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2008 Texas A&M Basketball Season Preview & Predictions

Written October 13, 2008 by Jack Jones

All of the players that helped turned around the Texas A&M basketball program from an 0-16 doormat in 2004 to a conference power have now moved on. The question is can the team build off of their success or were the last three years just a temporary jolt to the school’s hoops team? Mark Turgeon thinks that his Aggie team is going to do some great things again this year with a junior class headed by Bryan Davis and Donald Sloan. We are pretty optimistic too and see this team finishing in the top half of the Big 12 and making it to the NCAA tournament. It seems that the college basketball lines makers agree with us as well, making the Aggies a 8-to-1 favorite to win the Big 12 this year.

Big things are expected out of Davis this year. The Dallas native averaged 8.7 points and 4.9 rebound per game last year, but worked hard this summer on improving his game inside the paint and in developing a mid-range shot. They are going to need the offense down low with Joseph Jones gone. Chinemelu Elonu is one of the most athletic players in the league, but he hasn’t even come close to showing any sort of consistency. He needs to develop into a solid center if this team is going to have a chance to do bigger things come tournament time. If he doesn’t get his act together then freshman David Loubeau is going to have to develop fast.

Sloan and Josh Carter lead the backcourt. Sloan isn’t really a true point guard so Turgeon is hoping that freshman Dashan Harris comes around quickly and can eat minutes up there. Sloan is a leader though, but is probably a more natual fit at the off guard spot. Carter wasn’t quite as productive last year as he was when AC Law was in the lineup taking the heat off of him. He did lead the team in points though and should play the same role in 2008-09. Both BJ Holmes and Nathan Walkup shot better than 40% from behind the arc as freshman and will be counted on to add an injection of shooters to the lineup off the bench. Defensively it will be Derrick Roland counted on. He’s a high energy guy who can get in the face of the opposition, but doesn’t pack much of a punch on offense.

Final Analysis – 5th in our Big 12 Basketball Predictions

There are some questions surrounding this Aggie basketball team. Sure they have Carter, Davis and Sloan to carry most of the load, and the three have proven they are capable of some big things, but outside of them there is a lot of inexperience. If Texas A&M can get some of their other players to produce they will be dancing come March. If they don’t, well they might be in the NIT. The Aggies are listed at 75 to 1 to win the national title.

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