By ROBERT CESSNAThe Texas A&M men's basketball team wasn't going to be denied. Unfortunately for the Aggie women, neither were the Baylor Lady Bears.
Emotion played a big part in Saturday's two showdowns along the Brazos River.
The A&M men, left for dead in regard to the NCAA Tournament more times than Lazarus, ended the regular season with a stirring 96-86 victory over 15th-ranked Missouri at Reed Arena.
There's no doubt luck has factored into A&M's current six-game winning streak. You don't rally from an 18-point deficit at Nebraska and hit a game-winning 3-pointer without a little good fortune, but what happened against Missouri wasn't a fluke.
The Aggies played hard and smart. They made their own luck. They were clearly the better team on Saturday, a pretty darn good team that's gotten better as the season has progressed.
No matter what happens in Oklahoma City this week at the Big 12 tournament or in the NCAA Tournament, it's been a great season. All you have to do to appreciate it is look at the plight of former A&M head coach Billy Gillispie at Kentucky.
The Wildcats, barring a miracle run through the Southeastern Conference tournament, will have their streak of making 17 straight NCAA Tournaments end. Flags in the Blue Grass state -- at least outside Louisville -- will hang at half mast until the Kentucky Derby.
A&M's basketball flags are flying higher than ever. This will be the fourth straight year both the men and women will make the Big Dance.
Unfortunately, the A&M women weren't able to match the men's six-game winning streak. They also missed a chance to get second place in the Big 12, which might cost the women in seeding for the NCAA Tournament.
A&M had a chance to pass the Lady Bears, who showed the NCAA selection committee they are worthy of a No. 2 seed even without Danielle Wilson, the team's leading scorer and rebounder.
Don't be too hard on the A&M women's team. Baylor won this game more than A&M lost it. The Lady Bears, especially their three seniors, played like it was their last game. You had to admire their emotion.
Just don't look for Baylor to be a factor at the Big 12 Tournament in Oklahoma City this week. The Lady Bears aren't deep enough to win three games in three days.
Baylor head coach Kim Mulkey thinks conference tournaments are for Cinderellas. Her Lady Bears proved all they have to for the NCAA selection committee on Saturday night.
A&M, though, still has work to do.
The Aggies rode a Big 12 tournament title last year to a school-record No. 2 seed. They'll need to do the same again if they want to be mentioned in the same breath as third-ranked Oklahoma and fifth-ranked Baylor.
A&M might be the only team deep enough to handle OU and its rowdy fans in Oklahoma City. And that's providing the Aggies can get past Kansas State, which would like to make amends for a 71-45 home loss to the A&M.
A&M head coach Gary Blair would love to have waited until the title game to face Oklahoma, but he'll gladly settle for the semifinals. It will be a tougher assignment than anything the NCAA selection committee can dish out.
There's a chance that the higher-seeded Aggies will have to play a host team in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, so OU would be a great dress rehearsal for such a situation.
The Sooners -- without injured Whitney Hand -- were denied a 16-0 league record in their 57-56 loss to the Aggies at Reed Arena, so they'll want to show that was a fluke. But if A&M could beat OU for a second time, in what amounts to a home game, that would surely help its NCAA seeding. That also might give A&M another shot at the Lady Bears, provided BU avoids an upset in reaching the title game.
It should be an interesting week for the Aggies in Oklahoma City. The A&M men on Wednesday will face Texas Tech, which would love to end the Aggies' roll. And if A&M gets past Tech, which it should, Missouri awaits for a rematch. That too, would be a great NCAA Tournament preview.
A&M continues to discover that March Madness is a lot of fun when you are one of the teams making the headlines instead of sitting at home reading them.
Robert Cessna's e-mail address is robert.cessna@theeagle.com
Notice about comments:
TheEagle.com is pleased to offer readers the ability to comment on stories. We expect our readers to engage in lively, yet civil discourse. TheEagle.com does not edit user submitted statements and we cannot promise that readers will not occasionally find offensive or inaccurate comments posted in the comments area. Responsibility for the statements posted lies with the person submitting the comment, not theeagle.com. If you find a comment that is objectionable, please click "report abuse" and we will review it for possible removal. Please be reminded, however, that in accordance with our Terms of Use and federal law, we are under no obligation to remove any third party comments posted on our website.
Full terms and conditions can be read here.
(Requires free registration.)
Posted by: Pablo On: 3/14/2009
Comment Title: Simple huh?
Guess you never played the game huh Miller? Madden doesn't count -:)
Posted by: On: 3/11/2009
Comment Title: Forest vs Trees
There are almost 70 teams to the dance. We squeak in toward the bottom of the list and will probably make a quick exit. This is some sort of accomplishment I guess but some of us can't see what all the excitement is about.
Posted by: miller58 On: 3/11/2009
Comment Title: BASKETBALL AND FOOTBALL ARE VERY SIMPLE GAMES!
My personal opinions:_____ Basketball and football are so simple that mnc winning coaches in both sports have been quoted that, "the team with the best players will win up to 90% of their games at the time the players are signed in high school"!_____If the teams are well matched, a home field advantage may determine the winning or losing outcome!_____Coaches at a high level are normally well matched._____This is not trueAt A&M, basketball difference maker talent is currently tied at the 6th and 7th big 12 spots, and this years recruiting is at he very bottom of the Big 12; coaching against both lessor and greater talented teams and has been crappy with a 9-7 record._____At A&M football difference maker talent has fallen to 5th place behind tu, ou, nebraska and okie lite._____ Our coaching is not even up to the minimum Big 12 level as reflected by the 4-8 blow out loss record, and the current crappy recruiting status of only one difference maker committed, compared to the rest of the big 12?_____Not only are these two coaches under preforming now, they are making it tougher thru 2014 for new coaches, with their lowering our talent pool toward the Big 12 bottom in both sports?_____miller58
Posted by: Pablo On: 3/10/2009
Comment Title: Miller.. c'mon buddy put rivals.com kool-aid down OK?
Basketball (like other sports) is a bit more complicated than 4/5* don't 'ya think?
Posted by: miller58 On: 3/10/2009
Comment Title: __________A&M vs Tech - Quickie Analysis
My personal opinions:_____tech has signed 2 difference makers in the past five year>_____A&M has signed 6 difference makers in the last 5 years, so A&M enjoys three times the talent advantage?_____A neutral site offers no advantage for either team!____Turgeon screwing up is the only way A&M will lose this game, but he has proved very capable of screwing up before multiple times in this season already?_____miller58
Posted by: On: 3/10/2009
Comment Title: Best Ever
Both programs are at their best level ever and much positive in the future. Big problem, Baylor got maybe the very best Female recruit in the country coming in. Baylor will be top 10 just on one player for the next 4 years. Sad part was her second choice was TAMU.
Posted by: tap On: 3/10/2009
Comment Title: 9-7 big 12 record
Miller, you left out BCG from your list. I do believe he never had a better record in the big 12 then that. Maybe a 10-6 record. My opinion, terrible start to conference, then they recovered great!! Also, I am not too worried about recruiting as we are only going to lose 1 senior! The rest of the squad will be back and be better. Success will help recruiting and elevate the program. Face it miller, we have only made the dance 4 years now. That is a far cry from the likes of NC, Duke, Kansas, UCLA, Arizona, Uconn, Memphis, Kentucky... (Hey didn't we beat Zona this year...yep. and UCLA, Zona, and Kentucky are all on the bubble). Anyway, we have a ways to go to become the storied basketball program you want. Turgeon is building, improving, adding and continuing the success BCG had. You continue to have to argue BS points to make Turgeon look bad. Face it Aggie basketball (both programs) are the best they have EVER been. Good job Ags! BTHOTT!!!!
Posted by: On: 3/10/2009
Comment Title: Miller Please Speak Up.
Hey Miller, You're going to have to speak up louder... None of us can hear you over your Flowbee.
Posted by: On: 3/9/2009
Comment Title: beattu80
Mypersonal opinions:___________Deliverance(ding-a-ding-a-ding-ding)"Aintry, what you boys want to go down to Aintry for?"
Posted by: miller69 On: 3/9/2009
Comment Title: Please excuse 58
You will have to please forgive 58. He is not all together since he lost his confidence. He tries hard to look like he is pulling for the Aggies, but it is all a front. He is a lonely bitter, person trying to forget his shortcomings in life rather than re-live the happy memories of his sad life. If you ever meet 58 in person you would feel sorry for him you and know who he is once he shows his yellow smile. Don't take him too serious, none of the family does anymore.
Posted by: On: 3/9/2009
Comment Title: Louisville?
Why would the flags hang at half mast in Louisville? They hate U of K. Why does Miller58 put lines in his text?
Posted by: miller58 On: 3/9/2009
Comment Title: THE SECRET NCAA FOOTBALL AND BASKETBALL ELITE CONFERENCE OF UP TO 12 TEAMS EACH?
My personal opinions:_____This secret conference is right there every year in both Basketball and football of up to 12 teams._____Most Ags don't talk about these elite conferences because they've never been a part of them, some Ags are ignorant of them?_____Old Ag football coaches don't like to talk about them because they have never been a part of them?_____Old Ag basketball coaches don't like to talk about them because they too, have never been a part of them?_____Most old Ag football players never like to talk about them either because they have never been a part of them, a few Ags I knew, have been a part of them?_____Most old Ag basketball players dont like to talk about them either because they have never been a part of them?_____Most Ag blogs don't like to talk about them either for fear of embarassing old Ag football and baskertball coaches and players that have never been a part of them!_____Most old Ag chancellors don'tlike to talk about them because Ags would ask why aren't we a part of them when we have everything needed??????????_____Most Ag presidents dont like to talk about them because Ags would ask why aren't we a part of thm when we have everything needed??????????_____I want A&M to join Duke, Kentucky, UCLA, Kansas, etc. in their 12 team elite basketball conference._____I want A&M to join USC, Florida, ou, Ohio State, Alabama, and yes, even tu in their elite 12 team football conference?_____Why not?_____A&M played for two years, only in 1956 and 1957 in this elite football conference, and have never played in this elite basketball conference!_____All that is lacking are the football and basketball head coaches at A&M, and the Chancellor, Presidnt, AD and Regents smart enough to hire them, today?_____So close, and yet so far?_____This is what I want for A&M!_____miller58
Posted by: On: 3/9/2009
Comment Title: Dancing 4 years in row!
Simply awesome (unless you a myopic bitter old man)!!
Posted by: miller69 On: 3/9/2009
Comment Title: Aggies are dancing
The Aggies are doing a fantastic job at peaking at the right time this year. How many games has tu, OU and OSU lost in the past two weeks? I like the difference makers playing on the court for the Aggies. They will only get better. Miller58 when I see this summer at the family reunion, I will be glad to discuss your myopic projections of Aggies sports teams. Try to smile, you like it you yellow grining cousin.
Posted by: miller58 On: 3/9/2009
Comment Title: _______________I CALL BS?
My personal opinions:_____ A 9-7 regular season is not flying high unless your using Metcalf, Barone, Davis(?), Watkins, Turgeon standards!_____Ranking way behind the ku's, ou's, missouri's etc. this year is not flyong high unless your using Metcalf, Watkins, Davis(?), Barone, Turgeon standards._____ and 2010 basketball recruiting with tu already committing two five stars, ku already with one and baylor with one difference maker and an A&M that has zero commits is not flying high unless you're using Metcalf, Watkins, Davis(?), Barone, Turgeon standards?_____A ku that has 14 difference makers signed in the last five years, a tu that has 13, an okie lite that has 12, an ou that has 10, abaylor that has 9 difference makers, is basketball flying high: an A&M with only 6 difference makers signed in the last five years is flying so low it will crash at the bottom of Big 12 basketball soon, just like Sherman has already done with his up to 28 Feb '08 signees, his 28 feb '09 signees, his transfers, and walkons and his terrible current 28 Feb '10 recruiting class in progress._____ With only one A&M football player ranked, we are way behind tu, ou, okie lite, and tech already, with almost all the top 50 Texas football players already committed. _____9-7 basketball or 4-8 football and terrible recruiting in both, is not flying high; and only those with enough mush to believe and spout Aggie Spin Machine low standard bs, think this is flying high?_____miller58