# 2017–18 Texas A&M Aggies men's basketball team

The 2017–18 Texas A&M Aggies men's basketball team represented Texas A&M University in the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team's head coach Billy Kennedy was in his seventh season at Texas A&M. The Aggies played their home games at Reed Arena in College Station, Texas in their sixth season as members of the Southeastern Conference. They finished the season 22–13, 9–9 in SEC play to finish in a tie for seventh place. They lost in the second round of the SEC tournament to Alabama. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament where they defeated Providence and defending champion North Carolina to advance to the Sweet Sixteen where they lost to Michigan.

## Previous season

The Aggies finished the 2016–17 season 16–15, 8–10 in SEC play to finish in a tie for ninth place. They lost in the second round of the SEC tournament to Vanderbilt.

## Offseason
### Departures

| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Reason for Departure |
| Kobie Eubanks | 0 | G | 6'5" | 206 | Sophomore | Fort Lauderdale, FL | Transferred |
| Eric Vila | 2 | F | 6'11" | 206 | Freshman | Girona, Spain | Transferred to Fresno State |
| J. C. Hampton | 5 | G | 6'1" | 192 | RS Senior | Gainesville, GA | Graduated |
| Kyle Nugent | 20 | G | 6'4" | 180 | Sophomore | College Station, TX | Walk-on; didn't return |
| Caleb Smith | 23 | G | 6'0" | 178 | Freshman | Wichita, KS | Transferred to Ranger College |
| Chase Carlton | 33 | G | 6'1" | 186 | Sophomore | Austin, TX | Walk-on; didn't return |
| Tavario Miller | 42 | F | 6'7" | 226 | Senior | Long Island, Bahamas | Graduated |

### Incoming transfers

| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Previous college |
| Duane Wilson | 13 | G | 6'2" | 185 | RS Senior | Milwaukee, WI | Transferred from Marquette. Will be eligible to play immediately since Wilson graduated from Marquette. |
| Josh Nebo | 32 | F/C | 6'8" | 215 | Junior | Houston, TX | Transferred from Saint Francis (PA). Under NCAA transfer rules, Nebo will have to sit out in the 2017–18 season. Will have two years of eligibility left. |

### 2017 recruiting class

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| TJ Starks PG | Lancaster, TX | Lancaster High School | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | Jun 30, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 81 ||||||
| Isiah Jasey PF | Wichita, KS | Sunrise Christian School | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) | 220 lb (100 kg) | Aug 8, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 82 ||||||
| Savion Flagg SF | Alvin, TX | Alvin High School | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | Sep 14, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 84 ||||||
| Jay Jay Chandler PG | Katy, TX | Cinco Ranch High School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 171 lb (78 kg) | Nov 16, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 81 ||||||
| John Walker SF | Missouri City, TX | Fort Bend Marshall High School | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | Jun 8, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: N/A ESPN grade: N/A ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: ||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Texas A&M 2017 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved May 31, 2017. "2017 Texas A&M Basketball Commits". Scout.com. Retrieved May 31, 2017. "ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved May 31, 2017. "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved May 31, 2017. "2017 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved May 31, 2017. ||||||

### 2018 recruiting class

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Antwann Jones SG | Orlando, FL | Oak Ridge High School | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | Nov 14, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 87 ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: ||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Texas A&M 2018 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved November 14, 2017. "2018 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved November 14, 2017. ||||||

## Schedule and results

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Exhibition |||||||||
| Oct 25, 2017* 7:00 pm | | vs. Texas Hurricane Harvey relief game | L 69–73 | – | 19 – Trocha-Morelos | 15 – Williams | 2 – 3 tied | Tudor Fieldhouse (2,048) Houston, TX |
| Nov 3, 2017* 7:00 pm, SECN | No. 25 | Tarleton State | W 72–46 | – | 21 – Starks | 8 – Tied | 5 – Wilson | Reed Arena (6,267) College Station, TX |
| Regular season |||||||||
| Nov 10, 2017* 5:00 pm, ESPN | No. 25 | vs. No. 11 West Virginia State Farm Armed Forces Classic | W 88–65 | 1–0 | 23 – Tied | 13 – Davis | 7 – Gilder | Ramstein Air Base (3,128) Ramstein-Miesenbach, GER |
| Nov 17, 2017* 7:00 pm | No. 16 | UC Santa Barbara Legends Classic campus-site game | W 84-65 | 2–0 | 24 – Hogg | 6 – Tied | 7 – Gilder | Reed Arena (7,275) College Station, TX |
| Nov 20, 2017* 6:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 16 | vs. Oklahoma State Legends Classic semifinals | W 72–55 | 3–0 | 18 – Hogg | 11 – Williams | 5 – Wilson | Barclays Center (5,904) Brooklyn, NY |
| Nov 21, 2017* 5:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 16 | vs. Penn State Legends Classic championship | W 98–87 | 4–0 | 22 – Wilson | 9 – Williams | 6 – Wilson | Barclays Center (5,081) Brooklyn, NY |
| Nov 24, 2017* 7:00 pm, SECN | No. 16 | Pepperdine Legends Classic campus-site game | W 81–65 | 5–0 | 18 – Hogg | 9 – Hogg | 6 – Williams | Reed Arena (6,704) College Station, TX |
| Nov 26, 2017* 9:00 pm, P12N | No. 16 | at No. 10 USC | W 75–59 | 6–0 | 15 – Hogg | 10 – Gilder | 4 – Hogg | Galen Center (5,347) Los Angeles, CA |
| Nov 30, 2017* 7:00 pm | No. 9 | Texas–Rio Grande Valley | W 78–60 | 7–0 | 17 – Tied | 14 – Williams | 7 – Wilson | Reed Arena (7,121) College Station, TX |
| Dec 5, 2017* 8:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 7 | vs. Arizona Valley of the Sun Shootout | L 64–67 | 7–1 | 23 – Davis | 7 – Williams | 5 – Wilson | Talking Stick Resort Arena (8,907) Phoenix, AZ |
| Dec 9, 2017* 3:30 pm, SECN | No. 7 | Prairie View A&M | W 73–53 | 8–1 | 14 – Gilder | 16 – Williams | 3 – Trocha-Morelos | Reed Arena (7,804) College Station, TX |
| Dec 13, 2017* 7:00 pm | No. 9 | Savannah State | W 113–66 | 9–1 | 18 – Hogg | 17 – Davis | 7 – Trocha-Morelos | Reed Arena (6,339) College Station, TX |
| Dec 19, 2017* 7:00 pm, SECN+ | No. 8 | Northern Kentucky | W 64–58 | 10–1 | 16 – Wilson | 10 – Tied | 4 – Caldwell | Reed Arena (6,595) College Station, TX |
| Dec 21, 2017* 8:00 pm, SECN | No. 8 | Buffalo | W 89–73 | 11–1 | 23 – Wilson | 11 – Davis | 11 – Wilson | Reed Arena (6,554) College Station, TX |
| Dec 30, 2017 5:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 5 | at Alabama | L 57–79 | 11–2 (0–1) | 14 – Tied | 9 – Flagg | 3 – Tied | Coleman Coliseum (14,218) Tuscaloosa, AL |
| Jan 2, 2018 8:00 pm, ESPN2 | No. 11 | Florida | L 66–83 | 11–3 (0–2) | 17 – Chandler | 11 – Williams | 7 – Caldwell | Reed Arena (12,524) College Station, TX |
| Jan 6, 2018 1:15 pm, SECN | No. 11 | LSU | L 68–69 | 11–4 (0–3) | 19 – Davis | 12 – Davis | 6 – Caldwell | Reed Arena (10,845) College Station, TX |
| Jan 9, 2018 6:00 pm, ESPN | | at No. 21 Kentucky | L 73–74 | 11–5 (0–4) | 19 – Davis | 8 – Williams | 6 – Caldwell | Rupp Arena (22,643) Lexington, KY |
| Jan 13, 2018 5:00 pm, SECN | | at No. 24 Tennessee | L 62–75 | 11–6 (0–5) | 16 – Gilder | 7 – 2 Tied | 6 – Wilson | Thompson–Boling Arena (19,612) Knoxville, TN |
| Jan 16, 2018 8:00 pm, SECN | | Ole Miss | W 71–69 | 12–6 (1–5) | 20 – Davis | 12 – Davis | 6 – Wilson | Reed Arena (10,578) College Station, TX |
| Jan 20, 2018 3:00 pm, ESPN2 | | Missouri | W 60–49 | 13–6 (2–5) | 14 – Trocha-Morelos | 14 – Davis | 2 – 6 tied | Reed Arena (11,704) College Station, TX |
| Jan 23, 2018 8:00 pm, ESPNU | | at LSU | L 65–77 | 13–7 (2–6) | 21 – Williams | 15 – Williams | 2 – Tied | Maravich Center (8,528) Baton Rouge, LA |
| Jan 27, 2018* 3:30 pm, ESPN | | at No. 5 Kansas Big 12/SEC Challenge | L 68–79 | 13–8 | 18 – Davis | 9 – Tied | 3 – 3 tied | Allen Fieldhouse (16,300) Lawrence, KS |
| Jan 30, 2018 8:00 pm, ESPNU | | Arkansas | W 80–66 | 14–8 (3–6) | 16 – Starks | 13 – Davis | 5 – Starks | Reed Arena (8,761) College Station, TX |
| Feb 3, 2018 1:00 pm, ESPN2 | | South Carolina | W 80–63 | 15–8 (4–6) | 15 – Gilder | 9 – Williams | 6 – Wilson | Reed Arena (10,504) College Station, TX |
| Feb 7, 2018 8:00 pm, ESPN2 | | at No. 8 Auburn | W 81–80 | 16–8 (5–6) | 23 – Starks | 8 – Davis | 7 – Hogg | Auburn Arena (7,631) Auburn, AL |
| Feb 10, 2018 7:15 pm, ESPN | | No. 24 Kentucky | W 85–74 | 17–8 (6–6) | 17 – Starks | 11 – Williams | 4 – Tied | Reed Arena (13,263) College Station, TX |
| Feb 13, 2018 6:00 pm, ESPNU | No. 21 | at Missouri | L 58–62 | 17–9 (6–7) | 14 – Tied | 9 – Williams | 1 – 4 tied | Mizzou Arena (15,061) Columbia, MO |
| Feb 17, 2018 3:00 pm, ESPN | No. 21 | at Arkansas | L 75–94 | 17–10 (6–8) | 20 – Tied | 14 – Williams | 4 – Davis | Bud Walton Arena (18,097) Fayetteville, AR |
| Feb 20, 2018 6:00 pm, SECN | | Mississippi State | L 81–93 | 17–11 (6–9) | 25 – Davis | 11 – Davis | 6 – Hogg | Reed Arena (8,614) College Station, TX |
| Feb 24, 2018 3:00 pm, ESPN2 | | at Vanderbilt | W 89–81 | 18–11 (7–9) | 22 – Davis | 9 – Davis | 6 – Starks | Memorial Gymnasium (9,376) Nashville, TN |
| Feb 28, 2018 7:30 pm, SECN | | at Georgia | W 61–60 | 19–11 (8–9) | 15 – Starks | 7 – Starks | 4 – Starks | Stegeman Coliseum (6,417) Athens, GA |
| Mar 3, 2018 1:00 pm, ESPN2 | | Alabama | W 68–66 | 20–11 (9–9) | 20 – Davis | 10 – Davis | 5 – Starks | Reed Arena (10,755) College Station, TX |
| SEC Tournament |||||||||
| Mar 8, 2018 12:00 pm, SECN | (8) | vs. (9) Alabama Second Round | L 70–71 | 20–12 | 23 – Starks | 10 – Tied | 4 – Starks | Scottrade Center (15,129) St. Louis, MO |
| NCAA Tournament |||||||||
| Mar 16, 2018* 11:15 am, CBS | (7 W) | vs. (10 W) Providence First Round | W 73–69 | 21–12 | 18 – Gilder | 15 – Davis | 8 – Starks | Spectrum Center (18,489) Charlotte, NC |
| Mar 18, 2018* 5:15 pm, CBS | (7 W) | vs. (2 W) No. 10 North Carolina Second Round | W 86–65 | 22–12 | 21 – Starks | 13 – Williams | 5 – Starks | Spectrum Center (18,485) Charlotte, NC |
| Mar 22, 2018* 4:37 pm, TBS | (7 W) | vs. (3 W) No. 7 Michigan Sweet Sixteen | L 72–99 | 22–13 | 24 – Davis | 8 – Davis | 5 – Hogg | Staples Center (19,181) Los Angeles, CA |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. W=West. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

## Ranking movement

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking RV = Received votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | Final |
| AP | 25 | 16 | 16 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 11 | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | 21 | RV | RV | RV | RV | Not released |
| Coaches | RV | RV^ | 19 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 6 | 13 | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | 24 |
^Coaches did not release a Week 2 poll. *AP does not release post-NCAA Tournament rankings