Mark French still thinks A&M could be an NCAA Tournament team

During Friday morning's edition of TexAgs Radio, former Texas A&M basketball player Mark French joined us in-studio to preview Saturday's home game with Florida. French also offered his thoughts on exactly what is not clicking for the Maroon & White through seven SEC games.

Key notes from Mark French interview

• Saturday against Florida is another home game against a team that is an equal, a peer, so
  to speak. Coming off a home loss to Ole Miss, which a lot of people had penciled in as a win.
   
• We need a big crowd, we need the guys to come out juiced up, and we need to figure out Buzz Williams’ formula for winning. You can't go 3-5 in SEC play because then we are talking about the NIT, so there is a pendulum swing that's happened due to the last 7-8 days and really since the Kentucky win.
   
• I think sometimes things aren't mutually exclusive. There are so many variables that go into winning. The Kentucky win was a good win, but against LSU and Arkansas, we came out flat.
   
• I was probably wrong about Ole Miss playing a cupcake schedule, but they adjusted well. They are so well coached, and they play hard.
   
• We have to regroup. There's no break in SEC play. This is a basketball conference, and you could very well easily be 3-5 wondering how you get into the tournament, but if you win against Florida and win vs. Tennesee, then I believe a No. 9 or No. 10 seed is still in play for the NCAA Tournament.
   
• A&M’s offense is top 30-40 in the country because of offensive rebounding. We are No. 1 in the country in offensive rebounding. You almost don’t want to be No. 1 because it probably means you're missing the first shot. There is definitely a balancing act.
   
• I think it’s going to come down to developing a couple of guys. Jace Carter, Tyrece Radford, and Wade Taylor IV are going to need to hit six-plus 3-pointers combined a game. The possessions matter too much to have any sort of turnovers or shooting slumps from guys who are not your core guys because the minutes are so precious.
   
• Manny Obaseki hasn't been consistent. Some development probably would have happened if he wasn't behind Taylor, but honestly, he hasn't earned it. He’s been a little reckless with the ball at times, and the shot hasn't developed as we would’ve liked. He should be a top guy, but I can’t quite figure out why he’s not.
   
• The athleticism in this conference will surprise guys who might come from smaller schools, and the coaching is better. The reality is that, in college basketball as a whole, it’s hard to find continuity. The whole thing is jacked up now. I really worry about it, and I’m not as passionate as I was about it. There’s just so much movement going on. It's frustrating.
   
• Carter has beautiful form. He shoots with confidence, and it’s clear that he thinks his shot is going on. Not everyone has that. They shoot because they have the shot, not necessarily because they think they're going to make it. I think he can be really good for us. He is a Buzz type of guy, and I'm really high on him.
   
• Radford doesn’t shoot with confidence, he’s streaky. In big games, the alpha Radford comes out, and he likes the big stage. When everyone was talking about his non-conference play, I felt like he just wanted to be in the big games because it energizes him, but I'm not worried about Radford moving forward. It’s about other guys too.
   
• I think Carter is so important because the stats will show you that Hayden Hefner is not someone we can trust to make 2-3 triples per game. He ended the season well last year, but the reality is what have you done for me lately?
   
• I learned more in that one year with Buzz than I had in the three years leading up to it.
   
• I think some guys can overthink, so Buzz keeps it simple. The reality is that we need to find a way to make shots, play tough defense and find a way to get to the boards.
   
• Williams’ teams usually finish storing because they keep working, practice hard and continue to develop guys throughout the end of the year.
   
• The kids today would call this year “mid.” We start the preseason ranked top-15, and we have the preseason SEC player of the year with Taylor. There were a lot of expectations. At some point, you need to go to a Sweet 16 to keep donors interested. In the world of NIL, hopefully getting a new arena in the next decade, you need to have some track record in March. Williams has raised the floor, but when the offensive side is not as exciting, you really need March results because you need things to sell.
   
• I think we have one of the best staff in the country, but I do think there is some pressure for March success. I want to see them get to the Final Four. It’s just frustrating because we started top 15, and now we are wondering if we are going to make the tournament.
   
• The consciousness of the fanbase is really unique because there is an expectation due to the money spent and the facilities. At some point, you need to punch through, especially at a football-centric school. Across all sports, the level of expectation needs to be met, but the results have not met it.
   
• Winning close games is huge. The margins are so slim. It’s about executing in-game, going over film and practicing hard. That's why the Arkansas loss hurts so much because I felt like that could have been a catapulting moment for us. You can’t lose that one, and there has been a ripple effect since that game.
   
• The fast start is important for this team. Iowa State was a good win. I can live with the loss to Houston, but the loss to Memphis really hurts. There is confidence in winning, and when there are some chinks in the armor, it hurts. This year is definitely still saveable. Health is a good part of that. They’ve been battling injuries all year.
   
• The year would be incredibly different with Julius Marble there. The offensive scheme would be very different, and what he can do offensively allows open shots and looks for other guys. We are good offensively, but Marble defensively would have definitely benefited us.
   
• Against Florida, we need to put the ball in the basket. We need guys like Carter, Solomon Washington and the other guys to step up. We can’t go 3-5 in SEC play and expect to make real headway in the NCAA Tournament. It would be a tough hole to climb out of. The remaining schedule is not easy by any means, and that's why the close losses to LSU, Arkansas and Ole Miss hurt so much.
   
• There is a killer instinct and mindset late in games about having a tough, mature offensive possession, getting a good shot we want and finishing out the game. That hasn't happened late in games, so if we are up late I would like to see that killer mindset come out.