Buzz Williams shares chip Solomon Washington is playing with after All-SEC defense snub

Texas A&M is on a scorching run here in March, mostly due to their offense, but a couple key defensive players have also stepped up to help spur this streak.

One of those defenders is Solomon Washington, a versatile forward for the Aggies who has had to step in and play a bit bigger than himself down low since starting center Henry Coleman missed some time and hasn’t been able to play quite the minute load he had pre-injury. However, he’s returning to form, which gives A&M even more options down low with him plus an improved Washington.

When it comes to Washington, though, head coach Buzz Williams addressed ahead of the Houston game whether his forward was snubbed from the SEC All-Defense team after his performance this season. Williams wasn’t too concerned about the accolades, to be frank.

“I’ve never participated in any of those postseason deals so I don’t, in truth, I don’t know exactly how that gets done. I’m sure somebody in our office signs my name that I voted,” he shared but still praised Washington as a defender.

“I think Solo can really guard. He’s a different type of defender than No. 1 is, but his length, his IQ — he can guard multi-positions. We can do a lot of different coverages with him on the ball and off the ball.”

Williams is especially pleased with Washington’s growth throughout this season alone, since he’s not the player he was even a couple months ago.

“I think he’s continued to improve throughout his career, and I do think he’s more mature than he was in mid-December. I think some of that was forced on him, Henry’s injury. He’s been able to play more and more minutes, and, he’s in the meat of the season.”

Some fans may view defense as simply guarding your man, but with Washington, Williams sees an effect in every facet of the defense.

“I think it’s the impact that he has for us on and off the ball. But he’s done such a great job of helping us with the defensive rebounds. And as he’s garnered more possessions where we can’t take him off the floor defensively, I think his confidence has built and grown offensively on when it’s time for him to attack, when it’s okay for him to shoot a buzz shot from the perimeter.”

Washington has even started knocking down a couple of those, too. But the Texas A&M head coach doesn’t want Washington to get too big for his britches, and commented that he actually made some big mistakes in the first round game.

“Like, I thought yesterday was really bad. I was telling him this morning, I’m, like, we have no chance against Houston if tomorrow you do what you did yesterday. You played like four or five minutes in the first half, second foul is 50 feet from the basket. We can’t absorb that.“