‘Everything on the line’ vs. Penn State
DES MOINES, Iowa — Two days after Buzz Williams watched his old friend Dusty Baker win his first World Series as a manager with the Astros in early November, Texas A&M cranked up its most promising season under Williams, in search of his first national title.
Baker now will be keeping an eye on Williams and the Aggies in the NCAA Tournament.
“Hopefully, we play for a while,” Williams said of ideally putting off the chance to get together with Baker, whom he’s known for more than a decade. “But I can’t wait to see (Baker) — I love him.”
Baker has said of Williams, “I root for him all the time,” and now Williams has never had a bigger rooting section in his home state of Texas. The seventh-seeded Aggies (25-9) face 10th-seeded Penn State (22-13) at 8:55 p.m. Thursday at Wells Fargo Arena in A&M’s first NCAA Tournament in five years and its first under Williams, who’s in his fourth season in College Station.
The winner faces the winner of No. 2 seed TexasNo.
15 seed Colgate, who play at 6:35 p.m. Thursday. On Wednesday afternoon, UT’s players and the Longhorns’ pep band cleared the court and its surroundings as the Aggies took the floor for practice.
A&M guard Wade Taylor IV, as he’s said since the matchups — and potential matchups — were revealed Sunday, vowed the Aggies are not glancing past Penn State of the Big Ten.
“We know when Tournament time comes, it’s time to lay everything on the line, because it’s win or go home,” Taylor said. “We try to take every possession and every opportunity we have to shine and go 1-0 in that moment. We don’t want to look too far ahead, because we know that moment can impact (the outcome).”
One of the Aggies’ primary tasks is slowing guard Jalen Pickett, who leads the Nittany Lions in scoring (17.9 points per game), rebounds (7.3 per game) and assists (234) as a second-team Associated Press All-American.
“(Pickett) may be the most effective 6-foot-6 guard in the country,” Williams said. “His usage rate is 38 percent, which is just astronomical.”
In other words, nearly 40 percent of PSU’s offense goes through the playmaking Pickett.
“He forces you to make decisions on how you’re going to guard him,” Williams said.
A&M considers Taylor — whom Williams refers to as “Four” — its primary playmaker. Williams put Pickett’s contributions this season into perspective compared to Taylor, a first team All-SEC selection.
“(Pickett) has taken 100 more shots than Four,” Williams said. “That’s a lot of balls. He has 100 more assists than Four. That’s a lot. He has 150 more rebounds than Four. (Pickett) is a critical component to what they do.
“They put stress on you because of how you’re going to guard No. 22.”
Williams is rounding off those numbers, but his point is taken: Pickett is prolific and a key to Penn State’s success.
“He’s an extraordinary player,” said A&M guard Dexter Dennis, who will primarily be charged with guarding Pickett. “(And) they’re comfortable with what they’re doing (offensively), which is extremely dangerous. … They pose a threat with their outside shot-making ability, and Pickett also is a weapon when he gets in the midpost area or just all around.
“It’s going to be a great matchup, and Coach is going to depend on me to do a lot of things.”
Williams said he’s so zeroed in on the Aggies’ task at hand that he didn’t know whom A&M system brethren Texas A&M-Corpus Christi had next in the NCAA Tournament after advancing past Southeast Missouri State in the First Four on Tuesday in Dayton, Ohio. (The answer is top-seeded Alabama.)
The Islanders’ coach, Steve Lutz, was a groomsman in Williams’ wedding, the Aggies’ coach added with a smile.
“When we got to the hotel (Tuesday) and finished all of our day’s work, my wife asked who does Corpus Christi play (next),” Williams said. “I said, ‘I don’t know. I haven’t even looked at the bracket.’ I’ve tried to stay in my routine, and I’m thankful we’re playing.”
Williams led Marquette to five consecutive NCAA Tournaments, including an Elite Eight showing in 2013, and then Virginia Tech to three straight NCAA Tournaments prior to leaving for A&M four years ago.
“I understand the stage, and I’m completely aware of the platform,” said Williams, who grew up in Van Alstyne, north of Dallas. “But a part of our success is staying in such a narrow lane that you almost become unaware of other things. That’s one of the things I’ve mentioned to our guys: It’s OK to be happy and excited and knowing what’s happening, but we still have to have the maturity to stay locked in.”
Penn State is playing in its first NCAA Tournament since 2011 under second-year coach Micah Shrewsberry, and Pickett said he considers A&M a combination of Michigan State and Illinois of the Big Ten.
“They send a lot of people to the glass, they play fast in transition, and they have really good guards,” Pickett said of the Aggies.