Remade In Texas

Texas A&M coach Billy Gillispie doesn't know if the proper term is imbalanced, unbalanced or out-of-balance, but he is sure he is one of them, if not all three. He is 47, divorced, with no kids, no dog and no food in the fridge--meaning there's nothing to distract him from his primary passion: Aggies basketball. A TV camera crew visited his house for a Selection Sunday show three Marches ago and found a Christmas tree still standing in his living room. Yes, Gillispie knows he needs to get a life. But right now he really needs to watch 15 game tapes of his next opponent. "It's overkill," he admits from behind his desk, which is lined with videos. "Three or four tapes would probably accomplish the same thing. But I really enjoy watching basketball."

There's no disputing the results of his single-mindedness. Three years after orchestrating one of the most dramatic turnarounds in NCAA history at UTEP--the Miners improved from 6--24 to 24--8 in his second season-- Gillispie has done a similarly drastic makeover in College Station, transforming a Big 12 doormat that went 0--16 in conference play three years ago into the seventh-ranked team in the country. Despite a few heartbreaking defeats, including a 98--96 loss in double overtime at No. 15 Texas on Feb. 28, the Aggies (25--5, 13--3) have emerged from the regular season perfectly sculpted to throw their weight around in March. "They have big, strong post players, they surround them with shooters, and they have a point guard who knows what to do when the game's on the line," says Texas coach Rick Barnes. "You know what they're going to do, but they still get it done."

That go-to point guard is senior Acie Law IV, a player of the year candidate who believes the secret to the Aggies' success is simple. "We're not the most talented team," he says, "but we're capable of beating anybody because we play so hard."

The once indifferent fans of football-centric Aggieland have taken notice, flocking to 12,500-seat Reed Arena in unprecedented numbers this year. Six of A&M's home dates sold out, and so many students wanted to attend games that the school had to implement a lottery system. "Three years ago nobody noticed us," says Law. "Now people want our autographs; they want pictures of us with their babies. We're suddenly like rock stars here."

What makes A&M's offensive attack so efficient is its balance and execution. Says Kansas coach Bill Self, "It's not that their screens are so hard to guard; it's the way they go knock your block off to set them." The post scoring of junior forward Joseph Jones and senior center Antanas Kavaliauskas makes the Aggies "the best team in our league at going inside," according to Texas Tech coach Bob Knight. Those two can also kick the ball out to Law, junior Dominique Kirk or sophomore sharpshooter Josh Carter, whose 51.9% accuracy from beyond the arc led the country at week's end.

Playing man-to-man almost exclusively, A&M ranked second in the nation in defensive field goal percentage (36.9) through Sunday, and its 58.6 points allowed was 14th. Still, fourth-year athletic director Bill Byrne, who hired Gillispie in March 2004 because of his Texas recruiting base and his D-first philosophy, is somewhat surprised that Gillispie has succeeded so quickly in a place with so little basketball tradition. "He has done the hardest thing there is to do in sports," says Byrne. "He has changed the culture from one of losing to one where we expect to win. He has brought us swagger."

That's largely due to Gillispie's all-consuming dedication to hoops. "He hardly misses anything that's happening on the court," says Aggies assistant Alvin Brooks. "One of our guys calls him Rainman. He can see it all so clearly." In addition to those 15 tapes of each opponent, Gillispie watches footage of every A&M game and practice, looking for any opportunity to get his players better shots. "Everything we do here is Coach's idea," Gillispie says, referring to his mentor, Self. That includes a preseason "boot camp"--two weeks of twice-daily, high-intensity conditioning sessions--which is so extreme that a reporter who watched one session after Gillispie had barred him from participating began his story, "Billy Gillispie saved my life."

Practices are only slightly less draining. Gillispie demands a lot even from his seven nonscholarship players, who expand his roster to an unheard-of 20 guys, 18 of whom are from Texas. ( Gillispie just signed the top-rated player in state according to Rivals.com, 7-foot center DeAndre Jordan out of Houston.) "Between the lines Coach never lets up," says Josh Johnston, a walk-on who followed Gillispie from El Paso. "But off the court he would do anything for you. When I was at UTEP, my sister got sick in the middle of the season. He told me, 'We'll put you on a plane right now.' We're his family."

Gillispie often chokes up when discussing how hard his players work. "He's very emotional," says Law, "and he loves us so much. That's one thing that motivates us to get through his workouts."

Law, an honorable mention All-America at Kimball High in Dallas, didn't feel a lot of love from or for Gillispie when he replaced Melvin Watkins at College Station. The new coach rode the quiet sophomore so hard--badgering him in particular about his need to be more vocal--that Law would have quit the team had his parents let him. Now he sees Gillispie's demands as a blessing. "Coach G has taught me so much, especially about being a leader," says Law, who led the team with 18.2 points and 5.4 assists a game at week's end. "No way I'd be the kind of player I am without him."