Williams victorious in debut
COLLEGE STATION — Texas A&M earned a double-digit victory in Buzz Williams’ debut with the Aggies. Forward Jay Jay Chandler said that will make his new coach happy. Briefly.
“He’s going to go at us hard to keep pushing, so we keep getting more and more double-digit wins,” Chandler said. “To keep adding to the win column.”
Northwestern State scored the first five points of the Williams era at A&M in what absolutely was not a sneak preview of what was to come over the next 38 minutes Wednesday night at Reed Arena.
The Aggies, a bit ornery because of their semi-slow start, stirred and wound up shoving the Demons to arm’s length in the first
half and kept it that way throughout. A&M prevailed 77-63 as the former Marquette and Virginia Tech coach offered up a rousing first 40 minutes.
The Aggies led by 21 points midway through the second half before easing off the gas. Williams was an assistant to Demons coach Mike McConathy about two decades ago, and McConathy profusely praised the Aggies’ new leader.
“He has a lot of energy and will work hard,” McConathy said. “He was 27 years old when he came to work for me, and he got after it. He works hard, he’s passionate and he cares about his kids. He cares about his family and he cares about Texas A&M. He will do a great job because he will get guys to believe in doing more than they thought they (could).”
McConathy trotted out a squad full of newcomers, and he described his players as “all over the map” on A&M’s home court.
“I always say when you go and play in these (big) venues, embrace the idea that you’re getting to do this,” McConathy said. “(Playing here) will help us down the road tremendously.”
Reed Arena, which seats about 13,000, was about a quarter full for Williams’ debut. He’s not much of a marketer or self-promoter. But as he has said recently, winning will help fill the place along the way.
Savion Flagg, a junior forward from Alvin and the Aggies’ top returning player, led all scorers with 22 points.
“We made some strides in our scheme and what we tried,” said Flagg, who briefly tested NBA waters in the offseason before opting to play for Williams. “Everybody was pretty much locked in to what we were trying to do.”
The Aggies shot 56 percent (28 of 50) from the floor, compared to the Demons’ 34 percent (25 of 73). A&M also overwhelmed NSU inside, holding a 44-20 advantage on points in the paint.
Williams, 47, said he feels like “the world has been spinning incredibly fast” since he arrived at A&M in March.
“I’m not in game shape,” Williams said. “I need to improve my (emotional) endurance just as much or more as my kids. At times, I was exhausted. I know that’s not the right thing to say after game number one, but that’s the truth.”
The Aggies played without guard T.J. Starks, who’s out for at least a couple of weeks with an ankle sprain. Forward Josh Nebo, who also missed most of preseason camp with an apparent hamstring injury, suited up but did not play.
By comparison, the Aggies defeated the Demons 80-59 last December in what turned out to be the final season for coach Billy Kennedy at A&M. The Aggies host Louisiana-Monroe on Monday as they continue to prepare for a Nov. 15 showdown against No. 8 Gonzaga at Reed Arena.
Williams, raised in Van Alstyne north of Dallas, had served as an assistant to then-A&M coach Billy Gillispie from 2004-06, helping the 2006 Aggies reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1987.
The Aggies had missed the NCAA Tournament in six of their previous eight seasons under Kennedy. That’s why A&M lured Williams from Virginia Tech, where he had led the Hokies to a schoolrecord three consecutive NCAA appearance in his five seasons in Blacksburg, Va.
Before his arrival to Virginia Tech from Marquette, where he led the Golden Eagles to the Elite Eight in 2013, the Hokies had historically been regarded as one of the ACC’s worst teams.