A big March Madness surprise shouldn’t have been
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — To watch the way Texas A&M dismantled North Carolina on Sunday, it’s hard to believe this is the same team that lost five straight games and seven of nine during one stretch of the regular season, or the team that lost four of seven heading into the NCAA Tournament.
Truth is, it’s not the same team. The uniforms might be the same, but the Aggies head to the Sweet 16 having finally evolved into the powerhouse many predicted before injuries and suspensions impeded their development. Now they are at full force just at the right time, jelling into an imposing blend of power and finesse. Credit coach Billy Kennedy.
“Coach Kennedy has done a great job of keeping us together,” said junior guard Admon Gilder. “We’ve been through so much as a team and he’s always preached staying connected, staying together. So we’ve got to give him the credit.”
Gilder, junior forward DJ Hogg and freshman guards J.J. Caldwell and TJ Starks all missed games after being suspended for a violation of team rules early in the season. Caldwell was eventually dismissed from the squad. Gilder also missed games with a knee injury. But a team that once looked dysfunctional has found a sweet rhythm. Behind the might of 6-10 center Tyler Davis, 6-10 forward Robert Williams and Hogg, a 6-9 junior forward, the Aggies out-rebounded the Tar Heels, 50-36, blocked eight shots and roared to an 86-65 pounding of second-seeded and defending champion North Carolina.
Afterward, one theme emerged from the Aggies’ victorious locker room: togetherness.
“We just focused on playing harder and playing more together, staying connected,” said Hogg, who scored 14 points. “Then our size and length gave us an advantage, but I think it was more effort.”
Texas A&M was scary good on Sunday with its towers of power quieting a hostile pro-Carolina crowd.
“Our biggest problem was at the beginning of SEC play you want to be your best, and we weren’t our best at that point,” Kennedy said. “I think we grew up some through the season, throughout the adversity.”
The game plan against North Carolina was the same as it will be against third-seeded Michigan on Thursday night in Los Angeles: defend the 3-point line and force them to take tough 2s.
“You block eight shots, there’s a lot of tough 2s,” Kennedy said. “Our game plan worked.”
The adversity his team endured during the season could have doomed most, but the Aggies have developed a heightened sense of urgency to keep their year from being wasted. Reaching the Sweet 16 is a start to redemption.
“We came to a point in our season where our backs were against the wall, where we knew we had to win games, and I really think it changed our whole attitude,” Kennedy said. “We played with more of a sense of urgency, practice habits got better, we grew up. When we prepare well and we’re locked in and we play together, we’re as good as advertised.”
Davis, a junior from Plano, Texas, was certainly as good as advertised, dominating the paint with 18 points, nine rebounds and three blocked shots against Carolina. Williams looked like a lottery pick, collecting eight points, 13 rebounds and two blocks. Starks, a freshman from Dallas, held his own against UNC senior Joel Berry, matching his 21 points.
Kennedy singled out Davis.
“He’s been the leader and the most consistent player on our team all year with his effort and his attitude and his work habits,” Kennedy said. “That’s why you see the success that he’s had and why we’ve had success.”
Williams, a sophomore from Oil City, La., punctuated wins over Providence and North Carolina with windmill dunks. Expect more in Los Angeles.