Texas A&M Basketball: 3 Keys to victory over Providence in NCAA Tournament

1. Robert Williams must play well defensively

We all know that the defense plays best when Robert Williams is on his game. The SEC Defensive Player of the year has played a huge role in some of the Aggies’ best wins on the season. When Williams shows effort and plays well, the energy of the team changes.

One of the main problems on the court this season has been effort from the team as a whole. With early season suspensions and off the court troubles, this team has shown a lack of fire at some points.

For Williams, his effort has been especially inconsistent. In games against teams like Auburn and Kentucky, he played with an obvious passion and the Ags were able to upset two ranked teams in the span of four days. Shortly after, JJ Caldwell and Jay Jay Chandler were hit with charges for marijuana, which resulted in one being cut and the other being suspended. The next week saw Texas A&M go 0-3 with a very lackluster effort on the defensive side of the ball.

The attitude of the team changed after the suspensions, and lack of leadership resulted in a string of bad losses. Robert Williams is a leader. For the defense to play well, he must play well. The talent is obviously there as we’ve all seen from the past, but it is up to Williams to exert energy and passion for him and his defense. If he shows maximum effort, expect the defense to play their best against Providence.