News release from Texas A&M Athletics:
COLUMBIA, S.C. – The No. 13 Texas A&M men’s basketball team (16-5 overall/5-3 vs. SEC) takes on the South Carolina Gamecocks in a 7:30 p.m. matchup on Saturday at Colonial Life Arena.
- The Aggies seek to win their second straight at Colonial Life Arena, which has traditionally been an unkind road venue for the Maroon & White. Texas A&M tallied a 94-53 win in its most recent trip to Colonial Life (1/14/23), but the Aggies have mustered just a 2-5 record all-time in Columbia.
- Overall, the Gamecocks hold a 10-5 advantage in the series against the Aggies with all 15 meetings coming since Texas A&M joined the SEC. The Aggies are 2-9 vs. SC since 2015.
- In last year’s matchup, the Aggies dropped a hard-fought 70-68 decision at Reed Arena (2/28/24)
STATISTICAL COMPARISON
|
Statistic |
South Carolina |
Rank |
Texas A&M |
Rank |
|
Scoring Offense |
70.4 |
T-273 |
75.3 |
T-163 |
|
Scoring Defense |
68.9 |
99 |
65.9 |
42 |
|
Scoring Margin |
1.5 |
T-205 |
9.4 |
64 |
|
Field Goal % |
43.4 |
252 |
42.4 |
296 |
|
Free Throw % |
69.2 |
262 |
68.5 |
280 |
|
3-Point % |
32.6 |
244 |
30.7 |
321 |
|
Free Throws/G |
16.3 |
49 |
17.0 |
33 |
|
FT Attempts/G |
23.5 |
28 |
24.8 |
12 |
|
3-Pointers/G |
6.9 |
T-270 |
7.0 |
T-256 |
|
3-Point Attempts/G |
21.0 |
258 |
22.7 |
185 |
|
FG% Defense |
44.0 |
209 |
39.5 |
22 |
|
3-Point % Defense |
32.5 |
146 |
31.6 |
103 |
|
Fouls/G |
16.0 |
T-107 |
17.3 |
212 |
|
Rebound Margin |
3.5 |
T-99 |
10.2 |
6 |
|
Off. Rebounds/G |
10.9 |
173 |
16.71 |
1 |
|
Def. Rebounds/G |
25.1 |
T-171 |
25.3 |
T-153 |
|
Rebounds/G |
36.0 |
T-157 |
42.1 |
6 |
|
Assist/Turnover Ratio |
1.0 |
263 |
1.0 |
267 |
|
Turnovers Forced/G |
10.9 |
T-289 |
14.3 |
49 |
|
Effective FG pct |
.497 |
261 |
0.481 |
311 |
As of 1/29
LAST 10 vs. SOUTH CAROLINA
|
Date |
Opponent (RK) |
Result |
TAMU |
Opp |
|
01/07/2017 |
at South Carolina |
L |
68 |
79 |
|
02/03/2018 |
South Carolina |
W |
83 |
60 |
|
02/16/2019 |
at South Carolina |
L |
77 |
84 |
|
03/05/2019 |
South Carolina |
L |
54 |
71 |
|
01/18/2020 |
South Carolina |
L |
67 |
81 |
|
02/08/2020 |
at South Carolina |
L |
54 |
74 |
|
01/06/2021 |
at South Carolina |
L |
54 |
78 |
|
01/29/2022 |
South Carolina |
L |
63 |
74 |
|
01/14/2023 |
at South Carolina |
W |
94 |
53 |
|
02/28/2024 |
South Carolina (18) |
L |
68 |
70 |
NEED-TO-KNOWS
REBOUNDING FOCUS: Despite 30 defensive rebounds in SEC opener vs. Texas (1/4), the Aggies averaged just 21.8 defensive boards through the first four SEC games (13th among SEC schools). In the last four SEC contests, however, the Aggies are averaging 27.3 defensive rebounds (3rd-best) and have pulled down at least 24 in all four games.
CHAIRMEN OF THE BOARDS: Texas A&M ranks No. 1 nationally in offensive rebounds (16.7), No. 6 in total rebounds (42.1) and No. 6 in rebound margin (10.2).
Only three opponents have managed 40+ rebounds against the Aggies (Alabama, Rutgers, Kentucky).
In the most recent game vs. OU, the Aggies actually pulled down more offensive boards (21) than the Sooners had total rebounds (19). The 28-rebound advantage (47-19) was a season high.
NET UPDATE: Texas A&M has faced a D1-high 16 NET Quad 1 or 2 opponents with 11 victories in those games (t3rd-most). The Aggies’ 11 Q1 games rank No. 3 in D1, and their six Q1 wins are tied for No. 3.
South Carolina, ranked No. 93 in NET, represents a Q2 opponent for the Aggies.
FREEBIES: After a 5-game slog of not making enough/not earning enough FT chances, the Aggies’ 29-of-35 effort from the line vs. OU (1/28) was a revelation. It was highest FT% in a game with 30+ attempts in the Buzz era and the highest with 35+ since 2000. It was the Aggies’ 7th game with 30+ FTA this season.
Texas A&M moved up to No. 12 nationally (No. 3 in SEC) in FTA/G at 24.8.
The Aggies are 12-1 overall when they make 65.0% or better from the line. In SEC play, the Aggies are 4-0 with better than 65.0 FT% and 1-3 with below 65.0%.
300 AGAIN FOR ZHU: SMU transfer Zhuric Phelps has 301 points this season, marking his third straight campaign with 300+ points. He is 62 points away from reaching the 1,500-point plateau for his career.
Phelps and Alijah Martin (UF) are the only SEC guards averaging 15.0+ points and 5.0 rebounds for the full season. In league play, Phelps joins 6-7 F Jalon Moore (OU) and 6-10 F/C Johni Broome (AUB) as the lone players averaging 18.0 points/6.0 rebounds
OH HENRY: Henry Coleman III is one of seven active players with 1,200+ points, 750+ rebounds and 125+ steals for his career. He joins Rudy Woods as the lone Aggies to reach the milestone plateaus.
TREND BULLETS
- Starters Solomon Washington and Hayden Hefner missed the OU game (1/28) due to injury.
- Texas A&M plays its 12th game with a tip time of 7 p.m. or later (CT) vs. South Carolina. The Aggies are 10-1 in 7 p.m. or later tips in 2024-25.
- With his 5-of-5 game at the free throw line vs. OU, Wade Taylor IV’s season FT% has eclipsed the 90.0% plateau at 90.2% (55-61). He set the season school record of 87.8% as a sophomore in 2022-23.
- On a team of rebounders, Pharrel Payne has hit his stride over the past three games with 21 total rebounds (7.0/G), including 11 off the offensive glass.
- Payne ranks as the nation’s third-most accurate shooter since the start of December with a 74.6 FG% (min. 60 FGA).
- He remains the most accurate shooter in SEC games (min. 35 FGA) at 70.5% (31-44).
- Payne has drawn a team-high 39 fouls in SEC play or 4.9 per game.
- According to KenPom, Payne’s “fouls drawn/40” average for the season is 7.0, which ranks No. 18 nationally and leads the SEC. The next-best SEC player in the category is Adou Thiero (ARK) at 6.4.
- Payne and Mark Sears (ALA) are the only SEC players with 50 or more FTA in league play.
- At 32-of-50 from the FT line, Payne ranks No. 2 in FTA and tNo. 4 in FTM in SEC games.
- Texas A&M pounds the offensive glass for a NCAA-best 16.7 offensive rebounds/G, which is 1.2/G more than any other D1 school. The Aggies have 16 more total offensive rebounds than the second-ranked team (North Dakota) despite playing two fewer games.
- The Aggies’ ability to gather offensive rebounds allows them to average 5.8 FGA/G than its opponents. Only Vanderbilt has a larger FGA advantage (7.0/G) among SEC schools.
- The Aggies are 5-2 vs. AP Top 25 teams, which ties for the most ranked wins in school history (with 1978-79 Aggies) and ranks No. 4 in top 25-wins among all D1 teams in 2024-25.
- Texas A&M hoops has rallied from a 15-point or more deficit to at least a tie six times in the past two seasons, including twice already in 2024-25. (Comeback history on page 6)
- Texas A&M has earned at least 20 trips to the FT line 15 times (12-3 record).
- Texas A&M averages just 1.8 free throw MAKES fewer than its opponents’ free throw ATTEMPTS per game (17.0 FTM to 18.8 FTA).
- Zhuric Phelps has reached double-digit points in 16 of 20 games as an Aggie. He has 4+ rebounds in 10 straight games, including a season-high 10 vs. ACU (12/28).
- Phelps needs four steals to reach an exclusive group of D1 players with 1,400+ points, 400+ rebounds, 250+ assists and 200 steals. A fourth-year senior, Phelps would join five other Covid 5th year players to reach the numbers – Mark Sears, Alabama; Dayvion McKnight, Xavier; Kadary Richmond, St. John’s; Nendah Tarke, Towson; and Posh Alexander, Dayton.
- Nebraska transfer C.J. Wilcher has at least one 3-pointer in four straight games.
- Texas A&M has earned 40+ rebounds in 14 games, while just allowing 40+ opponent rebounds just three times. The Aggies rank No. 6 nationally in rebound margin at 10.2/G.
- In a bit of an oddity, the Aggies shoot better from beyond the arc away from Reed Arena (32.1% road/neutral) compared to 29.1 at home.