Aggie Basketball Game #27:
Texas A&M (14-12; 6-8 SEC) at Arkansas (20-7; 9-5 SEC)
Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2017 · 7:30 p.m. (CT)
Bud Walton Arena (19,200) · Fayetteville, Ark.
RADIO: WTAW 1620 AM (Bryan-College Station)
Dave South, Play-by-Play
Mike Caruso, Commentary
TV: SEC Network (For more info – 12thMan.com/TV)
Tom Hart, Play-by-Play
Daymeon Fishback, Commentary
SATELLITE RADIO: Sirius Ch. 137 / XM Ch. 191
LIVE AUDIO/STATS: 12thman.com/live
LIVE MOBILE LIVE STATS: tamustats.com
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COLLEGE STATION – The Texas A&M men’s basketball team returns to action Wednesday night in Fayetteville, Ark., as they face Arkansas inside Bud Walton Arena at 7:30 p.m.
The matchup will be nationally televised on SEC Network with Tom Hart and Daymeon Fishback calling the action from Arkansas. Radio coverage will be provided on the Aggie Sports Network, which can be heard locally in the Bryan/College Station area on WTAW (1620 AM).
A&M will be looking to avenge a 62-60 loss to the Razorbacks on Jan. 17 when Arkansas overcame a 12-point, second-half deficit to post the road win inside Reed Arena. Sophomore Admon Gilder led the Aggies with 16 points.
Wednesday will be the eighth SEC contest on the hardwood for the old Southwest Conference rivals who shared a spot in the SWC from 1915 until 1991 when the Razorbacks joined the SEC. Victories have been rare for the Aggies in Arkansas as Texas A&M is winless during its last eight trips to Fayetteville, having last won at Arkansas on March 1, 1986.
Aggie guard Admon Gilder
Texas A&M head coach Billy Kennedy
TRENDS & SUPERLATIVES
• During Saturday’s win over Auburn, A&M used a balanced scoring attack, placing five players in double-digit scoring … It marked the fourth time this season that A&M had five or more players reach double figures.
• The Maroon & White shot a season-high and nearly record-setting 31-of-45 from the floor … The 68.9 percent shooting effort was the third-highest single game effort in program history.
• Freshman Robert Williams fell just short of a fourth straight double-double, finishing with 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting to go along with nine rebounds … The Vivian, La., native also blocked a career-high six Tiger shot attempts, giving him 69 swats on the season, the second most for a season in A&M history (108, David Harris [1989-90]) … The six-block game was the most by an Aggie since Chinemelu Elonu posted a similar six-block performance against Florida A&M in 2009.
• The performance also extended Williams’ nation-leading blocked shot streak to 26 games, as well as marking his 20th multi-block game and his ninth game with four or more blocks.
• Sophomore Admon Gilder played 36 minutes in the contest, breaking a streak of eight consecutive games in which he had played all 40 minutes … The Dallas native finished with a team-high 17 points in the contest.
• Sophomore Kobie Eubanks set career highs in points (8) and minutes played (25) as well as a season-high six rebounds.
AGGIES AMONG THE SEC & NATIONAL LEADERS (Through 2/19 games)
• The Aggies rank ninth nationally in blocked shots per game with an average of 5.7 per contest (first in the SEC).
• On the offensive end, A&M has been efficient, ranking third in the SEC by shooting 46.6 percent from the field as a team, they are also second in the SEC (29th nationally) in assists with an average of 16.6 per contest.
• In the SEC rebounding column, A&M ranks second in the conference in rebound margin at +5.7 and leads the league in offensive rebounds per game (13.0) and offensive rebound percentage (.376) … The Aggies are 25th nationally in offensive rebounds per game.
• Nationally, the Aggies rank 25th in fewest fouls this season (430).
• Rookie Robert Williams continues to stand out as one of the SEC’s brightest freshmen, ranking second in the league (14th nationally) with 69 blocked shots for an average of 2.7 per game … He ranks second in the SEC in rebounding at 7.7 per contest.
• During SEC play, Williams ranks first in blocked shots (2.8 per game) and second in both field goal percentage (.540) and rebounding (9.2 boards per game).
• Sophomore Tyler Davis leads the SEC and ranks 14th nationally in field goal percentage, shooting 60.5 percent from the field … He also ranks eighth in the SEC in total rebounding at 6.9 per contest while checking in at second in the league on the offensive glass at 3.0 offensive rebounds per outing (42nd nationally).
• Second-year guard Admon Gilder appears throughout the lists of SEC statistical leaders, ranking second in steals per game (2.1), second in minutes played (34.0) and eighth in assists per game (4.0) … Gilder ranks 22nd nationally in steals per game.
NOTING ARKANSAS
• Arkansas was picked to finish fifth in the SEC by media that covers the conference … They are currently tied for fourth with Alabama, holding a conference record of 9-5.
• Senior forward Moses Kingsley was selected to the Preseason First Team All-SEC and also named Preseason SEC Player of the Year.
• Junior guard Daryl Macon was last week’s SEC Player of the Week after a 30 point performance off of the bench against Ole Miss on Saturday and 13 points against No. 21 South Carolina the Wednesday before.
• The Razorbacks are 3-2 in their last five games, but are on a three-game winning streak with victories at home against Ole Miss and on the road at No. 21 South Carolina and LSU … They currently hold a 20-7 record on the season.
• At Bud Walton Arena this season, Arkansas is 13-3, but only 4-3 in SEC play.
• In conference play, Arkansas has been led in scoring by Macon (15.1 points per game), senior guard Dusty Hannahs (14.6), Kingsley (12.7) and junior guard Jaylen Barford (12.4).
• In conference play, Arkansas is first in three-point field goal percentage (.398), turnovers committed (158, 11.29 per game), second in field goal percentage (.465) and third in points per game (79.3).
• This is head coach Mike Anderson’s sixth year at Arkansas, where his record is 122-71 … Anderson has a career record of 322-169 with previous stints at UAB and Missouri.
SERIES HISTORY VS ARKANSAS (ARKANSAS LEADS 99-55)
• Wednesday will be the eighth SEC contest between the Aggies & Razorbacks … the two schools shared a spot in the Southwest Conference from 1915 until 1991 when the Razorbacks joined the SEC.
• The two schools have faced off 154 previous times on the hardwood during the series, which dates back to the 1923-24 season … Arkansas stands out as the sixth-most common opponent in A&M men’s basketball history.
• Texas A&M is winless during its last eight trips to Fayetteville, having last won at Arkansas on March 1, 1986.
• Earlier this season on Jan. 17, the Razorbacks earned a 62-60 win over the Aggies in College Station … Admon Gilder lead A&M with 16 points in the losing effort.
• A&M’s Billy Kennedy is 3-5 all-time as a head coach against the Razorbacks … his lone meeting against Arkansas prior to his tenure at A&M came during the 1997-98 season while the head coach at Centenary … the Gents fell in Fayetteville 61-48.
• Kennedy’s head coaching counterpart, Arkansas’ Mike Anderson, is 4-9 all-time against the Aggies.
Story courtesy of Texas A&M Athletics