No. 12 and Basketball

The Texas A&M University, Men’s basketball team, finished their 2019 season at the South Eastern Conference Tournament, the last basketball for one Aggie member specifically.

Chris Collins, Senior point guard and Texas A&M “12th Man” played his last game, after being with the Aggies since 2014. Collins said, although his time as the Aggies “12th Man” is coming to a close, he will be pursuing a master’s in finance from Texas A&M following graduation. The Texas A&M Men’s basketball team presented Collins with the opportunity to be the Aggies “12th Man” along with an Athletic Scholarship from the university in 2016.

Chris Collins in his 2015- 2016 season, was a part of the Aggie team that made a historic run in the NCAA tournament advancing to the Sweet 16. Bringing home Texas A&M’s first SEC Championship title in school history. That season Collins played beside now NBA players, Alex Caruso, and Danuel House.

Chris Collins said, about playing with the 2016 SEC Championship team, “They held everything together and set the standard high.”

Collins was nothing more than ready to get on the court with his Aggie teammates taking the last games as a chance to continue playing together in the NCAA tournament. Collins had one goal coming into his last SEC tournament with the Aggies.

Collins said, “We want to win the whole thing and get an NCAA tournament bid.”

The SEC had an elite lineup with Tennessee, Kentucky, LSU, and Ole Miss all inside the NCAA Top 25 this season. Collins said any team could have potentially taken home an NCAA bid with the level of competition in the SEC this year. Knowing and seeing what the tournament has to offer to teams even at the lowest of seedings over his years in the SEC.

Collins said, “The opportunity that you have, you can have a terrible season but come into the conference tournament, win four games and get an NCAA tournament bid, I think that opportunity is what gives it so much hype.”

Ahead of his final games for Texas A&M, the Aggies were an 11 seed in the SEC tournament. It looked like a long shot for playing no more than two games in the SEC tournament. He was prepared to lay it on the line one last time for his Aggies.

Collins said, “We have nothing to lose going in, playing hard, and giving it everything.”

As the Aggies wrapped up at the SEC tournament, losing to Mississippi State in the second round. The time for Chris Collins being the “12th Man” came to a bittersweet end. Embracing his last moments with the team the Senior Point Guard from Friendswood, Texas will continue his success off the court after being the Aggies “12th Man” from 2016- 2019. Before Chris Collins final appearance as the Texas A&M “12th Man”, he mentioned the significance for him, behind the number 12.

Chris Collins said, “My dad's number was 12, I wore 12 throughout high school and when I got the opportunity to wear it here, all the history and tradition that the number represents at Texas A&M, it was an honor from me to wear the number 12.”

Source: Chris Collins

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