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

[HawgLife4Eva]

How are the Ags this good? It just defies explanation.

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/conferences/standings/_/id/23/year/2016/sec-conference

[widespreadsooie]

How are the Ags this good? It just defies explanation.

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/conferences/standings/_/id/23/year/2016/sec-conference

Watched them play for the first time last night against LSU and was blown away at how good they looked. They looked like a legitimate Final Four team. Very solid at all positions. 

[bigdaddyhawg]

How are the Ags this good? It just defies explanation.

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/conferences/standings/_/id/23/year/2016/sec-conference

Good recruiting, good coaching.

It's not as hard as many on here make it out to be.

[Hawg Red]

Good recruiting, good coaching.

It's not as hard as many on here make it out to be.

[NuttinItUp]

I want to see how they perform against South Carolina and Kentucky.

Definitely surprising from the Aggies, though.

[azhog10]

I didn't follow their recruiting really at all. But the three freshman are maybe as good as I've seen, even on par with Simmons. Obviously Simmons comes with a much higher ceiling but I didn't recall their recruits being just that highly recruited. I imagine I can look back and be wrong. But gist of my post is their coach did a heck of a job evaluating guys that could come in and play right away and contribute.

They run a lot of good stuff, and obviously Carusso's progression has made them super difficult to guard.

[Paul]

they're an impressive team...Dammit!

[b-ash]

Their 3 leading scorers last year come back for their senior years.  Our leading scorers chose to leave.  Give me Bobby and Michael back and I bet we go toe to toe with them.  Just wish we could keep the good ones longer.

[SleepyJ]

Their 3 leading scorers last year come back for their senior years.  Our leading scorers chose to leave.  Give me Bobby and Michael back and I bet we go toe to toe with them.  Just wish we could keep the good ones longer.

Thanks for adding a little common sense to this thread...

[The_Iceman]

Adding this recruiting class to veteran talent sure helps (#5 in the country):
http://tamu.247sports.com/Season/2015-Basketball/Commits

Meanwhile, we lose 90% of our production and add the last ranked class in the SEC (#94 nationally).

[jdunhog]

Adding this recruiting class to veteran talent sure helps (#5 in the country):
http://tamu.247sports.com/Season/2015-Basketball/Commits

Meanwhile, we lose 90% of our production and add the last ranked class in the SEC (#94 nationally).


Yeah it is amazing how competitive we are.  Must be good coaching!

[azhog10]

Adding this recruiting class to veteran talent sure helps (#5 in the country):
http://tamu.247sports.com/Season/2015-Basketball/Commits

Meanwhile, we lose 90% of our production and add the last ranked class in the SEC (#94 nationally).

Although looking at rosters Elijah Thomas is now at Clemson and left TAMU. I'm guessing he couldn't compete with Davis and co.

[The_Iceman]

Yeah it is amazing how competitive we are.  Must be good coaching!

Mike is a good coach. But he is also responsible for assembling talent and managing the roster. Going into games out-manned and under-talented in year 5 is solely Mike's responsibility. Mike does a great job keeping this team in games they shouldn't be in, but that's not good enough.

[gmarv]

Mike is a good coach. But he is also responsible for assembling talent and managing the roster. Going into games out-manned and under-talented in year 5 is solely Mike's responsibility. Mike does a great job keeping this team in games they shouldn't be in, but that's not good enough.

how much better would we of been if we had decorey Williams and the Thomas kid and beard all year? i think some of what happened to us was beyond coach A. control. I don,t know how much better we would of been but surely we would of been some better.

[razorhead94]

Adding this recruiting class to veteran talent sure helps (#5 in the country):
http://tamu.247sports.com/Season/2015-Basketball/Commits

Meanwhile, we lose 90% of our production and add the last ranked class in the SEC (#94 nationally).

To your point, had our leading scorers or seniors to be not left, we would have sat comfortably with our two big recruits Jimmy Whitt and Kapita to fullfill the class that would have been rated as a class a lot better than the actual result.

The fact all the juniors came back was huge and why A&M is having so much success. 

[Jackrabbit Hog]

how much better would we of been if we had decorey Williams and the Thomas kid and beard all year? i think some of what happened to us was beyond coach A. control. I don,t know how much better we would of been but surely we would of been some better.

Losing Jacorey was addition by subtraction. 

[dsims2k3]

Jones has blown up. 

[The_Iceman]

Losing Jacorey was addition by subtraction. 

Except for the fact our starting PF is averaging 3.7ppg on 36% shooting.

[Jackrabbit Hog]

Except for the fact our starting PF is averaging 3.7ppg on 36% shooting.

Like all players, Jacorey was in essence a balance sheet:  assets vs. liabilities.   He might have averaged 10-12 points for us this year, but it probably would have been on 36% shooting as well (meaning his points were coming at the expense of someone else shooting a higher percentage), and who knows what he would be "giving" us in terms of fouls, technical fouls, silly turnovers, etc.

I stand by my addition by subtraction comment.

[Letsroll1200]

Texas A&M has all the pieces to make a strong push and win the SEC this season. I said they beat Arkansas soundly at home that they will probably win the SEC. They are balanced at every position on the floor.

[PonderinHog]

Like all players, Jacorey was in essence a balance sheet:  assets vs. liabilities.   He might have averaged 10-12 points for us this year, but it probably would have been on 36% shooting as well (meaning his points were coming at the expense of someone else shooting a higher percentage), and who knows what he would be "giving" us in terms of fouls, technical fouls, silly turnovers, etc.

I stand by my addition by subtraction comment.

Did I just hear the other shoe drop

[The_Iceman]

Like all players, Jacorey was in essence a balance sheet:  assets vs. liabilities.   He might have averaged 10-12 points for us this year, but it probably would have been on 36% shooting as well (meaning his points were coming at the expense of someone else shooting a higher percentage), and who knows what he would be "giving" us in terms of fouls, technical fouls, silly turnovers, etc.

I stand by my addition by subtraction comment.

Jacorey shot 41% from the field last season. We saw players like Bell and Kingsley improve from last year, so why couldn't he as well. But, Mike couldn't really do much about him and Beard, so it doesn't matter. But if those two wouldn't have screwed up, we would be better right now.

[Letsroll1200]

Good recruiting, good coaching.

It's not as hard as many on here make it out to be.

4-14 Big 12

7-11 SEC

8-10 SEC

10-7 SEC

5-0 SEC

Coach Kennedy is making a big jump in the conference record this season. Solid Team

[PonderinHog]

Jacorey shot 41% from the field last season. We saw players like Bell and Kingsley improve from last year, so why couldn't he as well. But, Mike couldn't really do much about him and Beard, so it doesn't matter. But if those two wouldn't have screwed up, we would be better right now.

I always felt that Jacorey had tremendous potential, just a little bit out of control.  That he might come back and have a good senior year.  Oh well.

[lc480]

It was as easy as Bigdaddyhawg  said, every one would be good. He needs to get in the coaching business. I would bet would find out real fast its not that easy.
But if he has any tips to pass on to Mike or any coach about recruiting, I am sure they would appreciate his knowledge.

[Hawg Red]

It was as easy as Bigdaddyhawg  said, every one would be good. He needs to get in the coaching business. I would bet would find out real fast its not that easy.
But if he has any tips to pass on to Mike or any coach about recruiting, I am sure they would appreciate his knowledge.

Your shot at Bigdaddyhawg doesn't make any sense. He said A&M was #1 in the conference because of good coaching and good recruiting. That's not an easy thing to do, thus not everyone is good. He wasn't making it sound like it was easy at all, just that it shouldn't be hard to figure out why A&M is doing so well right now. It also wasn't very hard to ascertain what he was saying.

[HawgLife4Eva]

Your shot at Bigdaddyhawg doesn't make any sense. He said A&M was #1 in the conference because of good coaching and good recruiting. That's not an easy thing to do, thus not everyone is good. He wasn't making it sound like it was easy at all

Umm... huh?

Good recruiting, good coaching.

It's not as hard as many on here make it out to be.

What else does "It's not as hard as many on here make it out to be." mean?



Not that I am agreeing or disagreeing with anyone, but I understood that to be what he was saying.

[wheelspigharvey]

Umm... huh?

What else does "It's not as hard as many on here make it out to be." mean?



Not that I am agreeing or disagreeing with anyone, but I understood that to be what he was saying.

Coaching itself hard, all he was saying is that seeing that it's the coaching isn't.  I say this as someone who doesn't always agree with BDH.

[Hawg Red]

Umm... huh?

What else does "It's not as hard as many on here make it out to be." mean?



Not that I am agreeing or disagreeing with anyone, but I understood that to be what he was saying.

You asked in the OP how A&M was this good. He answered. They have a good coach and he recruited really well. Usually a school will have at least one really good season when that happens. You're acting like it's a miracle that A&M is good. Like Bigdaddyhawg said, it's not that hard to figure out. Top 5 recruiting class + solid veterans (past recruits) + good coach. Shocker, you have a good team.

[HawgLife4Eva]

You asked in the OP how A&M was this good. He answered. They have a good coach and he recruited really well. Usually a school will have at least one really good season when that happens. You're acting like it's a miracle that A&M is good. Like Bigdaddyhawg said, it's not that hard to figure out. Top 5 recruiting class + solid veterans (past recruits) + good coach. Shocker, you have a good team.

Indeed, that is how it is done, and that was a good response to the question.
(Oh, and yes I was acting like it was a miracle that the Aggies were good because....well....they are Aggies.)

His last sentence just made it seem like it was easier to do those things than a lot of people claimed.

[Hawg Red]

Indeed, that is how it is done, and that was a good response to the question.
(Oh, and yes I was acting like it was a miracle that the Aggies were good because....well....they are Aggies.)

His last sentence just made it seem like it was easier to do those things than a lot of people claimed.

Mark Turgeon averaged 24 wins over 4 seasons at A&M before Kennedy was there, and before that, Gillispie took them to the Sweet 16. They aren't some historical door mat. Ironically, you'd have to go back to our very own Melvin Watkins for the last period of A&M sucking. A&M has been a better basketball program than Arkansas and most other SEC school over the last 10 years or so.

[hawginbigd1]

Losing Jacorey was addition by subtraction.

I have always been in this boat. too many bad shots, and stupid turnovers, he did have somewhat better shot selection last year, but for his career I expected him to turn it over every time he touched it.

[hawginbigd1]

Good recruiting, good coaching.

It's not as hard as many on here make it out to be.

This X a million! We have Good Coaching!

[poloprince]

Because they have two  upper classmen who have a legitimate shot to make the NBA.

[WBOBO]

The Aggies have Jalen Jones who is averaging 20 pts and plays gritty.  I believe he's originally from Searcy and chose aTm over us.

[Danny J]

Super talented and deep. Good coaching and a good assistant in Stansbury. Also...I don't think Tyler Davis gets enough attention. He is very impressive low post player one of the best true post players in the league and only a freshman.

[b-ash]

The Aggies have Jalen Jones who is averaging 20 pts and plays gritty.  I believe he's originally from Searcy and chose aTm over us.

Wasn't that the other jones that graduated last year?

[Hawg Red]

Wasn't that the other jones that graduated last year?

It was the other Jones, Jamal, but he did not graduate. He went pro after his junior year. In fact, he went pro after the NBA draft had already been held.

[Wild Bill Hog]

Good recruiting, good coaching.

It's not as hard as many on here make it out to be.

Fairly simple formula actually.

[Arazorbackguy1]

How did we not go after DJ Hogg?

[code red]

The more SEC match ups I watch.  The more it becomes evident.  This conference is garbage.

[bigdaddyhawg]

The more SEC match ups I watch.  The more it becomes evident.  This conference is garbage.

Not garbage, I don't think.  The problem the SEC has in basketball is officiating.  I watch BIG games and ACC games and think "why can't we get games officiated like this??"

The SEC is not a great BB conference by any stretch, but it would be a whole lot better with competent, consistent officiating.

I blame the SEC office.  I think it's intentional they run SEC BB officiating the way they do.  They don't want basketball to ever get close to SEC football.

[nwahogfan1]

How are the Ags this good? It just defies explanation.

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/conferences/standings/_/id/23/year/2016/sec-conference

Either better recruiting or better coaching or a combination of the two. 

So if we are going to get to that level we have to do those two things.  Which one do you suspect it will be if any?

[code red]

Not garbage, I don't think.  The problem the SEC has in basketball is officiating.  I watch BIG games and ACC games and think "why can't we get games officiated like this??"

The SEC is not a great BB conference by any stretch, but it would be a whole lot better with competent, consistent officiating.

I blame the SEC office.  I think it's intentional they run SEC BB officiating the way they do.  They don't want basketball to ever get close to SEC football.

Could be.  But.  A&M is certainly not a top ten team.  Looks like a lot of finesse teams in the SEC.  In addition.  Take a team like Auburn.  They look like total garbage vs. Mizzou and then knock off UK?  LSU is not all that...most SEC teams are living by the 3 pointer. 

[NuttinItUp]

Being projected as a #3 seed right now.

[The_Iceman]

If LSU is even close, I guarantee the selection committee will put them in just for the $$$$$ of getting Ben Simmons in the field.

[moses_007]

Pretty simple.  They keep winning.  That's why they are leading the SEC.

[jbcarol]

In winning 79-45 at Georgia, Texas A&M enjoyed its most lopsided road victory in league play since joining the Southwest Conference in 1915... Aggies' best start in conference play in 30 years.

So how was Texas A&M handling this newfound success?

"We're handling success fairly well," Coach Billy Kennedy said.

Kennedy acknowledged that he's had to deal with "issues." But, overall, Texas A&M was smoothly navigating its way through the season to this point.

"It's new territory for us," Kennedy said of handling the success. "Some of it is a work in progress for us. We'll find out."

[jbcarol]

Brent Zwerneman ‏@BrentZwerneman 17h17 hours ago

Aggies basketball up to No. 5 - highest ranking in program history: http://www.chron.com/sports/aggies/article/Aggies-basketball-up-to-No-5-highest-ranking-6782636.php ... via @houstonchron

They're a very, very balanced basketball team," Anderson said following a double-digit loss to the Aggies on Saturday. "Billy (Kennedy) has done a great job with them."

And based on two double-digit victories in Southeastern Conference play last week, A&M now owns its highest ranking in program history. The Aggies jumped to No. 5 from No. 10 in the latest Associated Press poll, released Monday.

The Aggies last advanced as far as the Sweet 16 of the postseason in 2007 under then-coach Billy Gillispie, who left soon thereafter for a two-year stint at Kentucky. That team also achieved the program's highest ranking until Monday, advancing to No. 6 in January and February of 2007.

This year's A&M team is balanced because of a handful of talented seniors leading a handful of talented freshmen by the hand.

The Aggies have won their last three SEC games over Georgia, LSU and Missouri by an average of 20 points, prompting Anderson's "balanced" observation following A&M's 66-53 victory against the Tigers in Reed Arena on Saturday before a second consecutive sellout crowd.

[jbcarol]

COLLEGE STATION - Twenty-five years ago, Texas A&M and Arkansas slapped a bow on a long-standing league rivalry, with the pending exit of the Razorbacks from the Southwest Conference to the Southeastern Conference.

That 1990-91 season also happened to be the one Billy Kennedy spent as an A&M assistant under then-coach Kermit Davis, and on Tuesday, Kennedy summed up the experience of playing Arkansas back then in two words.

"Bad dreams," he said.

Under coach Nolan Richardson, who paired fast tempo and intense pressure defense in a package dubbed "40 minutes of hell," Arkansas would go on to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. The Aggies would go on to an 8-21 record and the end of the Kermit Davis era.

"We got blown out at Bud Walton Arena," said Kennedy, A&M's fifth-year coach. "We got beat at G. Rollie White Coliseum, and we got blown out at Reunion Arena (in the SWC tournament). Fortunately, we're not playing that team."