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http://www.soonersports.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/022211aaa.html
Teams: Oklahoma (12-14, 4-8) at Texas A&M (21-5, 8-4)
Date: Wednesday, Feb. 23
Tip: 6:35 p.m. CT
Site: College Station, Texas (Reed Arena)
Radio: Sooner Radio Network (KRXO 107.7 FM in OKC; KTBZ 1430 AM in Tulsa)
TV: FS Southwest Plus (Cox 267 in OKC and Tulsa; DirecTV 677; Dish Network 451; ESPN Full Court)
Webcast: ESPN3.com
Series: OU leads 28-7
WEDNESDAY'S GAME BASICS
Looking to snap a five-game losing streak, Oklahoma (12-14 overall, 4-8 Big 12) plays its second straight road game when it takes on Texas A&M (21-5, 8-4) Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. CT in College Station. OU is coming off a 77-62 loss at Kansas State on Saturday while the Aggies’ 67-66 win at Oklahoma State that night was their fourth straight. Wednesday’s game will air on the Sooner Radio Network (KRXO 107.7 FM in Oklahoma City; KTBZ 1430 AM in Tulsa) with Bob Barry Sr. and Mike Houck announcing. It will be televised by Fox Sports Southwest Plus (Cox 267 in OKC and Tulsa; DirecTV 677; Dish Network 451) and ESPN Full Court with Greg Lucas and Jim Haller calling the action.
OKLAHOMA'S PROJECTED STARTERS
F 4 Andrew Fitzgerald (6-8, 231, So., 13.5 ppg, 5.2 rpg)
G 2 Steven Pledger (6-4, 212, So., 11.8 ppg, 1.9 apg)
G 14 Carl Blair (6-2, 209, So., 7.7 ppg, 4.5 apg)
G 21 Cameron Clark (6-6, 189, Fr., 9.6 ppg, 4.7 rpg)
G 34 Cade Davis (6-5, 209, Sr., 12.7 ppg, 5.1 rpg)
TEXAS A&M'S PROJECTED STARTERS
F 10 David Loubeau (6-8, 230, Jr., 11.3 ppg, 5.1 rpg)
F 22 Khris Middleton (6-7,215, So., 14.8 ppg, 5.1 rpg)
F 45 Nathan Walkup (6-7, 210, Sr., 9.9 ppg, 5.8 rpg)
G 5 Dash Harris (6-1, 175, Jr., 4.3 ppg, 3.3 apg)
G 11 B.J. Holmes (5-11, 175, Sr., 9.9 ppg, 3.2 apg)
PREVIEWING TEXAS A&M
• Ranked No. 21 in the AP poll and No. 17 in the ESPN/USA Today version, Texas A&M is 21-5 overall and sits in third place in the Big 12 at 8-4. The Aggies lost three out of four games after starting the year 16-1, but have bounced back with four straight wins. Each of their last five games has been decided by five or fewer points (they won 67-66 at Oklahoma State on Saturday).
• In Big 12 play, Texas A&M is shooting .444 from the field (ranks fifth in the Big 12), .341 from 3-point range (ranks ninth) and .687 from the free throw line (ranks 10th). Its +2.2 rebounding margin ranks fourth in the league.
• The Aggies are allowing 66.3 points per Big 12 game, second fewest in the league, and rank seventh by allowing conference foes to shoot .454 from the field.
• Sophomore forward Khris Middleton leads four Aggies who score in double figures. Middleton averages 14.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game while shooting .460 from the field and .359 from 3-point range (1.1 makes per game). He leads the team with his 101 free throw makes and .802 mark at the foul line. Middleton has scored in double digits in 22 of 26 games.
• Junior forward David Loubeau averages 11.3 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. Loubeau, who is shooting .489 from the field, is coming off a career-high 22-point performance at Oklahoma State in which he was 7-for-9 from the field and 8-for-10 at the free throw line.
• Senior forward Nathan Walkup contributes 9.9 points, a team-high 5.8 points and 1.2 assists in 24.5 minutes per outing. Walkup is shooting .508 from the field and .364 (24-for-66) from 3-point range.
• Senior guard B.J. Holmes also averages 9.9 points per game, to go along with 3.2 assists and 1.2 steals. He has made a team-high 40 treys on the season and is shooting a team-high .421 from long range (ranks sixth in the Big 12).
• Mark Turgeon is in his fourth year as Texas A&M’s head coach and owns a 94-35 record. He’s in his 13th year overall.
OU-TEXAS A&M HISTORY
Oklahoma owns a 28-7 series advantage against Texas A&M and is 11-4 against the Aggies in College Station. Since the start of the Big 12 in 1996-97, OU is 23-7 against the Aggies (10-4 in College Station). Six of the Aggies’ seven wins in the series have come over the past five seasons (they have won six of the last nine). They have won three of the last four meetings at Reed Arena.
EARLIER THIS YEAR AGAINST THE AGGIES
• No. 16 Texas A&M snapped Oklahoma’s eight-game home winning streak with a 69-51 victory in both teams’ Big 12 opener Jan. 8. The win for the Aggies was their 11th in a row.
• Texas A&M shot .543 from the field, the third best mark against OU this year, while holding the Sooners to a .400 figure.
• The Aggies led by just six points (42-36) with 15:50 remaining before using a 16-2 run to open up a 58-38 lead with 8:30 left.
• A&M entered the game with a +12.6 average rebounding margin and outboarded Oklahoma 30-20. The Sooners managed just four offensive rebounds on the day and just one in the second half (came on their first possession).
• Sophomore forward Andrew Fitzgerald scored a game-high 17 points. He was 6-for-11 from the field and 5-for-5 from the free throw line while adding five rebounds, a block and two steals.
• Senior guard Cade Davis contributed 13 points and a team-high six boards. He made all six of his free throw attempts.
• Sophomore point guard Carl Blair handed out eight of OU’s 12 assists in a season-high-tying 38 minutes.
• The Aggies held a 12-0 advantage in fast break points and outscored OU 19-7 off turnovers. Khris Middleton led A&M with 16 points while Naji Hibbert scored 14 off the bench.
NOTEWORTHY
• Oklahoma holds a 28-7 series lead against Texas A&M and is 11-4 in games played in College Station. Six of the Aggies’ seven wins in the series have come over the last nine meetings.
• Texas A&M beat OU 69-51 in the Big 12 opener for both teams on Jan. 8. The Aggies shot .543 from the field while holding the Sooners to a .400 figure.
• Starters have accounted for 539 of Oklahoma’s 613 points (88 percent) over the last nine games (four wins). Each of the five starters is averaging between 10.2 and 13.3 points during the stretch.
• Starters are also averaging 34 minutes per game over the last nine.
• A big key for OU in its wins this year has been its positive assist-to-turnover ratio. In 12 victories, the Sooners have 189 assists to 167 turnovers. In its 14 losses, Oklahoma has accumulated 145 assists and 196 turnovers.
• During their four-game winning streak (Jan. 18-Feb. 2), the Sooners averaged 26.5 free throw attempts per game. In five losses since, OU is averaging just 15.2 attempts.
• Freshmen and sophomores have accounted for 72 percent of OU’s points this year. The Sooners have one senior in Cade Davis.
• Eight of OU’s top nine scorers are in their first or second year of Division I basketball. Five of the nine are in their first year.
• Sophomore guard Steven Pledger, who turned in a 38-point performance Jan. 29 at Iowa State, has scored in double figures in 10 of OU’s 12 wins and is averaging a team-high 16.2 points in the team’s victories (compared to 8.1 in losses). He averaged 18.3 points during the team’s four-game Big 12 winning streak but is averaging 9.4 over five games since, all defeats.
• Pledger’s 38 points at Iowa State are tied with Jacob Pullen’s 38 for Kansas State last week versus Kansas for the most by a Big 12 player in conference play this year. Baylor senior guard LaceDarius Dunn is the only league player to score more this year (43 against Morgan State on Jan. 4).
• After averaging 15.0 points and 6.0 rebounds during OU’s four-game winning streak, freshman Cameron Clark is averaging 6.4 points and 3.4 boards over the last five games (all losses). Clark has attempted just two free throws during the losing streak.
• In OU’s 12 wins, point guard Carl Blair has totaled 57 assists and 27 turnovers. In the team’s 14 losses, Blair has 50 assists and 52 turnovers. The sophomore attempted 37 free throws during the team’s four-game winning streak (9.3 average) but has attempted just 13 in five losses since (2.6 average).
