The Texas A&M Aggies have depth.
Time and again this season, multiple different Aggies have had their time to shine. Julius Marble was awarded SEC honors a couple of weeks back, Wade Taylor IV has consistently knocked down clutch shots, as has Dexter Dennis and even Hayden Hefner during the Aggies’ home game against Missouri.
Most recently, however, was forward Andersson Garcia, who has been a key contributor for the Aggies on the glass this season.
Garcia, a native of the Dominican Republic and a 6-7 junior transfer from Mississippi State has only been with Texas A&M for a short time but has made a big impact in the minutes he does play — gaining the respect of his teammates in the locker room, in addition to on the court.
“He’s such a unique spirit,” Williams said. “That's rare when your peers are giving that level of confidence and love particularly when you've been here five months."
In the last three minutes of the game against the Commodores, Garcia managed to give the Aggies multiple second-chance opportunities that led to points to propel the team to a victory.
His performance highlighted the depth that Williams knows he has on his roster, as well as the trust that each player has in each other, but Garcia did not just do well against Vanderbilt.
“Henry [Coleman III] didn't play his normal second-half minutes at Auburn because [Garcia] was playing so well,” Williams said. “Henry was the loudest person on the bench. [Garcia] is probably the most beloved player in the program. I've really connected with him, but everyone has.”
As games continue to come for the Aggies, they will continue to do their part — focused only on what they can control, and not their ranking or tournament seed. Whether on or off the court — the players will support one another to ensure each other’s success, and Tyrece Radford, along with every other player, will tell you that.
“He's a wonderful player,” Radford said. “As a guy that comes off the bench, he stays prepared, he stays on his toes [and] stays ready. The more you see him play, the more you will see plays that he makes.”
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