Eagle Staff Writer
Motion has become the buzzword for Aggie basketball.
All of those fans rushing to fill Reed Arena over the past couple of seasons will get used to hearing it and used to watching it.
More importantly, though, the Aggies better get used to running it.
It's not the only thing first-year A&M coach Mart Turgeon preaches, but his motion offense is by far and away the biggest difference between what the Aggies did in reaching the Sweet 16 in Billy Gillispie's third year at A&M and what Turgeon will implement in his first season in Aggieland.
"Last year we ran high-low, and pretty much were standing around for the most part with little exchanges here and there," junior Josh Carter said. "This year we're constantly moving, and other than little changes here and there, this year we're running constantly."
Turgeon brings his motion offense from Wichita State after replacing Gillispie, who left to take the head coaching position at Kentucky in April.
Gillispie was 27-7 last season and 70-26 overall at A&M, getting the Aggies back into the national basketball picture after more than two decades of barely treading water.
Turgeon, who played in the Final Four in 1986 for Kansas, came to A&M after guiding the Shockers to a 128-89 record and a Sweet 16 appearance in 2006.
"Offense has been the biggest change for them," Turgeon said. "We've done a lot of different things from what they've done in the past. We run motion. We run more consistently. We run a secondary break in our motion. There are a lot of different looks."
As for the roster, the biggest difference is that there's no Acie Law IV at the point.
The 6-foot-3 Law was the Aggies first consensus All-American and was drafted No. 11 by the Atlanta Hawks. He took with him a 17-point scoring average, five assists per game and a propensity to make the big shot at the end of the game.
Senior Dominique Kirk, who has started every game since coming to A&M, takes on the double responsibility of replacing Law at the point and running the motion offense.
"I can see why you sit there as a coach and want to play [Carter] all the time," Turgeon said. "He's always in the right spot defensively, always trying to do the right things offensively. He doesn't take bad shots, and for the most part, he doesn't turn the ball over."
Kirk averaged 7.3 points a game and had nearly a 3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio as a junior. He also routinely defended the opponent's best scorer.
It will be a new ballgame though for Kirk, whom Turgeon recruited at Wichita State along with Carter.
"There is no one out there that can be Acie Law, so I'm just trying to be the best player I can be for my team, try to contribute every day in practice," Kirk said. "There will be days I might not be as good as I need to be, but the team is always there to back me up."
The first line of players backing Kirk includes 6-foot-9 Joseph Jones, who has started just one fewer game than Kirk and was an honorable mention choice for preseason All-American. Jones averaged 13.4 points and 6.8 rebounds a game last season while shooting 78 percent from the free-throw line.
Carter is the only other returning player who averaged more than 20 minutes a game last season. He led the nation in 3-point shooting at 50 percent, hitting 2.5 treys a game, while averaging 11.8 points.
"A lot of times Acie was getting Josh open shots, so we'll see," Turgeon said of Carter's high 3-point percentage. "The key is we become hard to guard. Joe becomes a force, and Bryan Davis, freshman DeAndre Jordan, Kirk, [Donald] Sloan and [Derrick] Roland all become a part of our offense, that way they are not keying on Josh as much.
"Josh we'll get the better defender on him this year, where Acie had that last year. So for him to shoot 50 percent again ... you just hope he stays in the low 40s, and I think that's above average and we'll be pleased."
Turgeon pointed to his sophomore class as being the key to a successful season. Of the foursome, guard Sloan has seen the most playing time, averaging 18 minutes a game.
Sloan will open up at the shooting guard, but is also be looked at to back up Kirk at the point, as has freshman B.J. Holmes
Davis has shown he's capable of filling in for many of the minutes available up front with the graduation of Antanas Kavaliauskas and Marlon Pompey.
"I've liked him since Day 1, since I got here," Turgeon said. "Our system fits him perfectly. He's a guy who understands how to play and he can screen, dribble, pass, he can shoot and he can post up."
Roland and the 6-10 athletic Chinemelu "Junior" Elonu didn't get much playing time as freshmen, but that should change under Turgeon, especially for the 6-4 Roland, who has proven to be a lock-down defender early on in practice.
"What we are doing with Junior is we're just talking about defending and rebounding and being the best screener you can be and trying to keep the game simple for him," Turgeon said. "He's going to play but it's hard to get four post guys minutes. He's earned it in practice everyday."
The reason it will be difficult for Turgeon to get Elonu minutes is because of Jordan, a 7-foot freshman who can run the court and is strong around the basket.
One of the top 10 recruits in the nation gives the Aggies the potential to have one of the best frontcourts.
Turgeon loves Jordan's up side and believes if he keeps improving at the rate he has since practice began "he could be something special by January," which is just in time for the Big 12 schedule.
With the four big, strong post players, A&M should threaten the record books in team rebounds, blocked shots, and dunks (if they keep that stat). The fans will enjoy the two latter. Turgeon will demand the former, although that is one of the things that has worried him early.
"If you look back at all my teams we've always outrebounded opponents, always been in the top 10 or top 20 in the country," Turgeon said. "This team is wearing me out on rebounding and there is no excuse. Every day in practice I'm yelling and screaming at them to rebound."
Turgeon's other immediate worries are a schedule that includes Alabama, LSU and Arizona and strong Preseason NIT field, and the inexperience of many of his players who will be facing those teams.
"I've made the comment many times that Billy [Gillispie] knew he was leaving," Turgeon said. "I'd joke all the time that A&M never played anybody in the nonconference, and here we are playing this schedule. If you want to make yourself a national program, you have to play national games."
With only three returnees that logged more than 18 minutes a game, Turgeon has looked down his roster and used the word puppies to describe how inexperienced they are after the big three of Kirk, Jones and Carter.
"My biggest concern is our youth. I've got nine freshmen and sophomores and a lot of those guys haven't played in the past and just to see how they handle it when the lights come on is my biggest concerns," Turgeon said of the No. 16 Aggies.
"Personally I think we are a little overrated at this point of the season," he added. "I do think we have the talent to be successful though."
• Richard Croome's e-mail address is richard.croome@theeagle.com.
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