2009–10 Texas A&M Aggies men's basketball team
Encyclopedia
The 2009–10 Texas A&M Aggies men's basketball team represented Texas A&M University
in the 2009-10 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team was led by third-year head coach Mark Turgeon
, who coached the team to a 24–10 record and an NCAA tournament appearance in the previous season. The Aggies play their home games in Reed Arena
. The team was picked to finish fifth in the Big 12 in the preseason coaches' poll but finished tied for second. With their 22–8 regular-season finish and 11–5 mark in conference play, the Aggies participated in the 2010 Big 12 Men's Basketball Tournament
and defeated Nebraska before losing to No. 1 Kansas in the semifinals. They received an at–large bid to the 2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
and earned a 5 seed in the South Region. They defeated 12 seed Utah State
in the first round before falling to 4 seed Purdue
in overtime in the second round to finish their season at 24–10. In the final Coaches' Poll, the Aggies were ranked No. 25.
, Derrick Roland and Bryan Davis, along with juniors B.J. Holmes and Nathan Walkup and sophomores David Loubeau and Dash Harris. Despite that, the Aggies began the year unranked. A&M faced a much tougher non-conference schedule than they had played in recent years, featuring a trip to Los Angeles
for the 76 Classic
. Among the other participants in the tournament were nationally ranked West Virginia
, Butler
, Minnesota
and Clemson
. Their other marquee matchup before the beginning of conference play was scheduled against the preseason-No. 14 Washington Huskies
. Though the Aggies were not ranked in any major poll, they received votes in both the AP
and Coaches' polls.
—the winningest player in Aggie basketball history—and junior post player Chinemelu Elonu
, two of the team's starters the previous year
. Carter graduated and signed a contract to play in Germany, while Elonu was drafted in the second round of the NBA Draft
. The loss of Elonu, who along with Bryan Davis constituted much of the Aggies' inside game, was tabbed as being especially detrimental to the team's hopes for success as the 2009-10 season began.
, Kourtney Roberson and Ray Turner. They later added Jeremy Adams to a class that narrowly missed being ranked in the top 25 classes nationally by ESPN
. Roberson was later declared ineligible and, after waiting one year, will join the nationally ranked A&M class of 2010. Turner was ineligible for the fall semester and joined the team in January, bringing an immediate impact. While Hibbert, who was the prize recruit of the class, contributed in many ways as a freshman, it was Middleton, called the best-shooting forward in the high school class of 2009 by many, who later became a starter and threw his name into the ring as a potential future star for the Aggies.
| colspan="7" style="padding-left:10px;" | Overall Recruiting Rankings: Scout
– NR Rivals
– NR ESPN
– 27
|}
!colspan=9| Exhibition
|-
!colspan=9| Regular season
|-
!colspan=10| 2010 Big 12 Men's Basketball Tournament
|-
!colspan=10| 2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
and fibula in his right leg early in the second half of the Aggies' game against Washington. After going up for a rebound, he came down awkwardly, his leg emitting a loud crack that was heard throughout the arena. The leg bent outwards at a ninety-degree angle in the middle of his shin. Many of the Aggies began crying on the court at the sight, including Roland's childhood friend, senior guard Donald Sloan, who had to be helped off of the court. Pondexter called it "One of the nastiest things I've ever seen." Turgeon said, "Derrick was the heart and soul of this team. Everyone is devastated. Our guys had their eyes swollen in the last five minutes of the game. They were crying during the game. They never came out of it." The Aggies, who were shaken, stumbled to a 73-64 defeat. After the loss, the previously No. 19 Aggies (in the AP poll) dropped out of the rankings and did not re-enter until February 15, 2010. Roland was treated in a Seattle-area hospital before returning to Texas. At the time of his injury, he was averaging 11.1 points per game, second on the team, and had been named to the All-Big 12 Defensive Team the year before. Roland's injury significantly altered the course and prospects of the Aggies' season.
In A&M's conference play-opening win against Nebraska, Roland returned to the team bench on crutches and watched his teammates play in person for the first time since his injury. Despite missing one of their team captains, their best defender and a viable scoring option—or perhaps using it as motivation—the Aggies continued on to a 22-8 regular-season record and an 11-5 conference record, tied for second in the Big 12. The team became a mainstay in the top 15 of the RPI
and ranked in both the AP and Coaches' polls for the entirety of the second half of the season. Roland's quick progression in his recovery led to rumors that he may have been able to return to the team, able to play, in time for the Big 12 Tournament
or the NCAA Tournament
, but Texas A&M was reluctant to feed speculation regarding the possibilities and no situation in which he could enter a game ever materialized.
On March 3, 2010, Roland was honored along with fellow seniors Donald Sloan and Bryan Davis at the Aggies' Senior Night before and after Texas A&M's win against Oklahoma State in their last home game of the season. The Aggies' season ended in the second round of the 2010 NCAA Tournament with a loss to fourth-seeded Purdue, and it was announced that coach Mark Turgeon would help Roland pursue a medical redshirt in order to return to the team for the 2010-11 season.
"He's always thought about it, but the thing about it is there is no guarantee," Turgeon said. "Let's just say we're going to try to get him a redshirt year. I'm not going to sit here and fight it in the media. It's something we are going to try. He wants to try but we are fighting an uphill battle on this one."
Note: Team received votes in every poll for which they were unranked, with the exception of Week 12.
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
in the 2009-10 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team was led by third-year head coach Mark Turgeon
Mark Turgeon
Mark Leo Turgeon is an American college basketball coach. He is currently the head coach for the University of Maryland Terrapins. Turgeon previously served as head coach at Texas A&M for 4 years.-Personal:...
, who coached the team to a 24–10 record and an NCAA tournament appearance in the previous season. The Aggies play their home games in Reed Arena
Reed Arena
Reed Arena is a sports arena and entertainment venue located at the corner of Olsen Boulevard and Kimbrough Boulevard in College Station, Texas. This facility is used for Texas A&M University basketball games and commencement ceremonies, concerts, trade shows, family entertainment, and Texas A&M...
. The team was picked to finish fifth in the Big 12 in the preseason coaches' poll but finished tied for second. With their 22–8 regular-season finish and 11–5 mark in conference play, the Aggies participated in the 2010 Big 12 Men's Basketball Tournament
2010 Big 12 Men's Basketball Tournament
The 2010 Phillips 66 Big 12 Men's Basketball Championship was the 2010 edition of the Big 12 Conference's championship tournament held at Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri from March 10 until March 13, 2010. It was won by top-seeded Kansas...
and defeated Nebraska before losing to No. 1 Kansas in the semifinals. They received an at–large bid to the 2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The first and second round games were played at the following sites:*March 18 / 20*March 25 / 27*March 26 / 28Each regional winner advanced to the Final Four, held on April 3 and 5 in Indianapolis, Indiana at Lucas Oil Stadium, hosted by the Horizon League and Butler University, as per the NCAA's...
and earned a 5 seed in the South Region. They defeated 12 seed Utah State
2009–10 Utah State Aggies men's basketball team
The 2009–10 Utah State Aggies men's basketball team represented Utah State University in the 2009–10 college basketball season. This was head coach Stew Morrill's 12th season at Utah State. The Aggies played their home games at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum and are members of the Western Athletic...
in the first round before falling to 4 seed Purdue
2009–10 Purdue Boilermakers men's basketball team
The 2009–10 Purdue Boilermakers men's basketball team represented Purdue University. The head coach was Matt Painter, then in his fifth season with the Boilers...
in overtime in the second round to finish their season at 24–10. In the final Coaches' Poll, the Aggies were ranked No. 25.
Pre-Season
Nearly all of the contributors from the previous year's NCAA Tournament second-round team returned for the Aggies, including seniors Donald SloanDonald Sloan (basketball)
Donald Sloan is an American basketball player who formerly played for the NBADL's Reno Bighorns. He played shooting guard for Texas A&M. As a senior during the 2009-10 season, Sloan led the Aggies in scoring with a 17.8 points per game average and was a first team All-Big 12 Conference selection...
, Derrick Roland and Bryan Davis, along with juniors B.J. Holmes and Nathan Walkup and sophomores David Loubeau and Dash Harris. Despite that, the Aggies began the year unranked. A&M faced a much tougher non-conference schedule than they had played in recent years, featuring a trip to Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
for the 76 Classic
2009 76 Classic
The 2009 76 Classic is a 3-day, 8-team, 12-game men’s National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I exempt basketball event being held on November 26, 27, & 29, 2009. The tournament is sponsored by Conoco Phillips-owned brand 76. All 12 games are played at the Anaheim Convention Center in...
. Among the other participants in the tournament were nationally ranked West Virginia
2009–10 West Virginia Mountaineers men's basketball team
The 2009–10 West Virginia Mountaineers men's basketball team represented West Virginia University in the 2009-10 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. They were coached by Bob Huggins and played their home games at the WVU Coliseum. The team captured the first Big East Tournament Championship...
, Butler
2009–10 Butler Bulldogs men's basketball team
The 2009–10 Butler Bulldogs men's basketball team represented the Butler Bulldogs men's basketball team in the 2009–10 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Their head coach was Brad Stevens, serving his 3rd year...
, Minnesota
2009–10 Minnesota Golden Gophers men's basketball team
The 2009–10 Minnesota Golden Gophers men's basketball team represented the University of Minnesota in the college basketball season of 2009–2010. The team's head coach was Tubby Smith in his third year. The Golden Gophers played their home games at Williams Arena in Minneapolis,...
and Clemson
2009–10 Clemson Tigers men's basketball team
The 2009–10 Clemson Tigers men's basketball team represented Clemson University in the 2009–10 college basketball season. Their head coach was Oliver Purnell. The team played its home games at Littlejohn Coliseum in Clemson, South Carolina and are members of the Atlantic Coast Conference. All games...
. Their other marquee matchup before the beginning of conference play was scheduled against the preseason-No. 14 Washington Huskies
2009–10 Washington Huskies men's basketball team
The 2009–10 Washington Huskies men's basketball team represented the University of Washington in the 2009–10 college basketball season. This was head coach Lorenzo Romar's 8th season at Washington. The Huskies played their home games at Bank of America Arena and are members of the Pacific-10...
. Though the Aggies were not ranked in any major poll, they received votes in both the AP
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
and Coaches' polls.
Departures
The main factors contributing to A&M's being unranked in the preseason were the departures of senior guard Josh CarterJosh Carter
Joshua Neville Carter is an American professional basketball player at guard/forward. He played college basketball for Texas A&M. He also played for the Athletes in Action basketball team in 2006 and 2007, helping the team win the William Jones Cup in 2006...
—the winningest player in Aggie basketball history—and junior post player Chinemelu Elonu
Chinemelu Elonu
Chinemelu D. Elonu, Jr. is a Nigerian American basketball player. He played college basketball for Texas A&M.-College career:...
, two of the team's starters the previous year
2008–09 Texas A&M Aggies men's basketball team
The 2008–09 Texas A&M Aggies men's basketball team represents Texas A&M University in the 2008-09 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team is led by second-year head coach Mark Turgeon, who coached the team to a 25–11 record and an NCAA tournament appearance his first season.The Aggies...
. Carter graduated and signed a contract to play in Germany, while Elonu was drafted in the second round of the NBA Draft
2009 NBA Draft
The 2009 NBA Draft was held on June 25, 2009, the WaMu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur U.S...
. The loss of Elonu, who along with Bryan Davis constituted much of the Aggies' inside game, was tabbed as being especially detrimental to the team's hopes for success as the 2009-10 season began.
Recruiting
In 2008 the Aggies received commitments from four-star rated Naji Hibbert and three-star prospects Khris MiddletonKhris Middleton
James Khristian "Khris" Middleton is an American college basketball player with the Texas A&M Aggies men's basketball team who is entering his junior season. He attended Porter-Gaud School, where he was coached by John Pearson...
, Kourtney Roberson and Ray Turner. They later added Jeremy Adams to a class that narrowly missed being ranked in the top 25 classes nationally by ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
. Roberson was later declared ineligible and, after waiting one year, will join the nationally ranked A&M class of 2010. Turner was ineligible for the fall semester and joined the team in January, bringing an immediate impact. While Hibbert, who was the prize recruit of the class, contributed in many ways as a freshman, it was Middleton, called the best-shooting forward in the high school class of 2009 by many, who later became a starter and threw his name into the ring as a potential future star for the Aggies.
Class of 2009
|-| colspan="7" style="padding-left:10px;" | Overall Recruiting Rankings: Scout
Scout.com
Scout.com is an integrated sports publishing company that produces both an Internet and print product. Scout has more than 2.1 million visitors...
– NR Rivals
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
– NR ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
– 27
|}
Roster
Schedule
|-!colspan=9| Exhibition
|-
!colspan=9| Regular season
|-
!colspan=10| 2010 Big 12 Men's Basketball Tournament
2010 Big 12 Men's Basketball Tournament
The 2010 Phillips 66 Big 12 Men's Basketball Championship was the 2010 edition of the Big 12 Conference's championship tournament held at Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri from March 10 until March 13, 2010. It was won by top-seeded Kansas...
|-
!colspan=10| 2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The first and second round games were played at the following sites:*March 18 / 20*March 25 / 27*March 26 / 28Each regional winner advanced to the Final Four, held on April 3 and 5 in Indianapolis, Indiana at Lucas Oil Stadium, hosted by the Horizon League and Butler University, as per the NCAA's...
Derrick Roland
On December 22, 2009, senior guard Derrick Roland broke the tibiaTibia
The tibia , shinbone, or shankbone is the larger and stronger of the two bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates , and connects the knee with the ankle bones....
and fibula in his right leg early in the second half of the Aggies' game against Washington. After going up for a rebound, he came down awkwardly, his leg emitting a loud crack that was heard throughout the arena. The leg bent outwards at a ninety-degree angle in the middle of his shin. Many of the Aggies began crying on the court at the sight, including Roland's childhood friend, senior guard Donald Sloan, who had to be helped off of the court. Pondexter called it "One of the nastiest things I've ever seen." Turgeon said, "Derrick was the heart and soul of this team. Everyone is devastated. Our guys had their eyes swollen in the last five minutes of the game. They were crying during the game. They never came out of it." The Aggies, who were shaken, stumbled to a 73-64 defeat. After the loss, the previously No. 19 Aggies (in the AP poll) dropped out of the rankings and did not re-enter until February 15, 2010. Roland was treated in a Seattle-area hospital before returning to Texas. At the time of his injury, he was averaging 11.1 points per game, second on the team, and had been named to the All-Big 12 Defensive Team the year before. Roland's injury significantly altered the course and prospects of the Aggies' season.
In A&M's conference play-opening win against Nebraska, Roland returned to the team bench on crutches and watched his teammates play in person for the first time since his injury. Despite missing one of their team captains, their best defender and a viable scoring option—or perhaps using it as motivation—the Aggies continued on to a 22-8 regular-season record and an 11-5 conference record, tied for second in the Big 12. The team became a mainstay in the top 15 of the RPI
Ratings Percentage Index
The Rating Percentage Index, commonly known as the RPI, is a quantity used to rank sports teams based upon a team's wins and losses and its strength of schedule. It is one of the systems by which NCAA basketball and baseball teams are ranked...
and ranked in both the AP and Coaches' polls for the entirety of the second half of the season. Roland's quick progression in his recovery led to rumors that he may have been able to return to the team, able to play, in time for the Big 12 Tournament
Big 12 Men's Basketball Tournament
The Big 12 Men's Basketball Tournament is the championship men's basketball tournament in the Big 12 Conference. It is a single-elimination tournament of four rounds, with the top four seeds getting byes in the first round...
or the NCAA Tournament
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
, but Texas A&M was reluctant to feed speculation regarding the possibilities and no situation in which he could enter a game ever materialized.
On March 3, 2010, Roland was honored along with fellow seniors Donald Sloan and Bryan Davis at the Aggies' Senior Night before and after Texas A&M's win against Oklahoma State in their last home game of the season. The Aggies' season ended in the second round of the 2010 NCAA Tournament with a loss to fourth-seeded Purdue, and it was announced that coach Mark Turgeon would help Roland pursue a medical redshirt in order to return to the team for the 2010-11 season.
"He's always thought about it, but the thing about it is there is no guarantee," Turgeon said. "Let's just say we're going to try to get him a redshirt year. I'm not going to sit here and fight it in the media. It's something we are going to try. He wants to try but we are fighting an uphill battle on this one."
Rankings
| Poll | Pre | Wk 1 | Wk 2 | Wk 3 | Wk 4 | Wk 5 | Wk 6 | Wk 7 | Wk 8 | Wk 9 | Wk 10 | Wk 11 | Wk 12 | Wk 13 | Wk 14 | Wk 15 | Wk 16 | Wk 17 | Wk 18 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP | 19 | 16 | 23 | 19 | 24 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 23 | * | ||||||||||
| Coaches | 22 | 18 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 25 |
Note: Team received votes in every poll for which they were unranked, with the exception of Week 12.
See also
- 2009–10 Big 12 Conference men's basketball season2009–10 Big 12 Conference men's basketball seasonThe 2009–10 Big 12 Conference men's basketball season marks the 14th season of Big 12 Conference basketball.-Big 12 Coaches Poll:-All-Big 12 players:*Sherron Collins, Kansas*Willie Warren, Oklahoma*Damion James, Texas*Craig Brackins, Iowa State...
- 2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball TournamentThe first and second round games were played at the following sites:*March 18 / 20*March 25 / 27*March 26 / 28Each regional winner advanced to the Final Four, held on April 3 and 5 in Indianapolis, Indiana at Lucas Oil Stadium, hosted by the Horizon League and Butler University, as per the NCAA's...
- 2009-10 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
- 2009-10 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings