When Texas A&M Basketball touched down in Athens, Georgia Friday evening, it was still wet on the ground from showers earlier in the day.Â
Fitting, because the Bulldogs had been a damper on the Aggies' time in the Southeastern Conference.
The Ags were 0-4 against them as a member of the league, leaving UGA as the only SEC team left to beat.
But, thus far in conference play, no one had rained on the Aggies' parade. They were 4-0, the sun still shining on them as the only unbeaten in the SEC.
What would win out on Saturday? The Bulldogs' streak, or the Aggies' shine?
THE NIGHT BEFORE
A&M enters stagnant Stegeman Coliseum for shootaround right at 7 p.m. on the eve of the game. The place has a barracks-like feel to it.
Despite the success on the season, the Aggies have experienced some difficulty in true road games. What is likely their worst performance of the year came in Tempe when they lost to Arizona State in early December. But, there are road wins within the SEC over Mississippi State and Tennessee, both of which were decided with mere seconds remaining.
The Aggies entered Athens shooting 37 percent on the road, compared to 50 percent inside Reed Arena. The trips to Arizona State and Mississippi State rate as the two lowest percentages the Ags have shot this season.
However, it does help having Anthony Collins at point guard. The senior transfer is steady, and can guide a team through hostile territory. His unselfishness seems to be on permanent display. It was on Friday night at shootaround.
When asked 'why do guys shoot a lesser percentage on the road?' His reply was soaked in self-awareness.
"You'd have to ask a shooter," he stated with a grin.
He's not here to score. He's here to steer. He sends the offense in the right direction, and sets up others. It's easy to see why he's so well liked by his teammates.
Collins leaves the arena conversing about some past places he's played when at South Florida. While there, the Bulls were in the Big East, then the AAC. That meant he spent nights in Madison Square Garden, and in professional arenas with stops in Milwaukee and Washington, DC, among others. Stegeman shouldn't be too much of a bother to him.
The Aggies eat dinner just off campus, in the heart of Athens. The town is starting to buzz again. Students at the SEC's oldest school, and this country's first chartered state university, are back. The semester has begun. Although, not much of the talk centers around basketball. After making the NCAA Tournament last season, the Bulldogs are off to a 9-5 start. But, there is still time. They've used past wins over the Aggies to propel them. They'll be looking for more of the same tomorrow.
GAMEDAY
Some of the best reality theater comes before a meaningful sporting event. It's people watching at its peak, when getting to observe an athlete—backstage--within a couple hours before performing.
The Aggies arrive at Stegeman at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday. They immediately get to work.
In a small gray room, with only hangers on the wall and no lockers, assistant coach Amir Abdur-Rahim writes the entire scouting report on the whiteboard up front. Around him, just the silent focus of players dressing out. While Abdur-Rahim quickly continues to write, some make their way to the court for a light shootaround.
At 1 p.m., the student section starts to enter. The diehards are in, the rest to come later. A few verbal jabs are thrown Alex Caruso's way, but nothing serious.Â
Back in the small gray room at close to 1:25 p.m., the Aggies gather. For the next five minutes, the floor is Abdur-Rahim's. He goes over all his notes on the whiteboard.
At the top of them are the names J.J. Frazier and Kenny Gaines. Directly under both 'Shooter!' is written for all to see.
Frazier and Gaines lit up Tennessee in the Bulldogs' last game. Gaines hit 6-of-10 three pointers on his way to 23 points. Frazier was 4-of-5 from behind the arc, and poured in 28. The Dawgs scorched the Vols in the second half Wednesday to win, 81-72.
If A&M lets Gaines and Frazier loose, it'll be a long afternoon.
The more formal warmups are next, and when the Aggies return to their crowded space for one final talk, its Billy Kennedy's turn. The head coach has the last word.
His team is attentive as he speaks. They do not look nervous at all. They do not look like a group that has any concern with a four-game losing streak to the opponent they're minutes away from facing. There is a calm belief to them that's obvious in their eyes. It's clear they believe in each other and everything their coach is telling them. Quite frankly, this looks like an incredibly difficult team to beat. They look like concrete that's hard to break.
At the top of Kennedy's notes on the whiteboard is 'Urgency'. He tells his players this is something 'that's been on my mind the last few days'. He knows his team has lost once in an opponent's gym, and narrowly escaped defeat two other times. He doesn't want any lulls this afternoon.
Kennedy is not boisterous, but his message certainly has strength to it. There is no need for him to scream and shout when he makes his final statement before the Aggies take the floor.Â
He confidently tells them, "We're the better team. Let's go demonstrate it."
The Aggies are out the door…with one more stop before the ball goes up.
Strength and Conditioning Coach Darby Rich huddles the Ags in the hallway leading to the court. There's power in his words.
"We talk a lot about sharing!" he loudly states to be heard over the crowd and pep band noise that await at the tunnel's exit.
"Today, don't share! Be greedy!" His arm rises and the players bring theirs up as well.
"Don't share being the only undefeated team in the SEC!"
"And lets put a 'G' on this log!"
With that one last shout, the Aggies hit the floor.
Rich held up a circled cut of wood to finish his volley that echoed off the walls. It came from this summer, when the team trained with a former Navy Seal. One of their tasks was to run campus, together, in the wee hours of the morning all carrying the same log. It was an arduous task that required each and everyone of them to perform in uncomfortable conditions…the kind of conditions that await a team on the road. Rich had a piece of the log cut off, and the Aggies are taking it with them to every SEC away game this season.
The Mississippi State and Tennessee logos were already imprinted on the cut, the Bulldogs and Volunteers having been vanquished in their home gyms. Now, Rich has asked these players to permanently stamp Georgia's heralded 'circle-G' logo on it as well.
The Aggies rushed the floor, ready to stay unbeaten in conference.
TIPOFF
Kennedy was right. The Aggies were better. In every way, shape and form this afternoon.
They got to a double-digit lead early, and any Georgia thoughts of getting back into it were met with a big shot from a maroon jersey.
A key moment, at 6:22 left in the first half, Georgia's Williams Jackson hit a three bringing UGA to within seven. The Stegeman crowd, which was surprisingly very good, got to its feet. This is the loudest the arena was all game. They were barking now, trying to urge on the Bulldogs.Â
How did the Aggies respond? An Alex Caruso three, and another by DJ Hogg. The lead was back out to double digits, and Georgia was never close again.
The crowd tried once more to raise the volume early in the second half, but more clutch shooting by A&M--this time from Collins and Jalen Jones--served as a silencer.
"We shoot hundreds of shots every week. There's no real pressure to it," Caruso would go on to say after the game.
"It shows we have a lot of mental toughness," observed Jones, who was named SEC Player of the Week on Monday in part due to his Georgia performance. "Any time the crowd gets intense we just settle down and execute our gameplan."
A&M ran out to its most emphatic win of the season, and registered the largest margin of victory in a conference road game in the program's history.
It all felt so quick. This team game-planned, practiced, shot around, watched film, prepped and prepped some more for this road contest. And it went by in a hurry. Perhaps because it never was much of a game. The final 10-15 minutes were a formality, the winner having already been decided. But that's exactly how the Aggies wanted it. Their rise on the road is on-going. They lost their first one, won close games in the next two, and put in a complete and total effort for 40 minutes in this most recent away outing.
On the east coast it can get dark really early this time of year. However, at the moment, the light isn't fading on the Aggies.
When A&M loaded the bus to leave Stegeman Coliseum the sun was still out. They exited driving right through another gorgeous SEC campus with maybe their prettiest win of the season in hand.
No one was ecstatic, just pleased. This team knows they're very good. Winning, even on the road shouldn't bring elation, it's now expected.
Texas A&M stepped off the bus, and on the plane. They took off for College Station. The damp, wet, grayish scene they landed in had given way to a pleasant, sun-splashed, Southern afternoon.
Fitting.
Because when A&M left Athens, no one in the SEC was shining brighter.
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Fitting, because the Bulldogs had been a damper on the Aggies' time in the Southeastern Conference.
The Ags were 0-4 against them as a member of the league, leaving UGA as the only SEC team left to beat.
But, thus far in conference play, no one had rained on the Aggies' parade. They were 4-0, the sun still shining on them as the only unbeaten in the SEC.
What would win out on Saturday? The Bulldogs' streak, or the Aggies' shine?
THE NIGHT BEFORE
A&M enters stagnant Stegeman Coliseum for shootaround right at 7 p.m. on the eve of the game. The place has a barracks-like feel to it.
Despite the success on the season, the Aggies have experienced some difficulty in true road games. What is likely their worst performance of the year came in Tempe when they lost to Arizona State in early December. But, there are road wins within the SEC over Mississippi State and Tennessee, both of which were decided with mere seconds remaining.
The Aggies entered Athens shooting 37 percent on the road, compared to 50 percent inside Reed Arena. The trips to Arizona State and Mississippi State rate as the two lowest percentages the Ags have shot this season.
However, it does help having Anthony Collins at point guard. The senior transfer is steady, and can guide a team through hostile territory. His unselfishness seems to be on permanent display. It was on Friday night at shootaround.
When asked 'why do guys shoot a lesser percentage on the road?' His reply was soaked in self-awareness.
"You'd have to ask a shooter," he stated with a grin.
He's not here to score. He's here to steer. He sends the offense in the right direction, and sets up others. It's easy to see why he's so well liked by his teammates.
Collins leaves the arena conversing about some past places he's played when at South Florida. While there, the Bulls were in the Big East, then the AAC. That meant he spent nights in Madison Square Garden, and in professional arenas with stops in Milwaukee and Washington, DC, among others. Stegeman shouldn't be too much of a bother to him.
The Aggies eat dinner just off campus, in the heart of Athens. The town is starting to buzz again. Students at the SEC's oldest school, and this country's first chartered state university, are back. The semester has begun. Although, not much of the talk centers around basketball. After making the NCAA Tournament last season, the Bulldogs are off to a 9-5 start. But, there is still time. They've used past wins over the Aggies to propel them. They'll be looking for more of the same tomorrow.
GAMEDAY
Some of the best reality theater comes before a meaningful sporting event. It's people watching at its peak, when getting to observe an athlete—backstage--within a couple hours before performing.
The Aggies arrive at Stegeman at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday. They immediately get to work.
In a small gray room, with only hangers on the wall and no lockers, assistant coach Amir Abdur-Rahim writes the entire scouting report on the whiteboard up front. Around him, just the silent focus of players dressing out. While Abdur-Rahim quickly continues to write, some make their way to the court for a light shootaround.
At 1 p.m., the student section starts to enter. The diehards are in, the rest to come later. A few verbal jabs are thrown Alex Caruso's way, but nothing serious.Â
Back in the small gray room at close to 1:25 p.m., the Aggies gather. For the next five minutes, the floor is Abdur-Rahim's. He goes over all his notes on the whiteboard.
At the top of them are the names J.J. Frazier and Kenny Gaines. Directly under both 'Shooter!' is written for all to see.
Frazier and Gaines lit up Tennessee in the Bulldogs' last game. Gaines hit 6-of-10 three pointers on his way to 23 points. Frazier was 4-of-5 from behind the arc, and poured in 28. The Dawgs scorched the Vols in the second half Wednesday to win, 81-72.
If A&M lets Gaines and Frazier loose, it'll be a long afternoon.
The more formal warmups are next, and when the Aggies return to their crowded space for one final talk, its Billy Kennedy's turn. The head coach has the last word.
His team is attentive as he speaks. They do not look nervous at all. They do not look like a group that has any concern with a four-game losing streak to the opponent they're minutes away from facing. There is a calm belief to them that's obvious in their eyes. It's clear they believe in each other and everything their coach is telling them. Quite frankly, this looks like an incredibly difficult team to beat. They look like concrete that's hard to break.
At the top of Kennedy's notes on the whiteboard is 'Urgency'. He tells his players this is something 'that's been on my mind the last few days'. He knows his team has lost once in an opponent's gym, and narrowly escaped defeat two other times. He doesn't want any lulls this afternoon.
Kennedy is not boisterous, but his message certainly has strength to it. There is no need for him to scream and shout when he makes his final statement before the Aggies take the floor.Â
He confidently tells them, "We're the better team. Let's go demonstrate it."
The Aggies are out the door…with one more stop before the ball goes up.
Strength and Conditioning Coach Darby Rich huddles the Ags in the hallway leading to the court. There's power in his words.
"We talk a lot about sharing!" he loudly states to be heard over the crowd and pep band noise that await at the tunnel's exit.
"Today, don't share! Be greedy!" His arm rises and the players bring theirs up as well.
"Don't share being the only undefeated team in the SEC!"
"And lets put a 'G' on this log!"
With that one last shout, the Aggies hit the floor.
Rich held up a circled cut of wood to finish his volley that echoed off the walls. It came from this summer, when the team trained with a former Navy Seal. One of their tasks was to run campus, together, in the wee hours of the morning all carrying the same log. It was an arduous task that required each and everyone of them to perform in uncomfortable conditions…the kind of conditions that await a team on the road. Rich had a piece of the log cut off, and the Aggies are taking it with them to every SEC away game this season.
The Mississippi State and Tennessee logos were already imprinted on the cut, the Bulldogs and Volunteers having been vanquished in their home gyms. Now, Rich has asked these players to permanently stamp Georgia's heralded 'circle-G' logo on it as well.
The Aggies rushed the floor, ready to stay unbeaten in conference.
TIPOFF
Kennedy was right. The Aggies were better. In every way, shape and form this afternoon.
They got to a double-digit lead early, and any Georgia thoughts of getting back into it were met with a big shot from a maroon jersey.
A key moment, at 6:22 left in the first half, Georgia's Williams Jackson hit a three bringing UGA to within seven. The Stegeman crowd, which was surprisingly very good, got to its feet. This is the loudest the arena was all game. They were barking now, trying to urge on the Bulldogs.Â
How did the Aggies respond? An Alex Caruso three, and another by DJ Hogg. The lead was back out to double digits, and Georgia was never close again.
The crowd tried once more to raise the volume early in the second half, but more clutch shooting by A&M--this time from Collins and Jalen Jones--served as a silencer.
"We shoot hundreds of shots every week. There's no real pressure to it," Caruso would go on to say after the game.
"It shows we have a lot of mental toughness," observed Jones, who was named SEC Player of the Week on Monday in part due to his Georgia performance. "Any time the crowd gets intense we just settle down and execute our gameplan."
A&M ran out to its most emphatic win of the season, and registered the largest margin of victory in a conference road game in the program's history.
It all felt so quick. This team game-planned, practiced, shot around, watched film, prepped and prepped some more for this road contest. And it went by in a hurry. Perhaps because it never was much of a game. The final 10-15 minutes were a formality, the winner having already been decided. But that's exactly how the Aggies wanted it. Their rise on the road is on-going. They lost their first one, won close games in the next two, and put in a complete and total effort for 40 minutes in this most recent away outing.
On the east coast it can get dark really early this time of year. However, at the moment, the light isn't fading on the Aggies.
When A&M loaded the bus to leave Stegeman Coliseum the sun was still out. They exited driving right through another gorgeous SEC campus with maybe their prettiest win of the season in hand.
No one was ecstatic, just pleased. This team knows they're very good. Winning, even on the road shouldn't bring elation, it's now expected.
Texas A&M stepped off the bus, and on the plane. They took off for College Station. The damp, wet, grayish scene they landed in had given way to a pleasant, sun-splashed, Southern afternoon.
Fitting.
Because when A&M left Athens, no one in the SEC was shining brighter.
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