Texas A&M Basketball
“Seeing Reed rocking (during the Iowa State game) was unbelievable. Dominique Kirk and I were talking the whole game about the energy and passion being back, and the program doing so well. Once they start rolling, the fans support them and it is a great place to play and a great atmosphere. Hopefully they’re able to build on what they’ve been able to accomplish so far this season.”
“You’ve just got to stay the course (to turn things around), it takes a lot of hard work. There’s peaks and valleys in the season. It’s rare to go undefeated or not face any adversity, but you just have to keep believing in your philosophy and keep doing what got you to that point. The guys will be fine, they’ve just had some tough breaks down the stretch these last few games. They are right there in every ballgame and it’s just a matter of finishing and getting a couple of plays to go their way. If those things work out, they’ll be fine.”
“I’m done. I had two knee surgeries and my knees have been giving me a lot of trouble. Next season, I’m looking to get into coaching but my playing days are behind me. I’d have to say (the highlight) of my professional career was playing in Greece. Obviously, getting drafted into the NBA was a lifelong goal of mine. To share that opportunity with my parents, sisters and family was a great deal. But, playing wise, I think when I got to go overseas and have an important role on a team that won back-to-back championships was the highlight of my professional career.”
“(Donald Sloan’s career) just shows what hard work will do for you. He just stayed with it and continued believing in himself. I know he had some situations where he was cut and had to go back to the D-league, but he stayed the course and stayed with it. The opportunity finally presented itself and now he’s in a position where if he stays healthy, he can have a 10-12 year playing career.”
“Coach Gillispie has actually let me help out (at Ranger), so I’ve been going down there and volunteering. He’s helping me get my feet wet, so I’ll go down there a couple times a month. He hasn't changed one bit. His play calling, his work ethic and his energy are all the same. He’s having a great deal of success with those guys and they’ve truly bought in to what he’s trying to get done and they haven’t lost a game this year. It’s fun to see him, with the things he’s gone through in the past, finally get back to where it started and be having success.”
“To this day, coach G is like a father figure to me. I don’t think that I would have had my professional career had God not blessed me by playing for coach Gillispie. Last time I was there at Ranger, I thanked him because I wouldn't have the opportunity to live the life I’m able to live and take care of my family without him. He pushed me to a limit I didn't know existed and me and my family are reaping the benefits of it. I (thought about quitting) all the time. Every day he was pushing me, but it was only because he believed in me so much and saw something in me that I didn’t know was there. It was difficult, man. He was cussing you out, whatever you did was not enough and it was just hard. I will say, once we started winning and tasted that success, you just want more. Once we saw those results, it was easier to buy in but that first year was rough.”
“(The LSU game) my final year, that was one of the worst games of my college career. They did a great job defending me and it was just a tough game. I had high expectations for it, but I just played bad. I remember coming back from that game, we had UCLA next up and they were number one in the country at the time. Coach G went out in the media and said that I was the worst leader he’d ever seen and that he didn't know how he was ever going to win with me as the point guard. He actually ended up kicking me off the team prior to the plane trip going to California and my teammates had to beg for me to go. He just had enough and he ended up letting me play. We lost to UCLA, but we were able to string together a bunch of wins and I had a successful senior season. At the time, you don’t know what he’s doing. As a kid, you wonder if he’s really kicking you off the team or not. In his eyes, you can see that he is pissed off and you know you did something wrong and that he’s telling you he’s done with you. At the end of the day, it brought us closer as a team and helped us realize that we loved each other and couldn't do it without each other.”
“(Before the “Shot”) we were coming out of the huddle and that play was not for me. Coach G wanted to go to Joe and he liked the match-up there. For me, it was a matter of trying to get open and try to make a play. I got the ball from Kris and you don’t have much time so you just try to get the best shot you can create. We needed that win. They were our rival and they were number six in the country. It was good, not just for our team but for the university and the fans. We had started winning and the fans were supporting us, so for me to make that shot and boost our program up and get us into the tournament is something I’ll remember forever.”
“PJ Tucker and I never talked about (the dribbling play.) I see that play when the game comes on TV and I have no idea what he was thinking. They had come out of a timeout and I just have no idea. This is a funny thing that a lot of people don’t know, but even with my reputation at A&M as a clutch shooter and making clutch plays, coach G rarely wanted to give me the ball in that situation. He doesn't believe in isolation and things like that. He believes in playing inside out. He’s told me that Texas Tech, Texas and Kansas were all supposed to be different plays and the ball wasn't supposed to go to me. It ended up always coming to me and I was able to make a play.”
“(Besides the “Shot) my favorite shot would have to be Kansas. Going into the Fog, nobody went in there and got a win. For us, as a team, to go in there and be down 10-11 but battle back and for me to hit the shot for the win puts it just under the Texas shot.”
“(Going back and forth with Kevin Durant) you don’t really think about what’s going on while it is happening. You’re just competing and he is a great player that was trying to will his team to a victory, I was trying to do the same for mine. When you look back at it now, you’re able to say, ‘Wow, that was a great performance.’ I do remember that at the end of the second overtime I gave up a few baskets to A.J. Abrams and I had played the entire 50 minutes. After that game, coach G came up to me and put his arm around me before we went to talk to the media. That was one of the first times after a loss where he wasn't upset. He was just like, ‘Man, you gave it everything you had.’ That put it into perspective as a great performance where we fell short, but we gave it everything.”
“That Kansas win was such a big win for us and I remember coach giving us a deadline like ten or noon the next day, then we had to let this one go. Enjoy the win tonight, but then we had to get ready for Texas. We had to prepare for big Monday and Dickie V being in College Station for the first time in however long. Kevin Durant was the best player in college and we were rocking and rolling. With all the fans there, we sent Texas a message. We beat them pretty good.”
“The senior leadership needs to will this team to a win tonight. It’s about X’s and O’s and things like that, but I have a player’s mindset and I think in the big moments, in the big pressure games, your leaders and best players need to step up and have their best performances. I expect these guys to do that today and Saturday. I’ll be coming down Saturday so hopefully the fans are excited and bring a lot of energy, let’s go 2-0 this week.”
Aggie Flashback with A&M basketball legend Acie Law IV
Key quotes from Acie Law IV interview
“Seeing Reed rocking (during the Iowa State game) was unbelievable. Dominique Kirk and I were talking the whole game about the energy and passion being back, and the program doing so well. Once they start rolling, the fans support them and it is a great place to play and a great atmosphere. Hopefully they’re able to build on what they’ve been able to accomplish so far this season.”
“You’ve just got to stay the course (to turn things around), it takes a lot of hard work. There’s peaks and valleys in the season. It’s rare to go undefeated or not face any adversity, but you just have to keep believing in your philosophy and keep doing what got you to that point. The guys will be fine, they’ve just had some tough breaks down the stretch these last few games. They are right there in every ballgame and it’s just a matter of finishing and getting a couple of plays to go their way. If those things work out, they’ll be fine.”
“I’m done. I had two knee surgeries and my knees have been giving me a lot of trouble. Next season, I’m looking to get into coaching but my playing days are behind me. I’d have to say (the highlight) of my professional career was playing in Greece. Obviously, getting drafted into the NBA was a lifelong goal of mine. To share that opportunity with my parents, sisters and family was a great deal. But, playing wise, I think when I got to go overseas and have an important role on a team that won back-to-back championships was the highlight of my professional career.”
“(Donald Sloan’s career) just shows what hard work will do for you. He just stayed with it and continued believing in himself. I know he had some situations where he was cut and had to go back to the D-league, but he stayed the course and stayed with it. The opportunity finally presented itself and now he’s in a position where if he stays healthy, he can have a 10-12 year playing career.”
“Coach Gillispie has actually let me help out (at Ranger), so I’ve been going down there and volunteering. He’s helping me get my feet wet, so I’ll go down there a couple times a month. He hasn't changed one bit. His play calling, his work ethic and his energy are all the same. He’s having a great deal of success with those guys and they’ve truly bought in to what he’s trying to get done and they haven’t lost a game this year. It’s fun to see him, with the things he’s gone through in the past, finally get back to where it started and be having success.”
“To this day, coach G is like a father figure to me. I don’t think that I would have had my professional career had God not blessed me by playing for coach Gillispie. Last time I was there at Ranger, I thanked him because I wouldn't have the opportunity to live the life I’m able to live and take care of my family without him. He pushed me to a limit I didn't know existed and me and my family are reaping the benefits of it. I (thought about quitting) all the time. Every day he was pushing me, but it was only because he believed in me so much and saw something in me that I didn’t know was there. It was difficult, man. He was cussing you out, whatever you did was not enough and it was just hard. I will say, once we started winning and tasted that success, you just want more. Once we saw those results, it was easier to buy in but that first year was rough.”
“(The LSU game) my final year, that was one of the worst games of my college career. They did a great job defending me and it was just a tough game. I had high expectations for it, but I just played bad. I remember coming back from that game, we had UCLA next up and they were number one in the country at the time. Coach G went out in the media and said that I was the worst leader he’d ever seen and that he didn't know how he was ever going to win with me as the point guard. He actually ended up kicking me off the team prior to the plane trip going to California and my teammates had to beg for me to go. He just had enough and he ended up letting me play. We lost to UCLA, but we were able to string together a bunch of wins and I had a successful senior season. At the time, you don’t know what he’s doing. As a kid, you wonder if he’s really kicking you off the team or not. In his eyes, you can see that he is pissed off and you know you did something wrong and that he’s telling you he’s done with you. At the end of the day, it brought us closer as a team and helped us realize that we loved each other and couldn't do it without each other.”
“(Before the “Shot”) we were coming out of the huddle and that play was not for me. Coach G wanted to go to Joe and he liked the match-up there. For me, it was a matter of trying to get open and try to make a play. I got the ball from Kris and you don’t have much time so you just try to get the best shot you can create. We needed that win. They were our rival and they were number six in the country. It was good, not just for our team but for the university and the fans. We had started winning and the fans were supporting us, so for me to make that shot and boost our program up and get us into the tournament is something I’ll remember forever.”
“PJ Tucker and I never talked about (the dribbling play.) I see that play when the game comes on TV and I have no idea what he was thinking. They had come out of a timeout and I just have no idea. This is a funny thing that a lot of people don’t know, but even with my reputation at A&M as a clutch shooter and making clutch plays, coach G rarely wanted to give me the ball in that situation. He doesn't believe in isolation and things like that. He believes in playing inside out. He’s told me that Texas Tech, Texas and Kansas were all supposed to be different plays and the ball wasn't supposed to go to me. It ended up always coming to me and I was able to make a play.”
“(Besides the “Shot) my favorite shot would have to be Kansas. Going into the Fog, nobody went in there and got a win. For us, as a team, to go in there and be down 10-11 but battle back and for me to hit the shot for the win puts it just under the Texas shot.”
“(Going back and forth with Kevin Durant) you don’t really think about what’s going on while it is happening. You’re just competing and he is a great player that was trying to will his team to a victory, I was trying to do the same for mine. When you look back at it now, you’re able to say, ‘Wow, that was a great performance.’ I do remember that at the end of the second overtime I gave up a few baskets to A.J. Abrams and I had played the entire 50 minutes. After that game, coach G came up to me and put his arm around me before we went to talk to the media. That was one of the first times after a loss where he wasn't upset. He was just like, ‘Man, you gave it everything you had.’ That put it into perspective as a great performance where we fell short, but we gave it everything.”
“That Kansas win was such a big win for us and I remember coach giving us a deadline like ten or noon the next day, then we had to let this one go. Enjoy the win tonight, but then we had to get ready for Texas. We had to prepare for big Monday and Dickie V being in College Station for the first time in however long. Kevin Durant was the best player in college and we were rocking and rolling. With all the fans there, we sent Texas a message. We beat them pretty good.”
“The senior leadership needs to will this team to a win tonight. It’s about X’s and O’s and things like that, but I have a player’s mindset and I think in the big moments, in the big pressure games, your leaders and best players need to step up and have their best performances. I expect these guys to do that today and Saturday. I’ll be coming down Saturday so hopefully the fans are excited and bring a lot of energy, let’s go 2-0 this week.”
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