Aggie basketball took to the hardwood for the first time since the conclusion of last season for their inter-team Maroon and White scrimmage.
The scrimmage, which ran two 12 minute halves with a rolling clock between the two A&M teams, saw senior guard Danuel House lift the Maroon to a 48-34 win by scoring 15 points, leading all scorers. House said he feels healthy after suffering a foot injury at the end of last season.
“I’m feeling great,” House said. “I’m just happy to be out there, happy to be healthy and I’m just trying to help make my team better in any way I can.”
Senior guard Alex Caruso also ended the game with double figures, along with freshman guard D.J. Hogg and junior forward Tavario Miller. Caruso and freshman center Tyler Davis led the game in rebounding with seven apiece, but the biggest takeaway stayed with House’s return.
“It was really good to have Danuel House back on the floor looking 100 percent,” A&M head coach Billy Kennedy said. “You could tell he was our best player last year and he was our best player today.”
The Maroon relied on its 3-point shooting and rebounding to clinch the victory, shooting 55 percent from beyond the arch and winning on the glass 30-18. Both teams played around with different looks, particularly on the defensive end, as they sporadically ran zone and full court press defense in both halves. Kennedy said he wanted to mainly focus on running the zone.
“We’ll play some zone this year,” Kennedy said. “More probably than we played in the past because we’re long and it will help our young guys, especially [Tyler Davis] on the defensive end to stay out of foul trouble.”
The scrimmage showcased a fast-paced offensive approach from both teams, who did not seem bothered by the new 30-second shot clock rule change — five seconds shorter than usual. However, Kennedy said his players will have to calm down and play more poised offensively, which means moving the ball more and taking less impulse shots.
The scrimmage also gave fans their first look at the new incoming freshmen — guard Admon Gilder, center Elijah Thomas, Hogg and Davis — and although Thomas had to sit out due to injury, Kennedy said he is confident in the self-proclaimed ‘Fab Four.’
“We’ve got guys who can score,” Kennedy said. “We have more depth than we’ve had in the past. Admon Gilder was really good for us on both ends of the floor and it was good to see D.J. Hogg making shots on the perimeter.”
Kennedy also said he hopes to have Thomas back by the end of the week, as the Aggies will prepare for their exhibition game against A&M International at Reed Arena next Friday.
