Aggie Basketball Game #22:
Texas A&M (11-10; 3-6 SEC) at LSU (9-12; 1-8 SEC)
Saturday, Feb. 4, 2017 · 8 p.m. (CT)
Maravich Assembly Center (13,215) · Baton Rouge, La.
RADIO: WTAW 1620 AM (Bryan-College Station)
Dave South, Play-by-Play
Mike Caruso, Commentary
TV: ESPNU (For more info – 12thMan.com/TV)
Matt Stewart, Play-by-Play
Kyle Macy, Commentary
SATELLITE RADIO: Sirius Ch. 113 / XM Ch. 192
LIVE AUDIO/STATS: 12thman.com/live
COLLEGE STATION – The Aggies will try to get back on the winning track Saturday night in Baton Rouge as they face off against LSU inside the Maravich Center. Tipoff between the SEC rivals is slated for 8 p.m.
The matchup will be nationally televised on ESPNU with Matt Stewart calling the play-by-play action and Kyle Macy providing color commentary. 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).
Earlier this season on Jan. 11, Texas A&M defeated the Tigers 92-62 at Reed Arena in College Station to post their fifth win in their last six meetings against LSU. During the win, A&M set season highs in field goals (34), field goal percentage (56.7 percent), assists (24) and blocks (11) as five Aggies – Admon Gilder (14), Tonny Trocha-Morelos (14), Chris Collins (12), Robert Williams (12) and DJ Hogg (10) – finished with 10 or more points.
An Aggie win would knot the all-time series between the schools, which dates back to the 1916-17 season, at 18-18, however, A&M victories have been rare in Baton Rogue as the Aggies are just 2-13 at LSU. A 67-64 A&M win on Jan. 17, 2015, was the first by the Aggies in Baton Rouge since Dec. 14, 1941, snapping a nine-game Tiger home winning streak in the series.
Texas A&M head coach Billy Kennedy
Aggie center Tyler Davis
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TRENDS & SUPERLATIVES
• During his last three games, sophomore Tyler Davis is averaging 19.0 points and 9.7 rebounds per game while shooting 80 percent from the field.
• Sophomore Admon Gilder has played all but one minute of game action in the Aggies’ last five games and is averaging 16.8 points per contest during the stretch … The Dallas native is shooting 48.6 percent from beyond the 3-point arc during the stretch.
• Freshman Robert Williams notched two block shots Tuesday vs. Vanderbilt to set a new school record for consecutive games with a blocked shot at 21, topping the previous mark of 20 set by David Harris from Dec. 21, 1989, to March 9, 1990 … in his last four games, Williams is averaging 10.4 rebounds per game.
• Sophomore DJ Hogg (13.0 points per game) returned to the court Tuesday against the Commodores after missing the previous two games with a food injury.
AGGIES AMONG THE SEC & NATIONAL LEADERS (Through 2/1 games)
• The Aggies rank 14th nationally in blocked shots per game with an average of 5.6 per contest (second in the SEC).
• On the offensive end, A&M has been efficient, ranking second in the SEC by shooting 46.4 percent from the field as a team as well as second in the SEC in assists with an average of 16.5 per contest … The Aggies are third in the league with a 1.1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
• Defensively, A&M ranks third in FG percentage defense by allowing foes to shoot just .408 from the field.
• In the SEC rebounding column, A&M ranks second in the conference in rebounding margin at +5.6 and leads the league in offensive rebound percentage at 38.7 percent … The Aggies are 14th nationally in offensive rebounds per game (13.75).
• Nationally, the Aggies rank 23rd in fewest fouls this season (347).
• Rookie Robert Williams continues to stand out as one of the SEC’s brightest freshmen, ranking second in the league (25th nationally) with 50 blocked shots for an average of 2.4 per game … He ranks sixth in the SEC in rebounding at 6.9 per contest.
• Sophomore Tyler Davis leads the SEC and ranks 12th nationally in field goal percentage, shooting 62.6 percent from the field … He also ranks fifth in the SEC in total rebounding at 7.3 per contest while leading the league on the offensive glass at 3.33 offensive rebounds per outing (26th nationally).
• Second-year guard Admon Gilder appears throughout the lists of SEC statistical leaders, ranking second in steals per game (2.0), fourth in minutes played (32.8) and eight in assists per game (4.0).
• Sophomore DJ Hogg continues to rank among the SEC’s top shooters, checking in at sixth in the league shooting 38.1 percent from long range while making 2.1 3-point baskets per contest, fifth in the SEC.
NOTING LSU
• LSU lost to No. 19 South Carolina, 63-88, in Baton Rouge on Wednesday, bringing their overall record to 9-12 and their conference record to 1-8.
• Sophomore guard Antonio Blakeney was selected to the Preseason Second Team All-SEC … The Sarasota, Fla., native leads the Tigers on the year with a 16.0 point-per-game average.
• In conference play, LSU is led in scoring by Blakeney (14.8 points per game), junior college transfer Duop Reath (11.4 ppg) and freshman guard Skylar Mays (11.0 ppg).
• LSU was projected to finish 12th in the SEC by a preseason poll of media that covers the conference.
• Since defeating Missouri on Jan. 4, LSU has lost eight consecutive games … In the Maravich Center this season, the Tigers are 0-5 in SEC games and 7-5 overall.
• LSU is last in the SEC during conference play in field goal percentage allowed (.495), total rebounds allowed (361, 40.1 per game), blocks against (40, 4.4 per game), and points per game allowed (90.2).
• Veteran Johnny Jones is in his fifth season leading the Tigers and his 17th year as a head coach … Jones has a record of 89-63 with LSU and a career record of 294-225.
SERIES HISTORY VS LSU (LSU LEADS 18-17)
• Saturday’s contest will be the 36th meeting between the Aggies and the Tigers on the hardwood and the 11th as members of the SEC.
• Last season, the two schools squared off three times with each squad winning on its home court during the regular season before the Aggies ended the Tigers’ run at the SEC Tournament with a 71-38 victory in the semifinal round.
• The series dates back to the 1916-17 season during the early days of each school’s men’s basketball program … LSU earned a 24-15 victory.
• Before the Aggies joined the SEC for the 2012-13 campaign, the last meeting between the schools came on Dec. 20, 2008, when the Aggies defeated LSU 72-61 at Houston’s Toyota Center.
• A&M head coach & Louisiana native Billy Kennedy is 6-6 against LSU, having faced the Tigers once while at Centenary and once as the head coach at Southeastern Louisiana before coming to Texas A&M.
• The series has been dominated by the home team with the Aggies holding a 10-2 record in College Station and the Tigers owning a 13-2 mark in Baton Rouge.
LAST TIME OUT VS. THE TIGERS // JAN. 11 – A&M 92, LSU 62 – BOX SCORE
Team Notes
• Texas A&M blocked 11 shots against the Tigers, the most in a game since recording 12 vs. Mississippi Valley State on Nov. 11, 2013.
• The Aggies’ 92 points against the Tigers matched the highest output by the Maroon & White in an SEC game, set last season against Arkansas (1/2/16) & Tennessee (1/9/16).
• A&M set season highs in field goals (34), field goal percentage (56.7 percent), assists (24) and blocks (11) … The Aggies had 24 assists on 34 made field goals.
Individual Notes
• Sophomore Chris Collins set career highs in points (12), assists (8), rebounds (4) and 3-point field goals (2) … Collins’ eight assists were the second most by an Aggie this season, trailing only DJ Hogg‘s nine against A&M-Corpus Christi (12/5/16).
• Freshman Robert Williams contributed 12 points and blocked four shots.
• Junior Tonny Trocha-Morelos pitched in 14 points, six rebounds, three blocks, two steals and an assist in 25 minutes of court time … The trio of blocks set a career-high for the Cartagena, Columbia, native.
• Joining Collins, Williams and Trocha-Morelos in doubles figures were sophomores Admon Gilder (14) and DJ Hogg (10).