12 TEXAS A&M

A formerly quiet point guard has become the vocal leader of the country's best turnaround story

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