Started By
Message
Texas A&M Basketball 2015-2016 - Sweet Sixteen Edition!!
Posted on 10/26/15 at 12:56 am
Posted on 10/26/15 at 12:56 am
tAggyArk proudly presents:
2015-2016 Texas A&M Aggies Basketball Preview
(yeah I'm a week late on the Back to the Future reference, want to fight about it?)
2014-2015 Season Recap (21-12, 11-7 SEC, 2nd Round NIT)
The 2014-2015 Texas A&M Aggies basketball season, the 4th with Billy Kennedy at the helm, had many reasons for hope. Rick Stansbury, former head coach of Mississippi State (14 years) was hired on as Assistant Coach and was expected to bring a boost to both player development and recruiting with his established SEC country ties. Jalen Jones, the leading scorer and rebounder for SMU two years prior, was eligible to play after his transfer year had expired. Then in November, in the middle of the Puerto Rico Tip-off tournament, the Ags found out maybe the best news of all: former 5-star recruit and University of Houston stand-out Danuel House was eligible to transfer and play immediately.
Plenty of room for optimism, but respect would still have to be earned. The Aggies were picked to finish 9th in the conference. After a solid out of conference performance (9-3), A&M continued their success in conference. After taking #1 Kentucky (who would finish the regular season undefeated) to a double overtime loss, A&M rattled off an impressive streak of wins, entering the last few games of the season at 19-7 (10-4).
The NCAA Tournament looked likely, but an injury to Danuel House was too much to overcome as the Ags finished the last four games of the regular season with a 1-3 record. A second round exit in the SEC tournament was the final blow and the Ags were pushed into the NIT. After defeating Montana in the first round, A&M fell to a solid Louisiana Tech squad 84-72.
While the finish was disappointing, Texas A&M ended the season tied for 3rd in the SEC and was a surprise force to be reckoned with. The trip to the NIT was the first for Billy Kennedy at Texas A&M and showed steady improvement over prior seasons. Can the Ags continue up the hill towards an NCAA Tournament berth?
2015-2016 Texas A&M Aggies Basketball Preview
(yeah I'm a week late on the Back to the Future reference, want to fight about it?)
2014-2015 Season Recap (21-12, 11-7 SEC, 2nd Round NIT)
The 2014-2015 Texas A&M Aggies basketball season, the 4th with Billy Kennedy at the helm, had many reasons for hope. Rick Stansbury, former head coach of Mississippi State (14 years) was hired on as Assistant Coach and was expected to bring a boost to both player development and recruiting with his established SEC country ties. Jalen Jones, the leading scorer and rebounder for SMU two years prior, was eligible to play after his transfer year had expired. Then in November, in the middle of the Puerto Rico Tip-off tournament, the Ags found out maybe the best news of all: former 5-star recruit and University of Houston stand-out Danuel House was eligible to transfer and play immediately.
Plenty of room for optimism, but respect would still have to be earned. The Aggies were picked to finish 9th in the conference. After a solid out of conference performance (9-3), A&M continued their success in conference. After taking #1 Kentucky (who would finish the regular season undefeated) to a double overtime loss, A&M rattled off an impressive streak of wins, entering the last few games of the season at 19-7 (10-4).
The NCAA Tournament looked likely, but an injury to Danuel House was too much to overcome as the Ags finished the last four games of the regular season with a 1-3 record. A second round exit in the SEC tournament was the final blow and the Ags were pushed into the NIT. After defeating Montana in the first round, A&M fell to a solid Louisiana Tech squad 84-72.
While the finish was disappointing, Texas A&M ended the season tied for 3rd in the SEC and was a surprise force to be reckoned with. The trip to the NIT was the first for Billy Kennedy at Texas A&M and showed steady improvement over prior seasons. Can the Ags continue up the hill towards an NCAA Tournament berth?
This post was edited on 3/21/16 at 7:34 pm
8
Posted on 10/26/15 at 12:56 am to Projectpat
Off-Season
The Aggies lost several players to graduation and transfers, most notably, Kourtney Robinson (8.8 ppg, 6.5 rpg, eligibility expired) and Jordan Green (6.1 ppg, eligibility expired). Players seeking more playing time made up a handful of transfers. Peyton Allen (4.5 ppg, transfer to Wichita State), Antwan Space (4.2 ppg, 2.9 rpg, transfer to UMass) and Davonte Fitzgerald (3.5 ppg, transfer to Minnesota) all saw a good amount of floor time in 2014-2015, but their contributions were limited. The most public transfer came in the form of Avery Johnson Jr. (1.4 ppg), who predictably transferred to Alabama after his father (former Spurs great and head coach of the Mavs, among other stops) was named the head coach of Alabama.
However, the void will be more than filled by what is possibly the greatest Texas A&M basketball recruiting class of all time. The Aggies landed 3 of the top 5 commits in the state of Texas and ended up with the 6th best recruiting class in the country. Just to emphasize this point, our average recruiting class rank in the past five years was 48th. Mark Turgeon’s highest ranked class was 21st. A football first school doesn’t usually recruit this kind of class.
The class is made up of:
D.J. Hogg (SF - 6-8, 225, .9878 rating) – Plano, TX – Plano West
Offers from Arizona, UCLA, Notre Dame, Oklahoma State, Baylor, Texas, Iowa
Tyler Davis (C – 6-9, 270, .9870 rating) – Plano, TX – Plano West
Offers from Kansas, Arizona, Baylor, Texas, SMU
Plano West, led by Hogg and Davis, won the 6A state title in 2015, with Hogg hitting a game-winning jumper in the title game. Both were widely recruited and look to build on existing synergy in their first year at Texas A&M.
Elijah Thomas (C – 6-9, 240, .9816 rating) – Lancaster, TX – Lancaster
Offers from Kentucky, Kansas, Ohio State, UConn, Georgetown, Indiana, Florida, Louisville, etc. etc, etc...
Recruited by almost every major program in the country, Elijah led Lancaster to the 5A state championship last season and was named the championship game MVP.
Admon Gilder (SG – 6-2, 180, .9529 rating) – Dallas, TX – James Madison
Offers from Texas, Baylor, Vanderbilt, SMU, Arkansas
Admon averaged 31 ppg and was named Gatorade Texas Player of the year. A do-it-all guard who led Madison to two state titles, he is sure to be an immediate scoring threat this season.
2015-2016 Season Preview
After last season’s strong showing, Texas A&M returns their top three scorers in House (14.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg), Jones (13.7 ppg, 6.6 rpg), and College Station’s own Alex Caruso (9.1 ppg, 4.5 rpg). House and Caruso were selected as First Team and Second Team All-SEC, respectively. A huge accomplishment when being compared to whatever freaks Kentucky is reloading with this year and Ben Simmons. Combine that with the above mentioned recruiting class, and it’s no surprise that Texas A&M was picked to finish third in the conference this season. Not in the West (doesn't exist for roundball purposes), the entire conference.
The schedule is also decently favorable, needing only to travel to the Bahamas (neutral site tournament) and Arizona State, while getting Baylor, Iowa State, and Kansas State all at home. We also get Kentucky at home again during conference play.
The returning trio alone made last season a great run, but lack of depth on the bench eventually bit us. Still, A&M was in almost every single conference game last season, only losing one by double digits (the opening conference game vs Alabama). That was nowhere near the case in the prior year when we were regularly mauled by 10+ or even 20+.
Can we stay healthy? Will we get significant contributions from the freshman class? Can we avoid streaky play and become a more consistent ball club? Billy Kennedy has had 4 years to recover from the shape Mark Turgeon left the program in. The talent is here, so it’s time to put up or shut up. This is the year we make it back to the NCAA tournament.
The Aggies lost several players to graduation and transfers, most notably, Kourtney Robinson (8.8 ppg, 6.5 rpg, eligibility expired) and Jordan Green (6.1 ppg, eligibility expired). Players seeking more playing time made up a handful of transfers. Peyton Allen (4.5 ppg, transfer to Wichita State), Antwan Space (4.2 ppg, 2.9 rpg, transfer to UMass) and Davonte Fitzgerald (3.5 ppg, transfer to Minnesota) all saw a good amount of floor time in 2014-2015, but their contributions were limited. The most public transfer came in the form of Avery Johnson Jr. (1.4 ppg), who predictably transferred to Alabama after his father (former Spurs great and head coach of the Mavs, among other stops) was named the head coach of Alabama.
However, the void will be more than filled by what is possibly the greatest Texas A&M basketball recruiting class of all time. The Aggies landed 3 of the top 5 commits in the state of Texas and ended up with the 6th best recruiting class in the country. Just to emphasize this point, our average recruiting class rank in the past five years was 48th. Mark Turgeon’s highest ranked class was 21st. A football first school doesn’t usually recruit this kind of class.
The class is made up of:
D.J. Hogg (SF - 6-8, 225, .9878 rating) – Plano, TX – Plano West
Offers from Arizona, UCLA, Notre Dame, Oklahoma State, Baylor, Texas, Iowa
Tyler Davis (C – 6-9, 270, .9870 rating) – Plano, TX – Plano West
Offers from Kansas, Arizona, Baylor, Texas, SMU
Plano West, led by Hogg and Davis, won the 6A state title in 2015, with Hogg hitting a game-winning jumper in the title game. Both were widely recruited and look to build on existing synergy in their first year at Texas A&M.
Elijah Thomas (C – 6-9, 240, .9816 rating) – Lancaster, TX – Lancaster
Offers from Kentucky, Kansas, Ohio State, UConn, Georgetown, Indiana, Florida, Louisville, etc. etc, etc...
Recruited by almost every major program in the country, Elijah led Lancaster to the 5A state championship last season and was named the championship game MVP.
Admon Gilder (SG – 6-2, 180, .9529 rating) – Dallas, TX – James Madison
Offers from Texas, Baylor, Vanderbilt, SMU, Arkansas
Admon averaged 31 ppg and was named Gatorade Texas Player of the year. A do-it-all guard who led Madison to two state titles, he is sure to be an immediate scoring threat this season.
2015-2016 Season Preview
After last season’s strong showing, Texas A&M returns their top three scorers in House (14.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg), Jones (13.7 ppg, 6.6 rpg), and College Station’s own Alex Caruso (9.1 ppg, 4.5 rpg). House and Caruso were selected as First Team and Second Team All-SEC, respectively. A huge accomplishment when being compared to whatever freaks Kentucky is reloading with this year and Ben Simmons. Combine that with the above mentioned recruiting class, and it’s no surprise that Texas A&M was picked to finish third in the conference this season. Not in the West (doesn't exist for roundball purposes), the entire conference.
The schedule is also decently favorable, needing only to travel to the Bahamas (neutral site tournament) and Arizona State, while getting Baylor, Iowa State, and Kansas State all at home. We also get Kentucky at home again during conference play.
The returning trio alone made last season a great run, but lack of depth on the bench eventually bit us. Still, A&M was in almost every single conference game last season, only losing one by double digits (the opening conference game vs Alabama). That was nowhere near the case in the prior year when we were regularly mauled by 10+ or even 20+.
Can we stay healthy? Will we get significant contributions from the freshman class? Can we avoid streaky play and become a more consistent ball club? Billy Kennedy has had 4 years to recover from the shape Mark Turgeon left the program in. The talent is here, so it’s time to put up or shut up. This is the year we make it back to the NCAA tournament.
This post was edited on 10/26/15 at 2:23 am
Posted on 10/26/15 at 12:56 am to Projectpat
Schedule
10/28 - Maroon and White Game
11/6 - vs Texas A&M International
11/13 - vs USC Upstate
11/16 - vs Southeastern Louisiana
11/19 - vs Texas A&M - Corpus Christi
11/21 - vs UNC Asheville
11/25 - vs Texas (Battle 4 Atlantis)
11/26 – Gonzaga OR Washington (Battle 4 Atlantis)
11/27 – TBD (Battle 4 Atlantis)
12/2 - vs Florida Gulf Coast
12/5 - @ Arizona State
12/12 - vs Kansas State
12/19 - vs Baylor
12/29 - vs Cal Poly
1/2 - vs Arkansas
1/6 - @ Mississippi State
1/9 - @ Tennessee
1/12 - vs Florida
1/16 - @ Georgia
1/19 - vs LSU
1/23 - vs Missouri
1/27 - @ Arkansas
1/30 - vs Iowa State
2/4 - @ Vanderbilt
2/6 - vs South Carolina
2/10 - @ Alabama
2/13 - @ LSU
2/16 - vs Ole Miss
2/20 - vs Kentucky
2/24 - vs Mississippi State
2/27 - @ Missiouri
3/1 - @ Auburn
3/5 - vs Vanderbilt
3/9-3/13 - SEC Tournament
3/15-4/4 - NCAA Tournament
Prediction
25-8 (13-5) – NCAA Tournament, 7 Seed
The Ags have the talent to blow it out of the water this year. House, Jones, and Caruso worked great together last year, and the new recruits will all contribute in big ways. The new guys will also give some much needed depth after our thin ranks showed last year late in the season. We finally return to the NCAA tournament and get knocked out in the 2nd round.
After what is developing into a painful football season, the Aggie faithful can rest easy knowing that an exciting basketball season is upon us. Here’s to some fun and success returning to A&M shooty hoops!!!
10/28 - Maroon and White Game
11/6 - vs Texas A&M International
11/13 - vs USC Upstate
11/16 - vs Southeastern Louisiana
11/19 - vs Texas A&M - Corpus Christi
11/21 - vs UNC Asheville
11/25 - vs Texas (Battle 4 Atlantis)
11/26 – Gonzaga OR Washington (Battle 4 Atlantis)
11/27 – TBD (Battle 4 Atlantis)
12/2 - vs Florida Gulf Coast
12/5 - @ Arizona State
12/12 - vs Kansas State
12/19 - vs Baylor
12/29 - vs Cal Poly
1/2 - vs Arkansas
1/6 - @ Mississippi State
1/9 - @ Tennessee
1/12 - vs Florida
1/16 - @ Georgia
1/19 - vs LSU
1/23 - vs Missouri
1/27 - @ Arkansas
1/30 - vs Iowa State
2/4 - @ Vanderbilt
2/6 - vs South Carolina
2/10 - @ Alabama
2/13 - @ LSU
2/16 - vs Ole Miss
2/20 - vs Kentucky
2/24 - vs Mississippi State
2/27 - @ Missiouri
3/1 - @ Auburn
3/5 - vs Vanderbilt
3/9-3/13 - SEC Tournament
3/15-4/4 - NCAA Tournament
Prediction
25-8 (13-5) – NCAA Tournament, 7 Seed
The Ags have the talent to blow it out of the water this year. House, Jones, and Caruso worked great together last year, and the new recruits will all contribute in big ways. The new guys will also give some much needed depth after our thin ranks showed last year late in the season. We finally return to the NCAA tournament and get knocked out in the 2nd round.
After what is developing into a painful football season, the Aggie faithful can rest easy knowing that an exciting basketball season is upon us. Here’s to some fun and success returning to A&M shooty hoops!!!
This post was edited on 10/26/15 at 2:13 am
Posted on 10/26/15 at 3:23 am to Projectpat
Posted on 10/26/15 at 3:26 am to Projectpat
still think 25 might be too many wins. however, this is a team that can get hot in march and make a run but i dont know about 25 wins in the regular season
Posted on 10/26/15 at 3:34 am to Projectpat
Which teams do you have us losing to? Keep in mind that in every year under Billy Kennedy, we have lost at least one WTF game in nonconference to a team that we should have blown out:
Rice in 2011 by 11
Southern in 2012 by 2
North Texas in 2013 by 20
Kansas State in 2014 by 11
For us to only have 3 nonconference losses, we would have to win at least 1 of Texas, Gonzaga/Washington, Baylor, and Iowa State.
We've never won in Nashville. We've never won in Fayetteville, and we've never won in Tuscaloosa.
Rice in 2011 by 11
Southern in 2012 by 2
North Texas in 2013 by 20
Kansas State in 2014 by 11
For us to only have 3 nonconference losses, we would have to win at least 1 of Texas, Gonzaga/Washington, Baylor, and Iowa State.
We've never won in Nashville. We've never won in Fayetteville, and we've never won in Tuscaloosa.
Posted on 10/26/15 at 3:40 am to Projectpat
Comprehensive write up sir.
I would like to add one new face to that list I imagine will make an impact and provide some more Depth and experience, Anthony Collins, the senior transfer from South Florida.
Excited for the season, let's just hope Billy mcfly doesn't frick it up.
I would like to add one new face to that list I imagine will make an impact and provide some more Depth and experience, Anthony Collins, the senior transfer from South Florida.
Excited for the season, let's just hope Billy mcfly doesn't frick it up.
This post was edited on 10/26/15 at 3:42 am
Posted on 10/26/15 at 3:46 am to WestCoastAg
I agree 25 is too high as well, but if we do get there then I think we'll be much higher than a 7 seed.
Posted on 10/26/15 at 7:51 am to Projectpat
This is just top notch work, pat 
Posted on 10/26/15 at 8:19 am to Projectpat
I would say it's still football season, but it's not.
Posted on 10/26/15 at 12:22 pm to CGSC Lobotomy
quote:
Which teams do you have us losing to?
I think we win one of Texas and Gonzaga/Washington and then probably lose to Baylor and Iowa St. In conference we lose to Kentucky, once to LSU, once to Vandy, one of Georgia/Florida, and then another random game outside of those previously mentioned. I'm not concerned with our history of playing at Fayetteville or Bama, this is a different team.
Compared to last year:
0 - Kentucky (lost last year, predicting loss this year)
-1 - LSU (won both last year, predicting we lose once this year)
-1 - Vandy (played once and won last year, predicting we split this year)
+1 - Georgia/Florida (lost both last year, predicting we split this year)
+3 - All of the others
= +2 game improvement in conference
I really think that's a realistic level of improvement.
Posted on 10/26/15 at 1:34 pm to TbirdSpur2010
quote:
This is just top notch work, pat
Posted on 10/26/15 at 4:21 pm to Projectpat
Thanks for doing this it's great
Posted on 10/26/15 at 4:42 pm to Old Sarge
25 wins in the regular season, book it.
Posted on 10/26/15 at 6:23 pm to Projectpat
Posted on 10/26/15 at 8:08 pm to TbirdSpur2010
TBird & WCA, y'all should sticky this thread and make it the "official" thread for the upcoming season. Props to ProjectPat for the write-up. The other thread is less informative and became a shite-show before the season even began for whatever reason.
In any case, this roster is poised for a NCAA Tournament run. Here's to Billy Kennedy finally earning his keep.
In any case, this roster is poised for a NCAA Tournament run. Here's to Billy Kennedy finally earning his keep.
Posted on 10/27/15 at 12:03 am to Projectpat
Decent analysis. I just have no faith in this coach not to have at least 2-3 headscratchers.
There's no reason a well coached team should ever lose to Kansas State, Alabama twice, and Auburn in Nashville the way we did last season.
There's no reason a well coached team should ever lose to Kansas State, Alabama twice, and Auburn in Nashville the way we did last season.
Posted on 10/27/15 at 5:56 pm to Projectpat
Nice preview. Crossing my fingers that Kennedy will let Stansbury take a large role in gameplanning and in-game adjustments so that we actually do something with this roster instead of underachieve (again).
Posted on 10/29/15 at 10:19 am to Ash'sProstheticHand
People are saying house looked great
Posted on 11/1/15 at 4:52 pm to WestCoastAg
I'm thinking we get to 23 wins and go 12-6 in the conference
Page 1 of 160
Latest Texas A&M News
Popular
Back to top
Follow SECRant for SEC Football News