Texas A&M Basketball’s (15-12, 6-8 SEC) frustrating season reached an embarrassing low on Saturday night, enduring a 35-point beatdown loss to the No. 5-ranked Tennessee Volunteers, the last team the A&M has beaten amid their current four-game losing streak.
The Aggies are still surprisingly on the cusp of the NCAA Tournament due to their five Quad 1 wins. However, they have now sustained a brutal five Quad 3 losses after several outcomes resulted in several movements in the NET rankings.
Still, unless a complete turnaround in the final two weeks comes to fruition, the only postseason opportunity this team will be offered is the NIT, which won’t satisfy the fanbase, coaching staff, and roster in the slightest. From the looks of it, this team looks lost, tired, and out of answers.
While the blame game can and should be divided, especially after Saturday’s dreadful effort on the court, Aggies head coach Buzz Williams’ coaching hot seat has begun to heat up. However, until Texas A&M hires a new Athletic Director to succeed Ross Bjork, the man who extended Williams last summer, I don’t expect any action regarding his future with the program to take place until after the 2024-2025 season.
Now, while some Aggie fans are rightfully outraged over the recent results, Williams’ coaching chops are still intact, as the 2X SEC Coach of the Year (2020, 2023) has led the program to a 91-59 record (42-36 SEC) including the most wins in a regular season during the 2021-2022 campaign.
However, with just one NCAA Tournament appearance in five seasons, resulting in a first-round exit after a blowout loss to Penn State last March, It’s fair to say that A&M is paying Buzz Williams ($4.2 million) to at least get to the postseason every year.
Outside of last season’s impressive 15 wins in SEC play, the Aggies have failed to live up to preseason expectations even before their current four-game skid, essentially wasting star guard Wade Taylor IV’s production.
At the same time, opponents have now forced A&M to rely on jump shots as their once thriving “attack the paint” game plan, once perfectly and consistently executive by veteran guard Tyrece Radford, has become predictive and simple to counter. Radford’s poor play in the last three games has undoubtedly kept the Aggies behind the 8-ball, and it couldn’t have come at a worse time.
Needing to add more shooting production through the transfer portal last offseason, the addition of guard Jace Carter has paid off late, but his early struggles from the field put even more pressure on Taylor to produce, while reserve guard Eli Lawrence, who shot 42% from the field with Middle Tennessee State the previous year, is currently averaging just 7 minutes and 2.4 points per game.
Even more so, Williams’s lack of recruiting prowess has hindered the program’s progress despite the University’s financial devotion since his arrival. While several incoming 2024 commits bring notable potential, it’s highly doubtful that any of these players will be ready to contribute as soon as next season.
Whether Texas A&M and Buzz Williams turn things around or continue to spiral, expect a Williams-led squad next season with a potential bevy of new faces in the locker room. If expectations aren’t met in 2025, a new chapter in Aggie Basketball may be on the horizon.
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