Aggies Renew Rivalry With Undefeated Houston Cougars

Saturday, December 16

Houston, Texas

1:30 PM

Texas A&M

Houston

Photo by: Craig Bisacre/Texas A&M Athletics

Dec 15, 2023 | Men's Basketball

Game Notes at UH Buzz Press Conference Obaseki Press Conference Hefner Press Conference

By: Brad Marquardt, Assistant AD/Athletics Communications

HOUSTON --- The Texas A&M men's basketball team renews another old Southwest Conference rivalry with a neutral site clash against the No. 4 Houston Cougars at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday at the Toyota Center.

Saturday's game will be the first meeting between the two teams in a decade, dating back to Dec. 4, 2013 when the Aggies beat UH, 74-57, in College Station. The last neutral site meeting came at the 1993 SWC Tournament at Reunion Arena in Dallas (84-68 UH win).
In total, the two teams have played 85 times, with UH holding a 53-32 advantage in the series.
In four games since the end of the SWC era, the Aggies have a 3-1 advantage, including 3 straight wins.

TV/RADIO INFORMATION

The game will be televised on ESPN2 with Jon Sciambi (play-by-play) and Jimmy Dykes (analyst) 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.

TRENDS AND NOTABLES

Andersson Garcia is the nation's top offensive rebounder off the bench (3.8/G). Additionally, he is the nation's lone reserve with at least 35 offensive and defensive rebounds (38 off/39 def).
Garcia is one of six players nationally with 49.0% of their total rebounds coming from the offensive glass (min. 70 rebounds).
Manny Obaseki's rise in the rotation has seen him average over 17:00 over the past 5 games and score 9.2 points off the bench, including a career-high 21 against Memphis (12/10).
Tyrece Radford returned to the lineup against Memphis (12/10) after missing the previous 3.5 games with an undisclosed health issue. The ironman had started the previous 111 games of his career at A&M and Virginia Tech and led the Aggies in minutes the past two seasons.
Texas A&M's 17.5 offensive rebounds/game rank No. 2 nationally and its 10.1 rebound margin ranks tNo. 15 nationally. A&M has posted 12+ offensive rebounds in every game.
The 2nd-chance opps have led to 87 more FGA than A&M opponents (8.7/G) and 39 more FGM (3.9/G).
Texas A&M ranks No. 2 nationally with a 45.0 offensive rebounding percentage, according to Kenpom.com. In fact, the Aggies are one of just six teams over 40%. The Aggies rank No. 8 in Kenpom's adjusted offensive efficiency (119.0).
Texas A&M is the only team in the nation with two players ranked in the top 25 in offensive rebounds/G - Andersson Garcia (13th/3.8 OR/G) and Henry Coleman (t23rd/3.6 OR/G).
Coleman is one of three SEC players averaging 13.0+ points and 8.0+ rebounds (Johni Broome/Auburn, Tyrese Samuel, Florida)
Wade Taylor IV is one of three DI players averaging 17.0+ points while also compiling 40+ assists and 20+ steals (Jamarii Thomas, Norfolk St., DeMarcus Sharp, Austin Peay).

MAKING WINNING PLAYS
Drawing comparisons to former NBA great Dennis Rodman for his tenacious defense and rebounding prowess, senior F Andersson Garcia seems to produce "winning" plays in every game while coming in off the bench.

In his second season with the Aggies, the "Dominican Rodman" has developed into one of the nation's top bench players.
Garcia contributes 4.4 points and 7.7 rebounds per game while also ranking No. 2 on the team in assists (15) and steals (14). He is one of five bench players nationally averaging at least 5.0 rebounds per game while also contributing at least 15 assists and 10 steals.
He is the nation's top offensive rebounder (3.8/G | min. 5 games) and No. 4 in total rebounds (7.7/G) off the bench. Additionally, he is the nation's lone reserve with at least 35 offensive and defensive rebounds (38 off./39 def.).
Garcia is one of nine players nationally with 45.0% of their total rebounds coming from the offensive glass (min. 70 rebounds).

Top DI Offensive Rebounders Off The Bench
(Min. 5 Games as a Reserve)

Player, School	O-Reb/G
Andersson Garcia, Texas A&M	3.8
Zed Key, Ohio St.	3.3
Rueben Chinyelu, Washington St.	3.0
Donovan Draper, Navy	3.0
Babacar Faye, Western Ky.	3.0

DI Bench Players with 5.0 Reb/G, 15+ Asts/10+ Stls
(Sorted by Rebounds)

Player, School	Reb/G	Asts.	Stls
Andersson Garcia, Texas A&M	7.7	15	14
Nico Galette, Sacred Heart	7.3	16	18
Tanner Cuff, Evansville	5.4	31	11
Quadir Copeland, Syracuse	5.3	19	10
Kevin Patton Jr., San Diego	5.3	24	12

DI Players 45%+ of Total Rebs are Offensive Rebs
(Sorted by Percentage)

Player, School	O/D/Total	Pct.
Isaiah Cozart, East Ky.	39-37-76	.513
Mitchell Saxen, St. Mary's	43-41-84	.512
Jaden Bediako, Seton Hall	40-39-79	.506
Alex Sobel, Sacred Heart	40-40-80	.500
Davion Everett, SCarolina St.	39-40-79	.494
Andersson Garcia, Texas A&M	38-39-77	.494
Laolu Oke, Montama	35-38-73	.479
Keeshawn Kellman, FGCU	35-39-74	.473
Demond Robinson,Kennesaw	41-48-89	.461

COLEMAN IN THE MIDDLE
Senior F Henry Coleman III is one of three SEC players averaging at least 13.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game.

SEC Players 13.0 Pts / 8.0 Rebs
(Sorted by Rebounds)

Player, School	Rebs./G	Pts./G
Henry Coleman III, Texas A&M	8.8	13.3
Johni Broome, Auburn	8.6	15.1
Tyrese Samuel, Florida	8.2	13.9

DOUBLING THE FUN:
With four double-doubles already in 2023-24, Henry Coleman III is nearing his career high for double-doubles in a season. "Hen" had five double-doubles in each of the past two seasons.

Coleman, from Richmond, Va., is tied for the SEC lead and tied for No. 16 nationally in double-doubles. He averages a team-best 9.1 rebounds/G and he's the team's No. 2 scorer at 14.3 points/G.
He was named SEC Player of the Week on 11/20 after posting double-doubles in wins over SMU and ORU.
He had three straight double-doubles entering the ESPN Events Invitational and then produced a season-high 24 points with six rebounds in the win over Penn State. He had hit 4-of-5 shots vs. FAU before exiting at the 3:03 of the first half. He missed the entire second half and the subsequent game vs. Iowa State before returning to the lineup vs. UVa.

SEC DOUBLE-DOUBLE LEADERS

Player, School	Gm.	High Pts.	Double Doubles
Henry Coleman III, Texas A&M	9	24	4
Johni Broome, Auburn	9	30	4
Trevon Brazile, Arkansas	10	19	3
Jonas Aidoo, Tennessee	10	29	2
Jimmy Bell Jr., Mississippi St.	10	14	2
Allen Flanigan, Ole Miss	9	29	2
Tyrese Samuel, Florida	10	20	2
Colin Smith, Vanderbilt	6	14	2

FILLING THE BOX SCORE
Junior guard Wade Taylor IV is one of five Division I players averaging 15.0+ points while also compiling 40+ assists and 20+ steals

MAKING THEIR TEAMS GO
(Sorted by Points/G)

Player, School	Asts.	Stls.	Pts./G
Jamarii Thomas, Norfolk St.	41	28	20.0
DeMarcus Sharp, Austin Peay	58	30	18.5
Wade Taylor IV, Texas A&M	49	22	17.1
Ja'Kobi Gillespie, Belmont	41	26	16.6
Tamin Lipsey, Iowa State	61	36	15.1

ON THE OFFENSE
Texas A&M ranks No. 2 nationally in offensive rebounding (17.5) and No. 37 in total rebounding (41.1).

The Aggies have posted 12 or more offensive rebounds in every game. The second-chance opportunities have led to 87 more FGA than their opponents (8.7/G) and 39 more FGM (3.9/G).
Texas A&M ranks No. 2 nationally with a 45.0 offensive rebounding percentage, according to Kenpom.com. In fact, the Aggies are one of just six teams over 40%. The Aggies rank No. 8 in Kenpom's adjusted offensive efficiency (119.0).
Texas A&M is the only team in the nation with two players ranked in the top 25 in offensive rebounds/G - Andersson Garcia (13th/3.8 OR/G) and Henry Coleman (t23rd/3.6 OR/G).

Division I Top Rebounding Teams
(Sorted by Offensive Rebounds/G)

School	Off.	Def.	Total
St. John's	18.2	23.6	41.8
Texas A&M	17.5	23.6	41.1
Eastern Kentucky	17.0	29.0	46.0
South Carolina State	16.8	23.0	39.8
Florida	16.6	27.9	44.5

(Sorted by Offensive Rebounding % - Kenpom.com)

School	Off. Reb.%
St. John's	45.8
Texas A&M	45.0
Towson	42.8
Florida	42.5
Houston	41.8

ONE OF A KIND RADFORD
Tyrece Radford is the nation's lone 6-foot-3 or shorter player with 1,500+ points and 750+ rebounds for his career. He is one of three 1,500/750 guards nationally and one of nine 1,500/750 players of any size.

Active Players with 1,500 Point/750 Rebounds
(Sorted by Points)

Player, School	Ht.	Pts.	Rebs.
Armando Bacot, North Carolina	6'11"	1,952	1443
Hunter Dickinson, Kansas	7'2"	1,811	913
Zach Edey, Purdue	7'4"	1,781	955
Baylor Scheierman, Creighton	6'7"	1,769	1,014
Tyler Burton, Villanova	6'7"	1,742	903
Charles Pride, St. Bonaventure	6'4"	1,605	790
Johni Broome, Auburn	6'10"	1,589	982
Tyrece Radford, Texas A&M	6'3"	1,529	771
Josh Oduro, Providence	6'9"	1,511	781