Mark Turgeon is going home, and he's not afraid to say or show that it will be an emotional time.
The Texas A&M basketball coach of two years will lead a team into Lawrence, Kan., where he played and coached for a total of nine years, on Monday night for the first time in his 11 years as a head coach.
"I love Kansas. I love Allen Fieldhouse, ever since I was 4 or 5 years old," Turgeon said. "As long as I can remember, I've loved that place. I'll be fired up.
"I know I'll coach well that night because that place makes me feel good."
Turgeon called Allen Fieldhouse home from 1983-87 as a player and was an assistant coach under Larry Brown and then Roy Williams the next five years at KU.
During that time, he won a championship ring when the Jayhawks captured the NCAA title in 1988. The star player on that team was Danny Manning, who is now one of KU head coach Bill Self's assistants. Manning and Turgeon were also teammates on the Jayhawks' 1986 Final Four team.
"It will be exciting for me because I'm going to see a lot of familiar faces," Turgeon said.
As a player, Turgeon, then 5-foot-10, 150 pounds, played in 134 games, starting 34. A point guard, he averaged 3.4 points a game and 3.3 assists (ninth all-time at KU), and maybe more importantly to Turgeon, only 1.2 turnovers a game.
Kansas was 130-41 while Turgeon was an assistant.
Before his stay at Kansas, Turgeon led Hayden High School in Topeka, Kan., to two state titles.
When asked if he expected to be booed when he brought the Aggies (15-3, 1-2 Big 12) onto the court against the Jayhawks (13-4, 2-0), Turgeon said, "No, they won't. Kansas fans make me feel better than any fans I've been around. They've been good to me my whole life."
Last season was the first time Turgeon had ever been on the other side of the scorer's table from his former team. Kansas defeated A&M 72-55 at Reed Arena in the regular-season finale, and a week later the Jayhawks topped the Aggies 77-71 in the Big 12 Tournament semifinals in Kansas City, Mo.
"When I walked out here last year and I saw the red and blue it was kind of emotional, but then we played them in Kansas City and it was like it's just another game," Turgeon said.
Kansas went on to win the NCAA championship with a dramatic come-from-behind overtime victory over Memphis under the guidance of Self, who was a graduate assistant when Turgeon played for KU.
"The A&M game is a great storyline. You have a KU great; everybody loves Turge' around here," Self said. "If they don't, they should. He was good for KU basketball in the time that he was here."
There are more chapters to the Kansas-A&M matchup than the return of Turgeon.
After defeating No. 21 Baylor, A&M is coming off a loss at home to No. 6 Oklahoma and will want to avoid dropping to 1-3 in the Big 12.
"It was an emotional week, Baylor and then a Top 5 team, and then you have to turn around and go to one of the most famous arenas in college basketball," Turgeon said.
The Aggies have a grueling start to the Big 12 season, playing the four teams picked above them in the preseason poll (Oklahoma, Texas, Baylor and Kansas) and the one directly below them (Oklahoma State) in their first five games.
"Not a lot of time to sit around here and sulk," Turgeon said after the loss to Oklahoma on Saturday. "We've got to get on a plane [Sunday] to Kansas. We have to get better on the road, so what a great opportunity this week for us to get better."
*
NOTES -- The last time KU lost at Allen Fieldhouse was against Texas A&M in 2007, when Acie Law IV hit a 3-pointer late to beat the Jayhawks on ESPN's Big Monday. The Jayhawks home winning streak is 34 games. ... A&M is the only Big 12 South team to ever win at Allen Fieldhouse. ... Kansas is 2-0 in league play via a home victory over Kansas State and a win at Colorado. ... A&M travels to Austin for a game against Texas on Saturday, finishing out the tough starting stretch.
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Posted by: miller58 On: 1/21/2009
Comment Title: Re: Hang Turg!
My personal opinions:__________YES!__________miller58.
Posted by: Pablo On: 1/21/2009
Comment Title: Hang in there 'Turg
Didn't catch the Kansas game, but I listened to the OU game on my way to the Gulf Coast for a fishing trip. If they had hit their free throws, we would have won that game. I think we got within 4 points there in the end, but could not hit the dang free throws!! Davis was repeatedly fouled, kinda like a "hack a shack" and he didn't hit enough of his shots.. They need to fix that or it's bye-bye NCAA Tournament and hello NIT.
Posted by: Objective_Homer On: 1/21/2009
Comment Title:
I agree, there is something missing. They just dont play with passion consistently. Here and there but thats about it. They are constantly having to come from behind too early in games. I would imagine that would wear on anyone. No tourney invite at this rate. Well, maybe but most likely a one and done. For all the Turg supporters- doesent that mean we are going in the wrong direction??? Seems as though things were headed in a much more positive direction when BCG was here. Just because BB is in the best shape its ever been doesnt mean Turg is the right man. THe team is obviously not as good as they were with BCG. Our conference record and our big tournament record is going in the wrong direction. But hey, we are really good compared to any other point in history so i guess Turg is tha man.
Posted by: On: 1/20/2009
Comment Title:
Maybe Turge will feel more at home BACK AT WICHITA STATE! Dude, you are terrible and it is obvious. IN OVER YOUR HEAD! Take Sherm with you! Hey TURGE, you have 20 coaches sitting with you on the bench and you all cannot figure out how to start fast or win. It is obvious your team does not respond to you and they do not respect you. The last coach from your conference to come to A&M did not last long either (Barone). Have fun getting punked the rest of the way! I have seen high school teams play more inspired! Except for the Baylor game, your kids have never looked like they care about anything!
Posted by: theDoctor On: 1/20/2009
Comment Title: get use to it
There are going to be a lot of loosing in basketball this year. The Ags showed all during the pre-season that they were not that great. Most other D-I schools that are ranked played at least two to three ranked or really good programs. A&M just played "tuna cans" and you will never get better like that. And to prove my point look at last night's game numbers.
Posted by: On: 1/20/2009
Comment Title: re; ag11
First and last fact in your post is "ou is ranked #5". Every other statement is subjective and opinion on your part. You are certainly entitled but it is not fact.
Posted by: ag11 On: 1/20/2009
Comment Title: 3 losses
ok ill give you at least you got the numbers right, but that record is a bit deceiving, we lost in stillwater against a good OSU team who like us is extremely underrated, then to OU who is the number 5 team in the nation, then in Allen Fieldhouse, ALLEN FIELDHOUSE against the NATIONAL CHAMPS first off allen is if not the hardest place to play in basketball(testament to the fact only one team in the entire big 12 south has EVER one there, us by the way) is up there on the list. Funny thing though if you watched the game though, the players who played the best with the most passion and played the hardest where all Turge' recruits. Not making any excuses though it should of been closer but in that first have we played like we were in aww of Allen Fieldhouse and couldn't come back from it.
Posted by: miller58 On: 1/20/2009
Comment Title: WHAT AN EMBARASSMENT LAST NIGHT?
My personal opinions:_____This team just completely lacks coaching discipline._____With our conference record now at 3 loses and only 1 win that puts us at the big 12 bottom!_____ that's a 75% losing percentage?_____Just poor recruiting and coaching already commng to the forefront?_____miller58.
Posted by: On: 1/19/2009
Comment Title: A&M @ KU 2007 Correction
The Aggie win was on a Saturday night, February 3, 2007 (not on a Big Monday)... I was there and it was AWESOME!!! Here's to doing it again... GIG 'EM!!!
Posted by: jlee24 On: 1/19/2009
Comment Title: beat tha HELL out of k.u
Tha Aggies will win against Kansas... go AGGIES?
