Category: News & Notes

Texas A&M will look to snap its two-game skid against HCU at Reed Arena

On Friday night, the Aggie Basketball team will host the HCU Huskies at Reed Arena.

Texas A&M (7-4) will face an old foe, the HCU Huskies, at Reed Arena on Friday at 7 PM CST.

The Aggies are currently on a two-game losing streak but showed much promise in the second half of the game against the top-ranked Houston Cougars. Wade Taylor IV looked every bit like the SEC Player of the Year, and the defense stepped up significantly. One thing about college sports is that not all losses are equal, and even though the Aggies fell to the Cougars, they still received multiple votes in the USA Today Coaches Poll.

HCU has its issues on the year, sitting at 2-8 with a -12.2 scoring margin. However, they have the three Huskies that score in the double digits. The Aggies will need to keep an eye on Michael Imariagbe as he is averaging 12 points and 9 rebounds a game, along with being their top shot blocker.

In the ten matchups between the two teams, the Aggies have won every single one. The games through the 70s & 80s were more competitive contests but with A&M being the ultimate victor. The last meeting was anything but competitive, with the Maroon & White sprinting away with a 73-39 win at home.

PLAYERS to watch:

Wade Taylor IV – 18.6 PTS / 4.8 AST / 2.3 STL

Henry Coleman – 12.6 PTS / 9.1 TOT

How to watch:

TV: SEC Network

Play-by-play: Dave Neal

Color Commentary: Jon Sundvold

How to Listen:

TAMU Sports Network: WTAW 1620AM, WTAW 94.5FM (local)

Web: 12thman.com

App: 12th Man Mobile App

Play-by-Play: Andrew Monaco / Dr. John Thornton

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Jarrett Johnson on Twitter: @whosnextsports1.

Breaking: Texas A&M is set to hire Jay Bateman as the program’s new defensive coordinator

It has been reported by multiple sources that Texas A&M will bring on former Florida ILB coach Jay Bateman as the program’ new DC.

Texas A&M and head coach Mike Elko are reportedly finalizing a deal to hire Jay Bateman as the program’s new defensive coordinator/linebackers coach after a brief stint at Florida as the Inside linebackers coach. TexAgs’ Billy Liucci first reported the news, which was further confirmed by ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

Like several of the Aggies’ new assistants, Elko and Bateman go all the way back to the early 2000s during their time at Richmond as defensive assistants, as the new head coach has smartly brought on familiar faces whom he trusts, as every first-year coaching transition presents a bevy of challenges.

Outside of simply knowing Mike Elko, Jay Bateman is very accomplished in his own right, serving as a defensive coordinator at five programs, including a highly successful stint at Army (2014-2018), where he helped take a once 91st-ranked defense to 8th in the nation during his final season, resulting in being a finalist for the Broyles Award (top assistant coach in college football) in 2018.

Also known as an impressive recruiter during his brief two-year stint at North Carolina as DC/Safeties coach, Batemen helped secure several elite defensive prospects.

Bateman will replace D.J. Durkin, who served as the Aggie’s DC for the last two seasons and follow current A&M defensive line coach Sean Spencer, who also left Florida for the same position earlier this month.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Cameron on Twitter: @CameronOhnysty.

Texas A&M Safety Demani Richardson is headed to the 2024 Hula Bowl

Aggie Safety Demani Richarson has accepted his invite for the 2024 Hula Bowl and will head to Florida to take part in the event

It was announced on December 19th that Aggie Safety Demani Richardson had accepted his invite to the 2024 Hula Bowl taking place in Orlando.

The game will be another opportunity to showcase his skills in front of scouts across many leagues while competing with other athletes across the globe. Below, you can find out about the game and where some of the attendees will be travelling from:

Over the past 70 years of history, the Hula Bowl has had hundreds of stories of athletes that shined in the game and thereby caught the attention of scouts from the NFL, XFL, USFL, and CFL leagues. Outstanding performances at the Hula Bowl will enhance the athlete’s opportunities for taking their football career to the next level and ensuring a promising future!

This year, the game will include NCAA college football players from all divisions, along with international players from Japan. In addition, the game will always include Polynesian players with historic ties to the Islands.

Here are Demani’s career numbers below and we wish him the best as he prepares for his next step.

  • 2021 PFF All-SEC Third Team
  • 2019 SEC All-Freshman Team
  • 307 Tackles / 17 TFLs / 3.5 Sacks
  • 4 Interceptions / 18 PDs

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‘We’re trying to get the best 22 on the field ‘ Aggies interim HC Elijah Robinson previews the TaxAct Texas Bowl

Hear what Texas A&M interim head coach Elijah Robinson had to say ahead of the Aggies TaxAct Texas Bowl on Wednesday, Dec. 27.

Texas A&M interim head coach Elijah Robinson, who, despite being hired as Syracuses’ new defensive coordinator for the 2024 season and beyond, still holds rank in the Aggie locker room and will continue his duties until the final whistle blows during A&M’s upcoming TaxAct Texas Bowl vs. Oklahoma State.

While we at Aggies Wire have not shied away from covering the issues regarding Robinson’s recruiting tactics on behalf of Syracuse while still employed with Texas A&M, the veteran assistant at least provided more context on Tuesday afternoon during the final press conference before next week’s matchup.

Speaking with the local media, Robinson, outside of discussing how the team will prepare for the game, continued to profess his admiration for A&M and the importance of developing lasting relationships that will aid in future development.

“People talk to people. People trust people.”

“When relationships are made, people can explain to (players) what a place can do for them… This is a great place to be. It has great coaches. Now it’s all about the fit and relationships.”

Even more telling, despite his new allegiance with the Orange, Robinson stated that if any current A&M player comes to him personally to discuss if they should transfer from the program, he would advise them to stay, especially on defense due to new head coach Mike Elko’s elite defensive mindset.

“If I’m a defensive player here, I’d look at Coach (Mike) Elko and know that Coach Elko is going to put a great defense on the field here.”

At the core of it all, Elijah Robinson is a fantastic human being with a very bright coaching future ahead of him, and we wish him nothing but the best moving forward. Here is everything he had to say during Tuesday’s press conference.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Cameron on Twitter: @CameronOhnysty.

Best Photos: Top Aggie performances from Week 15 of the NFL season

Texas A&M was well represented in Week 15 of the NFL, and we have some of the best photos for you to check out

We are now nearing the end of the regular season, and playoff pictures are starting to take shape. As we look forward to the rest of the games this week, I’d like to take some time to recognize a few top week 15 performances from Aggies in the NFL.

Defensive lineman Justin Madubuike got another sack, extending his streak to an NFL-tying 11 games. His 12 sacks on the season put him in the top ten in the league through 14 games with the Ravens. Here are his stats from Sunday’s win over the Jacksonville Jaguars

  • 1 tackles / 1 sack / 4 QB hits

All-Pro wide receiver Mike Evans moved up in the record books on Sunday, catching his 92nd career touchdown catch. That tied him with Gronk and Davante Adams on the All-time touchdown list. Below are his stats from the 34-20 win over the Green Bay Packers

  • 4 catches / 57 yards / 23.1 avg / 1 TD

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell makes his second appearance on the list as the Lions are poised to win the NFC North. After a few shaky weeks, the Lions roared back in impressive fashion, beating the Broncos on Saturday.

  • 42-17 win over the Carolina Panthers
  • 10-4 (1st NFC North)

Honorable Mention: Tyrel Dodson

  • 8 tackles / 0.5 sacks / 1 QB hit

Another great week for these former Aggies, and you can check out some of the best photos from week 15.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Jarrett Johnson on Twitter: @whosnextsports1.

Aggie Pitching is in good hands with top assistant Max Wiener

New Aggie pitching coach Max Wiener is named as one of the top assistants in college baseball.

There is no doubt that the new pitching coach is already an asset to Coach Jim Schlossnagle’s staff, with multiple players expressing how much they enjoy his coaching style. Stanford transfer Braden Montgomery said as much earlier in the year.

Baseball America laid out its top ten hottest assistants on no part and Max Wiener has a well-earned spot. Below is only part of why he made the list:

During his time with Seattle, Weiner played a key role in developing several of the Mariners high-profile pitching prospects. Despite his age, Weiner’s knowledge and philosophies will go a long way in helping Texas A&M’s pitching staff both this year and beyond. Weiner is on track to be in play for a future head coaching position.

We can’t wait to see how much the pitching improves has an extremely inconsistent performance across the board last season.

The remaining list can be viewed at Baseball America (subscription needed)

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Jarrett Johnson on Twitter: @whosnextsports1.

Best Photos: Texas A&M vs Houston Cougars

Photos: Here are some of the best photos from Saturday’s game against the Houston Cougars

Texas A&M (7-3) put up a strong second-half fight to get back in the game late against the Houston Cougars (11-0) on Saturday afternoon but ultimately lost 70-66 at the Toyota Center.

Coach Buzz acknowledged that the change in defense at the end might have tipped their hand a little bit, but he will always believe in his team.

“We played a lot bigger today in hopes we could participate in the physicality of the game and have a chance on the glass. Because of that, we really can’t disguise who is going to shoot the ball for us. Some of our late-game execution was pretty good, to be honest.”

With their fourth loss early in the season, the Aggies still look like a competitive team, battling perhaps the best team in college basketball down to the final possession.

Texas A&M will return to Reed Arena next Friday to host HCU at 7:00 PM CST.

Below, you can check out some of the best Saturday game photos.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Jarrett Johnson on Twitter: @whosnextsports1.

‘They’re No. 1 in the country in forcing turnovers. That’s what they do.’ Everything Buzz Williams, Taylor, and Coleman had to say after losing to Houston

Here’s what Texas A&M Head Coach Buzz Williams, Wade Taylor IV, and Henry Coleman III in the post game presser

Texas A&M undermanned again and had a rough first half before storming back in the second half. While Wade Taylor IV was really the only offense during the final 20 minutes, his energy and a slight change in defense put the Aggies in a position to win in the final seconds of the game.

Taylor and Henry Coleman III both touched on the comeback and a few keys that led to them taking the No. 4 team in the country down to the wire.

“It’s what A&M is about… Everybody has something to prove, so we’re not going to back up. I’m proud of the guys… It was a great game but not the outcome that we wanted.” – Coleman

“What we do in practice every day and playing against each other gives us confidence to do what we did today.  In the first half, we were fine. We just got out of sorts. We had eight turnovers… My mindset in the second half was to limit the turnovers.” – Taylor

Coach Buzz acknowledged that the change in defense at the end might have tipped their hand a little bit, but he will always believe in his team.

“We played a lot bigger today in hopes we could participate in the physicality of the game and have a chance on the glass. Because of that, we really can’t disguise who is going to shoot the ball for us. Some of our late-game execution was pretty good, to be honest.”

Below, you can watch the full Post-game presser with Coach Buzz Williams, Wade Taylor IV, and Henry Coleman.

NOTE: Tyrece Radford missed the game due to a breathing issue, per Coach Buzz Williams

Texas A&M will return to Reed Arena next Friday to host HCU at 7:00 PM CST.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Jarrett Johnson on Twitter: @whosnextsports1.

Texas A&M will travel to the Houston for a Lone Star State showdown against the No. 4 Cougars

Texas A&M will travel to the Houston to face the No. 4 Cougars on Saturday afternoon

Texas A&M will lace’em up at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, to take on the undefeated Houston Cougars at 1:30 PM CST.

After a devastating loss to the Memphis Tigers that not only knocked them out of the top 25 but snapped their 14-game home winning streak, the Aggies will have a chance for some redemption. It will not be easy, considering they will be on the road again, one of the best teams in the nation. Being one of the top rebounding teams in the nation, they must take advantage of every second shot and use Houston’s aggressiveness against them to get to the foul time.

Houston, on the other hand, is rolling, and Coach Kevin Sampson will not hold back as his team is tough and has one of the best perimeter shooters in the Big 12 in LJ Cryer. They are currently on a 10-game winning streak and look to end their three-game skid vs the Aggies, with their last win coming in 2003.

Being long-time SWC rivals, these two teams have a rich history, with the Cougars owning the overall series record 51-31, but A&M has won the last three matchups. They last met in 2013 when they beat Houston 74-57, led by Jamal Jones, 21 points and 7 rebounds.

 

 

PLAYERS to watch:

Wade Taylor IV – 17.1 PTS / 4.9 AST / 2.2 STL

Henry Coleman – 13.3 PTS / 8.8 TOT

Tyrece Radford – 12.3 PTS / 2 AST / 4 TOT

How to watch:

TV: ESPN 2

Play-by-play: Jon Sciambi

Analyst: Jimmy Dykes

How to Listen:

TAMU Sports Network: WTAW 1620AM, WTAW 94.5FM (local)

Web: 12thman.com

App: 12th Man Mobile App

Play-by-Play: Andrew Monaco / Dr. John Thornton

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Jarrett Johnson on Twitter: @whosnextsports1.

Texas A&M Center Bryce Foster is now the fifth Aggie to announce his return for the 2024 season

Redshirt sophomore center Bryce Foster is now the fifth player to announce his return to Texas A&M for the 2024 season.

Texas A&M’s football roster in the beginning stages of the offseason has already dealt with significant attrition, as more than a dozen players have entered the transfer portal. At the same time, several 2024 commits have either flipped or de-committed this month.

Three veteran players have also declared for the 2024 NFL Draft, including wide receiver Ainias Smith, defensive tackle McKinnley Jackson, offensive lineman Layden Robinson, and standout linebacker Edgerrin Cooper, who will likely be the first of the four to hear his name called.

The wave of Friday’s return announcements culminated with redshirt sophomore center Bryce Foster joining OL Trey Zuhn, safety Bryce Anderson, OL Kam Dewberry, and running back Le’Veon Moss. In contrast, Texas A&M’s official NIL sponsor, Texas United, made each player’s announcement.

While Foster’s 2023 season could have been better, some feel that his subpar play could have been due to injury and potential wear and tear due to his Track and field activity during the spring.

However, after hiring new offensive line coach Adam Cushing and new strength and conditioning director Tommy Moffitt, Foster has already taken his many lumps, and maybe a change in coaching is all he needs to regain his once dominant play in the trenches.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Cameron on Twitter: @CameronOhnysty.