Spring Break
Willful Aggies travel to Oklahoma
By: David Arno
Issue date: 2/4/09 Section: Sports
Confidence is something the Texas A&M men's basketball team has had an abundance of in 2008-2009.
"We're a confident group and I don't know if we ever lost confidence this year with all that has happened," said A&M Head Coach Mark Turgeon. "Does our last game have anything to do with our next one? Not really."
The Aggies will travel to Norman on Wednesday in hopes of splitting the season series with No. 2 Oklahoma. The Sooners won the first meeting against the Aggies, 69-63, in a game that went to the wire at Reed Arena.
The Aggies (17-5, 3-4) go into Wednesday night's game riding a two-game winning streak after starting Big 12 play with a 1-4 record. The two wins were against Texas Tech and Oklahoma State at home.
"When you're on a losing streak, it is kind of hard to keep your confidence up a little bit," said junior forward Chinemelu Elonu. "When you get that winning taste again you just have a whole new road ahead of you. Everybody's spirits are high again. We just need to go to Oklahoma and get a win."
Oklahoma (21-1, 7-0) is undefeated in Big 12 play and rose to No. 2 in the nation on Monday after No. 1 Duke lost to No. 4 Wake Forest, No. 3 Pittsburgh lost to No. 21
Villanova and Wake Forest lost to unranked Georgia Tech during the previous week.
"I didn't even realize they were No. 2, I haven't seen the polls," said senior guard Josh Carter. "We know they're a good team."
On Saturday, the Sooners needed a late 13-2 rally to defeat Iowa State to keep their perfect mark in conference play alive.
"I think that's the reason they're 21-1. They have a complete basketball team," Turgeon said. "They're good defensively, have good rebounding and have weapons around arguably the best player in college basketball this year so it makes it hard."
In the previous meeting between the two schools, the Aggies overcame a 14-point deficit to pull within two points of then-No. 5 Oklahoma but fell short in the upset bid. The loss started a three-game slide.
"They're better at home," Turgeon said about the Sooners. "At home they've been pretty dominant so it will be a different animal."
"We're a confident group and I don't know if we ever lost confidence this year with all that has happened," said A&M Head Coach Mark Turgeon. "Does our last game have anything to do with our next one? Not really."
The Aggies will travel to Norman on Wednesday in hopes of splitting the season series with No. 2 Oklahoma. The Sooners won the first meeting against the Aggies, 69-63, in a game that went to the wire at Reed Arena.
The Aggies (17-5, 3-4) go into Wednesday night's game riding a two-game winning streak after starting Big 12 play with a 1-4 record. The two wins were against Texas Tech and Oklahoma State at home.
"When you're on a losing streak, it is kind of hard to keep your confidence up a little bit," said junior forward Chinemelu Elonu. "When you get that winning taste again you just have a whole new road ahead of you. Everybody's spirits are high again. We just need to go to Oklahoma and get a win."
Oklahoma (21-1, 7-0) is undefeated in Big 12 play and rose to No. 2 in the nation on Monday after No. 1 Duke lost to No. 4 Wake Forest, No. 3 Pittsburgh lost to No. 21
Villanova and Wake Forest lost to unranked Georgia Tech during the previous week.
"I didn't even realize they were No. 2, I haven't seen the polls," said senior guard Josh Carter. "We know they're a good team."
On Saturday, the Sooners needed a late 13-2 rally to defeat Iowa State to keep their perfect mark in conference play alive.
"I think that's the reason they're 21-1. They have a complete basketball team," Turgeon said. "They're good defensively, have good rebounding and have weapons around arguably the best player in college basketball this year so it makes it hard."
In the previous meeting between the two schools, the Aggies overcame a 14-point deficit to pull within two points of then-No. 5 Oklahoma but fell short in the upset bid. The loss started a three-game slide.
"They're better at home," Turgeon said about the Sooners. "At home they've been pretty dominant so it will be a different animal."
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