March 06, 2003
| Brian Brookhart kicked back in a seat on the edge of the court in an empty Reed Arena Wednesday afternoon. Usually the first out to shoot before a game, this time he sat for a bit, watching teammate Tomas Ress fire away at the hoop. "Soakin' it all in," he told Tomas. "All the times I've been in here, all the sprints..." And Brian should know, as he's been a part of the Texas A&M basketball program longer than most anyone.
On Wednesday, four seniors-Brookhart, Keith Bean, Bradley Jackson and Bernard King-took the Reed Arena floor for the final time in the maroon and white. And they, as anyone playing their final home game wants to, went out in style with a 19-point win over Baylor that assured A&M of its first .500 or better season since 1994. In talking to the four seniors prior to the game, it was clear in everyone's eyes that, while there are still goals for this season, the strides the program has taken over the last few seasons are a big source of pride. The win totals are up, attendance is higher than ever, and Aggie basketball is, well...fun again. "It's been fun and I've just really enjoyed it," said Jackson, who transferred into the program in the summer of 2001. "Even just being here one year (before this), the transformation we've made (is special). I've seen people outside at school with basketball shirts on now. That's cool." Bean, a transfer from N.C. State who's been at Texas A&M for nearly four years, said it's definitely rewarding to see how much things have changed, from level of play to practice intensity to attendance. "We've taken great strides," Bean said. "I remember when I first came here, we'd win eight games, and for me to leave here winning 15 or 16, that's great strides. Just to watch the program come on an uproar, (the people here) next year will benefit from that and hopefully make it a powerhouse. It's great to be in something like that." Very appreciative of his loyal following-especially on the front row of the student section-Bean wants to see that pick up next year where it left off. "Hopefully they'll do the same thing for somebody else next year," Bean said. The last time the Aggies advanced to postseason play of any kind was an NIT berth in 1994. So, understandably, even the thought of playing extra basketball in March around these parts is cause for excitement. "It's been a long time coming," Brookhart said. "It's huge. Our goal, since we got here five years ago, was to make postseason play. It's a great feeling to put in all the hard work we've put in over the years and hopefully that's going to come to realization now." To even begin thinking of that, though, A&M had to take care of Baylor on Wednesday. What little motivation the Aggies may have needed last night, coach Melvin Watkins left to the seniors. "I had the seniors speak to the team (before the game)," Watkins said. "I wanted them to send a message to the other guys on the team, what this experience has meant to them. I thought all four did a great job of that. They got us ready to play today. I just sat back and enjoyed the moment." To King, who will leave A&M the school's all-time leading scorer and has a shot at accomplishing the same feat in the Big 12, watching the coaching staff see success means a whole lot. "This is why I came here, to help them get started," said King, who left the floor late in the second half to a standing ovation. "The main reason was to help change this program right along with Coach Watkins. That was the goal I had pushed for, and to now see it happening is just a dream come true." For all the hard work the coaching staff has put in over its five years in Aggieland, things are coming together, and Watkins credits the players for that. "I think its pretty obvious we've got better players," Watkins said, "and the players that have been in the program have improved. I hope that's signs of us doing things right. We're just a better basketball team. We're still building the program, but we're a long ways down the highway." Perhaps the most special moment of the night was during introductions, when Brookhart was announced as a starter for the first time in his career. And, to top that, he hit the first two shots he took, scoring the first four points of the game for the Aggies. "Coach (Watkins) came up to me before the game and said, 'You're going to start tonight. You've earned it.'," Brookhart said. "It was storybook to be real honest with you. It was incredible. I couldn't have planned it any better." If it's up to Brookhart, he and the seniors still have a lot of good to put in that storybook before the final chapter is written.  |
