COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) – Texas A&M basketball junior Solomon Washington came to the Aggie program with a personal focus on defense. He eventually earned the nickname “5-Star Defenseman” because he was known for locking down the best recruits in the country.

Three years into his tenure in Aggieland, Washington is pleased that the A&M team as a whole reflects his personal game.

“This is something I can hold on to and I try to get all the other guys on the same page. So it’s special,” Washington said. “I’m happy – we’re happy because that’s just something I really want to focus on this season.”

The 17th-ranked Aggies (8-2) enter a Top 25 matchup at 11 a.m. Saturday against No. 11 Purdue (8-2), which has a 93.9 defensive rating ranks ninth in the country. Defensive Rating is the measure of how many points a team allows per 100 possessions in order to standardize the number of possessions for comparing different teams.

The matchup will be broadcast locally in the Brazos Valley on KBTX.

Williams made sure his team took note of that move into the top 10 before heading to Friday’s neutral site game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. In fact, it’s the highest ranking the Aggies have achieved in any evaluation metric since Williams and his staff took control of the program.

Associate head coach Devin Johnson is the Aggies’ defensive coordinator and has used the veteran team’s experience to further refine A&M’s plan.

“I think Coach Devon is making adjustments before the game,” Williams said during his A&M radio appearance following the Texas Tech win. “I think he teaches the ones where there’s no confusion really well, and then I think because of the maturity of our guys, he also teaches our guys in preparation, ‘This is how we’re going to play it, and then here’s this .’ Adjustments to how we’re going to play it.’”

Forward Andersson Garcia has been the Aggies’ best defenseman so far this season as measured by two separate defensive metrics, individual defensive rating and defensive win shares. He has posted an individual defensive rating of 90.8 and a defensive win percentage of 0.6, which is in the 95th percentile of all Division I basketball players, according to CBB Analytics.

Garcia struggled in A&M’s win over Texas Tech this Sunday, posting no points and three rebounds in seven minutes played. He fouled out midway through the second half. However, his defense and defensive rebounding skills will be crucial against a Purdue offense that ranks eighth nationally and is eighth in 3-point percentage at 40.8%.

“Andy is Andy; He’ll show up in the big games,” Washington noted.

In a non-conference schedule that has already tested the Aggies, defense will be crucial this Saturday as Williams said Purdue, which was runner-up last season, has the best offense, that they have ever seen this season.

“Three starters played in the national championship game, seven returning players,” Williams added. “Coach (Matt Painter) was incredible in his time there. Since we are playing in their place in many ways, we obviously have to do our best to have any chance.”

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