Williams' Ags continue to lean on 'maturity' as non-conference play winds down

Through 10 non-conference contests, Buzz Williams' Aggies are carrying an 8-2 record into the final stretch of December. The head coach joined TexAgs Live to discuss the in-season growth of his team following a neutral site win over Texas Tech on Sunday.

Key notes from Buzz Williams interview

• The close wins speak to who they are and how much they care. It speaks to the relationship that they have with one another. A lot of one-possession, two-possession games from start to finish. That was our fifth Power Four game in a row. Four of those five have been on the road. I have ultimate respect for that resilience and endurance. That was a road game yesterday and the most packed that Dickies Arena has ever been since it’s been built. There was a whole lot of red and black there.
   
• Only three teams have played a more difficult schedule than us this season so far. It’s Gonzaga, A&M, Purdue and Alabama. Playing those games against the caliber of teams that we are against forces you to grow and understand the value of your preparation. They learned how monumental every possession is. It has forced our rate of growth to be even faster than it has ever been before.
   
• Against Oregon, it was a one-possession game with four minutes left. We lost by 10, but it was a tie-ball game. Against Creighton, with two and a half minutes, we were down one, and vs. Rutgers, with 3:36 left, we were up one. Basketball in the SEC has never been better. Only two other leagues had this numerical data after the first five weeks of college basketball.
   
• I tell our guys the truth. I tell them exactly what it is, whether that is a game, practice, or the film room. I do not know if that is the best thing to do, but I do think that the lessons that we are learning. We are getting a lot of reps to deposit in our account. I need to discern how long we will continue on this trajectory.
   
• It is the first time you're in Vegas, and you don't know what the vibe will be like at noon. After the Creighton game, it felt like a March neutral site game. The gym was full of blue. It was a one-possession game on either side from start to finish. One team was going to be 3-0, and one was going to be 0-3. Wake Forest is what it is. Texas Tech felt like a post-spring break-type atmosphere and game. 
   
• We try to function in and live in the truth. Our staff has done a near-perfect job when it comes to finding a person that fits our program. There are a lot of talented guys, but it is the fifth that is important. We had a lot of talented guys who didn't make it, and it was not because of their talent.
   
• I thought Jace Carter had the best game at the collegiate level against Texas Tech. I thought Jace was tremendous last night. I thought Andersson Garcia played a top-five game. It might have been the top three. 
   
• Solomon Washington's numbers don't jump out of you, but he impacts winning. What he does defensively, he may be as good as I have seen in a long time. Our players know that, and we are relying on that, to be honest. Like any game of that magnitude, the margin is invisible. Is it one thing? Is it one person? You can't put it on one person when playing these games. I think it is all correlated.
   
• Matt Painter is a Hall of Fame coach. The lineage and support of that program speak for itself. I have not studied Purdue. I have just been so focused. Five games with four on the road has been a lot.
   
• I am glad we don't play until Saturday. We are taking today off, which is good.
   
• I am excited. I have never played in Indianapolis. These days off are just as important as some of these work days. It's a lot on our guys. Not only do we have to have elite discipline, but we have to have great execution just to hope we get it. Playing in those possession-type games over and overgrows you up, but it is a lot on the body. A day off here is from heaven, especially if you win the day before.