Texas A&M basketball's assistant coaches share an offseason update

Key notes from Basketball Assistants interview

• I would say we are pleased with where the guys are. It’s still in the beginning stages, every team is different. We learned that going through last season coming off of the sweet-sixteen year. We felt like we had some guys who were ready to take the next step, some of them did, but I think it’s more about getting every last one of them to come together. We’re working with the guys, we like how they are coming along and working together. They are all very talented individually, but that will only take you so far in our sport. You have to have a team that is going to play together and be together in everything they do.
  
  
• I think on every team, you have to look at personality. Any great team is going to need some personality, someone who is going to come in and push someone everyday. The four freshman that we have now bring personality. I think they have made everyone else step up because they get in the gym on their own. Those guys personalities are going to help this team grow. Not that the young guys are as polished as the older guys, but they will come to work everyday. You can’t tell them that they aren’t good.
  
  
• I’ll tell you this, Robert is starting to get back. When you come off a season that he had with all the hype, his body is starting to get back to mid-season form. The thing that’s great about Rob is that I saw he was a top-five pick, but he wants to be one of the guys. He is another guy vocally who has stepped up. We all think the sky is the limit for him. He could be the SEC or national player of the year, but a lot of that depends on our success of the team.
  
  
• One thing is this, it takes a really mature kid to say “I need to mature.” He said all year that he didn’t want to go to the D-League. He knew when he left he wanted to be able to impact the game and help a team day one. He has worked on his perimeter shot and his left, I'm biased because I work with him everyday.
  
  
• I think all the freshman are ready to play within their roles. Is Isiah ready to contribute 20 points a game? maybe not, but he has an incredible motor and is ready to play defense. T.J. Starks will also be able to come out and defend. We are going to put a premium on defense year in and year out and each and everyone of these freshman is ready to come in and play defense. We just need to fine tune some of the little things.
  
  
• Elite teams are able to score of of their defense. I still have dreams of Alex Caruso getting in the passing lanes, taking it the other way and we are off to the races. We played well at times last year, but we didn’t have the depth in personnel on the perimeter to do that last year.

• I know we want to be a lot tougher going into the season. We lost a lot of close games last season in part due to a lack of toughness. We asked some of the guys to be leaders after making that run to the NCAA tournament and there was a little bit of a void there. I think know we addressed some of the issues from last year and we are developing chemistry with the guys. We have seven new guys, so there will be peaks and valleys, but I think if we get them together it will be good.
  
  
• I’ve known Duane for a long time, and we knew we had a need for toughness and leadership. The second he steps on campus he will help fill that void. Throughout his career his role changed every year and he never wavered. I think that speaks volumes to his character. I think that will help our younger guys a lot. We hope that he is what we are missing in the long term.
  
  
• I personally never talked to Rob about the NBA, after the Vanderbilt game he asked me if I was coming back next year. I said ‘I’m not leaving unless I’m a head coach.’ He told me he wasn’t leaving right then. We met after that and he kept saying the same things, he wanted to come back. That decision is all his. We all talk about Rob as a player, if his numbers don’t improve, that doesn’t mean that he didn’t improve. I think the keys are the little things and if we win more games.
  
  
• I think the year sitting out helped him a lot maturity wise. During the season we couldn’t use him  ton so he was just trying to take in information. Our guys also respect and trust him a lot, they know he will make them better on the floor.
  
  
• I think coach Amir talked earlier about how the young guys personalities allow our workouts to be more intense. Iron sharpens iron and these guys are coming out everyday and getting better.
  
  
• I think with our team it’s hard not to look at the depth. But to build a championship team, everyone on the team has to slot onto a role. Everyone will be asked to do different things at time and I think mentally they are starting to understand it.

• Very encouraged, it’s nice having a deep group of guards following last season. We have a really good group, just trying to develop a mindset within the room. The guys have been working really hard. We have seven new guys so just trying to adapt people do a new way of doing things. Terminology has been different but we have been pleased with their coachability so far.
  
  
• I think there are a combination of guy being the vocal leader. Tonny-Trocha has done that some, Tyler Davis has been working and he’s stepped it up a notch with his overall work ethic. Admon Gilder as well as D.J. Hogg. We are challenging all of the older guys, they’ve been through the grind before. I also think Duane Wilson will bring some leadership to this program. He is a very mature guy and despite being new, he will bring some instant credibility to the room.
  
  
• I think the sky is the limit with Robert. Even through this process, we didn’t talk him into coming back. It was a decision that he made on his own, he had our support either way. He’s a small town kid and it shows a lot about him wanting to come back and mature. Rob also wants to win and he knew we had a chance to be special this next year.
  
  
• I think one thing with J.J Caldwell is is his approach. Every one knows he is talented and can pass the ball. You can see the redshirt year has really helped him in terms as his approach to the game and the fundamentals. Our guys know if they run the floor, J.J. will get them the ball in places to score. He just makes the game so much easier for everyone.
  
  
• I don’t think I can pick a single guy out right now from the freshman class. I think John Walker who we just signed will also bring something. He and Duane Wilson will be on campus for summer two next month. I think they can all bring something different to the table. Hopefully by the time the season starts, all of these guys will be ready to contribute. We have made it clear within the room, even to the older guys, that no minutes are promised. Everyone has to come out and earn it.