SB Nation - Donald Sloan

KNOW THY ENEMY: Texas A&M Aggies (revisited)

BracketCat — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 04:00:18 -0000

To secure a top-four finish in the Big 12, Texas A&M will need Bryan Davis to come up strong for them. (AP Photo/Dave Einsel)

Browse more photos »

This entry isn't late — it's just making a fashionable entrance.

Here's what I wrote about the Aggies back in October. Keep in mind this was right after we put 60-plus on their football team:

This week's preview probably is one of the more distasteful I will compose, perhaps only to be topped by the one for the Flaw on the Kaw. When it comes to Aggie basketball, the word "enemy" well and truly applies.

I don't know if it's because of Mark Turgeon, the Kellis Robinett of basketball coaches, or Billy Clyde Gillispie, angry drunk that he is, but something about Texas A&M actually being halfway decent in basketball just pisses me off. I don't know — maybe it's just the grudge I've been holding against the 12th Man since December 1998.

At any rate, I'm still basking in the afterglow of the absolute pwning administered to the Aggies on Saturday, so I'll strive to be as magnanimous as possible in this preview. If you're looking for more information, feel free to hop over to I Am The 12th Man, where basketball season almost certainly is under way. Anything to distract from a likely 0-3 start, right?

Otherwise, click the jump for all you need to know about Ags-ketball.

The Story So Far

Texas A&M's best wins came in the 76 Classic against then-ranked Clemson and Minnesota. Clemson eventually returned to the rankings this week, but Minnesota has yet to do so, so those wins have lost a little luster. The Aggies probably earned more respect by playing West Virginia close in a loss in that tournament.

The recent loss to New Mexico in Houston was a setback, but the Lobos are a really good team.

Otherwise, the resume consists of unremarkable wins against Angelo State, at SMU, Samford, Prairie View A&M, Akron, North Texas and The Citadel. The Aggies would be well served to net a win in Seattle tonight against Washington.

Current Texas A&M RPI: 19

The Coach

Mark Turgeon
Third Season

58-23 (17-15) at Texas A&M (as of Monday)
211-142 (103-89) overall

Bio

The Departures

Starters

Josh Carter (30.6 minutes per game | 13.8 points per game | 4.3 rebounds per game)
Chinemelu Elonu (23.8 minutes per game | 9.8 points per game | 7.3 rebounds per game)

Reserves

Denzel Bowles (5.4 minutes per game | 2.4 points per game | 1.2 rebounds per game)
Bryson Graham (2 minutes per game | 0.8 point per game | 0.3 rebound per game)

The Veterans

		#0 Bryan Davis Senior Forward 6-9 \| 250 Dallas, Texas Bio 23.2 minutes per game \| 9.1 points per game \| 6.9 rebounds per game

		#2 Derrek Lewis Junior Guard 6-5 \| 195 Tulsa, Okla. Bio 3.2 minutes per game \| 0.8 point per game \| 0 rebounds per game

		#3 Derrick Roland Senior Guard 6-4 \| 190 Dallas, Texas Bio 25.9 minutes per game \| 11.1 points per game \| 3.2 rebounds per game

		#5 Dash Harris Sophomore Guard 6-1 \| 175 Los Angeles, Calif. Bio 24.5 minutes per game \| 5.3 points per game \| 3.3 rebounds per game

		#10 David Loubeau Sophomore Forward 6-8 \| 230 Miami, Fla. Bio 21.5 minutes per game \| 5.9 points per game \| 5.9 rebounds per game

		#11 B.J. Holmes Junior Guard 5-11 \| 175 Houston, Texas Bio 21.4 minutes per game \| 9.7 points per game \| 2.3 rebounds per game

		#14 Andrew Darko Junior Guard 6-1 \| 175 Conroe, Texas Bio 2 minutes per game \| 0.3 point per game \| 0 rebounds per game

		#15 Donald Sloan Senior Guard 6-3 \| 205 Dallas, Texas Bio 30.7 minutes per game \| 17.4 points per game \| 4 rebounds per game

		#24 Shawn Schepel Junior Guard 6-3 \| 205 Dallas, Texas Bio 2 minutes per game \| 0 points per game \| 1 rebound per game

		#31 Chris Chapman Senior Guard 5-11 \| 175 Houston, Texas Bio 2 minutes per game \| 2 points per game \| 0 rebounds per game

		#33 Marshall Carrell Junior Forward 6-9 \| 230 Paris, Texas Bio 2 minutes per game \| 0 points per game \| 0 rebounds per game

		#45 Nathan Walkup Junior Forward 6-7 \| 210 Houston, Texas Bio 19.3 minutes per game \| 6.3 points per game \| 3.5 rebounds per game

The Redshirt

#12 James Blasczyk
Freshman Center
7-0 | 230
Houston, Texas

1.8 minutes per game | 0.5 point per game | 0 rebounds per game

The Newcomers

		#21 Ray Turner Freshman Forward 6-8 \| 220 Houston, Texas Bio 0 minutes per game \| 0 points per game \| 0 rebounds per game

		#22 Khris Middleton Freshman Forward 6-7 \| 215 North Charleston, S.C. Bio 14.1 minutes per game \| 4.3 points per game \| 3 rebounds per game

		#23 Naji Hibbert Freshman Guard 6-5 \| 200 Baltimore, Md. Bio 15.5 minutes per game \| 2.5 points per game \| 2.3 rebounds per game

		#25 Jeremy Adams Freshman Guard 6-5 \| 195 Madison, Miss. Bio 0 minutes per game \| 0 points per game \| 0 rebounds per game

My thanks to the Texas A&M sports information department for the photos.

The Analysis

My October analysis, which might have been prematurely glum:

As much as I dislike the Aggies, it's hard to discount them as a force in Big 12 basketball. Over the past five years, they have been to four consecutive NCAA tournaments, made five consecutive postseason appearances and finished in the top half of the conference every year. Other than Kansas and Texas, Texas A&M is the only Big 12 team to win 20+ games during that stretch.

But while Texas A&M has been a consistent winner, it hasn't yet been a serious challenger for a Big 12 championship.

The Aggies regularly have lost to powers such as Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas; own a two-game, regular-season losing streak to Kansas State, despite being favored in both games; and occasionally are upset by less-talented programs such as Baylor and Texas Tech. They even struggled with Colorado last year, before pulling away late.

I don't think anything will change in 2009-2010, either. In fact, I think it is more likely that Texas A&M will decline, rather than rise up, despite adding a recruiting class that hovered in and out of Rivals' Class of 2009 rankings, before finishing just outside the Top 25.

Although the Aggies lost only two significant players off last year's team, only Oklahoma lost two more significant starters. Josh Carter and Chinemelu Elonu by far were A&M's two best players in 2008-2009. Carter, a four-year starter and the Aggies' leading scorer last year, graduated, while Elonu, the team's leading rebounder who already had earned his bachelor's degree, tested the NBA draft waters and was selected in the second round by the Los Angeles Lakers.

Sloan is one of the league's better point guards and Davis should step up to fill Elonu's void as the team's leader in rebounding.

The other returning starter is Derrick Roland, who rivals Dominique Sutton and J.T. Tiller in terms of defensive intensity. He has been bothered by injuries the past few seasons, but assuming he stays healthy, he should lock up the off-guard position all year.

Projecting the other two starters is trickier. I'm pretty sure that Nathan Walkup, who played in all 32 games last season, will figure into the equation, though. At 6-7, Walkup offers nice size at the wing position, and he probably can also hold his own in the post, in a smaller lineup.

The fifth starter probably will be situational. My projections use a traditional PG-SG-SF-PF-C lineup, so I went with James Blasczyk, a 7-footer who is the tallest player left on the roster. But Blasczyk is coming off a redshirt season and hasn't yet played a game in Division I, so it's a stretch to say he will be a consistent starter.

Holmes was the Aggies' "sixth man" last season and replaced Roland as a starter whenever the latter was out with an injury.

Dash Harris (what a great name for a point guard!) was one of the conference's most impressive freshmen last year.

He is a solid backup for Sloan and will continue to play understudy to the senior, in preparation for next year when he will be counted upon to fill Sloan's considerable shoes. David Loubeau rounds out the 7-8 players I see making up the Aggies' primary player rotation. He's a solid reliever in the frontcourt with some size (6-8, 230).

Marshall Carrell as primary backup at center is a stretch. I mainly picked him there because at 6-9, he's the tallest player (other than Blasczyk and Davis) on the roster. But he is a role player who has played sparingly in years past, and that highlights one of the primary problems the Aggies face this season. Other than Davis and maybe Loubeau, there are no experienced centers on the roster. When A&M faces frontcourts such as those of Kansas, Kansas State or Texas, they are going to be challenged and they probably won't be able to measure up, due to a lack of depth. When Davis gets into foul trouble (and he does that a lot), the Aggies will lose games.

Other than Mark Turgeon, nobody knows much about Chris Chapman, Andrew Darko, Derrek Lewis or Shawn Schepel, because they have played next to no minutes. One or more could surprise, I suppose, but there's nothing there in the track record to make you think it's imminent.

Khris Middleton doesn't really stand above the other incoming freshmen, but I liked the unconventional spelling of his name, so he rounds out the projected two-deep. Jeremy Adams, Naji Hibbert and Ray Turner complete a solid, but not heralded, recruiting class. How they develop in the years to come could indicate whether Turgeon really is a great coach, or merely is coasting with players inherited from Billy Gillispie.

Projected Big 12 Starting Lineup


Donald Sloan	Derrick Roland	Dash Harris	Nathan Walkup	Bryan Davis
1	2	3	4	5

Projected Top Big 12 Reserves


B.J. Holmes	Derrek Lewis	Naji Hibbert	Khris Middleton	David Loubeau
1	2	3	4	5

The Final Verdict

OK, I was wrong about the Aggies on a few fronts.

My projections of Turgeon's 10-man rotation were off because he's not using any of his traditional centers, choosing instead to go small with a three-guard lineup. So, scrap Blascyzk and Carrell, substitute Harris into the starting lineup (he's started all 11 games so far), and move Lewis (who has played sparingly) and Hibbert into the second row.

I did call Walkup as a starter when most media outlets were projecting Loubeau, though, if I might toot my own horn for a moment.

The other thing I was wrong about was the Aggies' finish. I had them in 6th place, but that assumed Oklahoma would not suck as much as they have. It's pretty clear now that Texas A&M probably is about the fourth-best team in the conference, and most likely will collect a first-round bye in Kansas City, despite my earlier pessimism.

That said, I think the Cats are a notch better against a tougher schedule and should be able to hold them off in Bramlage, and for third place in the Big 12.

Update: Less than two hours after I posted this, the Aggies lost Derrick Roland to a gruesome leg injury, likely for the season. While this is a blow for them, I will stand by my prediction because they are deep at guard and I think Davis will be the big difference between them and a lot of other teams. Look for B.J. Holmes to step into the starting role, as he did last year when Roland was plagued by nagging injuries in the middle of the season.

Big 12 preseason prediction: 5th

My predicted finish: 4th (was 6th)

Best-case scenario: 2nd (was 4th)

Against K-State?: Loss in Manhattan

Previously on KNOW THY ENEMY...

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Missouri (T-9th with Iowa State)
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Friday Afternoon Big12Hoops.com Link Dump - 12.18.2009

Evan Pfaff — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 19:00:17 -0000

The goal of the Friday Afternoon Big12Hoops.com Link Dump is to help you ease into the weekend by giving you things to occupy your time at work until the clock strikes 5pm.

All the links available after the Jump

Big 12 North

Colorado Boulder Daily Camera - CU men's basketball team looks for consistency

Kansas Lawrence Journal World - Aldrich sets lofty goal: Junior wants to be Academic All-American

Kansas St Manhattan Mercury - Attention-grabbers No. 17 Wildcats now go from hunter to hunted

Iowa St GoCyclones.com - McDermott thinks ISU is "right there"

Missouri Columbia Daily Tribune - Tiller facing one-game suspension

Nebraska Lincoln Journal Star - Anderson gets double-double in Husker win

Big 12 South

Baylor Waco Tribune-Herald- John Werner: Baylor's Drew favors expanding March Madness

Oklahoma Norman Transcript - First-half woes irk Sooner women (Women)

Oklahoma St Stillwater NewsPress - Oklahoma State's Marshall Moses finding his own path

Texas Austin American-Statesman - For Horns' Jai Lucas, the wait is over

Texas A&M AggieSports.com - NBA experience made Sloan, Davis better

Texas Tech RedRaiders.com - Tech has learned from pressure situations

Non Big 12 Links

HogsHeaven.com The Revolution - On the 1st Day of Christmas, My Owner Gave To Me: A Future Without Vinny [NFL]

SI.com Bengals owner Brown on Henry: 'He was starting to blossom' [NFL]

CBSSports.com Rams cancel practice, term it swine flu 'precaution' [NFL]

CBSSports.com Bowl Rankings: Rating all 34, from Pasadena to pizza [College Football]

Yahoo! Sports Knight: college hoops lacks integrity [College Basketball]

ESPN.com Pitt coach Jamie Dixon sas move to the Big Ten would be a mistake [College Basketball]

Beyond The Boxscore Worth the Money? [MLB]

ESPN.com Seattle Mariners' Cliff Lee expresses disbelief, shock over trade [MLB]

Fantasy Football Projections - CBSSports.com | ESPN.com [Fantasy Football]

Aggies Defeat Mustangs, 80-68

Beergut — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 03:24:12 -0000

The boys from Seagoville played well in front of their hometown crowd tonight, as Derrick Roland (21 points) and Donald Sloan (24 points) helped lead the Aggies to an 80-68 victory over SMU. B.J. Holmes was the only other Aggie ti finish in double-figures, as he scored 11 on the night, to go along with 3 rebounds and 3 assists. Center Bryan Davis had 9 points, 6 rebounds, 1 block, and 1 steal before fouling out. Dash Harris had 3 points, 2 steals, and 2 assists. Freshmen Khris Middleton and Naji Hibbert each failed to score a point in this game. David Loubeau finished with 7 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 assist on the night. We really need him to play better and contribute more if we are going to improve as a team and accomplish some of our goals this season.

The Aggies move to 2-0 on the season, with our next game versus Samford coming up Friday at Reed Arena.

2009-2010 Big 12 Prospectus (Men's Basketball)

editor@big12hoops.com — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:45:12 -0000

by L.G. Patterson - AP

Who's that? Missouri's J.T. Tiller is a strong candidate for NCAA Defensive Player of the Year.

View full size photo »

Mark Allan Peterson

Big12Hoops.com Managing Editor

Editor@Big12Hoops.com

Kansas and Texas lead the pre-season hype in the Big 12, but the bigger story is the depth of a conference that could send as many as 10 teams to the post-season with the current lineup of four post-season tournaments (NCAA, NIT, CollegeInsider.com and College Basketball Invitational).

Atop the conference sit Kansas and Texas, with KU's Sherron Collins as the overwhelming favorite for Big 12 Player of the Year. The 5-10 (depending on Collins' hair length) guard was an under-the-radar key player in the 2008 National Champion Jayhawk team.

Big-man Cole Aldrich and freshman Xavier Henry anchor one of the two deepest teams in the Big 12 (and the country) along with Texas. The Horns are steered by Damion James, a guy who excelled as a role player next to Kevin Durant, excelled as a number-two to D.J. Augustine, and a guy who will no doubt excell as the leader of a team co-acnhored by Dexter Pittman, also a member of that excellent recruiting class.

Willie Warren of Oklahoma and Craig Brackins of Iowa State are both All-American candidates, while Denis Clemente of Kansas State, James Anderson ok Oklahoma State, JT Tiller of Missouri and Donald Sloan of Texas A&M are among the best of the rest in this deep conference.

Check out CBSSports.com Men's Basketball page for Gary Parrish's preview of the Big 12. Here's a look at the pre-season picks according to Big12Hoops.com:

The NCAA Teams
Kansas
Texas
Oklahoma
Oklahoma State
Missouri
Texas A&M
Kansas State

On to the NIT
Iowa State
Baylor
Texas Tech

Other
None

Big 12 Player of the Year
Sherron Collins, Kansas

Big 12 Newcomer of the Year
Curtis Kelly, Kansas State

Big 12 Freshman of the Year
Avery Bradley, Texas

Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year
JT Tiller, Missouri

All-Big 12 First Team
Sherron Collins, Kansas
Cole Aldrich, Kansas
Damion James, Texas
Willie Warren, Oklahoma
Craig Brackins, Iowa State

All-Big 12 Second Team
James Anderson, OSU
Denis Clemente, Kansas State
Xavier Henry, Kansas
Avery Bradley, Texas
JT Tiller, Missouri

All-Big Freshman Team
Wally Judge, Kansas State
Xavier Henry, Kansas
Avery Bradley, Texas
Jordan Hamilton, Texas
Nolan Dennis, Baylor

BtB 2009-10 Big 12 Preview

Chris Dobbertean — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 02:10:30 -0000

With six NCAA entrants, all of whom won at least a game in the Tournament, with two reaching the Elite Eight, the Big 12 had a pretty good 2008-09 season.

Thanks to some returning star power and some high-profile recruits, 2009-10 could be a banner year for the conference.

Sure the Griffin brothers left Oklahoma, but Willie Warren is ready to turn into a star. Chinemelu Elonu may have shocked everyone by going to the NBA, but Bryan Davis could be a more than capable replacement at Texas A&M. Their archrivals, Texas, lost J.J. Abrams, but Damion James is back, and he'll be joined by McDonald's All-American Avery Bradley and the highly-touted Jordan Hamilton.

And then there's Kansas, where Cole Alrdich and Sherron Collins decided to return, the Henry brothers are now on board, and a star recruit named Elijah Johnson may struggle to see the floor.

But that's just the start of what should be a very exciting year in the Big 12. This year's league should be similar to the Big Ten in that while the bottom teams--three in the case of the XII--don't stand much of a chance at all, the remainder of the squads all have somewhat legitimate NCAA hopes. More on each team's specific chances after the jump.

Let's first take a look at the 2008-09 Big 12 standings.

Big Twelve Conference Standings

(updated 4.2.2009 at 10:13 PM EDT)

	Conf		Overall
	W	L	W	L
Kansas Jayhawks	14	2	27	8
Oklahoma Sooners	13	3	30	6
Missouri Tigers	12	4	31	7
Texas A&M Aggies	9	7	24	10
Texas Longhorns	9	7	23	12
Oklahoma St. Cowboys	9	7	23	12
Kansas St. Wildcats	9	7	22	12
Nebraska Cornhuskers	8	8	18	13
Baylor Bears	5	11	24	15
Iowa St. Cyclones	4	12	15	17
Texas Tech Red Raiders	3	13	14	19
Colorado Buffaloes	1	15	9	22

Now, here are my picks for 2009-10, presented in reverse order. If a team's name appears in red, click the link to visit the school's SBN site for further analysis throughout the season. You can also visit Big 12 Hoops for more info and analysis.

Colorado (last NCAA: 2003) During the offseason, Jeff Bzdelik talked to the Minnesota Timberwolves about a coaching role but ultimately remained in Boulder, where he's won less than one-third of the games he's coached. This year may not be much better. The backcourt will be the Buffaloes strength, as Cory Higgins averaged over 17 points and nearly 3 assists a game, Dwight Thorne III was the team's only other player to average in double-digits (12 ppg), and Australian point guard Nate Tomlinson had a solid freshman campaign (7.4 ppg, 3 apg). The returning frontcourt players don't offer much in terms of anything, as last year's Big 12 rebounding and defensive statistics will tell you, but another Aussie, 6-11 C Shane Harris-Tunks, and 6-7 JC transfer Marcus Relphorde may be the prescription for those woes. The Buffs travel to Maui this year, where they seem destined for the consolation bracket, as they open with Gonzaga.

Nebraska (last NCAA: 1998) The Huskers had a respectable season last time around, finishing at .500 in the Big 12 and earning an NIT invitation. Neither of those results is likely for Doc Sadler's club this year, as he lost four key players from that team, including leading scorers Ade Dagunduro (12.8 ppg) and Steve Harley (10.8 ppg). Point guard Cookie Miller (7.3 ppg, 3.6 apg) transferred to Miami (OH), leaving another hole. Guards Sek Henry (8 ppg) and Ryan Anderson (7.1 ppg) lead the returnees, who are joined by a busload of newcomers. The theme of the class is size. 6-11 Puerto Rican C Brian Diaz will play after a redshirt year, and he'll be joined by two German big men, 6-11 Christopher Niemann and 6-8 Christian Standhardinger. Sadler even picked up 6-8 Quincy Hankins-Cole from the JC ranks. He's joined by his Polk State College (FL) teammate, G Lance Jeter, who is expected to bring a new dimension to the backcourt. NU will play Tulsa in the Las Vegas Classic in December, then either Nevada or BYU.

Texas Tech (last NCAA: 2007) The Red Raiders won only 3 Big 12 games last year, and Pat Knight will be counting on five new arrivals, including three JC transfers, to help improve that total. Leading scorer John Roberson is back to lead the offense. Roberson averaged nearly 14 points and more than 6 assists a game last year, so he's a pretty good building block. Senior Nick Okorie averaged 11.3 points a contest, so the starting backcourt is pretty well set. Knight may even go to a three-guard set, as JC transfer David Tairu, a former teammate of Okorie, is expected to boost the Double-T's defense. Frosh Nick Davis could be a bench scoring threat, especially outside, where the graduated Alan Voskuil will be missed. In the frontcourt, Mike Singletary (12.2 ppg, 5.8 rpg), Trevor Cook (7.6 ppg, 3.4 rpg), and C Robert Lewandowski (6.6 ppg, 3.7 rpg) are all serviceable players. Two 6-6 JC transfers, Brad Reese and Theron Jenkins, will be expected to contribute immediately; however, as they give Knight some flexibility the current forwards don't offer. The Red Raiders will host the Duel in the Desert, a four-team round-robin tournament, where Oregon State figures to be their main opposition for the crown.

Baylor (last NCAA: 2008) The Bears had high hopes last year, and a 15-3 start, featuring a run to the 76 Classic final seemed to justify them. Then, the wheels came off completely. Baylor then dropped 10 of their next 12, a run that started with a six-game Big 12 losing streak. They nearly stole the league's auto bid, but fell to Missouri in the Big 12 final. Scott Drew's team then built on that momentum and reached the NIT final, which they lost to Penn State. Now Baylor will have to attempt to be more consistent without three of last year's prominent performers. Point guard Curtis Jerrells (16.3 ppg, 4,9 apg), the team's heart and soul is gone. So are F Kevin Rogers (12.76 ppg, 7.6 rpg) and guard Henry Dugat (9.4 ppg). Drew has a strong backcourt, even without Jerrells, as LaceDarius Dunn (15.7 ppg) and Tweety Carter (10.6 ppg) can both score, and Carter can do a decent job running the point (3.2 ppg). Expect freshman A.J. Walton to see some time running the offense as well. The arrival of Mark McLaughlin and Nolan Dennis means the Bears will be set at shooting guard for the next four years. Meanwhile, the frontcourt will be bolstered by 6-10 Michigan transfer Ekpe Udoh, who will be supported by returnees Quincy Acy, Josh Lomers, Anthony Jones, and Fred Ellis, none of whom averaged more than 5.4 a contest last year. Baylor plays in another tournament near a Disney park this year, featuring in the Old Spice Classic in Florida, where they'll open with Alabama.

Iowa State (last NCAA: 2005) Greg McDermott hasn't had much luck in his three seasons in Ames, but he must have felt like he found a four-leaf clover and horseshoe while a shooting star flew overhead when Craig Brackins announced he was foregoing NBA millions for at least one more season. Brackins very nearly averaged a double-double last year, scoring more than 20 a game and grabbing nearly 10 boards. While the Cyclones may not have enough besides him to challenge for a conference crown, his return makes them a serious postseason threat. ISU's biggest issue is scoring, as they ranked 10th in the league last year in offensive output, and Brackins was the only player to average in double-figures. Expect the two starting guards, Diante Garrett, who very nearly averaged 10 a game, and Lucca Staiger (8.2 ppg) to step up. 6-11 Canadian Jamie Vanderbeken (5.5 ppg) should also benefit from the attention opposition defenses will pay to Brackins. McDermott also has high hopes for his two JC transfers, 6-9 F LaRon Dendy and 6-6 Marquis Gilstrap. The Cyclones will play in the Chicago Invitational Challenge, facing St. Louis in the semifinal, then either Northwestern or Notre Dame.

Missouri (last NCAA: 2009) Considering that he was losing three starters to graduation, including his two leading scorers and rebounders, you couldn't have really blamed Mike Anderson if he left Columbia after reaching last year's West Regional final. Yet, Anderson spurned the advances of numerous suitors to stay at Mizzou. Now he has to figure out how to get more out of the many returnees on the roster, none of whom matched the contributions of the departed DeMarre Carroll (16.6 ppg, 7.2 rpg), Les Lyons (14.6 ppg, 6.1 rpg), or Matt Lawrence (9.2 ppg). The Tigers two leading returning scorers and rebounders are both in the backcourt, J.T. Tiller (8.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg) and Zaire Taylor (6.7 ppg, 3 rpg). Both also averaged more than 3 assists per game, so Anderson can rest assured that his offense will be run well. Missouri's Mr. Basketball from last year, Mike Dixon, Jr., is the point guard of the future. 6-6 Kim English averaged 6.5 points in only about 14 minutes per contest, so his numbers should increase significantly with more action, especially if he continues to shoot well from the perimeter. The frontcourt is a major concern, however, as none of the returnees even cracked 4 ppg or 3 rpg last year. Junior Justin Stafford did average 3.4 points in 9-plus minutes of action, so he could turn into a consistent performer. The fact 6-10 freshman Keith Dewitt couldn't get eligible for this season was a major blow to MU. The Tigers will play in the South Padre Invitational over Thanksgiving weekend, opening with CAA contender Old Dominion, then facing either Mississippi State or Richmond.

Oklahoma State (last NCAA: 2009) I saw the Cowboys drop two of three at the Old Spice Classic last year, and not look terribly good doing it. (They managed to beat Siena in the 7th/8th place game that was delayed by a leaky roof caused by a freak November thunderstorm.) In the end, Travis Ford's squad improved enough to win 9 league games, beat Tennessee in the NCAA tournament, and scare Pittsburgh in round two. This time around, Ford will have to run his four-guard offense without two key cogs, as point guard Byron Eaton (14.3 ppg, 5.7 apg, and 2.2 spg) and Terrel Harris (13.9 ppg, 1.7 spg) graduated. Swingman James Anderson (18.2 ppg, 5.7 rpg), a challenger for all-Big 12 honors, is back, as is Obi Muonelo (12.7 ppg, 7.2 rpg). Keiton Page (8.6 ppg), a sharpshooter who's 5-10 on a very good day, will see more action this time around. Eaton's spot at the point will probably be filled by a freshman--most likely Ray Penn. 6-6 Marshall Moses (7 ppg, 6.1 rpg) is the only frontcourt player to see significant time last year, so Kentucky transfer Matt Pilgrim will be asked to contribute immediately. The Cowboys will play in the Thanksgiving Las Vegas Invitational. Bradley will be their first opponent, followed by either Illinois or Utah.

Texas A&M (last NCAA: 2009) The Aggies easily knocked BYU out of the tournament for the second year in a row, part of one of the dreariest NCAA sessions I've ever experienced. Somehow, the Aggies are one of only six schools to win an NCAA game in each of the past four seasons, but that's a streak they may have trouble extending without C Chinemelu Elonu, who decided to go to the NBA, despite only averaging 9.8 ppg and 7.3 rpg, and swingman Josh Carter (13.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg). The good news for Mark Turgeon is that just about everyone else is back, led by 6-9 Bryan Davis (10.8 ppg, 6.5 apg), who should move over to the center spot., and point guard Donald Sloan (11.8 ppg, 3.2 apg). With sophomore Dash Harris averaging 2 assists per game, while seeing only 13 minutes a contest, Turgeon could even move Sloan off the point to give himself another scoring option. 6-7 freshman Khris Middleton could be a replacement for Carter. The fact that 6-9 Kourtney Roberson won't be eligible for the Aggies is a major blow to a thin frontcourt, however. A&M will have a good idea of how they'll fare nationally after their three games in Anaheim at the 76 Classic, where they open with Clemson.

Kansas State (last NCAA: 2008) The Wildcats lost four contributors after last season, most prominently F Darren Kent (9 ppg, 5.8 ppg). but hopes are high in Manhattan. The starting backcourt is highly-regarded, in a league full of highly-regarded backcourt performers. Denis Clemente and Jacob Pullen are the team's two leading scorers, averaging 15 and nearly 14 points per contest respectively, but both were equally adept at dishing the ball to their teammates, combining to average nearly 7 dimes a game. But the depth of the backcourt will be tested after Buchi Awaji and Fred Brown both left the program. Incoming freshmen Martavious Irving and Nick Russell will be expected to replace them. Frank Martin also expects big things from two other newcomers in the frontcourt, 6-9 F Wally Judge, another highly-touted recruit from the DC area and 6-8 UConn transfer Curtis Kelly. They'll join a unit led by returnees Jamar Samuels (8.3 ppg, 4.7 rpg) and Dominique Sutton (7.5 ppg, 5.4 rpg). Martin will hope his team will gel enough for the Puerto Rico Tip-off, where the Wildcats open with Boston University.

Oklahoma (last NCAA: 2009) Look for the Sooners to play a completely different style this year, without Blake and Taylor Griffin manning the frontcourt. The Willie Warren-led (14.6 ppg, 3.2 apg) backcourt will be the focus this time around. Warren will have to take on more of a leadership role now that Blake Griffin and point guard Austin Johnson (8.6 ppg, 3.9 apg) is gone. Expect him to not spend as much time on the perimeter this season. Tony Crocker (9.6 ppg) and Cade Davis (4.7 ppg) will be expected to take on more of the scoring load as well. In the frontcourt, Orlando Allen and Ryan Wright averaged under 2 points a contest each in very limited action, so who knows if they can adequately fill in for the Griffins. 6-9 300 pound freshman Keith "Tiny" Gallon, a big man who can shoot the ball well will see a lot of action. The Sooners head north for Thanskgiving, where Jeff Capel's men will face at least San Diego and Houston in a six-team Great Alaska Shootout field.

Texas (last NCAA: 2009) Rick Barnes has few question marks this year. Unlike the Sooners, his frontcourt is pretty well set, thanks to the return of 6-7 swingman Damion James (15.4 ppg, 9.2 rpg). James will again team up with 6-6 Gary Johnson (10 ppg, 5.3 rpg) and 6-10 Dexter Pittman (10.1 ppg, 5.5 rpg) to form one of the most formidable frontcourts in the college game. While Texas has three returning guards who saw significant time last season, their roles will undoubtedly diminish because of three newcomers. 5-9 junior Jai Lucas will be eligible after sitting out last year after transferring from Florida. He'll run the offense. Lucas will be joined by two highly-regarded freshmen, 6-3 Avery Bradley and 6-7 swingman Jordan Hamilton, both of whom should challenge for more than just All-Freshman honors. The Longhorns will get to showcase their old and new talent at the CBE Classic in Kansas City, where tjhey should make the final, as they face rebuilding Iowa in the semifinals. Pittsburgh or Wichita State awaits them on night two.

Kansas (last NCAA: 2009) The Jayhawks fell five points short of a regional final appearance last year, but this time around such a result would be considered a major disappointment, when you consider all that Bill Self has coming back and coming in. Sherron Collins (18.9 ppg, 5 apg) and Cole Aldrich (14.9 ppg, 11.1 rpg) will obviously lead the way, but the Morris brothers, Marcus (7.4 ppg, 4.7 rpg) and Markieff (4.6 ppg. 4.4 rpg) should be better in their second go-round, as should Tyshawn Taylor, who nearly averaged 10 points a contest. 6-6 Xavier Henry, one of the top recruits in the country, will provide even more scoring punch to the backcourt. His brother C.J, a Memphis transfer, even came along for the ride. Another transfer, Jeff Withey, got to practice against Aldrich last year, so the 7-footer who left Arizona could turn into another force inside. In the early season, the Jayhawks will be tested by games against Memphis (in St. Louis), La Salle (in Kansas City); at UCLA, Temple, and Tennessee, and in Lawrence against California and Michigan.

As the Jayhawks are virtually everyone's preseason number 1, they'll hold the Big 12 auto bid in my 2009-10 Final Preseason Bracket, which I will release on November 9. The conference should have a big presence in this year's tournament, so check back in then to see how many at-large bids I'm predicting at the start of the year.

To wrap up this preview, here is my preseason All-Big 12 team, featuring the best returning players from last season.

Preseason All-Big 12 Team

Player of the Year: Sherron Collins, 5-11 G, Sr. (Kansas)

Remainder of the Team
Cole Aldrich, 6-11 C, Jr. (Kansas)
Craig Brackins, 6-10 C, Jr. (Iowa State)
Damion James, 6-7 F, Sr. (Texas)
Willie Warren, 6-4 G, So. (Oklahoma)

Poll

Who is your pick to win the Big 12 this season?

Baylor

4 votes

Colorado

1 votes

Iowa State

2 votes

Kansas

31 votes

Kansas State

2 votes

Missouri

12 votes

Nebraska

1 votes

Oklahoma

3 votes

Oklahoma State

2 votes

Texas

74 votes

Texas A&M

3 votes

Texas Tech

1 votes

136 votes | Poll has closed

KNOW THY ENEMY: Texas A&M Aggies

BracketCat — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:30:13 -0000

Otherwise, click the jump for all you need to know about Ags-ketball.

The Coach

Mark Turgeon
Third Season

49-21 (17-15) at Texas A&M
202-140 (103-89) overall

Turgeon has a 49-21 record at A&M, the most wins by a Big 12 coach in his first two seasons at a league school. He is only the second coach ever to lead the Aggies to consecutive NCAA Tournaments and has led his teams to five 20-win seasons in the last six years.

Last season, the Aggies went 24-10 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight year.

Turgeon led the Aggies to a 25-11 record in his first season, the third-most wins in school history. The Aggies lost in the final seconds to top-seeded UCLA in the second round of the NCAAs.

The Departures

Starters

Josh Carter (30.6 minutes per game, 13.8 points per game, 4.3 rebounds per game)
Chinemelu Elonu (23.8 minutes per game, 9.8 points per game, 7.3 rebounds per game)

Reserves

Denzel Bowles (5.4 minutes per game, 2.4 points per game, 1.2 rebounds per game)
Bryson Graham (2 minutes per game, 0.8 point per game, 0.3 rebound per game)

The Veterans

		#0 Bryan Davis Senior Forward 6-9 \| 250 Dallas, Texas Big 12 All-Reserve Team (2009) The Aggies are 27-7 when Davis scores in double figures in his career. He averaged 16.5 points, nine rebounds and three blocks in two NCAA Tournament games, earning CBS Sports player of the game honors in both contests. Davis scored a season-high 21 points with nine rebounds and three blocks in a first-round win against BYU. He scored 12 points with a game-high 10 rebounds in a win against Missouri. Davis scored 15 points with eight rebounds in a win against Texas, and just missed double-doubles at No. 2 Oklahoma (13 points, nine rebounds), at Baylor (13 points, nine rebounds) and at Colorado (nine points and nine rebounds). He matched his season high with 18 points in a win against Oklahoma State, making 6 of 6 from the free-throw line. Davis had 13 points and eight rebounds in a win against Texas Tech; scored a season-high 18 points with 10 rebounds in a win at Rice; had 17 points against Baylor and 16 points against LSU; came off the bench to score 15 points with a season-high 13 rebounds against Kent State, earning SPI Invitational all-tournament honors; returned to the starting lineup against Arizona and had 10 points, making 5 of 6 from the field; scored 15 points with nine rebounds in a win at Alabama; had 11 rebounds vs. SMU; had at least five rebounds in all but four games; ranked third on the team in scoring (10.8), and second in rebounding (6.5) and blocks (46); ranked fifth in the Big 12 in blocks and ninth in rebounding; ranked fourth in the Big 12 in offensive rebounding (2.9) in league play; scored 14 points with seven rebounds against Jackson State and tied his career best with four blocks; and ranks seventh in school history with 96 career blocks.

		#2 Derrek Lewis Junior Guard 6-5 \| 195 Tulsa, Okla. Lewis appeared in five games, averaging 0.6 point per game. He scored a season-high two points against UNC Wilmington, played a season-best five minutes against Jackson State, and also saw action against BYU in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

		#3 Derrick Roland Senior Guard 6-4 \| 190 Dallas, Texas Big 12 All-Defense Team (2009) Roland scored 10 points in a first-round NCAA Tournament win against BYU, making a pair of three-pointers. He was named to Big 12 All-Defense Team by league coaches and media panel, and usually guarded the opponent's top scoring guard and in Big 12 play held all but two under his scoring average. League players he guarded made just 38 percent from the field and 32 percent from 3-point range. Roland helped limit Arizona All-American Chase Budinger to just three points on 1 of 6 shooting in the second half of A&M's come-from-behind win. Texas' A.J. Abrams averaged just eight points (6 of 22 shooting, 1 of 9 3-pointers) in two games against Roland. Roland scored 11 points in the first win against Texas Tech and held John Roberson to four second-half points (2 of 10 from field, 0 of 5 3-pointers). Oklahoma State's James Anderson averaged just 9.5 points in two games against Roland. Roland matched his season best with 13 points in a loss at Baylor, scoring 11 in the second half to rally the Aggies from a 14-point deficit. He scored 12 points with four assists in a win at Colorado (8-8 FT); made 25 of his last 29 free throw attempts; played just 10 minutes against McNeese State, after leaving the game early with a bruised elbow, and did not play against North Dakota; scored six points with a season-high six rebounds against Arizona; missed the Kent State game after suffering a sprained foot against Tulsa; and averaged 8.5 points in the last six games. The Aggies are 11-2 in his career when he scores in double figures, and 8-1 on the season.

		#5 Dash Harris Sophomore Guard 6-1 \| 175 Los Angeles, Calif. Harris played in all 34 games and earned a start against Kent State. He ranked second on the team in assists (2.0) and was third in steals (0.7); scored a career-high seven points with three assists against Connecticut in the NCAA Tournament; had six points and made 2 of 2 from 3-point range against Iowa State, his first career 3-pointers; had a monster dunk and made a free throw to complete a key 3-point play and spark a comeback win at Nebraska; scored six points with three assists and two steals in a big win against Missouri; dished out a career-high five assists in consecutive games against Rice and McNeese State; matched his career best with five assists in wins against Texas (zero turnovers) and Texas Tech; scored a career-high six points with four assists and a career-best three steals against North Dakota; handed out at least four assists in seven games; and scored four points against Tulsa. The Aggies were 9-1 when he had at least three assists, with the only loss being to UConn.

		#10 David Loubeau Sophomore Forward 6-8 \| 230 Miami, Fla. Loubeau scored 11 points, making 5 of 5 from the field, against Connecticut in the second round of NCAA Tournament; ranked third on the team in offensive rebounds (58); ranked second among Big 12 freshmen in offensive rebounds in league play (1.9); scored eight points in a win against Missouri; had nine points, all in the second half, with six rebounds in a narrow loss at No. 2 Oklahoma; scored 11 points with eight rebounds in a win against Texas Tech; had 10 points, all in the first half, in a win against Oklahoma State; scored a career-high 12 points with eight rebounds against Kent State in his first career start; also started against Iowa State; had seven points with five rebounds at Kansas, including a game-high four offensive boards; scored six points with a career-best nine rebounds against Tulsa; had eight points at Alabama, helping the Aggies rally from 14-point deficit; scored eight points with eight rebounds against SMU; had eight points and six rebounds against Jackson State, making 6 of 8 from the free-throw line; and tallied six points with six boards against UNC Wilmington. The Aggies were 7-2 when he scored at least eight points, losing only at Oklahoma and to UConn.

		#11 B.J. Holmes Junior Guard 5-11 \| 175 Houston, Texas Big 12 All-Reserve Team (2009) In Big 12 play, Holmes led the league in 3-point percentage (.470) and ranked second in free-throw percentage (.860). He ranked among the top bench players in the Big 12 with an 9.1 scoring average in conference play; had 10 points in a first-round NCAA Tournament win against BYU; scored 11 points (3 of 3 treys) in a win against Texas; scored 10 of his 16 points in the last six minutes in a comeback win at Colorado; had 13 points in a win vs. Missouri; had a career-high 24 points in the first win against Texas Tech, making 6 of 7 (.857) from 3-point range, the fourth-best percentage in school history; made six straight 3s against Tech, tying a Big 12 record; scored 19 points at Oklahoma State, making 4 of 9 3-pointers and 7 of 7 free throws; earned his first career start against Arizona and had a team-high 14 points (3 of 6 3-pointers); made a pair of key free throws in the final minute of the Arizona game and also drew a charge that fouled out Wildcat point guard Nic Wise late in game; scored 16 points with a career-best seven rebounds in a win at Alabama and made a rainbow 3-pointer with two seconds left to send the game to overtime; scored 15 points against Kent State, making 3 of 6 3-pointers and dropping a pair of free throws in the final seconds that helped ice the game; started in place of the injured Derrick Roland against North Dakota and scored 14 points (4-8 3-pointers); missed his first 12 shots of the season; led the team in steals (30); and had only 18 turnovers in 757 minutes (one every 42.1 minutes).

		#14 Andrew Darko Junior Guard 6-1 \| 175 Conroe, Texas Darko appeared in nine games, including three Big 12 games and an NCAA Tournament game against BYU. He scored two points against Jackson State and at Kansas.

		#15 Donald Sloan Senior Guard 6-3 \| 205 Dallas, Texas The Aggies are 39-8 in Sloan's career when he hands out at least three assists, including a 16-3 mark as a junior, and the team is 33-13 when he scores in double figures. He averaged 13.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 6.0 assists in two NCAA Tournament games; scored 14 points with six rebounds and a season-high seven assists in a first-round win vs. BYU; added 12 points in the second round against Connecticut; had a career-high 22 points against Texas Tech in Big 12 Tournament; scored a team-high 16 points in a win against Missouri; averaged 15.6 points in the last five games; had 14 points and five assists with only one turnover, scoring seven points in the final four minutes of a comeback win at Colorado; had 14 points in a win against Texas; scored 17 points (3 of 4 3-pointers) in a loss at Texas; had 15 points in a win against Oklahoma State; tied his career high with 21 points against Florida A&M, making 10 of 10 free throws; ranked second on the team in scoring (11.8) and led in assists (3.2); scored at least eight points in all but three games; had 13 points and five assists with only one turnover in 35 minutes against Arizona; handed out a season-high seven assists against Kent State with only one turnover; had 16 points with three assists and six rebounds against Stephen F. Austin; made .743 (107-144) from the free-throw line; and had only 56 turnovers in 1,030 minutes this season (one every 18.4 minutes), a marked improvement over his sophomore season, when he averaged one turnover every 13.3 minutes.

		#24 Shawn Schepel Junior Guard 6-3 \| 205 Dallas, Texas Schepel played in six games, including two Big 12 games and an NCAA Tournament game against BYU. He scored one point against Jackson State.

		#31 Chris Chapman Senior Guard 5-11 \| 175 Houston, Texas Chapman appeared in three games, including the Iowa State game in Big 12 play. He scored two points with one rebound against Jackson State.

		#33 Marshall Carrell Junior Forward 6-9 \| 230 Paris, Texas Carrell appeared in four games, including an NCAA Tournament game against BYU. He pulled down two rebounds against Jackson State.

		#45 Nathan Walkup Junior Forward 6-7 \| 210 Houston, Texas Walkup played in all 34 games, starting against UNC Wilmington and Iowa State. He averaged 14 minutes in two NCAA Tournament games; scored a career-high 12 points (3 of 4 3-pointers) in a win against Missouri; had eight points (2 of 2 3-pointers) against Texas Tech in the Big 12 Tournament; had seven points, making 3 of 3 from the field (including a key second-half 3-pointer) in a win against Texas; also added seven points in a win at Nebraska and had a breakaway dunk that helped spark a comeback; scored six points with three rebounds in just 11 minutes in a narrow loss at No. 2 Oklahoma, including a breakaway dunk; made a game-winning 3-pointer with 20 seconds left against Arizona, his only points of the game; scored seven points in a win at Alabama and made a 3-pointer with 14 seconds left to pull the Aggies within two points, before teammate B.J. Holmes sent the game into overtime with two seconds left; scored a season-high nine points with a career-best 12 rebounds against UNC Wilmington; averaged 3.5 points and 2.5 rebounds; scored seven points with 11 rebounds against Stephen F. Austin and made a key long-range 3-pointer as the shot clock expired in the final minute; scored eight points against Jackson State; and made a 3-pointer with 7:32 left to give A&M a six-point lead at Rice, and it never was a one-possession game again. The Aggies are 14-2 in his career when he scores at least five points.

The Redshirt

#12 James Blasczyk
Freshman Center
7-0 | 230
Houston, Texas

Blasczyk was named his high school district's defensive player of the year in 2008. He averaged 14.6 points and 9.7 rebounds as a senior; was rated among the top 50 prospects in the state by TexasHoops.com; averaged 8.3 points, 7.1 rebounds and 4.1 blocks as a junior; earned three varsity letters; scored a career-best 27 points with a career-high 17 rebounds against the Dallas Mustangs in 2007 as a member of Houston Select, one the top AAU programs in the nation; and played for Houston Swoosh in 2008.

The Newcomers

		#21 Ray Turner Freshman Forward 6-8 \| 220 Houston, Texas Turner was ranked No. 144 nationally and No. 6 in Texas by Rivals.com; averaged 16.5 points and earned district MVP honors as a senior; was named to all-state and all-region teams; played in the THSCA All-Star Game; led his team to a 29-7 record and a district title; posted career game-highs of 35 points, 25 rebounds and 12 blocks; averaged 16 points, 9.5 rebounds and 4.5 blocks as a junior; and also was recruited by Baylor, Marquette, Memphis, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico and Oklahoma State.

		#22 Khris Middleton Freshman Forward 6-7 \| 215 North Charleston, S.C. Middleton was rated No. 64 by ESPN.com, which also ranked him as the best shooter among the nation's small forward prospects; averaged 22.4 points and 8.6 rebounds as a prep senior, earning all-state honors and leading his team to the state title game; averaged 21.0 points and 8.6 rebounds as a junior; twice earned state player-of-the-year honors; posted a career-high scoring game of 39 points; and also was recruited by Michigan, South Carolina, St. Joseph's and Virginia Tech.

		#23 Naji Hibbert Freshman Guard 6-5 \| 200 Baltimore, Md. Hibbert was ranked No. 59 nationally by ESPN.com and was rated as a four-star recruit by Rivals.com; named to all-league and all-metro teams for the second straight year after averaging 15.7 points at storied DeMatha Catholic High School; and scored with 1.8 seconds left to lift DeMatha to the state championship. The team finished 31-4 and was ranked No. 4 nationally by ESPN. Hibbert averaged 15.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.1 steals per game as a junior; scored 44 points in an AAU game; and also was recruited by Clemson, Marquette, Maryland, Miami, Syracuse and Xavier.

		#25 Jeremy Adams Freshman Guard 6-5 \| 195 Madison, Miss. Adams was rated as the No. 2 player in Mississippi by ESPN after averaging 27.2 points, 7.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 4.2 steals as a senior at Madison Central; earned all-state honors; had three 40-point scoring games and earned all-division, all-metro and all-state honors; twice scored 43 points in a game; led his team to three straight district titles; and also was recruited by Alabama, Arkansas, Florida State, Georgetown, Georgia, Kentucky, Miami, Notre Dame and Wake Forest.

My thanks to the Texas A&M sports information department for the photos and most of the information for the bios.

The Analysis

But while Texas A&M has been a consistent winner, it hasn't yet been a serious challenger for a Big 12 championship. The Aggies regularly have lost to powers such as Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas; own a two-game, regular-season losing streak to Kansas State, despite being favored in both games; and occasionally are upset by less-talented programs such as Baylor and Texas Tech. They even struggled with Colorado last year, before pulling away late.

Luckily for A&M, Donald Sloan and Bryan Davis did not follow Elonu's lead, and instead pulled out of the draft to return for their senior seasons. Good thing, too, or the Aggies would have lost four starters and been totally decimated. Sloan is one of the league's better point guards and Davis should step up to fill Elonu's void as the team's leader in rebounding.

The other returning starter is Derrick Roland, who rivals Dominique Sutton and J.T. Tiller in terms of defensive intensity. He has been bothered by injuries the past few seasons, but assuming he stays healthy, he should lock up the off-guard position all year.

It's more likely that the Aggies will go with a smaller lineup when the opponent's makeup presents the opportunity. In that case, Davis would shift to the 5 and Walkup to the 4, and B.J. Holmes probably would come in as a third guard. Holmes was the Aggies' "sixth man" last season and replaced Roland as a starter whenever the latter was out with an injury.

Dash Harris (what a great name for a point guard!) was one of the conference's most impressive freshmen last year. He is a solid backup for Sloan and will continue to play understudy to the senior, in preparation for next year when he will be counted upon to fill Sloan's considerable shoes. David Loubeau rounds out the 7-8 players I see making up the Aggies' primary player rotation. He's a solid reliever in the frontcourt with some size (6-8, 230).

Projected Starting Lineup


Donald Sloan	Derrick Roland	Nathan Walkup	Bryan Davis	James Blasczyk
1	2	3	4	5

Projected Top Reserves


Dash Harris	B.J. Holmes	Khris Middleton	David Loubeau	Marshall Carrell
1	2	3	4	5

The Final Verdict

Texas A&M's track record demands that I pick them in the upper half of the Big 12. That much, at least, the Aggies have earned.

But losing Elonu was a huge blow that basically halved the frontcourt, in terms of high-level, star talent. When Bryan Davis squares off with Cole Aldrich, Craig Brackins, Andrew Fitzgerald, Keith Gallon, Damion James, Wally Judge, Curtis Kelly, Marcus Morris, Dexter Pittman and so forth, he's going to wish Elonu still was there to back him up.

Upper division? Yes. NCAA Tournament? Most likely. First-day bye in the Big 12 Tournament? I highly doubt it.

Predicted finish: 6th

Best-case scenario: 4th

Previously on KNOW THY ENEMY...

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Iowa State
Texas Tech
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Chinemelu "Junior" Elonu To Forgo Senior Season, Stay In NBA Draft

Beergut — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 22:24:31 -0000

In a stunning decision today, Junior Elonu has decided to forgo his senior season and stay in the NBA Draft. Elonu, who was the Aggies' fourth leading scorer at 9.8 ppg, and leading rebounder with 7.3 rpg, has outperformed expectations at pre-draft camps.

Elonu has already graduated from A&M, and would be playing as a redshirt senior, had he chosen to return to school. Given that he has already received his degree, you can't really blame him for wanting to test the professional waters and see what is out there for him. I believe Elonu has a game that can translate to the NBA, with the requisite size (6'10, 235 lbs) to play inside. However, given his difficulties handling the ball (Elonu was often picked clean down low), I think another year of experience would have been to his benefit.

The Aggies return Donald Sloan and Bryan Davis, who both decided to pull out of the draft. Elonu's decision means we will need for David Loubeau to really step it up next season.

Elonu, Davis, and Sloan All Declare For NBA Draft

Beergut — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 20:26:30 -0000

With the announcement yesterday that Bryan Davis and Chinemelu "Junior" Elonu have submitted their names for the NBA Draft, the total number of Aggies declaring for early entry into the draft moves to three. Donald Sloan declared his intentions last week. None of the three will hire an agent, so they are basically just testing their value to the NBA at this point. They can attend pre-draft camps and workout for scouts, and get an idea of what they need to improve in their game so they can play at the next level.

While I am relieved that none of the three hired an agent, a part of me is terrified that any one of the three can tear it up at a camp, and make the scouts want to draft him. I am hoping that none of the three will leave early for anything less than first round money. At this point, while I think all three players have the potential to be NBA players, I don't think they are polished enough as players to make the jump right now.

Bryan Davis needs to work on his ball handling; he has a bad habit of bringing the ball down low in the paint, making it easier for defenders to knock the ball away. Elonu also needs to work on his ballhandling; he is very susceptible to turnovers, to the point where I wanted guards to only give him the ball when he was ready to finish, not when he'd have to move on the block. Elonu also needs to learn to finish; both he and Davis have a nasty habit of missing gimme two-footers.

Sloan actually has a fairly robust game; he is able to play at the 1 or 2, he can guide the offense from the point, or bomb away from shooting guard. He is able to create on the floor, and he has a nice jumpshot. He needs to become more consistent from the outside (hit 35% from beyond the arc last season), and become more aggressive in the paint. He did raise his free throw percentage from 63% in 2008 to 74% this past season, so he has shown the ability to improve his game.

These three players have been part of three NCAA Tournament teams at A&M, so I hope all of three return to be the core of a fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament team.

A&M Ranked #25 In ESPN's Totally Premature Top 25

Beergut — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 19:30:29 -0000

Andy Katz has his way-too-early pre-season rankings out, and the Ags scrape the bottom of the top 25, landing at exactly #25. With Bryan Davis, Junior Elonu, and David Loubeau in the post, and Donald Sloan, B.J. Holmes, Nathan Walkup, Derrick Roland, and Dash Harris on the outside, the Ags will have an excellent inside-outside game returning, and should be a veteran team to be reckoned with.

How we do next season will depend on how we fare in conference play; Katz has fellow conference members Kansas #1, texas #4, and Oklahoma #18. Considering we have to play texas and OU twice each next season, we'll have our work cut out for us. However, with Turgeon being in his third season as head coach at A&M, the excuses that we're young and inexperienced or that we're adjusting to a new system simply won't wash anymore.

Incoming freshmen Naji Hibbert, Khris Middleton, and Kourtney Roberson should help significantly next season. Hibbert will be added to our guard rotation, and Middleton will give us some more size if we slide him in at small forward. Roberson, at 6'9, can move from power forward to post if we decide to go small, so he gives us more depth inside. If we have to, we can slide Roberson down to 3, and feature a front line of 6'10, 6'9, 6'9, with Elonu, Davis, and Roberson.

Given who we return and who we have coming in, I am somewhat surprised that we weren't ranked a little higher, but since we failed to break the top 25 last season, and we haven't finished a season in the top 25 since Turgeon has been here, the skepticism is understandable. Add in the fact that Kentucky is ranked #12 in this pre-season poll, and you know not to take it too seriously. Still, any pre-season recognition is good recognition.

Connecticut Preview - NCAA Tournament - Second Round

Beergut — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 17:50:12 -0000

The UConn team we face tomorrow afternoon is very, very good. Here is a look at their team stats:

			FG			3PT			FT			Rebounds			Misc
	G	M	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	Off	Def	Tot	Ast	TO	Stl	Blk	PF	PPG
A.J. Price	31	31.6	4.7	11.3	41.8	2.5	6.0	41.1	2.3	3.2	72.0	0.6	2.8	3.4	4.7	2.7	0.6	0.0	1.1	14.2
Hasheem Thabeet	32	32.1	5.1	7.9	64.7	0.0	0.0	0.0	3.8	6.0	62.5	3.8	7.2	10.9	0.4	1.8	0.6	4.5	2.5	13.9
Jeff Adrien	32	34.8	5.2	10.3	50.5	0.0	0.0	0.0	3.2	5.3	60.9	3.3	6.9	10.2	1.6	1.7	0.5	1.1	2.0	13.6
Jerome Dyson	24	29.3	4.3	10.6	40.8	1.0	2.9	34.8	3.5	4.8	72.4	1.3	2.8	4.1	3.2	2.0	1.8	0.3	1.8	13.2
Kemba Walker	32	25.6	3.1	6.6	46.2	0.4	1.4	26.1	2.3	3.1	73.5	0.9	2.7	3.5	2.8	1.9	1.1	0.2	1.5	8.8
Stanley Robinson	24	23.3	3.3	6.7	48.8	0.1	0.8	10.5	1.2	2.1	58.0	2.0	3.5	5.5	1.3	1.5	0.7	1.0	1.4	7.8
Craig Austrie	32	24.6	2.2	6.3	34.3	0.9	3.1	30.6	1.9	2.4	77.9	0.6	1.1	1.7	2.3	0.8	0.7	0.3	0.9	7.1
Gavin Edwards	32	11.5	1.4	2.3	63.9	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.9	1.3	70.7	1.2	1.6	2.8	0.3	0.6	0.4	0.8	1.6	3.8
Scottie Haralson	15	4.4	0.5	1.8	29.6	0.5	1.7	28.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.3	0.3	0.2	0.1	0.1	0.0	0.5	1.5
Donnell Beverly	16	4.5	0.4	0.7	54.5	0.1	0.3	50.0	0.3	0.3	100.0	0.3	0.6	0.8	0.8	0.1	0.3	0.0	0.3	1.2
Charles Okwandu	10	4.5	0.1	0.4	25.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.2	50.0	0.4	0.7	1.1	0.2	0.6	0.1	0.3	1.0	0.3
Johnnie Bird	8	1.5	0.1	0.4	33.3	0.0	0.1	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.3	0.1	0.0	0.1	0.3
Jonathan Mandeldove	6	2.5	0.0	0.3	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.3	0.3	0.0	0.3	0.0	0.0	0.5	0.0
John Lindner	3	1.3	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.7	0.0	0.3	0.3	0.7	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.3	0.0
Jim Veronick	2	1.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.5	0.5	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Alex Hornat	2	1.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.5	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
	31	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.4	1.3	2.6	0.0	0.1	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0

Hasheem Thabeet, their center, is the key to their whole team. The team that most thoroughly dominated UConn this season is Pittsburgh, and they did it by being physical with Thabeet, and going right at him. With Davis, Elonu, and Loubeau, we have the depth to attack Thabeet inside, and force him into foul trouble. We need to focus on being physical in the post, and make him play our game. The Big East has a reputation for being one of the most physical conferences in the nation, so UConn isn't going to shy away from contact, but we need to hammer on Thabeet, and make him play physical.

Offensively, UConn is terrific, with four players who average in double-figures, but defensively they are awesome, as attested to by their 103-47 win over Tennessee-Chattanooga in the first round. Jim Calhoun's teams are defined by their defense first and foremost, and this team is no exception. Thabeet is an exceptional shot blocker in the post, so we need to focus on getting our shots out and up quickly when we go into the paint, and force him to foul us.

With Thabeet patrolling the paint, getting our outside game going with Carter/Holmes/Sloan is of utmost importance. If we can get hot frm outside, we can spread UConn out and open it up inside, isolating Thabeet in the post. Our main focus has to be on limiting turnovers, because scoring in transition is where UConn shines. Even though we dominated BYU, we still had issues with our transition defense, and you can be sure UConn is aware of this, and will try to exploit it.

More after the jump.....

If we win this game, it will be because we had fewer than ten turnovers for the game, and because we were able to get double-digit production from both Elonu and Davis inside. I'm thinking we may need someone unexpected to come up big for us, to be the hero, someone like Nathan Walkup or Dash Harris or B.J. Holmes to explode for us, and take it to the Huskies.

If we beat UConn, we will make it to the Sweet Sixteen for the second time this decade, a feat unmatched in Aggie basketball history. Here's hoping our guys are ready to make history.

		#0 Bryan Davis Senior Forward 6-9 \| 250 Dallas, Texas Bio 23.2 minutes per game \| 9.1 points per game \| 6.9 rebounds per game

		#2 Derrek Lewis Junior Guard 6-5 \| 195 Tulsa, Okla. Bio 3.2 minutes per game \| 0.8 point per game \| 0 rebounds per game

		#3 Derrick Roland Senior Guard 6-4 \| 190 Dallas, Texas Bio 25.9 minutes per game \| 11.1 points per game \| 3.2 rebounds per game

		#5 Dash Harris Sophomore Guard 6-1 \| 175 Los Angeles, Calif. Bio 24.5 minutes per game \| 5.3 points per game \| 3.3 rebounds per game

		#10 David Loubeau Sophomore Forward 6-8 \| 230 Miami, Fla. Bio 21.5 minutes per game \| 5.9 points per game \| 5.9 rebounds per game

		#11 B.J. Holmes Junior Guard 5-11 \| 175 Houston, Texas Bio 21.4 minutes per game \| 9.7 points per game \| 2.3 rebounds per game

		#14 Andrew Darko Junior Guard 6-1 \| 175 Conroe, Texas Bio 2 minutes per game \| 0.3 point per game \| 0 rebounds per game

		#15 Donald Sloan Senior Guard 6-3 \| 205 Dallas, Texas Bio 30.7 minutes per game \| 17.4 points per game \| 4 rebounds per game

		#24 Shawn Schepel Junior Guard 6-3 \| 205 Dallas, Texas Bio 2 minutes per game \| 0 points per game \| 1 rebound per game

		#31 Chris Chapman Senior Guard 5-11 \| 175 Houston, Texas Bio 2 minutes per game \| 2 points per game \| 0 rebounds per game

		#33 Marshall Carrell Junior Forward 6-9 \| 230 Paris, Texas Bio 2 minutes per game \| 0 points per game \| 0 rebounds per game

		#45 Nathan Walkup Junior Forward 6-7 \| 210 Houston, Texas Bio 19.3 minutes per game \| 6.3 points per game \| 3.5 rebounds per game

		#21 Ray Turner Freshman Forward 6-8 \| 220 Houston, Texas Bio 0 minutes per game \| 0 points per game \| 0 rebounds per game

		#22 Khris Middleton Freshman Forward 6-7 \| 215 North Charleston, S.C. Bio 14.1 minutes per game \| 4.3 points per game \| 3 rebounds per game

		#23 Naji Hibbert Freshman Guard 6-5 \| 200 Baltimore, Md. Bio 15.5 minutes per game \| 2.5 points per game \| 2.3 rebounds per game

		#25 Jeremy Adams Freshman Guard 6-5 \| 195 Madison, Miss. Bio 0 minutes per game \| 0 points per game \| 0 rebounds per game

		#0 Bryan Davis Senior Forward 6-9 \| 250 Dallas, Texas Big 12 All-Reserve Team (2009) The Aggies are 27-7 when Davis scores in double figures in his career. He averaged 16.5 points, nine rebounds and three blocks in two NCAA Tournament games, earning CBS Sports player of the game honors in both contests. Davis scored a season-high 21 points with nine rebounds and three blocks in a first-round win against BYU. He scored 12 points with a game-high 10 rebounds in a win against Missouri. Davis scored 15 points with eight rebounds in a win against Texas, and just missed double-doubles at No. 2 Oklahoma (13 points, nine rebounds), at Baylor (13 points, nine rebounds) and at Colorado (nine points and nine rebounds). He matched his season high with 18 points in a win against Oklahoma State, making 6 of 6 from the free-throw line. Davis had 13 points and eight rebounds in a win against Texas Tech; scored a season-high 18 points with 10 rebounds in a win at Rice; had 17 points against Baylor and 16 points against LSU; came off the bench to score 15 points with a season-high 13 rebounds against Kent State, earning SPI Invitational all-tournament honors; returned to the starting lineup against Arizona and had 10 points, making 5 of 6 from the field; scored 15 points with nine rebounds in a win at Alabama; had 11 rebounds vs. SMU; had at least five rebounds in all but four games; ranked third on the team in scoring (10.8), and second in rebounding (6.5) and blocks (46); ranked fifth in the Big 12 in blocks and ninth in rebounding; ranked fourth in the Big 12 in offensive rebounding (2.9) in league play; scored 14 points with seven rebounds against Jackson State and tied his career best with four blocks; and ranks seventh in school history with 96 career blocks.

		#2 Derrek Lewis Junior Guard 6-5 \| 195 Tulsa, Okla. Lewis appeared in five games, averaging 0.6 point per game. He scored a season-high two points against UNC Wilmington, played a season-best five minutes against Jackson State, and also saw action against BYU in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

		#3 Derrick Roland Senior Guard 6-4 \| 190 Dallas, Texas Big 12 All-Defense Team (2009) Roland scored 10 points in a first-round NCAA Tournament win against BYU, making a pair of three-pointers. He was named to Big 12 All-Defense Team by league coaches and media panel, and usually guarded the opponent's top scoring guard and in Big 12 play held all but two under his scoring average. League players he guarded made just 38 percent from the field and 32 percent from 3-point range. Roland helped limit Arizona All-American Chase Budinger to just three points on 1 of 6 shooting in the second half of A&M's come-from-behind win. Texas' A.J. Abrams averaged just eight points (6 of 22 shooting, 1 of 9 3-pointers) in two games against Roland. Roland scored 11 points in the first win against Texas Tech and held John Roberson to four second-half points (2 of 10 from field, 0 of 5 3-pointers). Oklahoma State's James Anderson averaged just 9.5 points in two games against Roland. Roland matched his season best with 13 points in a loss at Baylor, scoring 11 in the second half to rally the Aggies from a 14-point deficit. He scored 12 points with four assists in a win at Colorado (8-8 FT); made 25 of his last 29 free throw attempts; played just 10 minutes against McNeese State, after leaving the game early with a bruised elbow, and did not play against North Dakota; scored six points with a season-high six rebounds against Arizona; missed the Kent State game after suffering a sprained foot against Tulsa; and averaged 8.5 points in the last six games. The Aggies are 11-2 in his career when he scores in double figures, and 8-1 on the season.

		#5 Dash Harris Sophomore Guard 6-1 \| 175 Los Angeles, Calif. Harris played in all 34 games and earned a start against Kent State. He ranked second on the team in assists (2.0) and was third in steals (0.7); scored a career-high seven points with three assists against Connecticut in the NCAA Tournament; had six points and made 2 of 2 from 3-point range against Iowa State, his first career 3-pointers; had a monster dunk and made a free throw to complete a key 3-point play and spark a comeback win at Nebraska; scored six points with three assists and two steals in a big win against Missouri; dished out a career-high five assists in consecutive games against Rice and McNeese State; matched his career best with five assists in wins against Texas (zero turnovers) and Texas Tech; scored a career-high six points with four assists and a career-best three steals against North Dakota; handed out at least four assists in seven games; and scored four points against Tulsa. The Aggies were 9-1 when he had at least three assists, with the only loss being to UConn.

		#10 David Loubeau Sophomore Forward 6-8 \| 230 Miami, Fla. Loubeau scored 11 points, making 5 of 5 from the field, against Connecticut in the second round of NCAA Tournament; ranked third on the team in offensive rebounds (58); ranked second among Big 12 freshmen in offensive rebounds in league play (1.9); scored eight points in a win against Missouri; had nine points, all in the second half, with six rebounds in a narrow loss at No. 2 Oklahoma; scored 11 points with eight rebounds in a win against Texas Tech; had 10 points, all in the first half, in a win against Oklahoma State; scored a career-high 12 points with eight rebounds against Kent State in his first career start; also started against Iowa State; had seven points with five rebounds at Kansas, including a game-high four offensive boards; scored six points with a career-best nine rebounds against Tulsa; had eight points at Alabama, helping the Aggies rally from 14-point deficit; scored eight points with eight rebounds against SMU; had eight points and six rebounds against Jackson State, making 6 of 8 from the free-throw line; and tallied six points with six boards against UNC Wilmington. The Aggies were 7-2 when he scored at least eight points, losing only at Oklahoma and to UConn.

		#11 B.J. Holmes Junior Guard 5-11 \| 175 Houston, Texas Big 12 All-Reserve Team (2009) In Big 12 play, Holmes led the league in 3-point percentage (.470) and ranked second in free-throw percentage (.860). He ranked among the top bench players in the Big 12 with an 9.1 scoring average in conference play; had 10 points in a first-round NCAA Tournament win against BYU; scored 11 points (3 of 3 treys) in a win against Texas; scored 10 of his 16 points in the last six minutes in a comeback win at Colorado; had 13 points in a win vs. Missouri; had a career-high 24 points in the first win against Texas Tech, making 6 of 7 (.857) from 3-point range, the fourth-best percentage in school history; made six straight 3s against Tech, tying a Big 12 record; scored 19 points at Oklahoma State, making 4 of 9 3-pointers and 7 of 7 free throws; earned his first career start against Arizona and had a team-high 14 points (3 of 6 3-pointers); made a pair of key free throws in the final minute of the Arizona game and also drew a charge that fouled out Wildcat point guard Nic Wise late in game; scored 16 points with a career-best seven rebounds in a win at Alabama and made a rainbow 3-pointer with two seconds left to send the game to overtime; scored 15 points against Kent State, making 3 of 6 3-pointers and dropping a pair of free throws in the final seconds that helped ice the game; started in place of the injured Derrick Roland against North Dakota and scored 14 points (4-8 3-pointers); missed his first 12 shots of the season; led the team in steals (30); and had only 18 turnovers in 757 minutes (one every 42.1 minutes).

		#14 Andrew Darko Junior Guard 6-1 \| 175 Conroe, Texas Darko appeared in nine games, including three Big 12 games and an NCAA Tournament game against BYU. He scored two points against Jackson State and at Kansas.

		#15 Donald Sloan Senior Guard 6-3 \| 205 Dallas, Texas The Aggies are 39-8 in Sloan's career when he hands out at least three assists, including a 16-3 mark as a junior, and the team is 33-13 when he scores in double figures. He averaged 13.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 6.0 assists in two NCAA Tournament games; scored 14 points with six rebounds and a season-high seven assists in a first-round win vs. BYU; added 12 points in the second round against Connecticut; had a career-high 22 points against Texas Tech in Big 12 Tournament; scored a team-high 16 points in a win against Missouri; averaged 15.6 points in the last five games; had 14 points and five assists with only one turnover, scoring seven points in the final four minutes of a comeback win at Colorado; had 14 points in a win against Texas; scored 17 points (3 of 4 3-pointers) in a loss at Texas; had 15 points in a win against Oklahoma State; tied his career high with 21 points against Florida A&M, making 10 of 10 free throws; ranked second on the team in scoring (11.8) and led in assists (3.2); scored at least eight points in all but three games; had 13 points and five assists with only one turnover in 35 minutes against Arizona; handed out a season-high seven assists against Kent State with only one turnover; had 16 points with three assists and six rebounds against Stephen F. Austin; made .743 (107-144) from the free-throw line; and had only 56 turnovers in 1,030 minutes this season (one every 18.4 minutes), a marked improvement over his sophomore season, when he averaged one turnover every 13.3 minutes.

		#24 Shawn Schepel Junior Guard 6-3 \| 205 Dallas, Texas Schepel played in six games, including two Big 12 games and an NCAA Tournament game against BYU. He scored one point against Jackson State.

		#31 Chris Chapman Senior Guard 5-11 \| 175 Houston, Texas Chapman appeared in three games, including the Iowa State game in Big 12 play. He scored two points with one rebound against Jackson State.

		#33 Marshall Carrell Junior Forward 6-9 \| 230 Paris, Texas Carrell appeared in four games, including an NCAA Tournament game against BYU. He pulled down two rebounds against Jackson State.

		#45 Nathan Walkup Junior Forward 6-7 \| 210 Houston, Texas Walkup played in all 34 games, starting against UNC Wilmington and Iowa State. He averaged 14 minutes in two NCAA Tournament games; scored a career-high 12 points (3 of 4 3-pointers) in a win against Missouri; had eight points (2 of 2 3-pointers) against Texas Tech in the Big 12 Tournament; had seven points, making 3 of 3 from the field (including a key second-half 3-pointer) in a win against Texas; also added seven points in a win at Nebraska and had a breakaway dunk that helped spark a comeback; scored six points with three rebounds in just 11 minutes in a narrow loss at No. 2 Oklahoma, including a breakaway dunk; made a game-winning 3-pointer with 20 seconds left against Arizona, his only points of the game; scored seven points in a win at Alabama and made a 3-pointer with 14 seconds left to pull the Aggies within two points, before teammate B.J. Holmes sent the game into overtime with two seconds left; scored a season-high nine points with a career-best 12 rebounds against UNC Wilmington; averaged 3.5 points and 2.5 rebounds; scored seven points with 11 rebounds against Stephen F. Austin and made a key long-range 3-pointer as the shot clock expired in the final minute; scored eight points against Jackson State; and made a 3-pointer with 7:32 left to give A&M a six-point lead at Rice, and it never was a one-possession game again. The Aggies are 14-2 in his career when he scores at least five points.

		#21 Ray Turner Freshman Forward 6-8 \| 220 Houston, Texas Turner was ranked No. 144 nationally and No. 6 in Texas by Rivals.com; averaged 16.5 points and earned district MVP honors as a senior; was named to all-state and all-region teams; played in the THSCA All-Star Game; led his team to a 29-7 record and a district title; posted career game-highs of 35 points, 25 rebounds and 12 blocks; averaged 16 points, 9.5 rebounds and 4.5 blocks as a junior; and also was recruited by Baylor, Marquette, Memphis, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico and Oklahoma State.

		#22 Khris Middleton Freshman Forward 6-7 \| 215 North Charleston, S.C. Middleton was rated No. 64 by ESPN.com, which also ranked him as the best shooter among the nation's small forward prospects; averaged 22.4 points and 8.6 rebounds as a prep senior, earning all-state honors and leading his team to the state title game; averaged 21.0 points and 8.6 rebounds as a junior; twice earned state player-of-the-year honors; posted a career-high scoring game of 39 points; and also was recruited by Michigan, South Carolina, St. Joseph's and Virginia Tech.

		#23 Naji Hibbert Freshman Guard 6-5 \| 200 Baltimore, Md. Hibbert was ranked No. 59 nationally by ESPN.com and was rated as a four-star recruit by Rivals.com; named to all-league and all-metro teams for the second straight year after averaging 15.7 points at storied DeMatha Catholic High School; and scored with 1.8 seconds left to lift DeMatha to the state championship. The team finished 31-4 and was ranked No. 4 nationally by ESPN. Hibbert averaged 15.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.1 steals per game as a junior; scored 44 points in an AAU game; and also was recruited by Clemson, Marquette, Maryland, Miami, Syracuse and Xavier.

		#25 Jeremy Adams Freshman Guard 6-5 \| 195 Madison, Miss. Adams was rated as the No. 2 player in Mississippi by ESPN after averaging 27.2 points, 7.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 4.2 steals as a senior at Madison Central; earned all-state honors; had three 40-point scoring games and earned all-division, all-metro and all-state honors; twice scored 43 points in a game; led his team to three straight district titles; and also was recruited by Alabama, Arkansas, Florida State, Georgetown, Georgia, Kentucky, Miami, Notre Dame and Wake Forest.