Solo Maps Out Road to February Success
Feb 05, 2024 | Men's Basketball
“Put me on Zero.”
That was sophomore Solomon ‘Solo’ Washington’s input during the last timeout of the game with 19.9 seconds remaining and Texas A&M clinging to a 67-66 lead.
Zero, Zyon Pullin, was Florida’s leading facilitator and had been the Aggies’ main menace on the afternoon, pacing the Gators with 18 points and eight rebounds.
“He for sure wants to guard who he thinks the best player is regardless of the position and that is arguably his best skill set. He’s really smart so he knows what they’re doing."Buzz Williams
Washington’s tight defense forced the ball out of Pullin’s hands with 12 seconds remaining. After a defensive switch, the omnipresent Solo was in the face of Walter Clayton when he jacked up an uncomfortable 17-footer with nine ticks left on the clock. And to put a bow on it, after a desperation long-range heave by Pullin, Washington grabbed the final rebound as time expired before erupting in celebration of the gritty victory.
“He for sure wants to guard who he thinks the best player is regardless of the position,” head coach Buzz Williams said. “And that is arguably his best skill set. He’s really smart so he knows what they’re doing. He can handle any ball screen coverage, whether he’s guarding the ball or guarding the screener. He’s a high-level athlete with a high-level IQ.”
Washington’s effect on the game didn’t begin with 20 seconds remaining. He brought the energy as the Aggies ratcheted up the defense in the second half and erased a 12-point deficit.
The Gators were hot from 3-point range early in the contest, sinking 9-of-19 (47.4%) to stake claim to a 46-34 advantage 1:18 into the second half.
Florida would make just 1-of-10 from beyond the arc the remainder of the game as Texas A&M outscored the Gators 33-20 in the final 18:25.
.@AndrewMonaco_Sr was all of us on Saturday ?????? pic.twitter.com/mrspmJE8Cj
— Texas A&M Basketball (@aggiembk) February 4, 2024
The switch was flipped at the 17:08 mark as Washington blocked a 3-pointer by Clayton. Less than a minute later Solo grabbed a huge rebound on the defensive end and converted an old-fashioned 3-pointer on the offensive end to spark an Aggie surge.
“It’s unbelievable,” Tyrece ‘Boots’ Radford said. “Like he told the media, he’s the best defender. That brings energy and it really gets the team going no matter what’s going on. It’s the excitement he plays with and the aggressiveness he plays with. Part of that is where he comes from. He’s from New Orleans, you know. They kind of carry that excitement and energy with them. Bringing that to this type of team is big.”
Another key to Aggie success down the SEC stretch will be finding point production from players other than Wade Taylor IV and Radford, who are accounting for 56.1% of A&M’s scoring in league games. Washington helped with that in Saturday’s win, scoring 10 points on 3-of-5 shooting from the field, adding three assists and four rebounds.
In conference action, Washington has emerged as a solid performer, playing in six games, including five starts. He is averaging 5.8 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.
we hear ya #12thMan ?? pic.twitter.com/4JBHKWGrHA
— Texas A&M Basketball (@aggiembk) February 3, 2024
Regardless of what he does on the offensive end, Washington will see plenty of action because of his defense. He accounted for all three blocks against the Gators and added a key second-half steal.
“I know that’s the way I’m making my living with the basketball thing,” Washington said. “I just try to burn the most energy day in and day out on that side of the floor. I know that’s my calling for this team.”
When it comes to hanging one’s hat on defense, Washington had an outstanding mentor in his rookie campaign with Dexter Dennis who made his NBA debut in December with the Dallas Mavericks.
“Dex played that big brother role for me,” Washington said. “He let me know the ins and outs of college basketball. What to do. What not to do. He helped me become the player that I am. As Coach Buzz says he was probably the biggest piece of last year’s team. And it wasn’t just what he did on the court. He led by example, and he called everyone out when they were wrong. The way he went about it was amazing.”
During his freshman campaign in 2022-23, Washington showed flashes of brilliance, but with a starting five which all averaged more than 20 minutes of play, it was tough getting extended minute in the rotation. He played in 31 games along with four starts during the Aggies’ run to the NCAA Tournament. Seeing the floor for a dozen minutes each night, he averaged 3.2 points and 2.9 rebounds per game.
Washington had a breakout run during a three-game stretch to start February last season. Although his stat lines in victories over Georgia, Auburn and LSU weren’t eye-popping with 6.3 points and 3.7 rebounds per game over the stretch, but he brought energy and defense and found himself in the game when Ol’ Sarge’s charges needed defensive stops.
“The Auburn game here last year was big,” Washington said. “That’s when I realized I’m going to help this team win a lot of games if I just be who I am. We were down in that game and just my energy and what I bring to the team just woke everyone up and we came up with the win.”
With the Aggies spinning their wheels to start SEC play with a 4-4 record, Texas A&M will need plenty of energy and defense to run the rest of the February gauntlet which includes seven games in a span 22 days, including four on the road.
“If we trust each other and keep on doing what we are doing, we’ll be strong down the stretch,” Washington said. “We have to keep being great teammates, looking to make the extra pass, play great defense and have a lot of energy. If we do all that type of stuff and have the utmost confidence in each other on both ends of the floor, we’ll be alright.”
