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Monday, November 22
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Kyle Bumettt/The Battalion
Lady Aggie sophomore point guard Lisa Branch (left) and A&M men's senior point guard David Edwards are both hop
ing to have a season filled with smiles. Branch captured 1993 Southwest Conference Newcomer of the Year honors as
she averaged 13 points per game while Edwards, who was second team AII-SWC, also averaged 13 points per game.
As guards Branch and Edwards go, so will A&M
By Michael Plumer
The Battalion
Whether it be YMCA basketball or the National
Basketball Association, the most important position
on the court has become the point guard.
Ten years ago, a dominating center was
considered vital for a team to have any kind
of success. Now, a slick, cross-over dribble
and a behind-the-back pass draw more
cheers from the crowd than a mere thunder
ing dunk.
Basketball's point guards cause havoc on
the defensive side, they get their teammates
involved on the offensive end, and plain
and simple, a good point guard wins cham
pionships. Just ask Magic Johnson and Bob
by Hurley.
This season at G. Rollie White Coliseum,
that caliber of guard will be distributing the
ball for the Texas A&M men's and women's
teams: senior David Edwards and sophomore Lisa
Branch.
A&M men's head coach Tony Barone said Ed
wards is a necessity for the Aggie offense to run.
"The big issue with Dave is that he is quicker with
the ball this year," Barone said. "He does not just
run up and down the court with the ball. Great
guards have the ball as the extension of themselves.
"He has that skill."
Branch's main component is hitting the outside
shot, but she showed her passing abilities when set a
Southwest Conference record for assists with 19
against Texas Christian. Because of her abilities, she
was named SWC Newcomer of the Year last season.
That fact could cause possibly cause Branch to be
a marked player.
"I think we have enough qualified players to step
up and take the pressure off of me," Branch said.
"Somebody will score points if our
opponents concentrate on me."
■k Invariably, a rivalry has devel-
Sl oped inside the A&M basketball pro-
13m grams. It is not something that
|g|p could rip the teams apart but to the
two combatants, it is intense.
Edwards versus Branch.
"I beat her every time we play,"
Edwards said with a smile. "I do not
give her any slack. Seriously, I like
her game and her style of play. She
plays hard.
"We tease each other about our
biggest (rival) opponents, but it is good-natured.
She is one of my best friends."
Branch said Edwards' supposed domination
comes because the 5'9" Edwards can afford to get
out of his game and play tall against the 5'4" Branch.
"The biggest problem I have playing him is he
just posts me up," Branch said. "I do not have a
chance when he does that. His hands are real quick
along with his feet.
But Branch said she would also like to pick up
one thing from Edwards away from the pick-up
games.
"I hope to learn something from him, like how to
get my teammates motivated and keep everybody
up."
Style-wise, Branch and Edwards are at the oppo
site ends of the spectrum. Branch is more of a pure
shooter who can create opportunities for her team
mates because opponents have to respect
her outside shot.
"I like to set up the offense and get every
body the ball," Branch said. "This season I
feel relaxed because I know what it is like."
Edwards is a fancy ball-handler who
keeps opponents on the edge because of his
dribbling skills.
When teams back off of him and expect
him to pass, he can also drop the outside
shot.
"For me, the game is more instinctive,
and I just let it flow," Edwards said. "Some
times, I try to do too much, and I try to carry
the team, but my job is to get the ball, figure out
what gets a guy motivated, and make sure I do that
so he can score and have success."
Barone said that Edwards can be guilty of carry
ing too large of burden.
"At times last year, he tried to do too much,"
Barone said. "But this is not necessarily bad. Dave
does try to take on too many people at a time which
can throw us out of whack.
"He has such a desire to play well, though, and
we could not compete without him."
Edwards
Branch