Instant Reaction: Aggies Coast through Denver, 80-58

It was business as usual for the Aggies Wednesday night, cruising to an 80-58 victory over the University of Denver. While the win may not move the needle on the tournament resume, it did provide some much needed rest for key players and allowed some role players to take the spotlight for the evening.

Here are a few thoughts after tonight’s victory…

Hampton and Morelos lead the charge

These two starters tend to get lost in the shuffle behind Davis/Hogg/Gilder. Tonight, the sophomores put up a quiet night on the scoreboard while the two upperclassmen shouldered the load. Morelos looked comfortable in the post, hitting all 6 of his field goals from inside the paint, while Hampton went 5-7 from 3-point range.

Though the Ags won comfortably, their contribution was much needed as the trio of Davis/Hogg/Gilder only combined for 19 total points. Any game where Hampton contributes double-digit points can create a lot of problems for opponents. Not too much is asked of the Senior, but if teams have to start accounting for him from 3-point range, the Aggies could add a whole other dimension on the offensive end.

Stars get rest

Here are Admon Gilder’s minutes from the last 3 games: 37, 37, 36. Playing 26 minutes tonight probably felt like a day at the spa. The lack of depth in the backcourt will require Gilder to play heavy minutes all year, so any opportunity to leave the game early is a huge blessing. Along with Gilder, Tyler Davis only saw 12 minutes of action tonight.

This evening completed the 2^nd of A&M’s 3-game week leading up to their showdown against Arizona in 10 days. For that contest and the upcoming conference slate, Coach Billy Kennedy must have the entire roster healthy and prevent as much wear and tear as he can.

Here is your Weekly (Soon to be Daily) Prayer for Robert Williams to not declare early for the NBA Draft.

Lord,

Thank you for bringing us so much joy through the gift of Robert Williams. His glorious athleticism and endless highlights are a sight to behold. I am humbled by his greatness.

Tonight, Williams swatted a basketball into the Aggie dance team and I feared for the lives of those women, as I’m sure it must have been terrifying to dodge a ball traveling at the speed of light. One time I tried to spike a volleyball that a friend soft tossed to me and somehow it hit me between my elbow and armpit. True story. A friend literally soft tossed a volleyball to me and I couldn’t even hit it with my hand let alone spike it like Robert Williams in a live-action basketball game.

We are witnessing something special this season and we humbly ask that this not be the only year we get to witness Robert Williams. We pray all of this in your name. Amen.

Texas A&M next game comes this Saturday at 7:00pm against South Carolina St.