[JNixonParticipant]

28: Texas A&M Aggies

Frontcourt- The frontline loses a great role player in Nathan Walkup, one of the better ones in the nation over his last 2 years. Walkup was a fan favorite, a rugged hustle guy with a nice jump shot. They have the depth to replace him though. It’s hard to talk about Texas A&M these days without mentioning their best player, 6’7 215 Jr. SF Khris Middleton, who will be a shortlist Big 12 Player of the Year candidate. Arguably the best returning player in the conference and working to improve his game for the 2^nd summer in a row, Middleton will have a lot of chances to prove he’s a legit 1^st round pick. Middleton is a silky smooth operator on offense. He’s got a sweet jump shot, 1^st and foremost, and he can create for himself as well a bit. He plays an unorthodox game, with a great, tricky mid-range game and solid athleticism. Middleton rarely makes plays outside of the offense, is a pretty good passer, and makes the game look pretty easy. He also is a willing rebounder. Right now though, Middleton needs to get stronger, a little more aggressive, and improve his mediocre handle and defense. He can get pushed around by physical play, and he doesn’t handle extra defensive attention all that well. Middleton reminds me ALOT of Utah Jazz SF Gordon Hayward. Look for him to put up 17 ppg or 18 ppg next year, with 5 rpg and 2 or 3 apg as well.  The best player in the post for TAMU is David Lobeau, a wiry 6’9 230 PF/C with good athleticism. Lobeau runs the floor well and has a soft touch, but he’s a bit robotic as a low post scorer and isn’t that great a defender or rebounder, even though he’s generally solid in terms of positioning. Lobeau averaged 11 ppg and 5 rpg last year, and should probably be around that again next year, although he could marginally increase due to TAMU’s expected change to a faster pace under a new coach. The Aggies have depth, with 6’9 230 Soph. Kourtney Roberson, 6’8 Jr. Ray Turner. Roberson was an immediate rotation guy as a Fr., and is strong  and like to compete on D and on the glass. He’s not a skilled scorer, but he will get garbage points and make basic post shots. Turner is a great athlete, but he struggled to learn the offense with Mark Turgeon. He runs the floor and has promise as a rebounder, but he doesn’t have a post move to his name and he needs more discipline as a defender. Texas A&M is pretty good in the frontcourt, and they have the athleticism to play pretty good in Bill Kennedy’s more up-tempo scheme.

Backcourt- The backcourt loses BJ Holmes, a 5’10 sharpshooter, but the cupboard also isn’t bare. Dash Harris, a 3-year starter, is the team’s PG. Harris is a good athlete with quickness, a pretty good playmaker, and he’s one of the best on-ball defenders in the Big 12. Harris is, however, a terrible shooter who also isn’t a much of a scoring threat. He can be sagged off of, and it often is 5-4 with him on the floor. This year, Harris has to get better offensively. He’ll be pushed by 6’3 Fr. Jamal Branch, a touted guard who can score and make plays. Branch is a smooth player who will contribute early, but he’ll need more strength to really be a major factor. He likely will hit the freshman wall by the conference slate, but his D will allow him to still play. He really is a tough defender. At SG, there will be a position battle with Holmes gone. 6’6 Jr. Naji Hibbert, 6’4 170 Fr. Jordan Green, and 6’4 Washington transfer Elston Turner will fight for the job. Hibbert is a physical guard with a sweet shooting touch, even though he’s not consistent with it. He’s a basic role player and shaky ball-handler. Green is a long, skinny southpaw with great athleticism. He has potential as a slasher and shooter. He will need quite a bit of time in the weight room though, and he also needs to polish his skills. Elston Turner was a contributing rotation guy for Washington. He has a nice shot, a pretty long body, and doesn’t need to handle the ball a lot to score, but he’s a shaky ball-handler and just OK athletically. Texas A&M has depth at every backcourt spot.

Overall- Texas A&M will have to undergo a transition, from Turgeon’s slow-paced, defense-1^st style, to new coach Bill Kennedy’s up-tempo style. Kennedy has said he wants to “ score within the first seven seconds of the shot clock — without sacrificing stops on the defensive end.” Texas A&M has the depth and talent to play at a fast pace effectively. Khris Middleton is a darkhorse All-America candidate and one of the best players in the Big 12, so they have a star player to help them out. Look for Texas A&M to be a 2-and-out tourney team.

 

[RUDEBOY_Participant]

Middleton deciding to come for another year was a very wise decision…He has a chance to be a special player..

[RUDEBOY_Participant]

Middleton deciding to come for another year was a very wise decision…He has a chance to be a special player..

[JNixonParticipant]

Yeah he still has potential. He’s not finished developing physically, athletically, or in his skill set. He’s still growing. I like him, he’s been working hard for the past 2 summers.

[JNixonParticipant]

Yeah he still has potential. He’s not finished developing physically, athletically, or in his skill set. He’s still growing. I like him, he’s been working hard for the past 2 summers.

[B FreeParticipant]

I like Middelton alot too he is very Danny Granger-esque, at least in my opinion.

[B FreeParticipant]

I like Middelton alot too he is very Danny Granger-esque, at least in my opinion.

[Author]

Posts