Getting To Know Texas A&M

CHARLOTTE – North Carolina’s opponent in Sunday’s second-round game of the NCAA Tournament is SEC member Texas A&M, which is 21-12 overall and went 9-9 in conference play this season.

The No. 7 seed in the West Region, the Aggies have some very impressive victories on their resume as well as some tough losses and they are more than capable of eliminating the No. 2 seed Tar Heels.

Recently, A&M reached the Sweet 16 in 2016 before losing to Oklahoma, which advanced to the Final Four.

Here are some notes, stats and tid bits about Texas A&M:

Best wins: West Virginia by 23; Oklahoma State by 17; Penn State by 11; Buffalo by 16; @ Southern Cal; Missouri; Arkansas by 14; @ Auburn; Kentucky by 11; Alabama by 4 and Providence by 4.

Losses of note: by 3 @ Arizona; @ Alabama by 22; Florida by 17; LSU by 1; @ Kentucky by 1; @ Tennessee by 13; @ LSU by 12; @ Kansas by 11; @ Missouri by 4; @ Arkansas by 19; Miss State by 12; vs. Alabama by 1.

*The Aggies are no strangers to nail biting, as they are 3-2 in games decided by one point, all were SEC games. In addition, A&M is 2-0 in SEC games decided by 2 points.

*A&M lost its first 5 SEC games and was 2-7 at one point, they also had another 3-game losing streak. However, from Jan. 31 on, the Aggies had 4 and 3-game winning streaks.

*TJ Starks, 6-2 Fr (9.7 ppg, 2.7 apg, 39.2 FG%, 32.7 3-PT% - 32-98 from 3)

*Admon Gilder, 6-4, Jr. (12.4 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.6 apg, 45.9 FG%, 39.5 3-PT% - 45-114 from 3)

*DJ Hogg, 6-8, Jr (11.1 ppg, 5.2 rpg. 2.5 apg, 41.1 FG%, 38.1 3-PT% - 61-160 from 3)

*Robert Williams, 6-10, Soph. (10.4 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 2.6 bpg, 62.2 FG%, no 3-PTers)

*Tyler Davis, 6-10, Jr. (14.5 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 57.7 FG%, 28.0 3-PT% - 7-25 from 3)

*As a team, A&M shoots 32.8 percent from 3-point range, but the starters shoot an even lower percentage at 31.5 (145-397). They are No. 229 in the nation in attempted free throws.

*Defensively, A&M is ranked No. 16 nationally in 3-point defense, allowing opponents to shoot just 32.4 percent (248-766).

*A&M is No. 19 nationally in rebound margin at plus-6.3. They are No. 12 averaging 12.5 offensive rebounds per contest

*The Aggies are No. 5 nationally averaging 6 blocked shots per game.

The Ags are No. 321 in the country at minus-2.5 in turnover margin

*UNC leads 2-1

* Sunday's contest will be the fourth meeting between the Aggies and the Tar Heels on the hardwood and the second in the NCAA Tournament.

* A&M head coach Billy Kennedy has never faced the Tar Heels ... meanwhile UNC's Roy Williams is 7-0 vs. the Aggies with all the pervious meetings occurring during his tenure as Kansas' head coach (1988-03).

* The most notable meeting in the series game on March 9, 1980, when the Aggies defeated UNC, 78-61, in double overtime at the Super Pit in Denton, Texas, during the second round of the NCAA Tournament ... the win punched the Aggies' ticket to the Sweet 16.

* About that game in the 1980 NCAA Tournament, Roy Williams was an assistant coach under UNC legend Dean Smith at the time and was asked if he recalled the game Saturday:

“Give you a trivia question,” Williams said. “Have you ever seen a game where you have the last shot to win the game and lose by 17 or 19? Because that was that game. Was it 17? We had the last shot to win the game in regulation and missed it and they beat us by 17. I remember that game, yes, walking out of the gym in Denton, Texas. Eddie Fogler looked to me. We have to get to Albany, New York, a guy named Sam Perkins up there to help us.”

* 2016 SEC Coach of the Year, USBWA District VII Coach of the Year & NABC District 21 Coach of the Year after leading the Aggies to a school record 28 victories and a trip to the Sweet 16

* His teams have averaged over 20 wins over his last 13 seasons as a head coach, earning five league titles and making seven trips to the postseason (4 NCAA, 2 NIT, 1 CBI)

* Led team to 54 wins, two league titles and two trips to postseason in his final seasons at Murray State

* His 13th-seeded Racers knocked off No. 4-seed Vanderbilt in the 2010 NCAA Tournament, and came within two points of taking down eventual national finalist Butler

* Named NABC District 19 Coach of the Year and a finalist for the Skip Prosser and Hugh Durham awards following the 2009-10 season

* Was an assistant on the 1990-91 Texas A&M team under Kermit Davis, Jr. • FCA's John Lotz "Barnabas" Award winner at the 2011 NCAA Final Four

* The Aggies have played 16 games against opponents who heard their names called on Selection Sunday and have compiled an 7-9 record against the group.

* This season, Texas A&M has notched wins over Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Buffalo, Kentucky, Missouri, Providence and West Virginia.

* The selection to this season's NCAA Tournament is the 14th in program history for Texas A&M as well as the second bid in the last three seasons ... Texas A&M has made the field in eight of the last 13 years.

* Entering this postseason, the Aggies are 12-14 all-time in 13 appearances in the NCAA Tournament.

* Texas A&M has advanced to the round of 16 five times -- 1951*, 1969†, 1980, 2007, 2016 (* 16-team field † 25-team field) ... this included a trio of Sweet 16 appearances since the tournament field expanded to 48 teams -- in 1980, under the direction of Shleby Metcalf, in 2007, led by head coach Billy Gillispie, and in 2016 under Billy Kennedy.

* A&M enjoyed a school-record run of six consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances from 2006-2011.

* Prior to this season five players on the Aggies roster has NCAA Tournament experience - Tyler Davis (3 games), Admon Gilder (3 games), DJ Hogg (3 games), Tonny Trocha-Morelos (3 games) and Duane Wilson (1 game at Marquette).

* A&M head coach Billy Kennedy has led three schools to the NCAA Tournament, Southeastern Louisiana in 2005, Murray State in 2010 and Texas A&M in 2016 and 2018 ... Kennedy is 4-3 as a head coach in the NCAA Tournament.