TAMU 11/12

They shot 20 more Free Throws than us. The game went to double OT, clearly is wasn’t the talent.

one more rebound at the end or just 1 more FT in regulation and we are victorious. This loss does hurt because there was a clear path to seeing us win the game, just couldn’t quite get there.

It reaffirms my belief though that we could play with most anyone on any given night. Heading into today, we were #177 on Kenpom ratings, while Texas A&M was #72. Despite the loss, I think we might be moving up tomorrow.

Great game tonight. We finally got in an offensive rhythm. Hit some clutch shots. One rebound short. This team is going to be fine. We’re legit.

I know the Aggies have never been a powerhouse in bball but with the sheer numbers of their fan and alumni base I would have expected them to at least fill the lower bowl, which by my estimation was no more than 50% full. It was still a good atmosphere -not much purple though, but I hope the players heard us!

Another thing “I thought I’d never hear…”. Aggie crowd doing their yell, “BTHO ACU”.

It really is amazing to see the progress. My freshman year was the 2014/15 season. If I had seen A&M on the schedule I would have assumed we lost by about 40 points. If we had even lost by single digits I would have felt like it was the greatest game in ACU history. Now, we go up against Power 5 teams, and losing by double digits as small as 10 almost feel like a worst case scenario. It’s definitely a different feeling going against the name brand schools and having the expectation that we will be competitive and could come out victorious each time out.

I think athleticism and depth is a more appropriate than talent. Clearly we don’t have depth YET and we don’t have multiple guys throwing and catching easy alley oops and getting to the rim off the dribble whenever they please. We do have talent and we do have drive and desire and work ethic and tenacity. We can hold our own most places we play IF we get shots to fall like we did in the second half. I worry that’s our downfall without a solid post presence.

Really cool to see Cam Steele ready to play to start the year as he will only improve as he gains confidence.

A few notes from the games last night:

Our four senior guards are exactly what we thought they were. Each are plus defenders and at any point can spark the team.

Guards:
Mahki Morris can shoot the ball. I loved seeing him drain 4/5 3s and then use a pump fake to get the defender off his feet after he had hit several 3s in his defenders eye. I think he is going to be key in conference play as a top tier 6th man.

Reggie Miller is a true leader on the court. He isn't our best player, but I feel he is our most valuable player. Defends his but off, very good bball IQ, and just adds so much to the team.

Coryon Mason is a playmaker. I know we aren't much of a driving team, but when we face squads that are smaller and we can drive on I expect to see him with the ball even more.

Damien Daniels has a motor that never stops. Does he even get tired? Sometimes he presses on offense too much, but he is fun to watch and is a quality passer. Nine assists last night and should of had several more if we were better shooters.

Manny Allen is going to be a very good player for us this year and in the years to come. Athletic as all get out and will only improve with the more floor time he gets.

Forwards:
Airion Simmons is another fun player to watch. Hasn't found his shot from outside yet this year, but the law of averages will catch up with him soon. Lead the team with 5 steals, but defensively he is key. He can guard 1-5 on the floor which is great to have.

Cameron Steele is another who is going to develop into a very good player for us. Defensively he is very solid and I think he will continue to shoot the ball better and better as the year goes on.

Overall:
Lots to look forward to as we play less talented teams. My only worry is we will play down to their level as we have sometimes done in the past. Our defense is what we know it to be and I actually really like the new offense. We need to shoot the ball better, but our defense will travel anywhere.