It is said the early bird gets the worm.
Texas A&M basketball coach Buzz Williams says the early riser gets the win.
That’s one of the things the Aggies (24-12) will be counting on when they face Oregon (20-14) at 11 a.m. CT on Saturday in the second round of the National Invitation Tournament.
An early start doesn’t faze the Aggies because they’re used to them.
“We always start work the day after Labor Day. The day after Labor Day through Thanksgiving, we do all of our work in the morning,” Williams explained. “Early, where I grew up, is before the sun comes up.
“So we develop a habit of waking up early. I always tell them, at some point, our habit of waking up first will win us a game.”
Several games, actually.
“Early, where I grew up, is before the sun comes up. So we develop a habit of waking up early. I always tell them, at some point, our habit of waking up first will win us a game.”
- A&M head coach Buzz Williams
A&M was 2-1 in the Maui Jim Tournament in Las Vegas, with two of the three games starting around noon PT. They were 3-1 last week at the SEC postseason tournament. All games started no later than 1 p.m. ET.
Further, A&M defeated Arkansas in a noon CT tip on Jan. 8 and toppled Missouri on Jan. 15 and Ole Miss on Feb. 26 in 2:30 CT starts.
Overall, the Aggies are 9-3 in games that started at 2:30 CT or earlier.
“If there is an early tip, (A&M players) love it because they kind of believe we wake up early, this is good,” Williams said. “Not saying the opponent doesn’t wake up early, but I don’t think it’s a coincidence.”
The Aggies not only need to start early. They need to start fast.
In each of their last four SEC victories, the Aggies led by at least eight points at halftime. Also, in each of those games, A&M has hit at least a half dozen 3-pointers while shooting 46 percent from 3-point range.
Quenton Jackson averaged 17.2 points in those four victories, while Henry Coleman III averaged 15 and Tyrece Radford 13.5.
But Williams suggested the Aggies’ defensive effort will be most vital against the Ducks, who defeated Utah State 83-72 in their NIT opener.
Oregon averages 72.4 points and has six players scoring at least eight points per game.
Leading scorer Will Richardson, a guard, has missed the last four games with an undisclosed illness. Center N’Faly Dante also sat out the win over Utah State with an illness.
Their status for the game against A&M is uncertain.
Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
Richardson leads the Ducks with 14.1 PPG.
Regardless, the Ducks obviously still have offensive power.
Guard De’Vion Harmon — the older brother of Texas A&M football player Deuce Harmon — scored 19 points in the win over Utah State.
Also, senior guard Jacob Young, a Houston product, had 17, and guard Rivaldo Soares had 13.
Also, 6-foot-8 forward Quincy Guerrier averages 10.3 points.
Center Franck Kepnang, a 6-foot-11 sophomore from Cameroon, had nine points starting in place of Dante against Utah State.
“They will play with four shooters on the floor at all times,” Williams said. “And then their fives (centers) are similar to one another. They’re all 7-feet elite rim-runners and very good ball screen and rollers.
“We’ll have to keep the ball out of the middle of the floor because they will get you in a blender really fast.”
But fast is the way the Aggies like it. Fast and early.
