BASKETBALL (W): Blair looks for someone to follow Williams
By: Brad Bennett
Issue date: 3/2/04 Section: Sports
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Texas A&M senior point guard Toccara Williams is the undisputed heavyweight champ of A&M women's basketball. She led the Aggies in points 12 out of the last 16 games, is the Big 12 all-time leader in steals and has had an endless number of accolades.
"When we started out, I thought I had one of the best point guards in the (Big 12)," said A&M head coach Gary Blair. "Now I say I have one of the best point guards in the country."
But like all Aggie student experiences, Williams' time in Aggieland is coming to an end. Her final Big 12 home game is Wednesday against Missouri.
Williams, set to graduate next December, said she plans to finish school while playing professional basketball.
"Hopefully (next year) I will be playing in a league somewhere and then be back to graduate in December," Williams said.
Blair said in his 20 years of coaching, he has seen several women go to the next level and that Williams will continue to play.
Williams is the all-around player the Aggies were lucky to have. Her defensive prowess was a perfect fit with Blair's aggressive game plan, and she set Big 12 records while on a team with a losing record, which brought attention to A&M basketball.
But with Williams leaving at season's end, the stage is set for a new leader to emerge.
"I don't know (who will lead next year)," Blair said. "Leadership is imperative. Whether you are doing it from the bench or doing it from off the court or doing it by outstanding plays."
The two A&M juniors this season, guards Charlette Castile and Mindy Garrison, have had impressive showings recently.
Garrison hit two three-pointers in the final minutes of the Aggies' 69-63 win against the University of Kansas on Feb. 21. Castile led the team in scoring against Baylor University in the loss on Saturday.
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