A&M's Bahamas trip produced growth among returners & newcomers

HOUSTON — A summer trip to the Bahamas should ensure the Aggies are hot in mid-December.

That was part of the message delivered at the Toyota Center by Texas A&M associate head basketball coach Devin Johnson on Wednesday.

Filling in for A&M head coach Buzz Williams, Johnson sat at the dais alongside Texas head coach Rodney Terry, LSU assistant coach Ronnie Hamilton and University of Houston Athletic Director Chris Pezman in a press conference for the promoting The Halal Guys Showcase.

The Showcase features games featuring Texas A&M vs. Houston and LSU vs. Texas on Dec. 16 at the Toyota Center.

That should be one of the toughest games in what projects as Texas A&M’s most challenging non-conference schedule in five seasons under Williams.

Texas A&M Athletics

In the Aggies and Cougars’ last meeting in 2013, Jamal Jones led A&M to a 74-57 win.

The A&M-Houston clash could shape up as one of the best non-conference games in the nation. It will match teams that reached last season’s NCAA Tournament and figure to be ranked among the top 25 come December.

However, Johnson looked at it as a vehicle to be prepared for the treacherous Southeastern Conference race and March Madness.

“We’re looking forward to seeing what we can find out of this game that can help us go into SEC play,” Johnson said. “We’re excited about the opportunity to learn from the game and see where we match up against a good program. But we’re very, very excited about the opportunity to play in front of Aggies here in Houston and the surrounding area.”

Aggie hoops fans will be excited to see an A&M team that rallied from a slow start last season to finish second in the SEC with a 15-3 record. Four starters return, including All-SEC guard Wade Taylor IV.

Johnson said the Aggies showed reasons for that excitement in a recent three-game tour in the Bahamas.

“The main thing we saw was the opportunity for some guys that haven’t played as much in the past,” he said. “They have grown into more roles, which allows us to have a deeper team.

“We think we have more guys that will step up and do some things that can help us win. Things that will translate into pushing the growth that we’ve had so far forward.”

Johnson indicated sophomore forward Solomon Washington, junior guard Manny Obaseki and junior guard Hayden Hefner demonstrated notable growth in their games.

However, he said signs of significant growth wasn’t limited to the court nor to younger players.

“I would even put Wade Taylor in there for his growth as a leader, his vocal growth,” Johnson said. “In the past, Henry Coleman was that (vocal) guy. Now, Wade Taylor, Tyrece ‘Boots’ Radford, Henry Coleman, Andy Garcia … Those guys are talking.

“But from a basketball standpoint, the development of a Solomon Washington, Manny Obaseki, Hayden Hefner … Those guys are coming into their own. Those guys will provide some things for us this year that we’re excited about.”

Also, Johnson said transfers Jace Carter and Eli Lawrence seemed to have made a smooth transition.

“Those newcomers that we have are really, really good — our types of guys,” he said. “Does that mean it translates to them scoring 20 points or shooting 50 percent from three? No.


“But it translates to them diving on the floor. It translates to them pulling their teammate up and helping. Doing the things that we look for that helps us win games. They do them.”

Carter and Lawrence demonstrated as much in the three victories in the Bahamas.

“They were with us for a month and a half before we went to the Bahamas,” Johnson said. “If you were new, you wouldn’t be able to tell those guys have only been with us for a month and a half. They’ve already been put into the culture. Those guys are doing a great job. We’re looking forward to their growth as well.”

The Aggies learned some things about themselves in the Bahamas. They learned about themselves in last year’s run to the SEC Tournament final and in their appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

The idea is to take those lessons and continue to make progress. The game against Houston figures to provide a good gauge of how much progress they have made.

“We’re excited about playing the University of Houston to see where we are,” Johnson said. “See who we stand up against in the month of December before we get into SEC play.

“But if we get caught up just focusing on the University of Houston on Dec. 16, then we’re going to roll in here just like last year and have a bad record. We want to take it game by game.”