A&M ranked 13 in 1st poll

[johngateswhiteley]

A&M is a horrible matchup for UCLA. Yeah, I know they made the finals last year, but they lost both Farmar and Hollins, and I'm not sold on Luc and Shipp. Affallo's a nice player, but he can't carry the team. He should have went pro while his stock was as high as it was.

I read the release saying that the Aggies were named as the opponent in the Wooden game this summer and couldn't believe it. I guess that shows the rest of the country that your program has arrived, but why schedule a team returning everyone from a Sweet 16 run and plays a bruising, defensive-orientated style of ball that's the an hesis of what you team does? Go schedule UConn or something.

I think they play LSU in Baton Rouge like three or four days before they go to Pauley. If the Ags can get past both of them and don't stumble to any of the lesser teams on the sked, they could be ranked in the top 5 with a first place vote or two when conference play starts.

The Horns'll be OK, but we're going to take some lumps before the tourney starts. We'll have a ten or eleven loss season while Durant, DJ, and James find their places. I'm cool with that. Florida proved last year that it's more important to iron out all the kinks with a young team than to win the conference.

wow, from a t.u. fan thats impressive. and to be honest, i don't think A&M will do THAT well. but, , i'll take it...

[samikeyp]

...all of CBB.

Ok.

[johngateswhiteley]

Ok.

its a fact jack.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Good take j-6. I agree with you, that second week of December will tell us a lot about where this Ag team is headed. I can't wait for my 4 day vacation to Cali to watch us play UCLA and a stop in Vegas on the way back to put a bet on the Ags for the Final Four

[j-6]

wow, from a t.u. fan thats impressive. and to be honest, i don't think A&M will do THAT well. but, , i'll take it...

Oh, it pains me to see this come about. But all the pieces are there.

* extremely good coaching
* returning basically the whole damn rotation
* newfound rabid fan support
* noisy, difficult gym for opponents
* a difficult-but-not-overwhelming schedule with major conference opponents
* a style of play the teams loves and opponents hate to play against

Maybe this is how all of you Ags feel watching UT football last year. You don't have to like it, but you can't help but admire what they're doing and secretly they're sort of fun to watch. In the day and age of players leaving after a season or two, all guys want to do is run up and down the court and score. It's refreshing to see a team that wants to keep the score in the 50's with a football-style defensive mentality.

Barring catastrophic injury or a meteorite hitting Reed Arena, I don't see any reason A&M can't be a 24-25 win team with 13 wins in conference play.

[j-6]

UCLA and LSU are a lil too high for my liking. My boys are also a tad too low for my liking. I think Wisconsin is better then LSU and UCLA. The country better watch out for dem Badgers!! We gonna make a run at the le fo sho!!! Thought you knew lil nucca!!!

A capper I know here in town put a hundy down on Wisconsin at 18-1 to win the tourney and will not shut up about it.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Yeah one thing i'll admit I wish UT played D like the agggs.

[BeerIsGood!]

Gillispie has done a great job at am, but I don't know if that lineup will be explosive enough to contend for the final 4. There are a lot of great teams out there, and Florida will be a beast. George M and others showed that even the little conference foes will be a beast since all you need is 5 to 7 players in basketball to contend. With the nature of the tourney in this day and age it takes just as much luck as talent to win the le. AM has a shot, but not enough to predict it happening.

[BUMP]

wow. A&M has their best year of all time and they are already overrated. good luck with this absurd ranking

[j-6]

Gillispie has done a great job at am, but I don't know if that lineup will be explosive enough to contend for the final 4. There are a lot of great teams out there, and Florida will be a beast. George M and others showed that even the little conference foes will be a beast since all you need is 5 to 7 players in basketball to contend. With the nature of the tourney in this day and age it takes just as much luck as talent to win the le. AM has a shot, but not enough to predict it happening.

They don't need to 'contend for the Final Four'. The Ags need to establish a 20+ win a year program, sell some kids to the high standards and the winning, then contend year after year, get a token stud and surround him with seniors, then bite everyone in the ass like Maryland did. Or Arkansas, if Brutalis happens to be reading.

A&M needs to take full advantage of what they have right now and grow off of it. This conference is about to get a lot less fun with Bob Huggins and Mike Anderson coming, Bobby Knight growing impatient, and Texas starting to sign one-and-done lottery guys. Oh, and sign Gillespie to however long a deal as he's willing to sign.

[BeerIsGood!]

They don't need to 'contend for the Final Four'. The Ags need to establish a 20+ win a year program, sell some kids to the high standards and the winning, then contend year after year, get a token stud and surround him with seniors, then bite everyone in the ass like Maryland did. Or Arkansas, if Brutalis happens to be reading.

A&M needs to take full advantage of what they have right now and grow off of it. This conference is about to get a lot less fun with Bob Huggins and Mike Anderson coming, Bobby Knight growing impatient, and Texas starting to sign one-and-done lottery guys. Oh, and sign Gillespie to however long a deal as he's willing to sign.

I agree with you. I was speaking to the notion expressed by some on here that am will be a final four team this year (or at least a good shot). The nature of the tourney coupled with the fact that smaller schools are getting good 4 year players while top programs have guys leave after 1 or 2 years is causing one giant cluster come March. I like it - but predicting the final four is just about as easy as winning the lottery. AM has the start of something good - but their recruiting classes and the type of players they get will be instrumental to their future success. More and more kids coming into college these days don't respond well to the hard nosed style employed by Gillespie. If he can continue to find the kids that do - his program will be fine. If he gets some bad apples - they may tune out and then he'll become the equivalent to an NBA coach who has lost his locker room. It will be interesting to watch.

[beachbarbie948]

Most of the posts here are intelligent, but some of y'all sound like you've never watched CBB a day in your life

[beachbarbie948]

1. t.u. is good
2. A&M will be better
3. Gillespie is the best CBB coach

1. yes
2. probably
3. eh, Gillespie is one of the best coaches, but not the best i don't think. i'd still put coach K and roy williams ahead of him.

[samikeyp]

its a fact jack.

No...its an opinion.

Not yet the best JGW.....win a championship first.

My top 5..

1. K
2. Roy Williams
3. Tom Izzo
4. Lute Olson
5. Rick Pitino

Gillispie is a great young coach and one of the rising stars in that profession. Hopefully A&M will lock him up for a long time.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

More and more kids coming into college these days don't respond well to the hard nosed style employed by Gillespie.

First, it's Gill*i*spie. Second, his preseason boot camps are already infamous in the basketball ranks, both at A&M and on the recruiting trail.

This year all the incoming class came in and started summer school early to get a jump on classes and workouts. They worked their tails off, to the point that Billy told the team he was thinking of doing away with the boot camp this fall because they worked so hard all summer.

The players said no, they wanted to go through boot camp.

So, I guess as a horn fan you're definitely rooting for Billy to 'lose his locker room', and I can't blame you - he's going to be kicking Rick's ass for years to come.

I appreciate your concern for our program, but I think we'll be just fine thank you.

[samikeyp]

More and more kids coming into college these days don't respond well to the hard nosed style employed by Gillespie.

Well something must be working there. He turned around A&M's program.

[BeerIsGood!]

First, it's Gill*i*spie. Second, his preseason boot camps are already infamous in the basketball ranks, both at A&M and on the recruiting trail.

This year all the incoming class came in and started summer school early to get a jump on classes and workouts. They worked their tails off, to the point that Billy told the team he was thinking of doing away with the boot camp this fall because they worked so hard all summer.

The players said no, they wanted to go through boot camp.

So, I guess as a horn fan you're definitely rooting for Billy to 'lose his locker room', and I can't blame you - he's going to be kicking Rick's ass for years to come.

I appreciate your concern for our program, but I think we'll be just fine thank you.

Damn, some of you people just can't read. I said that the success of the program is contingent on recruiting the right kind of players for that style of program. Is that not true? It was never meant to be a slight at the am program - I personally like that style of coaching. The problem is more and more kids are lazy these days - so it will be vital to recruit the right kind of player for that program because a bad apple or two can wreck a program, especially one with the "boot camp" like atmosphere as you put it. Are you going to tell me that what I have said is false?? Stop being defensive.

[Jimcs50]

Damn, some of you people just can't read. I said that the success of the program is contingent on recruiting the right kind of players for that style of program. Is that not true? It was never meant to be a slight at the am program - I personally like that style of coaching. The problem is more and more kids are lazy these days - so it will be vital to recruit the right kind of player for that program because a bad apple or two can wreck a program, especially one with the "boot camp" like atmosphere as you put it. Are you going to tell me that what I have said is false?? Stop being defensive.

You are right. There are certain peopel that need to be coddled and can not take criticism, those players do not play for coachs of Gary Williams, Coach K, Bobby Knight and Billy Gillispie's ilk.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

I said that the success of the program is contingent on recruiting the right kind of players for that style of program. Is that not true? It was never meant to be a slight at the am program - I personally like that style of coaching. The problem is more and more kids are lazy these days - so it will be vital to recruit the right kind of player for that program because a bad apple or two can wreck a program, especially one with the "boot camp" like atmosphere as you put it. Are you going to tell me that what I have said is false?? Stop being defensive.

Um, the success of ANY program is getting kids that fit.

As to the whole 'kids are lazy' argument, Billy hasn't had any problems finding kids willing to come so far. He's an old school coach from the Roy Williams/Bill Self lineage of coaching, I think given their track record he'll be fine.

And BCG can always point out that if you come in and work hard, you'll end up in the pros (he took Antoine and made him into a first rounder, and Acie Law and Joseph Jones aren't far behind).

You'd just do better if you admitted that you hate it that the Ags are good at hoops now and want Gillispie to fail. Billy will win a national le at A&M before Barnes does at t.u.

[samikeyp]

Do you know if the Ags have locked Billy up in a long term deal yet?

[samikeyp]

I think some players are lazy because they have had early success and all those around them have trumpeted them on how good they are and that they can get away with anything. These kids are the perfect candidates for a program heavy on discipline. Also, with the more success the Aggies or any program has, the more attractive they become to kids.

[Jimcs50]

Um, the success of ANY program is getting kids that fit.

As to the whole 'kids are lazy' argument, Billy hasn't had any problems finding kids willing to come so far. He's an old school coach from the Roy Williams/Bill Self lineage of coaching, I think given their track record he'll be fine.

And BCG can always point out that if you come in and work hard, you'll end up in the pros (he took Antoine and made him into a first rounder, and Acie Law and Joseph Jones aren't far behind).

You'd just do better if you admitted that you hate it that the Ags are good at hoops now and want Gillispie to fail. Billy will win a national le at A&M before Barnes does at t.u.

Acie Law was ready to quit his 1st year with Billy, but his paremts made him stick it out.

I am so glad they did, as I think Acie has a shot at Big 12 Player of the year and is a shoein for all conference 1st team

[samikeyp]

You would be correct Jimbo..as usual!

2006-07 All-Big 12 Men's Basketball Preseason Individual Honors Announced

Sop re teammates Brandon Rush and Julian Wright (Kansas) have been named the Big 12 Preseason Players of the Year, it was announced. Junior guard Charles Burgess (Texas Tech) was chosen as Preseason Newcomer of the Year, while forward Kevin Durant (Texas) earned Freshman of the Year accolades. Players honored in preseason voting were selected by the league head coaches, who are not permitted to vote for their own student-athletes.

Last season, Rush was the first freshman in conference history to be named to the All-Big 12 First Team. He averaged 13.5 points and 5.9 overall, stepping up to averages of 15.1 and 6.6 in league play. He scored 20 points or more six times and was in double figures in 24 contests overall. Wright was an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention selection a year ago after recording 8.5 points per game and shooting 56.4 percent from the field. He also had 42 blocks. The preseason selection of Rush and Wright marks the first time in Big 12 history that two players have shared the honor.

Burgess averaged 15.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 2005-06 for Howard College in Texas. The New York City native was named the NJCAA Player of the Year last season and was also named to the all-region team a year ago.

Durant is among the nation's top incoming freshman and is the highest-rated prospect to ever play for the Longhorns. He was honored as the co-MVP of the McDonald's All-America game in 2006 after finishing with 25 points. Durant was selected as the top small forward in the nation by Rivals.com after averaging 23.6 points, 10.2 rebounds and 2.6 blocks during his senior campaign.

The preseason All-Big 12 team was also announced. In addition to Rush and Wright, the following players were recognized - Richard Roby (Colorado), Acie Law (Texas A&M), Joseph Jones (Texas A&M) and Jarrius Jackson (Texas Tech). Roby, Rush and Jackson are all returning All-Big 12 First Team members from last season. A tie in the voting created an additional position on this year's preseason squad.

Preseason Players of the Year
Brandon Rush, Kansas, G, So., 6-6, 212, Kansas City, Mo./Mt. Zion Academy (N.C.)
Julian Wright, Kansas, F, So., 6-8, 218, Chicago Heights, Ill./Homewood-Flossmoor

Preseason Newcomer of the Year
Charles Burgess, Texas Tech, G, Jr., 6-1, 190, New York, N.Y./Howard College (Texas)

Preseason Freshman of the Year
Kevin Durant, Texas, F, Fr., 6-9, 225, Suitland, Md./Montrose Christian

2006-07 Preseason All-Big 12 Team

Richard Roby, Colorado G 6-6 205 Jr.
Brandon Rush, Kansas G 6-6 212 So.
Julian Wright, Kansas F 6-8 218 So.
Acie Law, Texas A&M G 6-3 195 Sr.
Joseph Jones, Texas A&M F 6-9 250 Jr.
Jarrius Jackson, Texas Tech G 6-1 185 Sr.

Honorable Mention (listed alphabetically by school):
Mario Chalmers, Kansas; Cartier Martin, Kansas State; Mario Boggan, Oklahoma State; JamesOn Curry, Oklahoma State; Kevin Durant, Texas

link

[LaMarcus Bryant]

mikey, the nature of an aggie is to find offense with every longhorn, for any reason. Such is the aggie.

[BeerIsGood!]

mikey, the nature of an aggie is to find offense with every longhorn, for any reason. Such is the aggie.

I forgot that temporarily when I tried to make a valid point to these people. The aggie gets defensive because the aggie doesn't have much to be secure about.