SB Nation - Dash Harris

Aggies Hang On To Defeat #16 Minnesota, 66-65

Beergut — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 11:11:36 -0000

Texas A&M's B.J. Holmes, center, is greeted by his teammate Dash Harris after Holmes made a three-point basket against Minnesota during the first half of the Texas A&M-Minnesota men's basketball game. Texas A&M prevailed, 66-65. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

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Derrick Roland was one of three Aggies to score in double-figures (he led the team with 19 points) as the Texas A&M men's basketball team hung on to defeat #16-ranked Minnesota, 66-65. Nathan Walkup added 11 points, and B.J. Holmes scored 10 as the Aggies' defense came up big in the final minute to secure the win.

The Aggies led by 7, 66-59, with 1:11 left in the game. Minnesota whittled the lead down to 1 point, helped by poor shooting at the charity stripe by the Aggies; the team would go a combined 3 for 14 in free throws in the final minutes of the game. Nathan Walkup summed up the Aggies' problems with two missed free throws with 9.4 seconds remaining in the game. Bryan Davis came up huge, blocking Paul Carter's attempt at a game winner, and the Aggies held on for the close win. Defensively, the Aggies forced 12 turnovers in the game which they converted into 24 points.

The win over the Gophers give the Aggies two wins in four days over top 20 ranked teams; the Ags opened the 76 Classic by defeating #19 Clemson. The Aggies will hit the court again Wednesday, when they take on Prairie View A&M at Reed Arena.

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

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 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

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.

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.

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.

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).

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 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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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.

Big 12 Tournament - Texas Tech Game Preview

Beergut — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 23:22:40 -0000

The Aggies will play Texas Tech for the third time this season on Wednesday in Oklahoma City. As the #6 seed in the tournament, the Ags face the #11-seeded Red Raiders at 8:20 pm tomorrow.

Here's a look at Texas Tech's complete season 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
John Roberson	31	35.3	4.6	11.9	39.1	2.3	6.2	36.3	2.8	3.5	82.2	0.3	3.3	3.6	6.5	3.5	1.0	0.1	2.6	14.4
Alan Voskuil	31	35.7	4.4	9.8	44.9	2.8	6.3	44.9	2.5	2.8	89.5	0.8	3.3	4.1	2.1	1.4	1.2	0.0	2.0	14.1
Nick Okorie	27	25.3	3.9	9.4	41.1	1.1	3.1	36.1	2.7	3.6	74.5	0.9	2.2	3.1	1.4	1.6	0.8	0.1	3.1	11.5
Mike Singletary	31	22.6	3.5	7.5	46.4	0.2	0.7	33.3	3.9	5.4	72.0	1.4	4.4	5.7	1.9	2.0	0.5	0.4	2.5	11.1
Trevor Cook	14	14.0	2.8	5.6	49.4	0.5	1.9	26.9	1.5	1.9	77.8	1.0	2.4	3.4	0.4	0.9	0.3	0.9	2.3	7.6
Robert Lewandowski	30	16.3	2.9	5.0	58.3	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.0	1.8	56.4	1.2	2.6	3.8	0.7	1.3	0.3	0.7	2.1	6.9
D`Walyn Roberts	31	16.9	2.1	3.8	54.7	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.9	1.5	60.4	1.4	2.3	3.7	0.6	0.9	0.4	0.6	2.1	5.1
Tyree Graham	13	14.3	1.2	4.1	30.2	0.5	1.5	31.6	1.0	1.2	86.7	0.5	1.2	1.7	1.5	1.5	0.4	0.1	1.5	3.9
Michael Prince	25	15.6	1.6	2.3	67.2	0.0	0.1	0.0	0.7	1.5	45.9	1.2	1.6	2.8	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.3	2.0	3.8
Darko Cohadarevic	24	10.3	1.5	3.5	41.7	0.0	0.4	11.1	0.5	0.7	75.0	0.5	1.5	2.0	0.5	1.0	0.2	0.2	1.7	3.5
Rogdrick Craig	22	6.7	1.1	3.2	33.8	0.4	1.4	25.8	0.1	0.2	50.0	0.2	0.6	0.8	0.3	0.6	0.2	0.0	1.0	2.6
Damir Suljagic	22	8.8	1.0	2.2	47.9	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.3	0.6	53.8	0.2	1.3	1.5	0.3	0.8	0.2	0.1	1.1	2.4
Wally Dunn	13	3.2	0.8	1.2	62.5	0.5	0.8	54.5	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.2	0.2	0.3	0.2	0.0	0.2	0.1	0.4	2.0
Corbin Ray	16	7.1	0.7	1.3	52.4	0.2	0.4	50.0	0.1	0.1	100.0	0.5	0.8	1.3	0.2	0.4	0.2	0.0	1.2	1.7
Esmir Rizvic	11	10.0	0.5	0.9	60.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.2	0.5	40.0	0.6	1.0	1.6	0.5	0.5	0.2	0.2	2.1	1.3
	30	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.9	1.8	3.6	0.0	0.1	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0

What has changed since the last time we played Tech? Well, they blew out the conference champions, Kansas, in their final home game, with senior Alan Voskuil going crazy from behind the line, putting up 39 points in his last game in Lubbock. Voskuil and PG John Roberson are still the offensive keys to this team; if we can control them and make Tech rely on their inside game to beat us, we win this game.

Like our previous two match-ups, I think we have the advantage inside against Tech with Elonu/Davis/Loubeau, so we need to continue to work it inside and press our advantage. Loubeau has come on big as of late, so I expect him to receive some real minutes in this game. However, Elonu has been struggling in his last few games, and we need him to step it up if we're going to get far in the post-season.

I am also anxious to see if we're going to continue to see offensive improvement from Dash Harris. We keep seeing flashes from him, especially in the last few games, that show he has the potential to be a game-changing type of player for us, but he hasn't put it altogether yet. This would be as good a time as any for him to come up big for us.

I really don't see Tech being able to stop our inside-outside game, especially if Carter/Holmes/Sloan/Walkup are hot from the outside, but this is a one-and-done format. Tech knows their chances of playing another game depend on winning tomorrow, so they are going to be playing with a sense of desperation, and a desperate team can be a dangerous team. We just need to take care of business, and we'll be fine.

Missouri Game Review

Beergut — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 19:36:28 -0000

Well, we needed a win against Missouri to punch our ticket into the Big Dance, and we got that win. On Senior Day, on Josh Carter's last game at Reed Arena, the student section was wild and crazy, the team was pumped, and Missouri was reeling in the first half. A 22-point halftime lead helped spur the Aggies on to a decisive 96-86 win over Missouri.

A&M's Achilles' heel all season long has been turnovers on offense, and a Missouri team that plays a frenetic pace and traps all over the court seemed the exact opposite of what we wanted to play on Saturday. However, after a horrific, turnover-filled game in our last outing against Colorado, the Ags turned the tables on Missouri, using strong guard play to consistently break their halfcourt trap in the first half. Sloan, Harris, and Holmes were able to navigate that Missouri defense with ease, breaking their trap and pushing the tempo of the game, leading to many transition baskets for A&M.

Nathan Walkup hit three treys in the first half, giving Missouri another long-range shooter to worry about, besides Carter, Holmes, and Sloan. Bryan Davis was dominating inside, David Loubeau was tearing it up, and our bench gave Missouri fits. Our bench outscored our starters in the first half, a completely unexpected development. Even Dash Harris got into the act, going 3-4 from the floor for 6 points for the game.

Missouri made a run to get back into the game in the second half, just like I expected them to. There is a reason Missouri is ranked #15 in the nation, they are a very good team. However, the Aggies were able to weather the storm, keep their compsure, and win the game.

I really have to hand it to the students; they were into the game from the beginning, and never let up. Every time the cameras panned to the crowd, they were jumping, just keeping a crazy, electric atmosphere going, and keeping the team up. (The only exception was one student who gave the camera the 'horns down' sign before a commercial break, but one idiot who doesn't know what game he's watching doesn't ruin it for everyone else.) The students were out in force, and they made sure Josh Carter had a proper send-off.

More after the jump...

I rip into Turgeon a lot when the team is underachieving, but I give him credit for the game yesterday. The team obviously spent a lot of time in practice working on ball security and it showed in their ability to break Missouri's trap. Kudos to Turgeon and staff.

Our next game is against Texas Tech on Wednesday in the opening day of the Big 12 Tournament in Oklahoma City. Now that we've beaten Missouri and are in the Big Dance, we're just playing for seeding. Let's keep it going, and hope we get a shot at playing Missouri again.

Mizzou-ATM: Statistical Oh Well

Bill C. — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 16:34:37 -0000

Well...if you're going to lose by 10 to a team you're supposed to beat, and you're going to (momentarily) lose any chance you have of sharing the Big 12 title, this is the way you want it to happen--with the other team's bench playing unsustainably well (unsustainable = good, since Mizzou and ATM will quite likely be meeting again next week), with a few important guys (Goose, Taylor, and Safford from long range...plus DeMarre from the FT line) finding their shooting rhythm in the second half, and with the whole team almost making an unbelievable second-half comeback. One or two more buckets, and the last two minutes might have unfolded in a completely different way. ATM deserved to win, but Mizzou never quit. Moral Victories R Us!

Let's take a look at the stats...from a "what happens when we (probably) play them Thursday night" perspective.

NCAA Basketball Stats

	Mizzou	ATM
Points Per Minute	2.13	2.40
Points Per Possession (PPP)	1.17	1.32
Points Per Shot (PPS)	1.47	1.92
2-PT FG%	52.6%	69.7%
3-PT FG%	55.0%	47.1%
FT%	59.1%	74.3%
True Shooting %	62.8%	73.4%

	Mizzou	ATM
Assists	17	15
Steals	8	7
Turnovers	14	14
Ball Control Index (Assists + Steals) / TO	1.79	1.57

	Mizzou	ATM
Expected Offensive Rebounds	11	8
Offensive Rebounds	9	7
Difference	-2	-1

After the hot second half, Mizzou finished the game having shot 7.6% above their conference true shooting % (55.2%). ATM, 21.7% above (51.7%). They were almost automatic from inside the 3-point line and, in the first half, almost automatic from outside it too.
Meanwhile, Mizzou got nowhere near their conference average BCI of 2.31, actually even falling below ATM's 1.85 allowed. A 1.79 BCI for Missouri against a weak defense is like a Tom Osborne's Nebraska teams rushing for 175 yards against somebody like Missouri or Iowa State a decade or two ago--it's a decent number, but it shouldn't have happened.
A&M's own 1.57 was well above their conference average (1.15) as well. When it's your night (or afternoon), it's your night (or afternoon). Mizzou just couldn't force enough turnovers, and whether that's because they weren't making enough shots to set up the press, or if ATM was just in a great rhythm and had a great gameplan, I'm not sure. Guess we'll see if these two teams play again.
Mizzou got just close enough to mourn that their poor FT% could have made a difference. While DeMarre Carroll and Leo Lyons went a solid 7-for-10 from the line, the rest of the team (i.e. the backcourt, for the most part) went a stunning 4-for-10. Normally when MU's struggled from the line, it's been because of DeMarre, or maybe Keith Ramsey, laying some bricks. But if you take out JT Tiller's 3-for-4, the combination of Kimmie English, Marcus Denmon, Matt Lawrence and Justin Safford went 1-for-6. That can't happen.
One positive for Mizzou--rebounding was even. If you'd have told me that before the game, I'd have been convinced that Mizzou won by 15. Whoops.

Player Stats

NCAA Basketball Stats

Player	AdjGS*	GmSc/Min	Line
Zaire Taylor	22.44	0.75	17 Pts, 4 Ast
DeMarre Carroll	20.71	0.74	18 Pts, 6 Reb, 4 Ast
Justin Safford	15.53	0.74	15 Pts, 3 Reb
Leo Lyons	10.21	0.64	11 Pts, 4 Reb
Matt Lawrence	10.07	0.37	13 Pts, 2 Reb
Keith Ramsey	5.32	0.41	2 Pts, 2 Ast
Marcus Denmon	1.15	0.07	1 Pt, 2 Stl
Michael Anderson Jr.	1.01	0.20	0 Pts, 1 Ast
J.T. Tiller	0.43	0.02	5 Pts, 3 Ast, 4 TO
Laurence Bowers	0.00	0.00	2 Pts
Miguel Paul	-1.01	-0.34	0 Pts
Kim English	-2.73	-0.23	2 Pts, 2 Reb

* AdjGS = a take-off of the Game Score metric (definition here) accepted by a lot of basketball stat nerds. It does the same thing my previous measure of choice did (it takes points, assists, rebounds (offensive & defensive), steals, blocks, turnovers and fouls into account to determine an individual's "score" for a given game), only the formula is more used and accepted. The "adjustment" in Adjusted Game Score is simply matching the total game scores to the total points scored in the game, thereby redistributing the game's points scored to those who had the biggest impact on the game itself, instead of just how many balls a player put through a basket.

Seriously, if you think of every hot shooting streak Zaire Taylor has had, it's almost completely been when Mizzou was down big. He's an interesting combination of a stat-padder and...well, Mr. Coffee.
DeMarre looked completely harmless for about the first 32 minutes of the game, and then when ATM started guarding the 3-point line, DeMarre went to town and took the reins on the comeback attempt.
The 'backup bigs' hierarchy from the last seven days: 1) Justin Safford, 2) Laurence Bowers, 3) Keith Ramsey. Yeah, I wouldn't have guessed that either. Safford has either turned the corner and become a viable weapon for Missouri, or he's hit a hot streak, but either way...it was well-timed. Especially since Ramsey's confidence hasn't been lower all season.
For those wondering why Leo Lyons barely touched the floor in the second half, here's a small explanation.

Lyons hobbled off the court with 14:26 to play in the first half. A trainer appeared to briefly examine his right knee, and Lyons went back in for an eight-minute stretch.

But the senior forward, who finished with 11 points on 4 for 12 shooting, played only two minutes in the second half.

“We just had some other guys,” Anderson said. “He’s probably banged up, but we had some other guys. I thought they gave us the energy, and that’s what we were looking for.”

So there you go.
Last time JT Tiller had a game this bad (at K-State), he followed it up with a month of almost flawless play. Just sayin'.
I once again will have trouble complaining about Laurence Bowers' three minutes of P.T., especially since DeMarre was great and even Leo Lyons took a backseat to Unstoppable Force Justin Safford (and Matt Lawrence was playing very well at SF to boot), but still...you're attempting a 25-point comeback, and your best overall athlete is sitting fresh on the bench. Not saying I'd have been able to do much differently, but being that I'm the president of the Bowers Needs More Floor Time Committee (or, BNMFTC), I had to mention it.

And since neither Mizzou's nor ATM's sites provided 1st half vs 2nd half data, we'll at least take a look at ATM's player stats to see who played okay and who played at a much, much higher level than normal.

A&M Player Stats

Player	AdjGS*	GmSc/Min	Avg/Gm (Conf)
B.J. Holmes	16.59	0.64	8.74 (+7.85)
Bryan Davis	14.38	0.51	9.28 (+5.10)
Josh Carter	12.66	0.47	15.46 (-2.80)
Donald Sloan	12.41	0.40	8.45 (+3.96)
Nathan Walkup	12.17	0.61	1.69 (+10.48)
Derrick Roland	9.83	0.35	6.27 (+3.56)
Dash Harris	6.51	0.47	1.05 (+5.46)
David Loubeau	6.39	0.40	3.82 (+2.57)
Chinemelu Elonu	5.04	0.50	13.67 (-8.63)

So ATM's two best players (Carter, Elonu) played well below their average (a combined -11.43), and that probably won't happen next week if Mizzou and ATM play again--they'll probably be worth at least another 6-8 points. But...
The ATM bench (Holmes, Loubeau, Harris, Walkup) was worth 26.36 points more than in the normal game. Some of that can be attributed to the fact that Carter spent part of the first half hurt, and Elonu spent most of the game in foul trouble. Plus, you always have to figure that matchups will account for some of the skews from average. But come on...26.36 points? Also, look at the per-minute averages. If you've been reading these posts for the last couple of months, you've seen that bench numbers are usually pretty scattered--a couple of guys are probably going to put up per-minute averages of higher than 0.30 or 0.40, and a couple are probably going to do almost nothing (0.00 or a negative number). Only one ATM player averaged less than 0.40 AdjGS per minute. That's almost certainly not going to happen again next week, no matter how hot ATM is right now.
If Mizzou and ATM play next week and ATM wins again (always possible), it's likely going to be because they played well in the typical way ATM plays well--with Davis and Elonu grabbing a ton of rebounds and Carter and Sloan making big shots. Walkup and Holmes, at the very least, probably won't do nearly as much, win or lose.
I should also mention, by the way, that the last time a team played that well against Mizzou in the first half (KU), they turned around and laid a big, fat midweek egg against Texas Tech. So all of this talk about what might happen when Mizzou and ATM play again could be made moot Wednesday night.

Keys to the Game Revisited

(From Friday's Preview)

Pace. Swing and a miss by me. Each team had about 72 possessions in this game...which is EXACTLY where Mizzou wanted this game to be played (ATM games are usually around 64 possessions).
The 3-pointer. ATM couldn't miss in the first half, but it wasn't Josh Carter who did them in. It was Nathan Walkup (3-for-4), Donald Sloan (2-for-3), and B.J. Holmes (2-for-5). In the second half, Mizzou almost pulled off a miraculous comeback because they couldn't miss, but the damage of the first half was clearly costly, and it was the 3-pointer that did the most damage.

If Mizzou is to play ATM again in a week, odds say they won't have to worry about being killed by Walkup...but Josh Carter really didn't have to do much yesterday--he could do more damage later on.
Turnovers. Mizzou had 14 turnovers, which isn't too bad for them--they had a ton in the first half when ATM was making its move, but for 40 minutes, 14's not bad. Problem was, ATM also had only 14...which was a killer. ATM was much better handling the ball than they could normally be expected, and whether that's because of their great play, or Mizzou's poor play, or bad calls, or whatever, it was what it was.

vs Big 12
Mizzou: 12-4

	Mizzou	Opp.
Points Per Minute	1.96	1.75
Points Per Possession (PPP)	1.08	0.97
Points Per Shot (PPS)	1.30	1.24
2-PT FG%	50.4%	48.3%
3-PT FG%	37.8%	34.5%
FT%	68.5%	68.7%
True Shooting %	55.6%	53.0%

	Mizzou	Opp.
Assists	281	206
Steals	159	102
Turnovers	194	299
Ball Control Index (Assists + Steals) / TO	2.27	1.03

	Mizzou	Opp.
Expected Offensive Rebounds	203	198
Offensive Rebounds	168	197
Difference	-35	-1

Player	AdjGS/Gm*	GS/Min	Line
DeMarre Carroll	18.43	0.62	17.4 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 2.4 APG
Leo Lyons	13.20	0.59	14.1 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 1.7 APG
J.T. Tiller	9.42	0.38	8.6 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 3.7 APG
Zaire Taylor	9.20	0.33	6.8 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 3.8 APG
Matt Lawrence	6.52	0.32	7.5 PPG, 1.9 RPG
Marcus Denmon	5.94	0.32	6.8 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 1.3 APG
Laurence Bowers	4.49	0.68	3.7 PPG, 1.9 RPG
Keith Ramsey	4.43	0.29	3.8 PPG, 2.5 RPG
Kim English	4.09	0.25	6.0 PPG, 1.6 RPG, 1.2 APG
Justin Safford	2.95	0.40	3.0 PPG, 1.6 RPG
Miguel Paul	0.84	0.10	1.6 PPG
Michael Anderson Jr.	0.39	0.09	0.0 PPG
Jarrett Sutton	0.21	0.10	1 walk-on
Steve Moore	-0.37	-0.13	1 Truman Patriot

So Mizzou finishes the BIg 12 season having basically broken even on defensive rebounds, but coming up short on the offensive boards. You'd have thought with this system it may have been the obvious.
The shooting success of KU and ATM at the end of the season have hurt Mizzou's true shooting % defense. At this point they're a team that allows an average shooting % but still forces enough turnovers to win most games easily.
DeMarre Carroll: first-team all-conference.

And even though we lost, there's a prime opportunity for a photoshop job that shouldn't go to waste...

Do your worst.

Texas A&M: Know Your Rival

Bill C. — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 00:00:09 -0000

Intriguing game here. It's a huge game for Mizzou, it's a huger game for ATM. It's a trap game, it's not a trap game.

Sorry. Had to be done.

Anyway...should be an interesting game. It's a battle of two completely different styles of play. I just wish I didn't have to watch 40 minutes of basketball on that horrendous tan-on-brown-on-poop-brown parquet floor.

vs Big 12
Texas A&M: 8-7

	ATM	Opp
Points Per Minute	1.75	1.72
Points Per Possession (PPP)	1.08	1.06
Points Per Shot (PPS)	1.32	1.20
2-PT FG%	46.9%	48.3%
3-PT FG%	38.3%	35.3%
FT%	66.2%	70.9%
True Shooting %	54.6%	53.2%

	ATM	Opp
Assists	168	198
Steals	60	93
Turnovers	202	157
Ball Control Index (Assists + Steals) / TO	1.13	1.85

	ATM	Opp
Expected Offensive Rebounds	179	181
Offensive Rebounds	193	148
Difference	+14	-33

What ATM's good at: Rebounding (offensive and defensive...moreso defensive), 3-point shooting.
What ATM's not as good at: Anything ball-handling related. They've got 30 fewer assists than their opponents, 45 more turnovers, and 33 fewer steals. Uh oh. Plus, opponents shoot a little too well overall.

NCAA Basketball Stats

Player	AdjGS*	GmSc/Min	Line
Josh Carter (Sr)	15.46	0.50	14.2 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.0 SPG
Chinemelu Elonu (Jr)	13.67	0.52	10.9 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 1.7 BPG
Bryan Davis (Jr)	9.28	0.35	9.9 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 1.1 BPG, 2.7 TOPG
B.J. Holmes (So)	8.73	0.42	8.9 PPG, 1.9 RPG, 1.0 APG
Donald Sloan (Jr)	8.45	0.28	10.9 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 2.5 APG
Derrick Roland (Jr)	6.27	0.23	6.7 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 1.9 APG
David Loubeau (Fr)	3.82	0.28	4.0 PPG, 3.4 RPG
Nathan Walkup (So)	1.69	0.17	2.5 PPG, 1.6 RPG
Dash Harris (Fr)	1.05	0.08	1.6 PPG, 1.1 RPG, 1.9 APG
Andrew Darko (So)	0.95	0.71	4 minutes
Bryson Graham (Sr)	0.50	0.14	7 minutes
Chris Chapman (Jr)	0.00	0.00	1 minute
Marshall Carrell (So)	0.00	0.00	1 minutes
Shawn Schepel (So)	-0.50	-0.50	2 minutes
Derrek Lewis (So)	-1.57	-0.79	2 minutes

In a nutshell: A&M features a 9-man rotation with five main contributors averaging between 9 and 14 points per game. They rely on size (Davis is 6'9, 240; Elonu 6'10, 235), 3-point shooting (Carter has made 40 3's in conference play, shooting 43.5%; Holmes 29 at a 47.5% clip), and getting to the line (they've shot 376 FTs in conference play; their opponents 251). They're a physical team that attacks the basket to get open guys and favorable matchups. If they're hot from 3-point range, this could be a VERY tough game.

But at the same time, they're extremely turnover-prone (Davis averages 2.7 TOPG, Elonu 2.4, Roland 1.8, Sloan 1.6, Harris 1.4 and Carter 1.3). Hard to make dagger 3's if you don't get a shot off.
Another interesting thing about this team is that there's really no go-to shooter. Yes, Carter is the highest scorer, but nobody on the team takes more than 0.34 shots per minute. For perspective, DeMarre Carroll takes 0.39 shots per minute, Leo Lyons 0.38, and Marcus Denmon 0.41. Carter averages 0.34, Sloan 0.33, and Holmes 0.30. This team plays at a COMPLETELY different pace than MU.
Beware the offensive rebound. ATM will almost certainly win the rebounding battle overall, but that's fine as long as Mizzou can limit second chances. ATM rebounds very well as a team on the defensive glass (they don't run, so everybody stays back to rebound), but on offense it comes down to Elonu (0.14 off reb's per minute), Davis (0.11) and David Loubeau (0.15). Block out those guys! They don't play a major role in the offense before the shot goes up.

Keys to the Game

Pace. In Big 12 play, Mizzou averages about 74 possessions per game. That's a really fast clip. Texas A&M, meanwhile, averages about 65...very much on the low end. It's tortoise versus hare here, and whichever team can dictate the tempo, takes a huge step toward victory.

Both teams try to wear opponents out. Mizzou does it by running and harassing and speeding opponents' brains up. ATM does it by making opponents play defense for 25-30 seconds at a time and banging, banging, banging. In boxing terms, Mizzou is like Muhammad Ali (float like a butterfly, sting like a bee), ATM like George Foreman (plod, hammer, drain the grease from meat). Whoever's will wins out, wins.
The 3-pointer. This one goes both ways. For Mizzou, they've won in places like Stillwater and Ames because they were on fire from long-range. If Matt Lawrence, or Marcus Denmon, or Kimmie English catches fire, Mizzou can dodge this bullet.

Moreso, however, this goes for ATM. If you're looking to pull off a home upset, making lots of 3-balls is a very good way to do that, and if Josh Carter or Donald Sloan gets hot, Mizzou can be in serious trouble. Nothing energizes a home crowd more than back-to-back 3's from somebody, and if ATM is going to win, they need to shoot very well from long range.
Yep, turnovers. Every game, I try not to name this as a key, but...come on. ATM only forces 10 turnovers a game. Their BCI allowed has to be just about the highest in the league. Of COURSE this is important.

Prediction

I've been making a point to fret about this game for a while. Mizzou's coming off two huge games and doesn't have a whole lot to play for (it would be awesome to get the 2-seed and maybe earn a share of the conference title, but that's still not the highest of high-motivators), while ATM is fighting for their postseason lives. Plus, ATM can bang and slow Missouri down. They have the big bodies to frustrate Carroll and Lyons, and they will try to wear Mizzou's backcourt down with long possessions. I was fully prepared to call an upset on this one just to make a point.

But then I saw ATM's BCI figures. If you can't force Mizzou turnovers (or stop from turning the ball over yourself), then you're relying completely on your own sizzling shooting to get the job done, and while that's not an impossible strategy (it worked for K-State in Manhattan), there's almost no margin for error if you're losing the BCI battle to Mizzou. I wanted to pick against Mizzou here, but I just can't do it. (I never can.) Mizzou 73, ATM 66.

Late Iowa State Game Review

Beergut — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 09:45:13 -0000

Sorry I am getting to this so late, I had other obligations which kept me away from the computer. In any case, I don't think there is too much I can say about the game that hasn't already been said. The team made a nice statement by blowing Iowa State out of the gym in the second half on Saturday, winning the game, 87-69.

After torching us for 18 points in the first half, we were able to hold Cycle star Craig Brackins to only two points in the second half. I guess Turge0on finally figured out it might be a good idea to double-team their best player, and make the rest of their team beat us.

The decision to start Bryson Graham at PG was an interesting one; I'm not sure if Turge was just trying to see how he would do in the lineup, or he thought Graham would do better in the small lineup with David Loubeau, Bryan Davis, Josh Carter, and Nathan Walkup. Graham's minutes were limited (5 total for the game), but he did show an ability to hit the three, which gives us yet another long-range threat.

I was also happy to see Dash Harris go 2-3 from te floor, and finish with 6 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, and 1 turnover in 14 minutes of playing time. I am hopeful Harris will really come on for us in the post-season.

After his game-winning shot to beat Nebraska, I wondered if it signaled that Carter was going to step up and become the player we've always known he could be. Well, his career-high 29 points on 7-10 shooting from behind the arc was certainly a welcome site. If Carter has another big game against Colorado, I think it will be safe to say that the Aggies may have found a player who can carry us into postseason play. If nothing else, Carter's recent performance will re-emphasize to opponents that they need to focus their defense on stopping him first, which should open up our inside game more. Junior Elonu was the only other Aggie to score in double-digits, securing a double-double on the night with 16 points and 10 rebounds. If teams focus their defense on stopping Carter, it should open everything up for Elonu and Davis inside, as well as Holmes and Sloan on the outside.

Our game against Colorado is on Wednesday, in a game that will be televised on ESPNU. If we play like we did Saturday, we'll win our third straight road 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.

SB Nation - Dash Harris

Aggies Hang On To Defeat #16 Minnesota, 66-65

BtB 2009-10 Big 12 Preview

Big Twelve Conference Standings

Preseason All-Big 12 Team

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

Baylor

Colorado

Iowa State

Kansas

Kansas State

Missouri

Nebraska

Oklahoma

Oklahoma State

Texas

Texas A&M

Texas Tech

KNOW THY ENEMY: Texas A&M Aggies

The Coach

The Departures

The Veterans

The Redshirt

The Newcomers

The Analysis

Projected Starting Lineup

Projected Top Reserves

The Final Verdict

Previously on KNOW THY ENEMY...

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

Connecticut Preview - NCAA Tournament - Second Round

Big 12 Tournament - Texas Tech Game Preview

Missouri Game Review

Mizzou-ATM: Statistical Oh Well

Player Stats

A&M Player Stats

Keys to the Game Revisited

vs Big 12Mizzou: 12-4

Texas A&M: Know Your Rival

vs Big 12Texas A&M: 8-7

Keys to the Game

Prediction

Late Iowa State Game Review

vs Big 12
Mizzou: 12-4

vs Big 12
Texas A&M: 8-7