February 16, 2005
| If anyone knows how good the future of Texas A&M men's basketball looks, it is senior guard Bobby Leach. His lips are quick to spit praise for Aggie underclassmen Acie Law, Dominique Kirk, and Joseph Jones. He clearly sees the current emergence of Aggie hoops and doesn't hesitate in telling you of the potential his teammates have under Coach Gillispie. "Down the road when the time comes, like next year and the years down the road, they are going to be pretty good with Coach Gillispie working them hard," Leach said. "But they don't have any choice but to work hard. He won't let you practice if you aren't giving it your all, so I mean they don't have any choice but to be good in the years to come." The key word there is they. With this being his final year of collegiate ball, Leach won't have a chance to be an on-court participant of that future. So Leach must throw all his eggs into one basket-this season-and right now it seems to be working. "I am just going out giving it all I've got and playing hard because I know that is what the coaches expect," Leach said. "You know I'm just happy the way the year is going with this being my last year, and we're winning and having a lot of fun. So I'm just happy it started now before I left." That joy shines from his face as he discusses the team's camaraderie and growth during an afternoon walk from main campus over to Reed Arena to get ready for practice. He talks of his family back in Philadelphia and his younger brother's current success at a prominent junior college. He voices appreciation for the 'white team-the reserves and walk-ons that practice every day without headlines. But most of all, he stresses, with quite a sense of pride, how hard he and his teammates have been working this season.
"I went through a lot this summer," Leach said. "I had to do a lot of running and stuff so I'm in good shape. Plus boot camp-when you go through boot camp man, you can get energy from anywhere when you are on that court. Boot camp was crazy." Leach seems to know of many places to find energy. Like a bull out of the gate, when Leach enters the game, the tempo increases and excitement explodes. "I just want to bring a lot of energy when I come in," Leach said. "Just bring a lot of energy and try to speed the game up just a little bit." Actually, in a statistical way, Leach's performance has a direct effect on the Aggies' win-loss column. During the conference schedule, when Leach, who is averaging 9.6 points per game in Big 12 play, scores 10 or more points the Aggies win. However, if he tallies fewer than 10, even 9 as he has done in four Big 12 games, Texas A&M ends up losing. "He's been great for us," Coach Gillispie said. "His experience has played a major part in him playing well. He really knows how to play and is very efficient. Right now, he's not turning over the ball. He's making sure we get a shot at the basket when he's running the point. He's been fantastic for our team." Statistical analysis aside, Leach's impact on the team's performance is probably best measured by just that-the way he takes care of the ball and gets his teammates involved. His 2.1 assist to turnover ratio leads the team and is sixth in the conference. "I'm the type of guy to try to get all my teammates shots," Leach said. "I don't just come out and try to look to shoot or score. I let it come to me. I try to let the game come to me, so I'll be looking to my teammates first before I'll be looking for my offense." Bobby celebrates his 23rd birthday today-an event that, along with the roster's average age of 20.4, lands him a leadership role by default. "[Antoine and Acie] are leaders on the court but when I get in the game, I'm like a leader too because I'm the only senior, and I know what is going on out there," Leach said. "So whatever I can tell our guys to do and help them get into the spots they belong in than I do it." As he departs toward the locker room to once again prepare for a day of practice, Leach confirms that he is perfectly content with being a one-year member of the nation's most improved program. "I am just trying to help my teammates as much as I can," Leach said, "because without them I wouldn't be doing any of this." Alas, without you Bobby, the only bright spot for this team could be its future. |
