One Texas Team Left In The Tourney

[emmitt01]

Tech, aTm-Corpus and NT all bowed out in the first round.

Texas got run off the court in the second round by USC today.

Looks like the Aggies will have to carry the "Texas banner" forward.

Oh, and did I mention that SMU didn't even make the tourney?

Edited March 19, 2007 by emmitt01

[meangreendork]

S-M-WHO?

[DeepGreen]

Armageddon is near. Emmit is pulling for the aggie$.

[Objective Aggie]

We will do the best we can.

Thanks for the support.

[UNT_92_Fan]

A&M will move past Memphis easier than most expect I think. Too Fundamental

[risinggreen]

I say Memphis wins by 15. Despite the hostile crowd, the Tigers will slow down Law in a big way.

[Eagle1855]

I say Memphis wins by 15. Despite the hostile crowd, the Tigers will slow down Law in a big way.

True, however A&M is good in the sloppy, slower games. That isn't to Memphis' advantage. If Memphis is to win this game, they are going to have to continue run and gun.

My prediction is that the crowd, coupled with A&M's physical and defensive play will throw off Memphis' rhythm enough for the "upset". Especially since Chris Douglas-Roberts is dealing with an ankle sprain and won't likely be at 100%.

I say go Aggies! They are the lone representative of the Lone Star State!

Edited March 20, 2007 by Eagle1855

[foutsrouts]

True, however A&M is good in the sloppy, slower games. That isn't to Memphis' advantage. If Memphis is to win this game, they are going to have to continue run and gun.

My prediction is that the crowd, coupled with A&M's physical and defensive play will throw off Memphis' rhythm enough for the "upset". Especially since Chris Douglas-Roberts is dealing with an ankle sprain and won't likely be at 100%.

I say go Aggies! They are the lone representative of the Lone Star State!

Does this mean we should pull for SMU should they ever be our lone state representative?

[Eagle1855]

Does this mean we should pull for SMU should they ever be our lone state representative?

Ha, that's really a hilarious joke. SMU being the only school in Texas to represent us in something? Come on...

But in the event that hell did in fact dip below 33 degrees, let me explain that I only apply my state school logic to schools that are supported by our tax money- those that are actually "state funded universities".

SMU is a strange bird, even compared to the other private schools in the state. Less than half the first year undergrads are even from the state of Texas.

Edited March 20, 2007 by Eagle1855

[risinggreen]

Does this mean we should pull for SMU should they ever be our lone state representative?

That could very well happen. I hear they've put together a pretty good men's ballet squad down on The Hilltop.

[NT80]

Less than half the first year undergrads aren't even from the state of Texas.

That's because most Texans know SMUt when they see it, and avoid stepping in it!

[Green Mean]

Ha, that's really a hilarious joke. SMU being the only school in Texas to represent us in something? Come on...

But in the event that hell did in fact dip below 33 degrees, let me explain that I only apply my state school logic to schools that are supported by our tax money- those that are actually "state funded universities".

SMU is a strange bird, even compared to the other private schools in the state. Less than half the first year undergrads are even from the state of Texas.

I'm gonna have to disagree with you 1855....just because a university is not state funded doesnt necessarily make it any less of a state university. A university, its name, reputation, alumni and etc are very vital to the image that it can give a state, area, region, city etc. It also contributes millions upon millions of dollars to the economy every single year. Just look at Boston and Massachussets (sp?). Tho they have some excellent public institutions as well they are known for their universities and education because they have Harvard, MIT, etc etc etc. If SMU is representing in some athletics competition then you darn right I will be rooting for them. Like most people I have no problem with SMU....We worry about their own crap rather than washing our own crap way too much. And there is a notion that most or all private schools have this very very churchy mood and atmosphere as well as it becomes apart of that classroom...and I can assure you that is not necessarily the case....I have a ton of friends that both go to SMU, Rice, Emory and private schools throughout the country and they have never ONCE had to do anything religious related whether it was in the classroom or not. NT's view of SMU people are stereotypical just like the SMU's view of NT. Trust me....most people from SMU dont really care...its those notheads that are on these message boards that just talk crap for no reason. To make a long story short....if SMU is ever playing NT in anything then I will never root for them but if they are in some other tournament, bowl game or anything of that sort then you darn right that I will root for them because it is a Texas school and it only benefits our state.

Edited March 21, 2007 by Green Mean

[foutsrouts]

Greenmean, I don't agree with some of the things you say and don't currently have time to go into them, but you have to understand that a lot of the smu talk is just plain old fashioned smack talk. Sure some of it can get a little mean spirited at times and many times there is justification for that IMHO, but most of it is just for fun. Also, I'm not going to pull for a team, a school, or anything for that matter SIMPLY because they are from my state. They have to show that they deserve my support before I will support them regardless of their state or area of origin. And that opinion is coming from a native born loyal seventh generation Texan.

[emmitt01]

We worry about their own crap rather than washing our own crap way too much.

Washing our crap? Gross. Is that an SMU thing?

[Eagle1855]

I'm gonna have to disagree with you 1855....just because a university is not state funded doesnt necessarily make it any less of a state university. A university, its name, reputation, alumni and etc are very vital to the image that it can give a state, area, region, city etc. It also contributes millions upon millions of dollars to the economy every single year.

Hey, I just said they were my rules to rooting, they don't have to be yours! Most of the people I know that went to SMU were either from Dallas or out of state, and only one of them still lives in Texas... this is not a scientific survey, its just my experience. Couple that with the fact that more than half their first year undergrads are from elsewhere, that makes it a not very "Texas" school, outside of it's location.. That was all I was saying. That's why I said it doesn't fall into my guidelines (that I just made up) for rooting for Texas schools. Its not an exact science, and it was kind of a joke...

Just look at Boston and Massachussets (sp?). Tho they have some excellent public institutions as well they are known for their universities and education because they have Harvard, MIT, etc etc etc.

Well, I think it's important we establish that Massachusetts's is nothing like Texas and therefore the same logic cannot be applied. You don't see people singing songs about Massachusetts, you can't buy a Massachusett's edition truck, and they don't make Miller Lite with cans specifically for Massachusetts. Texas 3, Mass 0. Also let me remind you, we are talking SPORTS. Not sure how MIT finished up their football season, but I would guess that if they even had a football team it would probably be "not good"

If SMU is representing in some athletics competition then you darn right I will be rooting for them. Like most people I have no problem with SMU....We worry about their own crap rather than washing our own crap way too much.

My brother goes to SMU and I know that it is a good school. Good for him. It works for him and that makes me happy. In fact, if they are playing some scrub from another conference and state, I hope they do well for his sake because I know how much it sucked going to a school where you felt like you lost every single game you attended and I know how much fun it can be to once you start winning games! You just won't see me sporting blue and red and hopping up and down with gleeeeeee...

And there is a notion that most or all private schools have this very very churchy mood and atmosphere as well as it becomes apart of that classroom...and I can assure you that is not necessarily the case....I have a ton of friends that both go to SMU, Rice, Emory and private schools throughout the country and they have never ONCE had to do anything religious related whether it was in the classroom or not.

I don't even think there is a problem if they are "churchy", as you put it. But I'm not sure why this point was even brought up since nobody said anything about private schools having too much to do with religion. There's plenty of secular private schools for those that want to avoid all the awful "churchiness".

NT's view of SMU people are stereotypical just like the SMU's view of NT. Trust me....most people from SMU dont really care...its those notheads that are on these message boards that just talk crap for no reason. To make a long story short....if SMU is ever playing NT in anything then I will never root for them but if they are in some other tournament, bowl game or anything of that sort then you darn right that I will root for them because it is a Texas school and it only benefits our state.

Root for whomever you wish! I honestly don't care about SMU one way or the other. I think you picked the wrong guy to take out your "why is everyone picking on SMU" rant. I already went down that road a couple weeks back pondering the obsession with SMU on this board, and it ended in show tunes.

Edited March 21, 2007 by Eagle1855

[Green Jackal]

It would make UNT look better if Memphis wins over A&M. The deeper Memphis goes in the tourney the better. Go Memphis!

[Quoner]

It would make UNT look better if Memphis wins over A&M. The deeper Memphis goes in the tourney the better. Go Memphis!

Streeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeetttttttttccchhhhh

[CMJ]

Streeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeetttttttttccchhhhh

Well, I USUALLY take solace if the team that beats mine does well because I can reason that we lost to the Champion...or close to.

Go Tigers(even though you'd screw my bracket)!

[SCREAMING EAGLE-66]

----We were once in the same conference as Memphis (MVC) ..... We have never been in the same conference with A&M.

[FirefightnRick]

Good article on the Ags below.

Rick

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports...ez/4645148.html

Here's Gillispie's happy ending

By JOHN P. LOPEZ

Billy Gillispie always has believed in romantic endings that leave the eyes misty.

He's corny that way. He always has believed in fate and destiny and dramatic finales.

In life and screenplays, he always has believed the handsome hero would end up with the girl, the small-town underdog would hit the game-winning home run, hearts would be inspired when the screen faded to black.

And he could guide the Texas A&M Aggies to days like these.

He always has believed in hard work, too. He comes by it honestly, having grown up in the sleeves-rolled town of Graford (pop. 578) some 70 miles west of Fort Worth, where Gillispie earned an extra buck sweeping floors in the grocery store where his mother, Wimpy, still works.

This son of an oil field boss/rodeo cowboy, Gillispie, 47, was known as the little 5-foot, 8-inch stitch that saved nine. And always believed.

He racked balls and set up games at the Graford pool hall for 20 cents a pop. He stocked sacks of feed on shelves at the local general store. He mowed lawns and fetched drinks for dominoes players at the pool hall.

He worked seven days a week on an oil rig one summer, to the point that every morning he would have to shake out his hands until he could bend his fingers again.

He always has believed in practice, preparation and conditioning. From his days as a graduate assistant at Sam Houston State and Texas State to high school stops at Copperas Cove, New Braunfels Canyon and Killeen Ellison, Gillispie watched film until his eyes hurt, ran his kids until their legs hurt, and pestered coaches he admired for tips and philosophies until their brains hurt.

He washed uniforms, swept gyms, taped ankles. He gave kids rides home when it was too dark to walk and offered fatherly advice when their dads were not a part of their lives.

Spend five minutes with Billy Gillispie, and it's easy to believe how he can take a talented team like these Aggies and get it to overachieve and follow his lead.

His toughest job

But getting his players to believe in him — to see the same happy endings he saw and choose the Aggies over programs with more promise — might have been the toughest job Gillispie ever had.

For years, College Station was the place where coaching careers went to die. Texas A&M basketball was an unkempt, seemingly unsalvageable disaster, and the only thing scarcer than fans in Reed Arena were marks in the win column.

Sure, Gillispie could sweep up a mess or two, touch up the building and slap a coat of paint on locker room walls. But filling the roster with legitimate talent that worked like he did and dreamed like he did was a job many called impossible.

Unless, that is, you were this misty-eyed basketball romantic.

When Gillispie took over at A&M for Melvin Watkins in 2004, just two players on the team hailed from Texas, one of whom was the coach's son.

Now, as the Aggies prepare for a Sweet 16 showdown with Memphis at San Antonio's Alamodome on Thursday, only two players on the roster are not Texas natives — Watkins recruit Marlon Pompey (Toronto) and junior college transfer Antanas Kavaliauskas (Lithuania).

Gillispie has yet to sign a McDonald's All-American, but the likes of freshmen Donald Sloan and Bryan Davis, sophomore Josh Carter and junior Dominique Kirk are a cut above anything the Aggies have known in talent, approach or both. And signed to arrive next season are national top-100 talents such as 7-0 center DeAndre Jordan from Houston's Christian Life Center and Deer Park's sharpshooting forward Nathan Walkup, along with highly regarded Hastings point guard B.J. Holmes.

One crazy script

Just like in his days of sweeping up floors and stocking shelves, Gillispie hit the recruiting trail with his sleeves rolled and one crazy script dancing in his head. His first job was convincing star guard Acie Law not to transfer and persuading Normangee center Joseph Jones not to renege on having signed with Watkins, which NCAA rules would have allowed.

The last time he was in San Antonio for such an event, Gillispie was not part of the hoopla that surrounded the 2004 Final Four. He was just a coach walking the streets anonymously, sharing stories with coaching friends.

The day before the championship game in 2004, Gillispie sat by himself in the stands at the University of Texas-San Antonio Convocation Center, watching Jones play a high school all-star game.

Just days after being hired, Gillispie made himself conspicuous for Jones to see from the bench, wearing a maroon sweatsuit and occasionally standing up and walking back and forth in front of Jones' team's bench. The message: Here I am. Come along for the happy ending.

Three years later, Jones and Gillispie are headed to the Sweet 16.

Gillispie visited Law a week earlier in '04, sitting in the family living room and watching an Elite Eight game involving Saint Joseph's and Oklahoma State.

A wild prediction

"I told (Law), 'You're going to play there. That's going to be you,' " Gillispie said. " I know they were thinking, 'Man, this guy's crazy.' "

When practices began the next fall and Gillispie put his team through his famed "boot camp," during which players hardly touch a basketball as they run through a series of drills, conditioning exercises and tests of mettle, Law contemplated transferring.

According to a story in 12th Man magazine, the then-recently signed Kirk confided to Law: "I don't think I can play here." When Law called home to tell his parents the same thing, he was surprised to learn Gillispie had spoken with them.

Gillispie saw Law's frustration in practice and launched a pre-emptive strike of sorts by telephone, telling Law's father that it was all a test. It was all part of the unlikely dream. Gillispie wanted to push and make the kind of demands that would make his star player "a superstar."

Confidence and control

Law's parents told their son to stick it out. Now, Law indeed is that superstar and considers Gillispie "my friend."

Gillispie can be charming and charismatic off the floor. He can be quick-witted and self-deprecating. But between the lines, he oozes confidence and control. He can be a terror, often making unreal demands, softening few blows, occasionally telling a player in practice, "You can't play for me."

Those who understand the approach and accept Gillispie's toughness play. It's no coincidence that at the heart of this tough A&M team are players who have suffered and been challenged their entire lives.

Tough?

As a youth, Law saw his father struggle with alcoholism, though now Acie Law III is in his seventh year of sobriety. Sloan grew up bouncing from foster homes to relatives' homes after his mother was jailed and ultimately abandoned her children. Carter lived with his older brothers, washing clothes, cooking, doing everything virtually on his own after their parents divorced and their mother also was incarcerated.

Kavaliauskas departed Lithuania as a teenager, dreaming of making a living playing basketball, leaving behind a divorced mother who lived in a small apartment and worked 24-hour shifts as a security guard. Kirk was a lightly recruited high schooler offered only one other scholarship (Liberty University) as a senior.

He knows what he puts his players through. He knows how hard he works them, how much he expects from them and himself, and the depths from which they have all risen.

Gillispie reflected on a question he was asked after the Aggies' first-round NCAA Tournament win over Pennsylvania. Why didn't he call a timeout during a big second-half Quakers run?

He smiled wryly.

"Our team has great composure in the toughest of times," Gillispie said. "You don't have to call a timeout and give them a hoorah speech."

'Why not Texas A&M?'

When this 2007 Tournament story fades to black, the Aggies might well find themselves in the middle of the most remarkable of happy endings. Fans will cheer. Gillispie will get misty.

"When we first got here that first spring, a lot of friends in high school coaching would tell me, 'Coach, I'll try to help you, but why Texas A&M?'

"I mean, especially the AAU basketball stuff, as much as they want to help you, they'd say, 'Why Texas A&M?' Then after we did OK in the (2005) NIT and won 20-something games, everybody started turning a little bit. They were saying, 'Maybe Texas A&M.' We're not ever going to get all the players, but it's going to be, 'Why not Texas A&M?' "

Listen to John P. Lopez weekdays from noon-3 p.m. on 790 AM. john.lopez@chron.com