Aggie Women's Hoops to lean on increased depth for production boost

There have been months of anticipation. There have been many weeks of preparation There have been hours and hours of practice. But Texas A&M women’s basketball coach Gary Blair sees five minutes of rest as the key to significant improvement.

During last season’s 22-12 campaign, Khaalia Hillsman, Danni Williams and Anriel Howard averaged at least 34 minutes of playing time. Jasmine Lumpkin averaged 22.1.

“Last year I couldn’t (substitute) at all,” Blair said. “I had to leave six in there at all times. The only sub we had was Lumpkin or (now departed Taylor) Cooper.”

Blair’s starters were physically taxed. That resulted in a fatigued team that was unceremoniously ousted in the second round of the NCAA tournament by UCLA, 75-43.

He is optimistic that an influx of depth from transfers and a highly-touted recruiting class provides potential for a deeper run into this year’s NCAA tournament — which would be the 13th straight for the Aggies.

Last season the 6-5 Hillsman averaged 16.4 points and 8.2 rebounds. Williams averaged 16.6 points and hit 63 three-point goals. Howard averaged a double-double.

But they need rest to be their best.

“I just want Khaalia to be the best player she can be,” Blair said. “I need Khaalia to be a leader and average anywhere from 15 to 18 points a game, knowing this year I have a backup for her and she won’t have to pace herself like she did last year. She was averaging 35 minutes per ball game. No five-player (center) does that. Tyler Davis doesn’t do that. Robert Williams doesn’t do that.”

Blair is counting on 6-3 junior Caylinne Martin to spell Hillman.

Martin is a former junior college All-American who averaged 13 points and 7 rebounds two seasons ago at McLennan, but last year sat out a redshirt year at A&M.

She’s needed to make an impact because Blair will demand more from Hillsman on the defensive end.

“I’m going to push Khaalia to play better defense,” he said. “We’re not going play as much zone this year. We had to protect our team with a zone defense. I played more zone last year than I had in 13 years combined here. I don’t like the zone. I’d rather play man for man.”

If Blair is more optimistic about the Aggies’ inside prospects, he’s absolutely giddy about their perimeter possibilities.

“Danni Williams at the two has help this year,” he said. “She’s killing it in practice. She’s shooting the heck out of the ball. Between her and Anriel Howard, I’ve got two great juniors. Howard, inch for inch, is the most energetic player I’ve ever had in coaching anytime, anywhere. She gets it done.”

Blair also got it done on the recruiting trail. Some ranked A&M’s four-player recruiting class as high as No. 2 in the nation.

Much of that acclaim came along with All-American Chennedy Carter, a high-scoring point guard. She was the sixth-rated recruit in the nation and A&M’s highest-rated prospect ever. Carter averaged 18.7 points and 3.2 assists as a senior for (33-1) Mansfield Timberview. Last summer she also played on the United States Under-18 National Team. She averaged 11.8 points and 3.6 assists in helping the USA win the gold medal at the FIBA Americas Under-18 Championships.

“She has (more) offensive talent coming in than any guard that I’ve ever had at the point position,” Blair said. “She sees the floor. She handles well. She’s strong. She can shoot the three. She can drive it. She passes well. But can she run a team? I’ve got to have a game manager, not just a great player at the point guard position.”

If Carter has any growing pains, Blair may be able to turn to Lulu McKinney, a transfer from UTEP who also happens to be the daughter of A&M running backs coach Clarence McKinney.

The Aggies have additional depth — and maybe some additional growing pains — from more highly-regarded incoming freshmen guards Kayla Wells and Jada Walton and 6-2 forward N’dea Jones.

“I have to develop those kids on the bench,” Blair said. “If they’re the second-best recruiting class in the country, they must be pretty damn good. But who can play well with the freshmen that are going to come off the bench? Who can mesh? Can I go to the bench and still keep continuity through substitution?”

Those are tough, intriguing questions. Blair is aware that sometimes the newcomers won’t like the answers.

“We play a hard schedule, and sometimes they’re going to have to sit,” he said. “We play whoever’s hot.”

Blair is just glad to have that option this year.