Kansas.
• A&M held its Big 12 opponents under their respective scoring averages by an average of 9.9 points. Only Kansas State (+8) and Oklahoma State (+1), both on the road, exceeded their averages against the Aggies.
• A&M held top-ranked Kansas (league-best 81.8 scoring average) to just 59 points in College Station, the only time the Jayhawks failed to score at least 72 points in league play this season. Texas had a season-low 58 points against the Aggies in College Station.
• A&M is 20-1 this season when its opponent scores fewer than 70 points and has won 24 of its last 25, losing only the Kansas game. A&M is 61-10 under Turgeon when its opponent scores fewer than 70 points.
• A&M is 16-2 this season when its opponent makes less than 42 percent from the field (road losses at Washington and Texas). Under Turgeon, the Aggies are 39-4 when their opponent shoots under 40 percent.
Stay in the Game
• Only eight A&M players have fouled out of games this season, matching last season's total that tied a school record dating back to 1958-59. Opposing players have fouled out 26 times.
• Only three Aggies fouled out in Big 12 play, just shy of the record of two set in 1959 and tied last season. Opposing Big 12 players fouled out 12 times. A&M's Big 12 opponents were whistled for 344 fouls, second most in A&M history (348 in 2007).
• The Aggies are 1-6 and have lost six straight when one of its players fouls out.
Close Games
• A&M is 6-2 in games decided by four points or fewer with losses to New Mexico (84-81) and Baylor (70-66). Ten of A&M's Big 12 games were been decided by seven points or fewer.
Not So Close Games
• A&M closed the regular season with three straight wins of at least 15 points. The only other time in school history when A&M has posted three straight 15+ wins in conference play was in 1920, when the team was in the midst of a perfect 19-0 season.
• No other Big 12 team had 3 straight 15+ winning margins in league play this season, including Kansas.
at Neutral Sites
• A&M is 3-3 in neutral site games this season with five of those games against teams that either were or became nationally-ranked. The Aggies beat No. 19 Clemson (69-60) and No. 16 Minnesota (66-65) in the 76 Classic, and Nebraska in the Big 12 tournament. The losses were to No. 8 West Virginia (73-66) at the 76 Classic, to New Mexico (84-81) at the Toyota Center in Houston, and to top-ranked Kansas (79-66) at the Big 12 tournament. New Mexico was unranked at the time but has since climbed into the top 10.
• Under Mark Turgeon's, the Aggies are 11-9 in neutral site games.
Never Quit
• The Aggies rallied from double-digit deficits in three Big 12 wins. A&M trailed by 11 at Missouri, by 12 against Baylor and by 11 at Texas Tech before coming back to claim victories. A&M rallied from an early 9-point deficit to win by 15 at Oklahoma (69-54).
• A&M had a couple of valiant comebacks fall short. The Aggies trailed New Mexico by 18 in the second half on Dec. 12 in Houston, but missed two free throws with :20 left that would have tied the game. A&M lost, 84-81. The Aggies trailed by 13 with 10:00 left at Baylor on Feb. 24, but cut the lead to one just five minutes later before losing, 70-66.
• In Turgeon's three seasons, A&M has rallied from double-digit deficits to win nine games. Last year, A&M came back from deficits of 14 or more points to win three contests (Arizona, Alabama and Nebraska).
Roland's Value
• Senior guard Derrick Roland will miss the rest of the season after breaking his right leg on Dec. 22 against Washington. Roland was considered by many to be the top perimeter defender in the Big 12. He was the Aggies' No. 2 scorer and the team's top leader.
• To illustrate Roland's importance to the team, because of foul trouble or injury he played fewer than 25 minutes in all three losses. His fewest minutes played came in the close losses to New Mexico (14 minutes, early foul trouble) and Washington (16 minutes, leg injury). He also got in foul trouble against West Virginia (24 minutes) and was on the bench during a key second-half run by the Mountaineers.
What Might Have Been
• When last season ended, Coach Turgeon thought he would have four senior starters returning in 2009-10. But All-Big 12 center Chinemelu Elonu opted to remain in the NBA Draft and was chosen late in the second round by the Los Angeles Lakers. Then Roland was lost before the Christmas break to a season-ending broken leg.
• In addition, Turgeon expected to have the services of freshmen big men Kourtney Roberson (6-9, 230) and Ray Turner (6-8, 220) when fall practice began. Roberson did not qualify and Turner was not cleared by the NCAA clearinghouse to practice until mid-December. A&M re-signed Roberson, who is attending a prep school, in November as part of the 2010 recruiting class.
• In addition, DeAndre Jordan entered the 2008 NBA Draft after his freshman season. He would have been a junior this year. Jordan was a second-round pick by the L.A. Clippers.
