Williams & Co. understand there is 'work to do' heading to SEC Tournament

Texas A&M hoops ended the regular season the best way possible, with three straight wins. Head coach Buzz Williams joined Monday's edition of TexAgs Radio as the Aggies will travel to Nashville to take on Ole Miss once again in the SEC Tournament. 

Key notes from Buzz Williams interview

• Anything that comes Manny Obaseki's way, he deserves. Really proud and excited for him. He has handled everything that didn't go his way with great humility, and character and never complained. He is incredibly consistent in who he is, and I am very proud he is part of our program.
   
• We are thankful for what has transpired in the last week and a half and for how the staff handled the two and a half weeks we didn't win. That speaks as much. I think we are still in the mix, whatever that means to the outside world, but in our group, it shows we care about each other.
   
• I know Tyrece Radford hasn’t played in every game, but we are very reliant on him and Wade Taylor IV in every part of our program. They have never tried to dodge the responsibility they have been given. Their leadership has been superb, both in losing and winning. We look a lot better when they make baskets. Even if they don't, their value to our program is too much to articulate.
   
• The belief they have in each other and us is never off. I know that is not a stat or sexy thing to say. The ability to hang in there when things don't go your way is becoming harder to find. It's not quantifiable, but that's what I think it is. Our defense has been the same. I do think we have been better. We are defending without fouling, which has been so important. 
   
• English is not Andersson Garcia's first language, but he is a sweetheart of a human being. He could literally write a book on rebounding. If you get him talking about rebounding, he is a savant. It's so in-depth that it's almost comical. He watches the other team shoot to see where they are missing on the rim. His brain is wired differently. 
   
• Andy had 167 rebounds through 17 games. That's an average of 9.2. He needed 13 against Ole Miss. Not only would he become the leading rebounder but he would average 10 rebounds in conference play as a junior.
   
• Solomon Washington was telling me what the rebounding score was when he wasn't in the game, and he said it was 47-17 at the four-minute mark. The bench had been keeping up with Andy's number. I was putting Wildens Leveque in, but they said, "Coach, no! Andy needs one more!" He is a pleasure to be around. He is Dennis Rodman, just not from the United States.
   
• I have stayed off of my phone and away from the things I cannot control. Friday, I heard our staff talking about the SEC Tournament. I had a feeling we would play Ole Miss again. I told the team that we were going to play them again with about two minutes left.
   
• Rarely do you play a team three times. Our kids understand what is at stake and the opponent. I don't think that is the Ole Miss team that will show up Thursday night. How can we be prepared for strategic things that may change? 
   
• We understand we need an extended stay, potentially, in Nashville. Regardless of who we are playing at what time or what seed, we worked to get to this point, and we still have work to do. That has to be the prevailing emotion. 
   
• Yes, we have been in the SEC Tournament championship game the last two years. We did it with a single-bye and a double-bye. That was last year and the year before. What do we do this year? That has to be the prevailing thought. 
   
• What can we control? Right now, we can control today. We need to win, but we don't know how many. We need to win the next one. Without being condescending, we do have evidence that we have done it before. 
   
• We were 9-9 two years ago, did not play anybody in non-conference and got beat in the SEC Tournament championship game. We went 15-3 last year and made it to the SEC Tournament championship game.
   
• This year, we played a top-15 schedule in the country. What does that matter? Do Quad I wins matter? I don't know, but what I do know is we play on Thursday. We need to be a little better on Thursday night than we were on Saturday afternoon.