By ROBERT CESSNAThe 19th-ranked Texas A&M men's basketball team continues its string of early season gut-check games by playing host to the Akron Zips at 7:05 p.m. Friday at Reed Arena.
Akron has bounced back from back-to-back losses with four straight victories. The Zips are picked to win the Mid-American Conference's East Division coming off a 23-13 season capped by the school's second NCAA Tournament appearance since becoming a Division I program for the 1980-81 season.
"We're playing a team that's probably circled this on their calendar," A&M head coach Mark Turgeon said. "It's a big opportunity for them."
Turgeon, who is in his third year at A&M, was on the other side of the David vs. Goliath matcups when he was at Wichita State.
"There's a number in front of our name now," Turgeon said. "People get pretty excited to play us now."
A lot of Turgeon's coaching buddies told him not to schedule the Zips, who return four starters from the team that was beaten by fourth-seeded Gonzaga 77-64 in the NCAA Tournament.
"Now we'll have to be ready to play," Turgeon said.
The Aggies didn't appear to be ready Wednesday against Prairie View A&M, which held a nine-point lead before A&M took control en route to an 84-59 victory.
A&M might need a better start against Akron, which is ranked 11th in the country in this week's Collegeinsider.com Mid-Major Top 25. Akron has a budding star in 7-foot freshman Zeke Marshall who had a school-record tying six blocks in Sunday's 80-68 victory over Niagara.
"We have the ability to crowd up on people now and have that big guy at the basket," Zips coach Keith Dambrot told the Akron Beacon. "That changes the whole dynamic. It's something we have never had. You don't have to sink in when the ball hits in the post. That's a big deal. And he is only about 40 percent of where he is going to be."
Marshall was rated the nation's seventh best high school center by scout.com.
*
NOTES -- Turgeon said he substituted players early against Prairie View to make sure everyone was fresh for Akron. ... Akron won the Mid-American Conference tournament last season as the fifth seed. ... This is Akron's first true road game. The Zips have played three games at neutral sites. ... Akron has never beaten a ranked team.
A&M MEN'S BASKETBALL
* Friday's game: Akron (4-2) at No. 19 Texas A&M (6-1), 7:05 p.m.
* TV/radio: FSN (Ch. 25)/WTAW, 1620 AM
TEXAS A&M 6-1
NO.PLAYERPOS.HT.WT.CL.PPGRPG
5Dash HarrisG6-1175Soph.5.7*3.4
15Donald SloanG6-3205Sr.15.34.4
3Derrick RolandG6-4190Sr.12.62.9
45Nathan WalkupF6-7210Jr.5.93.6
0Bryan DavisF6-9250Sr.8.1 6.7
AKRON 4-2
NO.PLAYERPOS.HT.WT.CL.PPGRPG
24Anthony HitchensG5-9168Soph.10.7*2.5
12Daryl RobertsG6-0165Sr.8.22.7
32Jimmy ConyersF6-5220Sr.3.73.3
13Nikola CvetinovicF6-8230Soph.9.84.5
44Zeke MarshallC7-0218Fr.6.24.7
*assists per game
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