Texas A&M Basketball: Robert Williams staying for sophomore season

By Carmine Carcieri | Mar 21, 2017

Feb 25, 2017; College Station, TX, USA; Texas A&M Aggies forward Robert Williams (44) gets a steal late in the second half against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Reed Arena. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports /

Texas A&M basketball received big news today when Robert Williams announced that he is returning for his sophomore campaign.

The Texas A&M Aggies had a down 2016-17 season, finishing 16-15 overall and 8-10 in a so-so SEC. However, in 2017-18, the Aggies will be back in the national picture after receiving fantastic news on Tuesday afternoon.

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6’9″ freshman forward Robert Williams has opted to remain in school for his sophomore campaign and will not even test the 2017 NBA Draft waters. Williams was projected to be a lottery pick after averaging 11.9 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.5 blocks, and 1.4 assists per game during his freshman season.

From College Basketball Talk:

"“I love A&M and it was a great experience which helped me grow and get better as a player and a person,” Williams said in a statement. “Although I’ve grown, I still feel like I would benefit from another year of college. This will give me more time to mature and develop my game before moving on to the NBA.”“I’m thankful that Robert loves Texas A&M and his teammates,” head coach Billy Kennedy said. “I know this was a difficult decision for him and his family. He’s not only a special talent but a special young man. His desire to be the best and his trust in us is humbling. I can’t wait for next season.”"

This is a risky decision on the part of Williams. There are multiple cases of projected lottery picks remaining in school at least one more season to improve their maturity and all-around game — some of them have paid off and others haven’t.

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Providence point guard Kris Dunn opted to remain in school following his junior campaign despite having shoulder issues. This decision could’ve backfired but instead, Dunn led Providence to their third straight NCAA Tournament appearance and was sensational all year long. He ultimately was selected with the 5th overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Then there was the case of Ivan Rabb. The California forward remained in school after his freshman season and it’s likely not going to turn out well for Rabb. The draft is still in a few months but it’s unlikely that Rabb is even a first round pick at this point as he wasn’t able to compete in the NCAA Tournament and didn’t impress scouts during the regular season.

For Williams, though, he has the tools and physical attributes that NBA front offices love. He’s long (7’4″ wingspan), athletic and mobile. Williams can impact the game on both ends of the floor as he blocks shots at the rim defensively and has a developing offensive game.

Williams can stand to improve his fundamentals defensively and continue to improve on his all-around offensive game but there is no guarantee that those things happen with an extra year of college.

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Looking at the bigger picture, though, Texas A&M will be a dangerous team in the SEC next season. They will return their two most important pieces in the front court (Williams and Tyler Davis), DJ Hogg and Admon Gilder are back on the wings and J.J. Caldwell will be eligible to give them a floor general they desperately need. A&M likely won’t win the league (Kentucky and Florida will be the favorites) but they will be back to respectability, especially with the return of a budding star.