12 TEXAS A&M
Shortly afterBilly Gillispie arrived in College Station in March 2004, his freshman pointguard wanted to leave. It was not only the extraordinary effort that Gillispiedemanded of Acie Law IV but also the coach's attempts to change his nature."He would ride me every day, saying his point guard has to be the mostvocal guy on the team," says Law (left), now a senior. "It's not mypersonality to be that outspoken."
But Law'sparents wouldn't let him transfer, and he finally found his voice whenGillispie made the Aggies run extra sprints because Law was being too reticent."It was a matter of me having to change my ways for the better of theteam," says Law. "Coach changed my mind-set about the game ofbasketball."
Gillispie hasdone the same thing for the Texas A&M community. The season before hearrived, the Aggies went 0--16 in the Big 12; last year they went 10--6 (22--9overall) and earned their first NCAA bid since 1987. "There's a buzz aroundhere now," Gillispie says. Credit much of that buzz to Law, a hard-noseddefender with a knuckleball jumper. "Twelve feet in, he can play off one ortwo feet and shoot left- or righthanded," says Gillispie. "I've neverseen anyone who can do that so well." Last year Law had his great uncleErnie Banks, the Chicago Cubs Hall of Famer, sign a baseball for Gillispie."It was a thrill to get that, but it didn't get [Law] more playingtime," says Gillispie. "Not that he needed to worry aboutthat."
STARTINGLINEUP
COACH: Billy Gillispie (3rd year)
6'3"Sr.16.1 ppg4.0 apg--KEY RESERVE-- C-F Antanas KAVALIAUSKAS 6'10" Sr. 6.5 ppg 3.4 rpg
RETURNINGSTARTER
SCHEDULE
Nov. 10 PrairieView A&M
Nov. 17Lamar
Nov. 18Louisiana Tech
Nov. 19 SaintLouis
Nov. 25 IdahoState
Nov. 27Arkansas--Little Rock
Dec. 2Pacific
Dec. 5 atLSU
Dec. 9 UCLA*
Dec. 12Fordham
Dec. 16Jacksonville
Dec. 22 atAuburn
Dec. 28Grambling
Jan. 2Winthrop
Jan. 6 KansasState
Jan. 9 atBaylor
Jan. 13 atColorado
Jan. 20 OklahomaState
Jan. 24 at TexasTech
Jan. 27Oklahoma
Jan. 31 IowaState
Feb. 3 atKansas
Feb. 5 Texas
Feb. 10 atNebraska
Feb. 13 TexasTech
Feb. 17 atOklahoma
Feb. 21 atOklahoma State
Feb. 24Baylor
Feb. 28 atTexas
March 3Missouri
*John R. WoodenClassic, Anaheim
ILLUSTRATION
PHOTO
BILL FRAKES