How the heck is Texas A&M #1 in the conference?

[jbcarol]

Rich Hollenberg ‏@RichOnSports 1h1 hour ago

Billy Kennedy calls this "the toughest place to play in the SEC." @AggieMensHoops @RazorbackMBB tonight at 7p @ESPNU

[jbcarol]

Brent Zwerneman ‏@BrentZwerneman  2m2 minutes ago Bryan, TX
Arkansas upsets No. 5 Texas A&M 74-71 in Fayetteville tonight.

[jbcarol]

Brent Zwerneman ‏@BrentZwerneman  46m46 minutes ago College Station, TX
Texas A&M's Billy Kennedy on No. 5 A&M 72, No. 14 ISU 62 before sellout crowd in Reed: 'The students & fans definitely made a difference.'

[jbcarol]

TexAgs ‏@TexAgs  2h2 hours ago
Danuel House: This win is really big. It sets the standard for our team and lets us know that we can compete with anyone.

House: Playing against a former conference foe makes this win special. The Reed Rowdies were a big help getting the crowd into the game.

DanuelHou23 ‏@Danuel23House  2h2 hours ago
Please pray for my family they where in a bad car accident. Thanks

[jbcarol]

Brent Zwerneman ‏@BrentZwerneman Jan 30 College Station, TX

No. 5 Texas A&M won all 4 of its games against the Big 12 this regular season (Texas, KSU, Baylor, ISU) - & won all 4 by double digits.

[jbcarol]

TexAgs ‏@TexAgs  2h2 hours ago
Danuel House: This win is really big. It sets the standard for our team and lets us know that we can compete with anyone.

House: Playing against a former conference foe makes this win special. The Reed Rowdies were a big help getting the crowd into the game.

DanuelHou23 ‏@Danuel23House  2h2 hours ago
Please pray for my family they where in a bad car accident. Thanks

DanuelHou23 ‏@Danuel23House Jan 30

Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for the retweets, prayers, calls and text my family is bang up but they're ok! #🏠Family

[jbcarol]

Adam Sparks ‏@AdamSparks 14h14 hours ago

.@VandyMBB's Big 3 key to knocking off No. 8 Texas A&M. http://tnne.ws/1PBnmH5 

Point guard Wade Baldwin, forward Luke Kornet and center Damian Jones — all potential NBA prospects — will face off with the SEC's front-runner in the Commodores' most critical game of the season thus far. They know their own value in such games.

"When the three of us play well, we have a really good chance of winning the game, especially against a team like Texas A&M, which is really good," Kornet said. "It's not that all three of us necessarily have to be scoring the ball very well, but just performing very well in our role."

Likewise, coach Kevin Stallings said Baldwin, Jones and Kornet each have a particular strength that must show up for the 6 p.m. tipoff (ESPN2), and it goes far beyond scoring.

"From Damian, we need inside points and rebounds," Stallings said. "From Luke, we need rim protection and points — however they come, whether jump shots or post-ups or drives. From Wade, we need ball distribution, ball care and points when he has the opportunity — whether he has open jump shots or drives to the basket."

Jones' points in the paint and rebounds have actually come quite frequently against top competition. He has averaged 15.1 points and 8.1 rebounds in Vanderbilt's eight games versus top-30 RPI teams this season and just 12.7 points and 6.2 rebounds in the other 13 games against lesser competition.

However, the Commodores (12-9, 4-4 SEC) have a 1-7 record versus those top-30 RPI teams. Texas A&M (18-3, 7-1 SEC) is ranked 12th in RPI.

NEXT GAME

No. 8 TEXAS A&M (18-3, 7-1 SEC) at VANDERBILT (12-9, 4-4)

When: 6 p.m. Thursday

TV/radio: ESPN2

[jbcarol]

Brent Zwerneman ‏@BrentZwerneman 11h11 hours ago Bryan, TX

No. 8 Texas A&M falls 77-60 at Vanderbilt, Ags at home vs. South Carolina  3 pm Saturday.

[jbcarol]

Joe Lunardi ‏@ESPNLunardi 10h10 hours ago Drexel Hill, PA

Joe Lunardi Retweeted Republican MD Fan

A&M now No. 9 overall, behind Maryland, who résumé isn't as good as its rankings.

[jbcarol]

Vanderbilt men's basketball team was tired of the constant criticism, so the Commodores took it out on No. 8 Texas A&M.

Jeff Roberson scored a career-high 20 points and led Vanderbilt to a 77-60 victory over the Aggies on Thursday in Southeastern Conference action, giving the Commodores their first win over a ranked team in four years.

A&M (18-4, 7-2) lost for the second time in three games. Both losses came in SEC play, including a 74-71 defeat at Arkansas on Jan. 27.

A&M's Jalen Jones, one of the nation's top players, was held to four points as he hit only 1 of 13 from the floor. He missed eight of his first nine shots in the first half.

"We ran into a very hungry, aggressive Vanderbilt team," Aggies coach Billy Kennedy said. "I thought [Baldwin] was really good at point guard. He dictated the game on both ends of the floor."

[jbcarol]

Brent Zwerneman ‏@BrentZwerneman 4h4 hours ago

Fortunes of Jones, Texas A&M are marching in lockstep: http://www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/aggies/article/Fortunes-of-Jones-A-M-are-marching-in-lockstep-6819599.php ... via @HoustonChron

A&M's Jalen Jones has roamed college basketball courts long enough to recognize he has 16 wide eyes on him at all times - and it's never been more critical for the senior to set a good example for eight underclassmen.

"I need to maintain my composure for the younger guys," Jones said Tuesday as the No. 15 Aggies prepared for a 6 p.m. Wednesday game at Alabama. "I can't be out there losing my head."

With eight games remaining in Southeastern Conference play, as Jones goes so go the Aggies (18-5, 7-3). In A&M's first seven SEC games, all victories, Jones scored at least 20 points in five of those contests and averaged 21 points per game.

In the Aggies' last four contests, with three of those SEC losses, Jones has averaged 10 points per game, with a high of 14 in a home loss on Saturday against South Carolina. He fouled out of two of those games and picked up four fouls in another.

"Jalen is an all-league player, and the last (four) games, his numbers haven't been where they were prior to that," A&M coach Billy Kennedy said. "We need to pick it up (offensively), and he needs to adjust, which I think he'll do."

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/GottliebShow/status/697506390273867776

[jbcarol]

Michael Casagrande ‏@ByCasagrande 50m50 minutes ago Tuscaloosa, AL

Alabama student section cheat sheet for heckling Texas A&M.

[jbcarol]

Brent Zwerneman ‏@BrentZwerneman  2h2 hours ago Bryan, TX
92% free throw shooter Anthony Collins missed 2 w/ 2 seconds left, No. 15 Ags lose at Bama 63-62.

No. 15 Ags have lost 4 straight in SEC play after 7-0 start.

[jbcarol]

Raoul ‏@RaoulRjiura 18h18 hours ago San Clemente, CA

@TexAgs Soon to be 7-6 loss to LSU on road and Kentucky at home.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/SEC/status/698550130841092097

[jbcarol]

Brent Zwerneman ‏@BrentZwerneman 2h2 hours ago Baton Rouge, LA

Billy Kennedy on his posts' play: We were soft. We had some guys not playing as aggressive as they're capable of playing.

Final box from LSU 76, No. 15 A&M 71:

[jbcarol]

Brent Zwerneman ‏@BrentZwerneman  Feb 13 Baton Rouge, LA
LSU pulls away for 76-71 win over No 15 Texas A&M. Ags have lost 5 straight in SEC play after 7-0 start. Next up: 3 straight at home for A&M

[jbcarol]

Gabe Bock ‏@GabeBock Feb 13 College Station, TX

When A&M has lost games, Tyler Davis has gone silent. Today in 1st half, Davis had 9 points, 5 rebounds. In 2nd half...0 points, 1 board.

[jbcarol]

Daniel Paulling ‏@DanielPaulling 1h1 hour ago

Andy Kennedy expecting "wounded animal" mentality from Texas A&M on Tuesday: http://on.thec-l.com/1TlLCiS

No longer in AP Top 25

A&M enters Tuesday night's game against Ole Miss with four consecutive losses, leading coach Andy Kennedy to expect the Aggies will adopt a distinctive mentality.

"They're going to have a 'wounded animal' mentality, I'm sure," Kennedy said Monday on the Southeastern Conference men's basketball coaches' teleconference. "They've not had the results I'm sure (Aggies coach) Billy (Kennedy) and his staff and his team would've liked."

No. 13 Aggies (18-7, 7-5 SEC) — who play host to the Rebels (16-9, 6-6) at 8 p.m. (ESPNU) — hadn't lost consecutive games this season before their poor stretch, which includes three consecutive losses to South Carolina, Alabama and LSU by a total of nine points.

Despite the Aggies' struggles, Andy Kennedy sees Texas A&M as a challenging opponent because of its experience. Three of the Aggies' top four scorers (Jalen Jones with 16 points per game, Danuel House with 15.8 and Alex Caruso with 8.3) are seniors...

[jbcarol]

Aggie Men's Hoops
‏@AggieMensHoops

1st 1,000 students at the game tomorrow get FREE pizza rolls courtesy of @Coach_Kennedy!

vs. Ole Miss | Tues. 8pm

[jbcarol]

Brent Zwerneman ‏@BrentZwerneman 17m17 minutes ago College Station, TX

Texas A&M snaps 4-game losing streak with 71-56 win over Ole Miss here in Reed Arena. No. 15 Kentucky up next in Reed at 5:30 CT Saturday.

A&M trailed Ole Miss by 9 about midway through 1st half here in Reed Arena, but Aggies take 40-35 lead to locker room.

[jbcarol]

Gabe Bock ‏@GabeBock  College Station, TX

A&M Hoops should be favored in 5 of its finals 4 of its final 5 games

[jbcarol]

Brian Hamilton ‏@BrianHamiltonSI 3h3 hours ago

The Shootaround: How Texas A&M's build is taking shape, as a big moment with Kentucky looms. http://on.si.com/1SEvIju 

A&M may be two games out of first place in the SEC race, but there is an argument that it is evolving into a primary foil for the conference's resident powerhouse, thanks to its upward trajectory and recent recruiting success. This matchup is a chance to bolster that argument. "Anytime you beat a team with the prestige that Kentucky has, it goes a long way for your program," says senior guard Alex Caruso. "Even if we come up short and play a good game—which, I mean, we're not planning on, we're planning on winning—it shows that's what the program is about. It's about competing with the best in your league and in the country."

No, the Aggies are no longer the nation's fifth-ranked team, as they were three weeks ago, after a 17–2 start. Despite falling out of the polls this week, they appear to be building toward sustained success. Texas A&M has veterans leading it in the present—three of its top four scorers are seniors. The future also seems secure, with four freshmen that were among the consensus top-100 prospects from the Class of 2015, with two more consensus top-100 recruits en route out of the Class of '16.

In the long view, those five SEC losses don't matter too much. But a single game against Kentucky might...

[jbcarol]

Brent Zwerneman ‏@BrentZwerneman  1m1 minute ago
Aggies' Tyler Davis with the putback at buzzer, Texas A&M defeats Kentucky 79-77 in overtime.

[jbcarol]

David Cloninger ‏@DCTheState  3m3 minutes ago
USC tied for second with TAMU, LSU. Tiebreakers over each. One game back of Kentucky.

[jbcarol]

Kyle Tucker ‏@KyleTucker_CJ  1m1 minute ago
Ulis said Humphries "still in the locker room saying sorry" and he told him to stop. Not his fault.

[jbcarol]

CBS Sports CBB ‏@CBSSportsCBB 27m27 minutes ago

Video of both the controversial technical and the buzzer-beater that capped A&M's win over Kentucky. http://cbsprt.co/1POuWNl

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/BrentZwerneman/status/701243654556389376

[jbcarol]

Jerry Tipton ‏@JerryTipton  14h14 hours ago
Why did A&M choose Skal Labissiere to shoot Isaac Humphries' free throws with 9.4 seconds left in OT?

Billy Kennedy said his assistant who scouted UK made the recommendation. When Skal made the first, "I said, 'Dang. He can stroke it.'"

Said Kennedy of Skal: "He wasn't scared. I thought he'd make the second one after he made the first."

when was last time UK lost while making 10-plus 3s. Answer: Dec. 29, 2012. UK made 10 3s in 80-77 loss to Louisville.

[jbcarol]

Jay Bilas ‏@JayBilas  4h4 hours ago
Texas A&M did not choose Skal Labissiere to shoot the free throws. Calipari made that choice.

[jbcarol]

Brent Zwerneman ‏@BrentZwerneman  2h2 hours ago College Station, TX
No. 21 Aggies escape with one in Reed Arena, two Danuel House free throws with 2.1 seconds remaining, A&M 68, MSU 66 final.

[jbcarol]

Steve Walentik ‏@Steve_Walentik  3m3 minutes ago
#Mizzou hasn't been able to make any sort of run at Texas A&M in the second half. Aggies lead 68-42, 11:15 left.

[jbcarol]

Gabe Bock ‏@GabeBock 20h20 hours ago College Station, TX

Last time Aggie Hoops won league title was 1986. Exactly 30 years ago. A&M is now tied with UK and owns tiebreaker. 2 more wins = SEC title.

[jbcarol]

Kentucky plummets, Texas A&M rises in latest AP Top 25

A&M led the way after moving up one spot to No. 20 in the poll. The Aggies have won four straight after sustaining a midseason swoon and seem to be back on track as the regular season approaches conclusion. Texas A&M has its sights set on the top seed in the SEC Tournament and could secure that with wins over Auburn and Vanderbilt this week.

Kentucky fell six spots to No. 22

[jbcarol]

Brent Zwerneman ‏@BrentZwerneman 1m1 minute ago

It's been 30 years since Texas A&M won a regular-season basketball title. That can change this week: http://www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/article/A-M-can-end-30-year-dry-spell-with-SEC-reign-this-6862146.php ...

"We addressed that at the beginning of the year - we talked about it being 30 years," A&M fifth-year coach Billy Kennedy said of the last time the Aggies won or shared a league regular-season title. "We knew this was a great opportunity for us to have a chance to win a conference championship. All we wanted to do was put ourselves in a position to do that.

"We're in that position."

Possess tiebreaker

The Aggies (22-7, 11-5 SEC) are tied for first with Kentucky in the league standings, with one week left in the regular season. A&M, which owns the tiebreaker over UK courtesy of a win over the Wildcats, plays at Auburn at 8 p.m. Tuesday and plays host to Vanderbilt at 11 a.m. Saturday.

"It's crazy. You think about some of the teams here that were really good, teams that went to the Sweet 16 and the second round of the NCAA Tournament, and none of those teams ever won a conference title," said senior Alex Caruso, who grew up in College Station and was an A&M ball boy in Reed Arena.

'85-86 Aggies, coached by the ever-quotable Shelby Metcalf, won a share of the ol' Southwest Conference regular-season title, but they didn't even make the NCAA Tournament.

[jbcarol]

Jon Rothstein ‏@JonRothstein 2h2 hours ago

Can Vanderbilt beat an NCAA caliber team away from Nashville? We'll find out today. Commodores are in College Station to face Texas A&M.

[jbcarol]

Brent Zwerneman ‏@BrentZwerneman  54m54 minutes ago
Texas A&M wins at least share of SEC title with 76-67 win over Vandy.


Clinched #1 seed in the SEC Tournament

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/BrentZwerneman/status/706193236939841536

[jbcarol]

Brent Zwerneman ‏@BrentZwerneman 19h19 hours ago

Well-deserved for Billy Kennedy: SEC coach of the year from coaches; Jalen Jones 1st team, Alex Caruso and Danuel House 2nd team.

Tyler Davis and DJ Hogg all freshmen team; Caruso all-defensive team.

[jbcarol]

Brent Zwerneman ‏@BrentZwerneman 2h2 hours ago

Texas A&M envisions deep run if both stars -- Jalen Jones & Danuel House -- align: http://www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/aggies/article/A-M-envisions-deep-run-if-both-stars-align-6883528.php ... via @HoustonChron

A&M considers Jalen Jones and Danuel House the ideal one-two senior scoring punch, with the punches typically thrown from one or the other's hot hand.

"If it's not my night, it might be his night," Jones said. "And if it's not his night, it might be my night."

Aggies (24-7) punched their ticket as the SEC tournament's top seed despite Jones and House rarely putting their hot hands together in the same 40 minutes. Jones, a transfer from SMU, leads A&M with 15.8 points per game. House, a transfer from the University of Houston, follows with 15.3 ppg.

Despite averaging more than 30 points together, however, House and Jones have both scored at least 20 points in the same game only twice this year, in consecutive victories over Tennessee and Florida in the middle of the season. Now would be a good time for a third, fourth or fifth along those lines, A&M coach Billy Kennedy said.

"We're going to need both of them to be big for us if we're going to win the SEC tournament," Kennedy said Wednesday. "Or if we're going to win in the NCAA Tournament."

Aggies, who shared the regular-season league title with Kentucky but earned the top seed by virtue of defeating the Wildcats, will play No. 8 seed Florida at noon Friday at Bridgestone Arena. The Gators defeated No. 9 seed Arkansas 68-61...

[jbcarol]

Kevin Brockway ‏@gatorhoops  47m47 minutes ago Nashville, TN
Kentucky looked pretty dominant in 83-61 win over Alabama. Have a feeling it will be chalk in the final -- Texas A&M v. Kentucky.

[jbcarol]

Brent Zwerneman ‏@BrentZwerneman 16h16 hours ago Nashville, TN

Top seed Texas A&M will face No. 4 seed LSU at noon Saturday in SEC tourney semifinals. Each won on their home court this season.

[jbcarol]

Brent Zwerneman ‏@BrentZwerneman
Alex Caruso first dribbled in Reed Arena when he was 4 -- now he has A&M on verge of SEC title in last home game: http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/article/Aggies-Alex-Caruso-hopes-final-home-game-comes-6871579.php ...

[jbcarol]

Brent Zwerneman ‏@BrentZwerneman  58m58 minutes ago
Aggies roll to SEC final with whipping of LSU http://www.chron.com/sports/aggies/article/Aggies-roll-to-SEC-final-with-whipping-of-LSU-6886476.php ... via @houstonchron

In a season in which Texas A&M has already made plenty of program history, the Aggies will aim to add another notch in their high tops.
The top-seeded Aggies will face either second-seeded Kentucky or sixth-seeded Georgia on Sunday in the SEC tournament title game, following a 71-38 whipping of LSU on Saturday afternoon in Nashville's Bridgestone Arena.
A&M hasn't won a league tournament title since 1987, when the Aggies played in the now defunct Southwest Conference. The Aggies on Saturday squashed any LSU hopes of making the NCAA Tournament behind star freshman Ben Simmons.

[jbcarol]

True Brown ‏@12thManTrue  18h18 hours ago
Seven of A&M's 14 players were not born in March 1994, the last time the school played in a conference tournament championship.

[jbcarol]

Brent Zwerneman ‏@BrentZwerneman  14m14 minutes ago Nashville, TN
Kentucky beats Texas A&M 82-77 in OT in SEC title game.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/TexAgs/status/709096876901928960

[jbcarol]

A&M is a 3 seed in the West Region.

[jbcarol]

Brent Zwerneman ‏@BrentZwerneman  1h1 hour ago
SEC Tourney final was one heck of a crash course for Texas A&M in prepping for NCAAs: http://www.chron.com/sports/aggies/article/Aggies-fall-to-Kentucky-in-OT-in-NCAA-Tournament-6887561.php?cmpid=twitter-desktop ... via @houstonchron

A&M is bound for the NCAA Tournament for the first time in five years this week. The Aggies wrapped up a heck of a crash course for the real deal on Sunday.
No. 2 seed Kentucky edged the top-seeded Aggies 82-77 in overtime in Bridgestone Arena in the Southeastern Conference title game before a partisan Wildcats crowd – just as it every year in this event for the perennial basketball power.
The No. 16 Wildcats (26-8) led 64-60 with about four minutes remaining when UK's Jamal Murray missed a 3-point attempt from the right corner. Teammate Isaiah Briscoe snagged the offensive rebound on the other side of the basket, and fired the ball right back to Murray, who smoothly sank his second attempt from the same spot.
Down seven at that point, the No. 17 Aggies clawed back and tied the game at 71 on Danuel House's off-balanced runner in the lane with 19 seconds left. UK guard Tyler Ulis started the scoring in overtime with a 3-pointer, and House later again tied the game at 75 on his own 3-pointer. In a battle of long shots, UK's Derek Willis then sank his own 3-pointer to give the Wildcats an insurmountable 78-75 lead with about a minute remaining.
The Aggies (26-8) were trying to win their first league tournament since 1987, a little more than a week after earning at least a share of a regular-season title for the first time since 1986. Both those triumphs took place in the long gone Southwest Conference.