Texas A&M Aggies men's basketball
Encyclopedia
The Texas A&M Aggies men's basketball team represents Texas A&M University
in NCAA Division I college basketball
. The Aggies play home games at Reed Arena
, a 12,500-capacity arena in College Station
, Texas
on the campus of Texas A&M University.
In the 2006-07 season, Texas A&M was the only program in the Big 12 Conference
to have both men's and women's teams competing in the NCAA Tournament - the men as a 3 seed and the women as a 4 seed.
The Aggies finished the 2009-10 season ranked No. 25 in the final polls.
took over the A&M basketball program in 1963. His impact was immediate, winning the Southwest Conference with a 13-1 conference record for Texas A&M's first title in 13 years. In his 26 years as head coach at Texas A&M, he won six Southwest Conference titles, two Southwest Conference tournament
titles, and led A&M to six NCAA Tournament and four NIT appearances. He was fired by former A&M football player and then-athletic director John David Crow
after coaching 19 games of the 1989-1990 season. When asked by the media what happened between the two, Metcalf remarked, "I made a comment that I didn't think John David was all that bright. And I thought I was being generous." Metcalf finished his career at A&M with an overall record of 438–306, making him the all-time winningest men's basketball coach in Southwest Conference history.
), finished above .500 in conference play only twice, and posted an overall record of .500 or above only twice. John Thornton finished out the 1990 season as head coach after Metcalf was fired. Soon after, Kermit Davis, Jr.
was hired prior to the 1990–91 season. He resigned after posting a record of 8–21 and Texas A&M began investigating recruiting violations by Davis. Tony Barone
was hired from Creighton
in 1991 to replace Davis. Barone lasted seven years as head coach of the program, finishing below .500 six times. It was in 1994 that he finished with a 10–4 league record for 2nd place in the Southwest Conference and was invited to the NIT. After Barone finished last in the Big 12 Conference
in 1998, Melvin Watkins
was hired out of UNC-Charlotte
. While a good recruiter, Watkins never finished above seventh in the Big 12. He resigned after going winless (0–16) in conference play in 2004.
, was hired out of UTEP
after leading the Miners to an NCAA Tournament appearance and having the largest turnaround of any team in the nation, from 6–24 in 2002–03 to 24–8 in 2003–04. The Aggies, though picked by Big 12 coaches to finish last in the conference, immediately improved under Gillispie, winning their first 10 games and finishing at 21–10, 8–8 in conference. Along the way, the team defeated ranked, in-state rivals Texas
and Texas Tech
. The team earned an NIT bid, Texas A&M's first postseason in 11 years, reaching the quarterfinals of the tournament.
Gillispie's second year featured further improvement, with the Aggies defeating three ranked opponents in Colorado
, Texas, and Syracuse
. The team finished with a league record of 10–6 and a win in the Big 12 Tournament, Texas A&M's first since the conference first began play in 1996–97. The Aggies reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1987 as a 12-seed, upsetting fifth-seed Syracuse in the first round. The Aggies fell in the second round to LSU
on the final shot of the game.
In 2007, A&M was ranked as high as #10 in the pre-season polls. Despite early-season losses to LSU and UCLA
, the Aggies accomplished several feats not seen in years by the Aggies, including a win at Allen Fieldhouse
over then-#6 Kansas
, a first for a Big 12 South team since the conference was formed. They suffered three losses in conference play, a sweep by Texas Tech
and a double-overtime loss to a Kevin Durant
-led Texas in Austin, and were able to secure the #2 seed in the Big 12 Tournament
. The Aggies lost in the quarterfinals to Oklahoma State
. The Aggies received a #3 seed in the 2007 NCAA championship tournament, their highest seed ever, and reached the Sweet 16. In the postseason, the Aggies achieved a #9 ranking by the Associated Press
and ESPN
/USA Today
coaches polls, the highest ranking ever attained in school history.
On April 6, 2007, Gillispie resigned his position as head coach at Texas A&M to coach at the University of Kentucky
. Four days later, on April 10, Mark Turgeon
, head coach of Wichita State University
, was announced as the new men's basketball head coach at A&M.
. Once the season progressed, they won the 2007 NIT Season Tip-Off
to extend their winning streak to 7–0. Their first loss of the season came to unranked Arizona
. After the Arizona game, they would then win eight straight home games against unranked opponents. Team performance spiraled down once conference play had begun, losing to three straight unranked teams—at Texas Tech
, at Michael Beasley
-led Kansas State
, and at home to Baylor
in a 5-overtime classic. The Aggies would post wins at their next five matchups, including one over the 10th-ranked rival Texas Longhorns and three away games. They then regressed, losing to Oklahoma State
and Nebraska at home. Another high point came when they defeated Texas Tech 98–54 at home, matching their highest margin of victory in school history (set in 1959 against Texas). The Aggies regressed once again, this time losing 64–37 at Oklahoma. After the blowout, the Aggies were able to revenge Baylor in Waco
, though came back home to lose their final regular season game to eventual national champion Kansas to finish the season at 8-8 in conference play. The team received a No. 6 bid to the Big 12 tournament
, defeating Iowa State and Kansas State in the first two rounds, but lost to Kansas again in the semifinals. With their 24–10 record after the Big 12 tournament, the Aggies received a No. 9 at-large bid to the West Regional of the NCAA tournament
. In the first round, they defeated 8th-seeded BYU
67–62 at Anaheim
. In the second round, they faced UCLA
at the same site, though allowed them to escape with a close 51–49 win. The Aggies finished the season with a 25–11 record. The 25 wins matches the record for most wins by a first-year coach at a Big 12 school, set by former Texas coach Tom Penders
in the 1988–89 season.
The 2008–09 Aggies, led by Turgeon in his second year, went 14–1 in non-conference play, with wins over Alabama, Arizona, and LSU; the one loss was handed to them by Tulsa.Josh Carter
and Bryan Davis received preseason Big 12 honorable mention. The team did not make the top 25 of the preseason AP or Coaches polls, though received votes. During the 2009 signing period, the Aggies signed Naji Hibbert, Khris Middleton, Kourtney Roberson, and Ray Turner, all of whom were listed in the Rivals.com
Top 150 prospects for the class of 2009. The Aggies went 9-7 in Big 12 play to make the NCAA tournament for the fourth straight year; they defeated BYU in the first round for the second consecutive year before losing to UConn
. Josh Carter became an All-Big 12 Third Team selection, while Derrick Roland was selected to the Big 12 All-Defensive Team. The Aggies finished 24-10, giving Turgeon 49 wins over two years.
In the 2009-10 season, the Aggies played a considerably tougher non-conference schedule, going 10-3. Senior guard Derrick Roland broke his leg grotesquely in December and missed the rest of the season. 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 Tournament and defeated Nebraska before losing to No. 1 Kansas in the semifinals. They received an at–large bid to the NCAA 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. Donald Sloan made All-Big 12 First Team as a senior and Bryan Davis was named to the All-Big 12 Defensive team; they graduated with 100 wins, the most by any class in Aggie basketball history. Turgeon's 73 wins at the conclusion of the season surpassed Gillispie's 70 in three years at A&M.
Prior to the beginning of his last year at Texas A&M, Turgeon had negotiated a contract extension and salary increase, but he was growing more unhappy with the Aggie fanbase. During his final season coaching the Aggies Turgeon publicly express unhappiness with the inconsistent fan support from both students and public ticket holders. On the evening of May 9, 2011 at 8pm (local time), Turgeon met with his coaching staff and players to inform them that half an hour earlier he accepted the head coach position at the University of Maryland
. He had visited the campus earlier that day and left with an offer. When asked about his decision at an Aggie Athletics press conference he said "Maryland's got a great basketball tradition. [Texas A&M and Maryland are] real similar. It's a gut feeling." In their meeting earlier that night he told the Aggie players "it was the hardest decision [he] ever had to make... because of [them]." Turgeon said that fan attendance at A&M did not factor into his decision.
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 NCAA Division I college basketball
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
. The Aggies play home games at 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...
, a 12,500-capacity arena in College Station
College Station, Texas
College Station is a city in Brazos County, Texas, situated in East Central Texas in the heart of the Brazos Valley. The city is located within the most populated region of Texas, near three of the 10 largest cities in the United States - Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
on the campus of Texas A&M University.
In the 2006-07 season, Texas A&M was the only program in the Big 12 Conference
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
to have both men's and women's teams competing in the NCAA Tournament - the men as a 3 seed and the women as a 4 seed.
The Aggies finished the 2009-10 season ranked No. 25 in the final polls.
Metcalf era
Shelby MetcalfShelby Metcalf
Shelby Metcalf was the head coach of the Texas A&M Aggies men's basketball team for 27 seasons, from 1963 to 1990. He won more games than any other coach in the former Southwest Conference...
took over the A&M basketball program in 1963. His impact was immediate, winning the Southwest Conference with a 13-1 conference record for Texas A&M's first title in 13 years. In his 26 years as head coach at Texas A&M, he won six Southwest Conference titles, two Southwest Conference tournament
Southwest Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
The Southwest Conference was an NCAA athletic conference that existed from 1915 to 1996, and held its postseason basketball tournament, also called the "SWC Classic," starting in 1976.-Tournament champions by year:-Championships by school:- References :...
titles, and led A&M to six NCAA Tournament and four NIT appearances. He was fired by former A&M football player and then-athletic director John David Crow
John David Crow
John David Crow was the Heisman Trophy winner and halfback from Texas A&M University in 1957...
after coaching 19 games of the 1989-1990 season. When asked by the media what happened between the two, Metcalf remarked, "I made a comment that I didn't think John David was all that bright. And I thought I was being generous." Metcalf finished his career at A&M with an overall record of 438–306, making him the all-time winningest men's basketball coach in Southwest Conference history.
The Dark Ages
After Metcalf was fired, A&M went through the next fourteen years making only one postseason appearance (1994 NIT1994 National Invitation Tournament
-Semifinals & Finals:*Third Place - Siena 92, Kansas State 79...
), finished above .500 in conference play only twice, and posted an overall record of .500 or above only twice. John Thornton finished out the 1990 season as head coach after Metcalf was fired. Soon after, Kermit Davis, Jr.
Kermit Davis
Kermit "Froggy" Davis, Jr. is an American college basketball coach and the current head men's basketball coach at Middle Tennessee State University.-External links:*...
was hired prior to the 1990–91 season. He resigned after posting a record of 8–21 and Texas A&M began investigating recruiting violations by Davis. Tony Barone
Tony Barone
Anthony Andrew Barone, Sr. is an American basketball coach. A native of Chicago, he is the former head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA. Barone was appointed as the team's interim coach by Grizzlies general manager Jerry West after West fired Mike Fratello on December 28, 2006...
was hired from Creighton
Creighton Bluejays men's basketball
The Creighton Bluejays basketball team is the NCAA Division I men's basketball program of Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. They currently compete in the Missouri Valley Conference. The team last played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 2007...
in 1991 to replace Davis. Barone lasted seven years as head coach of the program, finishing below .500 six times. It was in 1994 that he finished with a 10–4 league record for 2nd place in the Southwest Conference and was invited to the NIT. After Barone finished last in the Big 12 Conference
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
in 1998, Melvin Watkins
Melvin Watkins
Melvin Lenzo Watkins is an American college basketball coach and former player. He is an assistant coach under Mike Anderson at the University of Arkansas. He has also been the associate head coach at the University of Missouri...
was hired out of UNC-Charlotte
Charlotte 49ers men's basketball
The Charlotte 49ers men's basketball team represents UNC Charlotte in the Atlantic 10 Conference.-Coaches:-Coaching staff:-Professional Players:The following Charlotte basketball players appeared in at least one game in the NBA:*Cedric Ball...
. While a good recruiter, Watkins never finished above seventh in the Big 12. He resigned after going winless (0–16) in conference play in 2004.
Gillispie era
After Watkins resigned, Billy GillispieBilly Gillispie
Billy Clyde Gillispie , also known by his initials BCG, is an American college basketball coach. Since 2011, he has been the current head coach of the men's basketball team at Texas Tech University...
, was hired out of UTEP
UTEP Miners
The UTEP Miners is the name given to the sports teams of the University of Texas at El Paso. Informally, the UTEP Miners have also been referred to as the Miners, UTEP, or Texas-El Paso. UTEP was a member of the Western Athletic Conference from 1967 to 2005, when they joined Rice, Tulsa, and SMU in...
after leading the Miners to an NCAA Tournament appearance and having the largest turnaround of any team in the nation, from 6–24 in 2002–03 to 24–8 in 2003–04. The Aggies, though picked by Big 12 coaches to finish last in the conference, immediately improved under Gillispie, winning their first 10 games and finishing at 21–10, 8–8 in conference. Along the way, the team defeated ranked, in-state rivals Texas
Texas Longhorns men's basketball
The Texas Longhorns men's basketball team represents The University of Texas at Austin in NCAA Division I men's basketball competition. The Longhorns currently compete in the Big 12 Conference....
and Texas Tech
Texas Tech Red Raiders men's basketball
The Texas Tech Red Raiders basketball team represents Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas in NCAA Division I men's basketball competition The team is currently coached by Billy Gillispie. Prior to Gillispie being named coach, the coach was Pat Knight who succeeded his father, Hall of Famer Bob...
. The team earned an NIT bid, Texas A&M's first postseason in 11 years, reaching the quarterfinals of the tournament.
Gillispie's second year featured further improvement, with the Aggies defeating three ranked opponents in Colorado
Colorado Buffaloes men's basketball
The Colorado Buffaloes men's basketball team represents the University of Colorado at Boulder in the Pacific-12 Conference.The Buffaloes have competed in ten NCAA Tournaments, making it to the Final Four twice , and...
, Texas, and Syracuse
Syracuse Orange men's basketball
The Syracuse Orange men's basketball program is the intercollegiate men's basketball team representing Syracuse University. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Big East Conference...
. The team finished with a league record of 10–6 and a win in the Big 12 Tournament, Texas A&M's first since the conference first began play in 1996–97. The Aggies reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1987 as a 12-seed, upsetting fifth-seed Syracuse in the first round. The Aggies fell in the second round to LSU
LSU Tigers basketball
The Louisiana State Tigers basketball team represents Louisiana State University in NCAA Division I men's college basketball. The team is currently coached by Trent Johnson and has enjoyed recent success, including a Final Four run in the 2005–2006 season. Past coaches include John Brady, Press...
on the final shot of the game.
In 2007, A&M was ranked as high as #10 in the pre-season polls. Despite early-season losses to LSU and UCLA
UCLA Bruins men's basketball
The UCLA Bruins men's basketball program, established in 1920, owns a record 11 Division I NCAA championships. UCLA teams coached by John Wooden won 10 national titles in 12 seasons from 1964 to 1975, including 7 straight from 1967 to 1973. UCLA went undefeated a record 4 times, in 1964, 1967,...
, the Aggies accomplished several feats not seen in years by the Aggies, including a win at Allen Fieldhouse
Allen Fieldhouse
Allen Fieldhouse is an indoor arena at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas. The arena, named in honor of Dr. Forrest C. "Phog" Allen, who coached the university's men's basketball team for 39 years, is one of college basketball's most historically significant and prestigious buildings...
over then-#6 Kansas
Kansas Jayhawks
The sports teams at the University of Kansas are known as the Jayhawks. They are one of three schools in the state of Kansas that participate in NCAA Division I. The Jayhawks are also a member of the Big 12 Conference...
, a first for a Big 12 South team since the conference was formed. They suffered three losses in conference play, a sweep by Texas Tech
Texas Tech Red Raiders
The Texas Tech Red Raiders are the athletic teams that represent Texas Tech University . The women's basketball team uses the name Lady Raiders; however, the school's other women's teams use the "Red Raiders" name. The university's athletic program fields teams in 15 varsity sports and 30 club sports...
and a double-overtime loss to a Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant
Kevin Wayne Durant is an American professional basketball player for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association . A 6'9" small forward/shooting guard who is also capable of playing power forward, Durant was the consensus 2007 National College Player of the Year and the...
-led Texas in Austin, and were able to secure the #2 seed in the Big 12 Tournament
2007 Big 12 Men's Basketball Tournament
The 2007 Phillips 66 Big 12 Men's Basketball Championship was the 2007 edition of the Big 12 Conference's championship tournament held at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City from March 8 until March 11, 2007...
. The Aggies lost in the quarterfinals to Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State Cowboys
Oklahoma State Cowboys are the athletic teams that represent Oklahoma State University. Their mascot is a cowboy named Pistol Pete. Oklahoma State participates in the NCAA's Division I-A and in the Big 12 Conference's South Division. The university's current athletic director is Mike Holder...
. The Aggies received a #3 seed in the 2007 NCAA championship tournament, their highest seed ever, and reached the Sweet 16. In the postseason, the Aggies achieved a #9 ranking by the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
and 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....
/USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
coaches polls, the highest ranking ever attained in school history.
On April 6, 2007, Gillispie resigned his position as head coach at Texas A&M to coach at the University of Kentucky
Kentucky Wildcats
The Kentucky Wildcats are the men's and women's intercollegiate athletic squads of the University of Kentucky , a founding member of the Southeastern Conference...
. Four days later, on April 10, 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:...
, head coach of Wichita State University
Wichita State University
Wichita State University is a NCAA Division I public university in Wichita, Kansas with selective admissions. WSU is one of six state universities governed by the Kansas Board of Regents. The current president is Dr. Donald Beggs....
, was announced as the new men's basketball head coach at A&M.
Turgeon era
The Aggies started the 2007-08 season ranked 14th in the preseason Coaches PollCoaches Poll
The USA Today Coaches' Poll is the current name for a weekly ranking of the top 25 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football and Division I college basketball teams....
. Once the season progressed, they won the 2007 NIT Season Tip-Off
NIT Season Tip-Off
The NIT Season Tip-Off is an annual college basketball tournament that takes place in November of each year, around the beginning of the season. The first two rounds are held at campus sites and the semifinals and the finals are held at Madison Square Garden. The tournament began in 1985 as the...
to extend their winning streak to 7–0. Their first loss of the season came to unranked Arizona
Arizona Wildcats men's basketball
The Arizona Wildcats basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The team competes in the Pacific-12 Conference of NCAA Division I. They are currently coached by Sean Miller.Arizona has a long and rich...
. After the Arizona game, they would then win eight straight home games against unranked opponents. Team performance spiraled down once conference play had begun, losing to three straight unranked teams—at Texas Tech
Texas Tech Red Raiders men's basketball
The Texas Tech Red Raiders basketball team represents Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas in NCAA Division I men's basketball competition The team is currently coached by Billy Gillispie. Prior to Gillispie being named coach, the coach was Pat Knight who succeeded his father, Hall of Famer Bob...
, at Michael Beasley
Michael Beasley
Michael Paul Beasley, Jr. is an American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association . He plays both forward positions, and shoots his jump shot left-handed, though he is also ambidextrous...
-led Kansas State
Kansas State Wildcats men's basketball
The Kansas State Wildcats men's basketball team represents Kansas State University in college basketball competition. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and is a member of the Big 12 Conference. The current head coach is Frank Martin....
, and at home to Baylor
Baylor Bears
Baylor Bears refers to the sports teams of Baylor University. Baylor's men's sports teams are nicknamed the Bears, and some women's teams are nicknamed the Lady Bears. Student athletes participate in the NCAA's Division I, and Baylor is the only private school in the Big 12 Conference...
in a 5-overtime classic. The Aggies would post wins at their next five matchups, including one over the 10th-ranked rival Texas Longhorns and three away games. They then regressed, losing to Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State Cowboys
Oklahoma State Cowboys are the athletic teams that represent Oklahoma State University. Their mascot is a cowboy named Pistol Pete. Oklahoma State participates in the NCAA's Division I-A and in the Big 12 Conference's South Division. The university's current athletic director is Mike Holder...
and Nebraska at home. Another high point came when they defeated Texas Tech 98–54 at home, matching their highest margin of victory in school history (set in 1959 against Texas). The Aggies regressed once again, this time losing 64–37 at Oklahoma. After the blowout, the Aggies were able to revenge Baylor in Waco
Waco, Texas
Waco is a city in and the county seat of McLennan County, Texas. Situated along the Brazos River and on the I-35 corridor, halfway between Dallas and Austin, it is the economic, cultural, and academic center of the 'Heart of Texas' region....
, though came back home to lose their final regular season game to eventual national champion Kansas to finish the season at 8-8 in conference play. The team received a No. 6 bid to the Big 12 tournament
2008 Big 12 Men's Basketball Tournament
The 2008 Phillips 66 Big 12 Men's Basketball Championship was the 2008 edition of the Big 12 Conference's championship tournament held at the Sprint Center in Kansas City from March 13 until March 16, 2008. It was the 12th Big 12 tournament in the series...
, defeating Iowa State and Kansas State in the first two rounds, but lost to Kansas again in the semifinals. With their 24–10 record after the Big 12 tournament, the Aggies received a No. 9 at-large bid to the West Regional of the NCAA tournament
2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball as a culmination of the 2007–08 basketball season...
. In the first round, they defeated 8th-seeded BYU
BYU Cougars men's basketball
The BYU Cougars men's basketball team represents Brigham Young University in NCAA Division I basketball play. Established in 1902, the team has won 30 conference championships and 2 NIT Tournaments , and competed in 26 NCAA Tournaments. It currently competes in the West Coast Conference...
67–62 at Anaheim
Anaheim, California
Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...
. In the second round, they faced UCLA
UCLA Bruins men's basketball
The UCLA Bruins men's basketball program, established in 1920, owns a record 11 Division I NCAA championships. UCLA teams coached by John Wooden won 10 national titles in 12 seasons from 1964 to 1975, including 7 straight from 1967 to 1973. UCLA went undefeated a record 4 times, in 1964, 1967,...
at the same site, though allowed them to escape with a close 51–49 win. The Aggies finished the season with a 25–11 record. The 25 wins matches the record for most wins by a first-year coach at a Big 12 school, set by former Texas coach Tom Penders
Tom Penders
Tom Penders is a retired college basketball head coach, who last coached from 2004 through 2010 at the University of Houston. He is from Stratford, Connecticut and has a 648-438 career record...
in the 1988–89 season.
The 2008–09 Aggies, led by Turgeon in his second year, went 14–1 in non-conference play, with wins over Alabama, Arizona, and LSU; the one loss was handed to them by Tulsa.Josh Carter
Josh 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...
and Bryan Davis received preseason Big 12 honorable mention. The team did not make the top 25 of the preseason AP or Coaches polls, though received votes. During the 2009 signing period, the Aggies signed Naji Hibbert, Khris Middleton, Kourtney Roberson, and Ray Turner, all of whom were listed in the Rivals.com
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...
Top 150 prospects for the class of 2009. The Aggies went 9-7 in Big 12 play to make the NCAA tournament for the fourth straight year; they defeated BYU in the first round for the second consecutive year before losing to UConn
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
. Josh Carter became an All-Big 12 Third Team selection, while Derrick Roland was selected to the Big 12 All-Defensive Team. The Aggies finished 24-10, giving Turgeon 49 wins over two years.
In the 2009-10 season, the Aggies played a considerably tougher non-conference schedule, going 10-3. Senior guard Derrick Roland broke his leg grotesquely in December and missed the rest of the season. 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 Tournament and defeated Nebraska before losing to No. 1 Kansas in the semifinals. They received an at–large bid to the NCAA 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 in the first round before falling to 4 seed Purdue in overtime in the second round to finish their season at 24–10. Donald Sloan made All-Big 12 First Team as a senior and Bryan Davis was named to the All-Big 12 Defensive team; they graduated with 100 wins, the most by any class in Aggie basketball history. Turgeon's 73 wins at the conclusion of the season surpassed Gillispie's 70 in three years at A&M.
Prior to the beginning of his last year at Texas A&M, Turgeon had negotiated a contract extension and salary increase, but he was growing more unhappy with the Aggie fanbase. During his final season coaching the Aggies Turgeon publicly express unhappiness with the inconsistent fan support from both students and public ticket holders. On the evening of May 9, 2011 at 8pm (local time), Turgeon met with his coaching staff and players to inform them that half an hour earlier he accepted the head coach position at the University of Maryland
University of Maryland
When the term "University of Maryland" is used without any qualification, it generally refers to the University of Maryland, College Park.University of Maryland may refer to the following:...
. He had visited the campus earlier that day and left with an offer. When asked about his decision at an Aggie Athletics press conference he said "Maryland's got a great basketball tradition. [Texas A&M and Maryland are] real similar. It's a gut feeling." In their meeting earlier that night he told the Aggie players "it was the hardest decision [he] ever had to make... because of [them]." Turgeon said that fan attendance at A&M did not factor into his decision.
Notable former players
Current players
- Antoine WrightAntoine WrightAntoine Domonick Wright is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for Asefa Estudiantes in Spain. He attended preparatory school at Lawrence Academy at Groton; in 2002, he led the Spartans to an Independent School League Basketball Championship...
— Sacramento KingsSacramento KingsThe Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California, United States. They are currently members of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association... - Acie Law IVAcie Law IVAcie Law IV is an American professional basketball player who plays for KK Partizan in Serbia. In his four seasons at Texas A&M University, Law scored 1,653 points and was credited with 540 assists...
— Golden State WarriorsGolden State WarriorsThe Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association... - DeAndre JordanDeAndre JordanHyland DeAndre Jordan, Jr. is an American professional basketball player at center for the Los Angeles Clippers of the NBA. He played a year of college basketball at Texas A&M University...
— Los Angeles ClippersLos Angeles ClippersThe Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
Career Points Scored
| Name | Seasons | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bernard King Bernard King (Texas A&M Aggies) Victor Bernard King, Jr. is an American former star college basketball guard for Texas A&M University who has played in the NBA Development League and is currently playing for APOEL.... |
1999–2003 | 1,990 |
| 2 | Vernon Smith | 1977–1981 | 1,778 |
| 3 | Acie Law IV Acie Law IV Acie Law IV is an American professional basketball player who plays for KK Partizan in Serbia. In his four seasons at Texas A&M University, Law scored 1,653 points and was credited with 540 assists... |
2003–2007 | 1,669 |
| 4 | John Beasley John Beasley (basketball) John Michael Beasley is a retired American professional basketball player.A 6'9" forward/center from Texas A&M University, Beasley was selected in the fifth round of the 1966 NBA Draft by the Baltimore Bullets... |
1963–1966 | 1,594 |
| 5 | Winston Crite Winston Crite Winston Arnel Crite is a retired American professional basketball player who currently trains young players. After a very successful career at Texas A&M University, Crite was selected with 53rd overall pick in the 1987 NBA draft by the Phoenix Suns and spent two following seasons in the NBA... |
1983–1987 | 1,576 |
| 6 | Josh Carter Josh 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... |
2005–2009 | 1,566 |
| 7 | Donald Sloan | 2007–2010 | 1,522 |
| 8 | Rynn Wright | 1977–1981 | 1,495 |
| 9 | Claude Riley Claude Riley Claude Edward Riley Jr is an American retired basketball player. He played in the NCAA, and professionally in Spain and Italy... |
1979–1983 | 1,383 |
| 10 | Carroll Broussard | 1959–1962 | 1,382 |
| 11 | Bennie Lennox | 1961–1964 | 1,344 |
See also
- Texas A&M Aggies women's basketballTexas A&M Aggies women's basketballThe Texas A&M Aggies women's basketball team represents Texas A&M University in NCAA Division I women's basketball. The team has been coached by Gary Blair since 2003. The Aggies play home games at Reed Arena, a 12,500-capacity arena in College Station, Texas on the campus of Texas A&M.The Aggies...
- 2009-10 Texas A&M Aggies men's basketball team
- Mark TurgeonMark TurgeonMark 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:...
External links
- Men's basketball official website