Sunday, November 27
Anaheim, Calif.
7:30 PM
Texas A&M
vs
UCLA
Photo by: ESPN Images
Aggies Face No. 14 Bruins in Wooden Legacy Title Game
Nov 26, 2016 | Men's Basketball
Aggie Basketball Game #6:
Wooden Legacy Championship Game
Texas A&M (4-1) vs. #14 UCLA (6-0)
Sunday, Nov. 27, 2016 · 7:30 p.m. (CT)
Honda Center (18,336) · Anaheim, Calif.
TV: ESPN (For more info – 12thMan.com/TV)
Doug Sherman, Play-by-Play
Sean Farnham, Commentary
Jeff Goodman, Reporter
RADIO: WTAW 1620 AM (Bryan-College Station)
Colin Killian, Play-by-Play
Al Pulliam, Commentary
LIVE AUDIO/STATS: 12thman.com/live
LIVE MOBILE LIVE STATS: tamustats.com
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ANAHEIM, Calif. – Following victories over CSUN and Virginia Tech, Texas A&M will play in the championship game of the 2016 Wooden Invitational on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. (CT) inside Anaheim's Honda Center. The Aggies will face the school legendary coach John Wooden turned into a national powerhouse, UCLA.
The contest will be nationally televised on ESPN with Doug Sherman calling the play-by-play action, Sean Farnham providing color commentary and Jeff Goodman reporting from the sidelines. Additionally, radio coverage will be available on the Aggie Sports Network, which can be heard locally in the Bryan/College Station area on WTAW (1620 AM).
The Aggies' (4-1) road to the title contest began on Thanksgiving Day when they downed CSUN behind a career-best 25 points from sophomore sharpshooter DJ Hogg, who is enjoying a great run at the Wooden Legacy.
Hogg, a product of Plano West High School, was one of three Texas A&M players to notch a double-double the following day when the Aggies erased a 17-point, second-half deficit to defeat Virginia Tech 68-65. Hogg finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds for his first career double-double performance along with sensational rookie Robert Williams, who accomplished the feat with 13 points and 10 boards.
Sophomore center Tyler Davis, meanwhile, picked up his fourth career double-double by contributing 12 points and 10 rebounds against the Hokies.
During the Aggies' two-game run at the Wooden Legacy, Hogg has stood out as one of the tournament's top players by averaging 21 points per outing while shooting a 64-percent clip from the floor and 66.7 percent from long distance.
The No. 14 Bruins, meanwhile, advanced to the title game by earning victories over Portland and Nebraska to remain perfect on the season at 6-0. One of the fastest-paced and highest-scoring teams in the country, UCLA averages 100.7 points per game this season and features six players with scoring averages of more than 11 points per outing.
OPENING TIPS
• A win would give Texas A&M its first in-season tournament title since the 2007 NIT Season Tip-Off when the Aggies defeated Washington and Ohio State at Madison Square Garden.• Overall, Texas A&M has won 17 in-season tournament titles, including two in the state of California - the 1987 Met Life Classic and the 1978 Golden Gate Invitational, both in San Francisco.
• Sophomore DJ Hogg is playing the best basketball of his two-year A&M career, averaging 19.7 points while shooting 53.7 percent from the floor and 55 percent from 3-point range during his last three contests ... in two games at the Wooden Legacy, Hogg is averaging 21 points per outing, while shooting a 64 percent clip from the floor and 66.7 percent from long distance.
• During its run a the Wooden Legacy, the Aggies' has been rebounding and solid defense ... In the two games, Texas A&M owns a +17 edge in the rebounding column and holding its opponents to just 37.1 percent shooting from the floor.
RETURNING TO THE HONDA CENTER
You don't have to look back far in the archives to see the Aggies' most recent visit to Southern California and the Honda Center. Texas A&M's impressive run last season in the 2016 NCAA Tournament came to a close inside the facility as the third-seeded Aggies fell to No. 2 seed Oklahoma in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA West Regional on March 24.Texas A&M has played four games at the Honda Center (1-3) previously with two of the meetings being against the UCLA Bruins.
SERIES HISTORY VS UCLA (UCLA LEADS 4-0)
• Sunday will be the fifth meeting between the Aggies and Bruins on the hardwood.• Each of the last two meetings between the schools have taken place at the site of Sunday's meeting - Anaheim's Honda Center. On Dec. 9, 2006, during play at the John R. Wooden Classic, the Bruins defeated A&M 65-62 and, most recently, the two schools met in the second round of the 2008 NCAA Tournament with UCLA again walking away with a hard-fought victory, 51-49.
• Texas A&M head coach Billy Kennedy has never faced UCLA during his 19-year head coaching career.
UP NEXT AFTER THE WOODEN LEGACY
The Aggies will return to College Station to begin preparing for their next contest which will come Dec. 5 when they host Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at 7 p.m.
Players Mentioned
East Texas A&M Postgame: Bucky McMillan
Sunday, December 21
East Texas A&M Postgame: Marcus Hill, Pop Isaacs
Sunday, December 21
Highlights: Texas A&M 118, ETAMU 77
Sunday, December 21
The Aggie Basketball Hour with Bucky McMillan (Ep 6)
Monday, December 15
