HE CAN SOAR AND MORE
For A&M’s Williams, it’s not all about spectacular windmill dunks
Sophomore forward Robert Williams only played half the game in the Texas A&M’s’ 86-65 hammering of North Carolina in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday.
It seemed longer to the Tar Heels. Much longer.
“Nobody jumps any higher,” North Carolina coach Roy Williams said, “and blocks more shots.”
In his 20 minutes of action at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C., against the reeling Tar Heels, Robert Williams grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds — a couple of them above the rim — blocked two shots and made all three of his field-goal attempts.
By game’s end, the defending national champions felt downright bullied by the Aggies.
“We’ve beaten people up over the years,” Roy Williams said. “The tables were reversed.”
Robert Williams and his high-flying act sat at the head of Texas A&M’s table in a dominating performance, and now the No. 7-seeded Aggies (22-12) face
third-seeded Michigan (30-7) at 6:37 p.m. Thursday in the Sweet 16 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Williams, who is expected to declare for the NBA draft after the season ends, has long had the attention of pro scouts thanks to his leaping ability and 7-4 wingspan. The Oil City, La., native got the nation’s attention over the last few days, however, with two windmill dunks to cap fast breaks against Providence and then North Carolina.
The first came late in a fairly tight game against the Friars, prompting A&M coach Billy Kennedy to say afterward that Williams wind-milling the ball for the sake of a highlight was “a little more than I liked.”
Added Kennedy: “I want him to have fun, and sometimes we worry about him having too much fun.”
Most of the time over the last two seasons, the Aggies’ coaches have concerned themselves with keeping Williams’ motor revved up against lesser opponents. Williams, a likely first-round selection this summer, has not always played at full speed, but that has not been an issue in his first NCAA Tournament.
It has been quite the opposite, with Williams nearly hitting his head on the rim while attempting to block a shot against the Tar Heels. He also jumped so high in grabbing one rebound and in awkwardly trying to unload a pass that he landed on his rear to a collective gasp from the crowd.
Williams and junior center Tyler Davis long have said they intend to be the nation’s dominant frontcourt this season, and the 6-10 duo has looked the part during NCAA postseason.
“Every time I subbed for Tyler and he subbed for me, we would just tell each other, ‘It’s zero-zero, be a beast. You’re a machine, and no one can stop you.’ We just kept that mind-set,” Robert Williams said of the players’ approach to playing North Carolina.
While Williams is the more athletic of the two, Davis has grinded down low all season, earning first-team All-Southeastern Conference honors. Williams was the league’s co-defensive player of the year. Against the Tar Heels, Williams and Davis teamed up for 22 rebounds, 26 points (with Davis collecting 18 of those) and five blocks.
“We both just did a great job of playing our role,” Davis said. “You saw Robert going up there and snagging rebounds, and me boxing out and creating a way for them.”
On Williams’ second windmill dunk of the NCAA Tournament, the Aggies were leading by by 18 with less than six minutes remaining. Williams said he briefly considered exchanging the ball through his legs on his way up to the basket but then thought better of it.
And this time, Kennedy was more accepting of Williams’ skypilot theatrics, with the game well in hand.
“He jumps so well, and it helped that he had made the last one,” Kennedy said with a smile. “I had a little more confidence in this one. And we were up big – that makes a difference.”
Williams had one final act after the final buzzer, and it was his favorite undertaking of the game, windmill dunks aside.
“Just hugging my dad and stepmom,” Williams said of wading into the crowd during the playing of “The Aggie War Hymn.” “He’s been with me through this whole situation. He’s been pushing me forward and sticking by my side. It felt good to hug him and celebrate.”