Onward and Upward: A&M ready for rise in competion after latest win

On a windy, cold Saturday in Texas, it would have been easy for the Aggies to look ahead to the Bahamas.

They didn’t. Actually, they couldn’t.

UNC-Asheville knew what to expect from A&M’s offense and did its best to keep up. Until a 9-0 run in the second half, A&M couldn't feel too comfortable against the Bulldogs. But, after the Aggies reached that 19-point lead at 49-30, it was smooth sailing to the final score of 75-47.

A&M was held nearly 25 points below its average, due largely to UNC-Asheville’s head coach Nick McDevitt’s commitment to slowing the Aggies down.

“A&M loves to push the ball down the court through the pass,” He said “We had watched multiple clips of (A&M) where the other team scored and A&M would score on the other end, without the ball ever touching the floor. That’s hard to defend.”

In the first half Saturday afternoon, A&M was pushed by UNC-Asheville’s aggressive defense.

Being forced into longer possessions, the Aggies appeared uncomfortable while forcing up shots.

Of course, uncomfortable doesn't always equate to out of control.

Tonny Trocha-Morelos hit two threes on his way to 10 first-half points and led the Aggies through 20 minutes. When you throw in the defensive performance A&M had in the first half, holding UNC-A to just under 30 percent from the floor, you’ve got a comfortable lead. A 33-23 lead, to be exact.

The Aggies would continue to build on that lead in the second half, albeit without their usual array of three pointers. According to head coach Billy Kennedy, that’s not necessarily bad thing.

“We didn't rely on the three point line today (5-16)," Kennedy said. "We’ve made so many in the last three games, then we came in and won a different way today.”

Kennedy said that was due, at least in part, to the defense UNC-A was playing.

“They defended the three point line really well. They changed the defense around and did a good job,” he said. “I thought Anthony Collins continued to play well and that allowed us to do some different things in the second half offensively.”

Different is good, and the Aggies are about to get a bunch of it.

For starters, Jalen Jones is now free to play for the Aggies. Due to his four-game absence due to transfer rules, A&M reworked its schedule to get four games out of the way early. Now that that’s done, it’s time to fit Jones back into the lineup.

That’s a topic that Kennedy downplayed following A&M’s latest win.

“We’re going to start whoever gives us the best chance to win on Wednesday,” he said. “But, I like all of our guys. We have a number of guys who can start for us, but it really doesn't matter who starts, it’s about winning the game.”

We’ll find out what that starting lineup will be on Wednesday when A&M travels to the Bahamas to play teams much more its size. With a 4-0 record and four talented freshman, A&M’s next opponent will be one it hasn't played in over four years: the Texas Longhorns.

Kennedy is excited about the opportunity for his team, but knows the level of competition is about to be ratcheted up.

“We’re obviously about to play much better teams, with much better players, on a neutral floor," he said. "This is going to be a big step for us, but I like where we’re at physically. I also think the team is mentally strong and excited to play.”

As for where he feels the team is, compared to where he hoped they would be, Kennedy is pleased there too.

“We’re 4-0 and I like that result,” he said. “We’re going to go through some growing pains. Hopefully not this next week, but they’re coming. We’re going to have some tough games and some tough times where we are changing lineups. Everybody won’t play as many minutes. How will we handle that adversity?

"We’ve got a some tough things to go through before conference play. We’ve got a tough schedule with some really good teams, but we’re a really good team. So how are we going to handle it when things get tough?”

More than likely, Kennedy is about to get his answer.