By Danielle Daniels

GAME NOTES

https://12thman.com/documents/2024/11/14/04_Aggies_vs_OSU_notes-statpack.pdf

BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION – The No. 23 Texas A&M men’s basketball team hosts the No. 21 Ohio State Buckeyes in an 8 p.m. clash at Reed Arena on Friday.

• The 2-1 Aggies vs. 2-0 Buckeyes will be the first ranked vs. ranked non-conference matchup at Reed Arena since 2016 when the No. 5 Aggies handed No. 14 Iowa State a 72-62 defeat in the Big 12- SEC Challenge (Jan. 30, 2016).
• A&M holds a 3-1 advantage in all-time series with OSU, which includes last season’s 73-66 triumph in Columbus, Ohio in the first game of the home-and-home series.

RARE BIG TEN VISIT
The Buckeyes’ visit to Aggieland marks just the third time ever that a Big Ten school has come to College Station for a men’s basketball game.

• In fact, the only other Big Ten men’s basketball team to play in Reed Arena, the current home of the Aggies, was Penn State in 2005 when Billy Gillispie’s Aggies, with Buzz Williams as an assistant coach, defeated the Nittany Lions, 60-55 (Dec. 3, 2005).
• In 1994, Tony Barone’s Aggies fell to Northwestern, 67-48, at the old G. Rollie White Coliseum in the only other Big Ten- Texas A&M matchup in College Station.

PROMOTIONS UPDATE

• AGGIES CAN COLLECTION: The annual AGGIES CAN drive is celebrating over two decades of giving back to our local community! Texas A&M Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and Aggie student-athletes are asking for your help in collecting non-perishable food and monetary donations to benefit the Brazos Valley Food Bank and The 12th Can.
• AGGIE BASKETBALL FAN ZONE: Located at the North entry of Reed Arena, the Fan Zone includes games, giveaways, and activities for the whole family! For ALL fans opening one hour prior to tip-off.
• STUDENT GIVEAWAY: ’24-’25 Reed Rowdies shirts available for ALL students in the Fan Zone.

STORYLINES

• Since a season-opening shooting effort of 36.5% vs. UCF, the Aggies have rebounded to connect on better than 55.0% of their shots in wins over ETAMU (.557) and Lamar (.552).
• The improved shooting can likely be attributed to the level of competition and road vs. home, but it also coincides with the activation of transfer Zhuric Phelps. Phelps missed the UCF game due to injury, but has been the Aggies’ leading scorer in past two contests, while connecting on a sparkling 63.6% of his FGAs.
• It’s the tiniest of sample sizes, but with Solomon Washington and Pharrel Payne protecting the rim the Aggies are averaging 5.0 blocks/G, which would easily be the highest of the Buzz Williams era (2021-22 Aggies averaged 3.4 blocks/G).
• Henry Coleman III has been a force off the bench for the Aggies, averaging 11.0 points/7.0 rebounds in just 16.0 minutes/G. Of his 21 total rebounds, 16 were off the offensive glass.
• Offensive rebounding appears to be a strength again for the 2023-24 national leaders in the category (17.4/G). Through three games, the Aggies are averaging a healthy 15.3/G and had at least 15 offensive boards in every games.
• The Aggies have been dominant in all three games on the boards, enjoying at least an eight-rebound advantage in every contest. For the season, the Aggies average 13.3 more boards per game than their opponents (43.3-30./0).
• Texas A&M has limited its opponents to 36.7% shooting from the field, including a season-low 34.0% by UCF in the season opener.
• Bench scoring has been a bright spot for the Aggies, who are averaging 40.3 points/G from its reserves. Leading the way among players that have come off the bench in all three games are Henry Coleman III (11.0/G), Manny Obaseki (8.0) and Andersson Garcia (7.0).
• Speaking of Garcia, the Dominican Rodman posted a career-high 15 points against Lamar that included a pair of 3-pointers (also a career high). The scoring “outburst” took down his previous high game of 14 points vs. Texas A&M in 2022 when he was at Mississippi State.
• Not surprisingly, Wade Taylor IV has hit double figures in points in all three games, but his 5.3 assists/g) are well ahead of his career average of 3.3/G entering 2024-25.
• A healthy indicator for A&M is field goal attempts and the Aggies are averaging 60.7 FGA/G, while limiting opponents to 55.3/G. after three games.

LAST YEAR’S MATCHUP
Led by three scorers with 20+ points, the Aggies tallied a seven-point victory, 73-66, over the Buckeyes at Value City Arena on Nov. 10, 2023.

• Fifty of the Aggies’ 73 points (68.5%) and 39 of 45 rebounds (86.6%) in last year’s game were produced by players that return in 2024-25.
• Wade Taylor IV tied for the points lead with 21, while also dishing out four assists. Henry Coleman III turned in a double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Andersson Garcia controlled the boards with 13 rebounds.

FAMILIAR FOE FOR PAYNE
Minnesota native Pharrel Payne, who transferred to A&M from the University of Minnesota, faced the Buckeyes three times in his two seasons with the Gophers.

• Payne averaged over 27:00/g in the trio of games with the Gophers posting a 2-1 record. He had a pair of double-digit scoring efforts vs. OSU and averaged 10.3 points and 4.7 rebounds.
• In the most recent meeting, which was also his lone start against OSU, Payne posted 15 points and four rebounds in 27 minutes in the Gophers’ 88-79 home win on 2/22/2024.

RETURNING FIREPOWER
With seven of the team’s top eight players in terms of minutes-played returning in 2024-25, the Aggies have an uncommon percentage of returning points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks. Last year’s team leader in every statistical category across the board returns in 2024-25.

Back For More in 2024-25
Statistic        2023-24 Total         Returning           Pct.
Points           2,736                       2,105                  76.9%
Assists          412                          318                     77.2%
Rebounds     1,541                       1,233                  80.0%
Steals           250                          224                     90.0%
Blocks           107                          82                       76.6%

TV/RADIO

• The game can be viewed on SEC Network with Mike Morgan (play-by-play) and Pat Bradley (color) on the call.
• The matchup airs on the Texas A&M Radio Network, locally on 1620 AM/94.5 FM or worldwide on the 12th Man Mobile App with Andrew Monaco and Dr. John Thornton describing the action.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Questions about Gameday at Reed Arena? Check out the “Know Before You Go” page at 12thMan.com.

PRESS PASS“I think they are ultra-talented at all spots. #2 (Bruce Thornton) and #1 (Meechie Johnson Jr.) may be as good a backcourt as you can find in the country at this level, relative to their talent–but also their poise, their experience. They’re both older, high-level guards that have played and started. I would say both of those guys are almost at the 100-game start threshold. I think 13 (Sean Stewart) and 4 (Aaron Bradshaw) were both McDonald’s All-Americans, probably didn’t have the role that they wanted last year. And I think they’re partly at Ohio State because of an opportunity for an increased role. They’re big, not necessarily just inside. They’re just big period. 2 (Thornton) is big–like ‘bully you’ big, not necessarily tall. But yeah, it’s as talented of a team that will have been here in a while. They’re really good.” – Buzz Williams

COURTESY TEXAS A&M ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS