After defeating DePaul 89-64, Texas A&M looking elite from the field, and while the schedule gets tougher, the Aggies look very confident.
Texas A&M Basketball (7-2) took out some frustrations against DePaul (1-7) on Wednesday night, defeating the Demon Deacons 89-64 after scoring 62 in the first half behind a blistering 14-31 (45%) from beyond the arc, just two 3-point makes shy of tying the program record in a single game. How did the Aggies achieve such a feat? Ask head coach Buzz Williams, who credited A&M’s conditioning staff for aiding the team’s rest and rejuvenation.
“Guys are spent physically, mentally, and emotionally. Our staff has been good and a credit to the strength of our players. I’m encouraged by what’s transpired since we got back from Virginia.”
For those who have followed the Aggies through the first eight games, it’s been a constant struggle from deep, averaging a measly 30% from three before erupting from the perimeter. Yes, Virginia is one of the best perimeter defenses in the country and suffocates most of the competition it faces. Still, with senior guard Tyrece Radford’s prolonged absence from the lineup, this team had to adjust and make their open shots.
Leading the way with 14 points, Ilinois Chicago transfer guard Jace Carter finally broke out from deep, tying star guard Wade Taylor IV (13 points) with four three-pointers. In comparison, senior forward Henry Coleman III almost recorded his second consecutive double-double with 13 points and nine rebounds.
“I think he (Jace Carter) was shooting 17% heading into tonight. I believe in Jace. I absolutely adore what he’s about on and off the floor. He’s incredibly consistent as a worker.”
Even more critical, while the starters did their job, the bench made its mark, as every player who entered the game scored at least two points, including dependable junior guard Manny Obaseki’s 10-point outing, coupled with freshman guard Bryce Lindsay’s 10 points in the first double-digit outing of his young career. Williams knows the Tide may be turning concerning a defensive statistic that has plagued the Aggies in both losses.
“I think we were averaging 8 made threes coming into tonight’s game and giving up 9. We’re gonna force more threes than most. I’m glad there was some confidence that comes from tonight’s shooting.”
A stat that doesn’t grab a ton of attention, offensive rebounds, has defined the Aggies this season, with forward Andersson Garcia notching 31 of A&M’s nation-leading 159 offensive boards, consistently providing the offense second chance opportunities to reset and find their rhythm.
“Entering tonight we were 9th in the country in turnover rate and 1st in the country in offensive rebound percentage.”
Again, DePaul is not a good team with plenty of defensive issues, but with Memphis and Houston left on the non-conference schedule, the Aggies need to continue shooting at an above-average rate while getting production from the bench.
As long as Tyrece Radford and senior forward Julius Marble, who’s still dealing with an off-the-court issue, are away from the team, reaching their full potential will have to stay on hold, but this team is plenty capable of competing with anyone on the court as long as the shots are falling.
Texas A&M will host the Memphis Tigers (6-2) in Reed Arena on Sunday at 3:00 p.m. CT. The game will air on ESPN2.
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