October 13, 2000
Oldtimers are infamous for such wise utterances as "nothing beats experience" and "another year older, another year wiser."
Melvin Watkins
Third-year Texas A&M head basketball coach Melvin Watkins is banking on those adages being true in the 2000-01 season. Watkins' third A&M basketball squad begins fall practice on Saturday, and will play its first exhibition game on Nov. 7 against Team EZY Bond at Reed Arena. Practices are closed to the public.
The team opens the regular season on Nov. 18 against George Washington in Washington, D.C., a team led by former University of Texas coach Tom Penders.
The Aggies are not exactly eligible for Social Security, but the experience they gained last year as perhaps the nation's youngest team could translate into dramatic improvement this season. The youthful Aggies started at least three true freshmen ?" and sometimes four ?" en route to an 8-20 record in 1999-2000. Despite the many losses, the team showed its potential in an upset of No. 12-ranked Oklahoma State, a team that started five seniors and went on to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament.
"These kids logged a lot of minutes and saw a lot of things last year," Watkins said. "We hope all we went through will now pay some dividends. Even though we weren't getting the wins, we were learning things. We still have a lot of kids at key positions who are just sophomores and we are still young in terms of our basketball IQ. Our biggest concern is whether we are mature enough to compete in the Big 12 night in and night out."
Six players return who started at least 12 games last year, including sophomore guards Jamaal Gilchrist and Bernard King, who started all 28 games together in the backcourt. In addition, Watkins will welcome his second straight top-25 rated recruiting class.
"We'll still have some growing pains to deal with, but I think we made some headway last season with where we are trying to go,' Watkins said.
King had a stellar season, earning Big 12 Freshman of the Year honors and a host of other awards. The 6-5 shooting guard ranks as the top returning scorer in the Big 12 after averaging 16.9 points per game last year and was the only freshman in the country to average at least 15 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists per game.
Gilchrist (6-0) was the team's second-leading scorer as a freshman, averaging 9.4 points and also led the team in steals (2.0) and free throw percentage (.766). Gilchrist was second in assists behind King (4.1) with a 3.9 average.
"Bernard was our go-to, do-it-all player last year and hopefully he can follow that up with an excellent sophomore year," Watkins said. "His challenge will only get greater because he'll demand the respect of the other team's defense. He has a chance to have a break-out year as a sophomore.
"Jamaal did an excellent job under the circumstances last year but we are asking him to step it up another notch," Watkins said. "He'll be a key component in running our offense, getting us where we want to be defensively, and being more of a coach on the floor."
King, Gilchrist and former walk-on Andy Leatherman were the team's lone guards last year, with King averaging more than 34 minutes and Gilchrist adding 33 minutes per contest. Depth again will be a problem as the only addition is 6-5 freshman walk-on Dylan Leal. Leatherman, a two-year letterman, averaged 3.0 points and 1.9 assists as a sophomore. Leal is a sharp-shooter.
"It was a problem last year to put so many minutes on Bernard and Jamaal," Watkins said. "Once again, we will have to depend on those two guys, along with Andy Leatherman, to carry the load. It's a lot to ask, but we think they can handle that."
Sophomores Larry Scott (6-6) and Tomas Ress (6-10) shared starting duties at the small forward position last year and each had solid performances. Scott averaged 6.8 points and led the team in three-point percentage (42-117, .364) while Ress, who has grown to 6-10 since arriving at A&M last year, averaged 4.6 points and had a 22-point performance at Missouri.
"Larry is an excellent shooter and is almost a specialist in terms of his ability to shoot the basketball," Watkins said. "Tomas was a big surprise for us. When we recruited him, we were told he probably wouldn't help us for a couple of years and he ended up starting. He's one of our tallest players and because of his height, he might play a little more inside."
Nick Anderson
Senior Carlton Brown (6-6) can play either forward position and last year ranked fourth on the team with a 6.9 scoring average, including a 22-point outing to lead the Aggies to a road victory at Texas Tech. Freshman Nick Anderson (6-6) is one of the highest-rated recruits ever to come to A&M, earning Parade All-America honors, and will offer immediate help. Anderson was rated among the top 40 prep players in the country by almost every recruiting service.
"Carlton is one of our most athletic kids and can have an impact on this team if he can become a more consistent scorer and rebounder," Watkins said. "Nick is a very explosive young man who has the ability to come in and make an impact right away. We know he will have that transition and adjustment to go through, but once he gets a good feel for what we expect of him and what he expects of himself, I think we'll see another big-time player out on the floor."
Power forward will also be in solid hands with the return of All-Big 12 senior Aaron Jack (6-9) and the addition of Anderson and sophomore transfer Keith Bean (6-8). A three-year letterman who was granted an additional year of eligibility by the NCAA after last season, Jack started in 23 games, averaging 8.2 points and a team-best 6.5 rebounds while making 62.5 percent from the field. Bean, a transfer from North Carolina State who sat out last season, is an imposing player who will see plenty of playing time. Bean averaged 4.7 points as a freshman for the Wolfpack, including 14 points in just 10 minutes against eventual Final Four participant Ohio State. Sophomore walk-on Brian Brookhart (6-10) may also see action.
"Aaron is the old man on the floor," Watkins said. "He's a very physical, hard-working player who brings a lot of experience to the table. He's a guy we'll surely lean on quite a bit again for some leadership. Keith has the ability and skills to come in and shore up our inside and make us more stable. We expect Keith to be an integral part of what we will do this season. Quite honestly, we need Keith to come in and be a part of what we are doing right away."
Sophomore Andy Slocum (6-11) returns at center after starting 14 games and averaging 4.9 points and 3.1 rebounds as a freshman. Bean and Jack could also see action at center, along with freshman Nolan Butterfras (6-10), a physical player who quickly could become a force in the paint.
"Andy is our workhorse down low," Watkins said. "He has really beefed up and he's worked really hard on his little jump hook and his footwork. If he can master those things, he can really take his game to another level. Nolan will need a lot of work in terms of understanding what it's all about at this level. He's a big, strong kid but there will be a transition."
Watkins readily admits that the team can't afford to rely as much as last year on Bernard King's offensive skills. At the same time, the Aggies also must make strides defensively. Last year, A&M made just 41.2 percent from the field while allowing a whopping 46.3 percent.
"We have to be a more balanced team," Watkins said. "Last year, at times, we depended a little too much on Bernard's offense. It forced him to take some shots that hoppefully we can get away from. That allowed other teams to come up with better game plans. We'd like to be able to attack from a lot of different areas. We also hope to improve on the defensive end. We know that to win championships, you've got to play defense. The improvements we've seen in the strength training and conditioning should put us in a position to be a better defensive team."
Watkins said his second straight top-25 recruiting class should offer immediate help at several positions, just as last year's freshman-dominated class did. However, he said the team will struggle again if freshmen remain the main cogs.
Bernard King
"The kids we recruited have the talent to come in and compete for playing time, but my hope is that as we build this program, we won't rely so much on our recruiting classes. That would be a sign we are on our way. If we again have to rely on our young kids and freshmen, we're probably going to struggle. It's important for them to have a chance to come in and grow, as opposed to being thrust in right away like our freshmen were last year."
Watkins has built a 20-35 record in his first two seasons, but appears to have the program firmly on track.
"We're pretty much on schedule," Watkins said. "With the recruiting classes we've put together, I feel good about where we are and the direction we're headed. We know we have to continue to work and recruit, but I think we have a chance to become one of the elite programs in the Big 12."
As the level of talent in A&M's program has grown, Watkins has made a clear decision to upgrade the schedule. In addition to the rugged Big 12 slate, the Aggies' non-conference schedule includes North Carolina, Long Beach State, George Washington and Virginia Commonwealth as well as an appearance in Hawaii's Rainbow Classic, which includes Tennessee among others.
"Our schedule will be very challenging for us," Watkins said. "As our program continues to grow and the wins and exposure start coming, we'll have a little more leverage."
Last year, the Big 12 sent seven teams into postseason play, including six to the NCAA Tournament. Iowa State and Oklahoma State each advanced to the Elite Eight. Although top players defected early to the NBA (three of the top 10 draft picks were from the Big 12), Watkins predicts even brighter days ahead for the league.
"A lot of the top players left early, but the programs at the top had a lot of good players," Watkins said. "Those teams will still be up there. I hope that we can start to make a move now, not because of some of those other players defected but because we are getting better ourselves. We'd like to be in the top half of the league. On paper, there is a lot of balance in the league but the game isn't played on paper. You've got to go out and earn that respect on the court night in and night out. That will be our challenge."