Aggie Spirit: The Heartbeat of Texas A&M Athletics

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Texas A&M men’s basketball squad (13-3, 2-2 SEC) will compete against the 8th-ranked Kentucky Wildcats (13-3, 2-1) in a 6 p.m. showdown at Rupp Arena this Tuesday.

• The Aggies previously triumphed over the Wildcats twice last season and aim for their third consecutive win in this rivalry on Tuesday.
• Kentucky currently leads the all-time series 13-6, which commenced in the 1941-42 season.
• Of the Aggies’ six victories against the Wildcats, five have come as SEC rivals. Within SEC matchups, the Wildcats maintain an 11-5 edge.
• Under the leadership of Buzz Williams, the Aggies’ record against the Wildcats stands at 2-3.

 
STATISTICAL COMPARISON

Statistic	Kentucky	Opp.	Texas A&M	Opp.
FGM	31.5	26.9	26.2	21.6
FGA	64.9	64.4	60.8	55.8
FG%	.486	.417	.431	.387
3PM	10.2	7.8	6.8	8.1
3PA	27.8	27.4	21.8	26.1
3P%	.367	0.282	.309	.309
FTM	16	13.4	18.3	14.1
FTA	21.8	19	26.4	18.9
FT%	.736	.707	.692	.743
Off. Reb	11.3	10.9	17.1	11.1
Def. Reb	29.6	25.4	25.3	21.4
Rebounds	40.9	36.3	42.3	32.4
Assists	18.6	12	12.9	13.4
Steals	7.1	5.4	8.4	7.6
Blocks	4.7	2.9	4.6	5.0
Turnovers	9.7	10.9	11.9	14.6
Points	89.2	74.9	77.4	65.4

 

NEED-TO-KNOWS

SUCCESS AGAINST AP TOP 25: Since March 2022, the Aggies have recorded a 14-10 tally against ranked opponents, which ranks as the seventh-most victories among all D1 teams during this period. With a 58.3 win percentage, they hold the 7th spot among D1 teams with 20 or more encounters against ranked teams. 

ROAD WARRIORS: Since the onset of the 2021-22 season, Texas A&M has achieved a 37-30 record away from Reed Arena (including road and neutral locations). Their 37 wins place them at No. 10 among Power 5 teams, right behind SEC rivals Tennessee (41), Alabama (40), and Auburn (39).

NARROW CONTESTS ARE COMMON: Similar to the ongoing 2023-24 season, Texas A&M has already participated in several matches that were decided by one possession after the under-4:00 media timeout in the second half. The Aggies have a record of 5-3 in these scenarios. Stretching back to last season, they have engaged in 24 one-score games following the final media timeout (with a record of 13-11).

UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCE: For the first time since the beginning of the 2022-23 season, someone other than Wade Taylor IV holds the title of leading scorer for the Aggies. With an additional two games played, Zhuric Phelps has surpassed WT4 in scoring, 231-204. 

LIMITING FIELD GOALS MADE: Texas A&M and Tennessee are the only SEC institutions that have not permitted more than 28 field goals made in a single game this season. The two teams rank first and second among SEC schools in FGM defense, allowing 20.6 (UT) and 21.6 (TAMU).

SWEET 17: Texas A&M garners an NCAA-best 17.1 offensive rebounds per game in 2024-25. 

IN THEIR DNA: Eleven SEC athletes have accumulated 40 or more offensive rebounds – the Aggies feature three of them.(Coleman III, Washington, Payne). No other institution has more than a singular entry.

EARNING TRIPS: Texas A&M has achieved a minimum of 20 trips to the free throw line on 12 occasions (10-2 record). The Aggies have accumulated 40+ free throw attempts in three contests, with 48 recorded on Saturday against Alabama (third-most in the history of the school).

BOARDS ADVANTAGE: A&M has been out-rebounded merely twice this season and maintains a rebound margin of 9.9/G for the year (ranked No. 9 nationally).

PAYNE GAIN: Pharrel Payne stands as the leading bench scorer for the Aggies at 10.8 points/G. Since December’s commencement, Payne is shooting a remarkable NCAA-best of 82.5% (33-40) from the floor (among players with at least 25 field goals attempted).

Payne’s performance against ALA included: 24 points (6-8 FGA, 11-15 FTA), 9 rebounds (6 offensive) and 4 blocks in 23 minutes.

 

NOTING THE TRENDS

• Senior transfer Zhuric Phelps logged a SEC-leading average of 29.0 points alongside 7.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 2.0 steals over two games last week against ranked rivals. Phelps’ career-best 34-point outburst on the road versus No. 17 Oklahoma helped trigger a comeback from an 18-point deficit in the second half to secure an 80-78 victory. During the second half against the Sooners, Phelps lit them up with 28 points and nailed the decisive 3-pointer to finalize the victory with 19 seconds remaining. Against the No. 5 Crimson Tide, Phelps led the Aggies with 24 points as they surged back from a 15-point deficit to bring it within a single possession in the final minutes.
• Phelps has achieved double-digit scoring in seven consecutive games and in 12 of his 15 appearances as an Aggie. He has recorded 5+ rebounds in five straight contests, including a season-high of 10 against ACU (12/28).
• Henry Coleman III registered his first double-double of the season and the 16th of his A&M career with 12 points and 11 rebounds against Alabama.
• Hayden Hefner has averaged 11.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.2 assists across his previous five games, including 16 points and five rebounds against UA.
• Texas A&M has recorded 40+ rebounds in 11 games, while permitting opponents to achieve 40+ rebounds only twice.
• In SEC competition, the Aggies average 8.0 turnovers while inducing 15.0/G.
• Wade Taylor IV boasts a 2.33 assist-to-turnover ratio, significantly surpassing his previous best of 1.49 as a sophomore in 2022-23.
• In three starts in place of Taylor, Manny Obaseki has averaged 6.3 points and 2.7 assists while committing just three turnovers.
• In his last ten games, Minnesota transfer Pharrel Payne has converted 78.7% of his field goal attempts while averaging 10.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks.
• The Aggies have exhibited remarkable depth this season: 11 players average at least 10 minutes of playtime, including five who log 20:00/G or more. Additionally, 10 players average at least 4.0 points/G, and eight Aggies average over 3.0 rebounds/G.

 
TV/RADIO

• The contest will be broadcast on the Texas A&M Radio Network, locally at 1620 AM/94.5 FM or globally on the 12th Man Mobile App with Andrew Monaco and Dr. John Thornton calling the game. It is also accessible on SiriusXM on channels: 160 or 192.
• The match will be available on ESPN2, with Karl Ravech and Jimmy Dykes commentating.