Tag: 2023 Texas A&M Basketball

Texas A&M Basketball continues to drop in ESPN’s newest bracketology update

ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi has the Aggies in a dangerous position in his newest bracket update.

The same ole story regarding Texas A&M Basketball’s frustrating lack of consistency during SEC play has continued as we enter the all-important February slate, as the Aggies get a week off before hosting Florida at home on Saturday afternoon.

After falling to Ole Miss 71-68 on Saturday night, Texas A&M’s inability to close the game after leading by as much as seven points late in the second half has raised even more questions regarding the Aggies’ lack of offensive tackle outside of star point guard Wade Taylor IV, who, yet again lived up to his SEC Preseason SEC Player of the Year billing with 30 points on the night.

Sitting at 3-4 in conference play, plenty of opportunities to get back on track are still in front of head coach Buzz Williams’s resilient squad, but according to ESPN’s Joe Lunardi, the recent loss to the Rebels has now moved the Aggies down a peg, all the way to the “Last Four Byes” joining Texas, Memphis and Providence.

A&M’s four Quad 1 victories hold more importance than anything else regarding the team’s tournament chances. Still, for Lunardi to show more confidence in the Aggies’ resume, it’s time for a midseason run to begin against the Gators this weekend.

Texas A&M will host Florida inside Reed Arena on Saturday, Feb. 3. The game will air at 3:00 p.m. CT. and will air on ESPN2.

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Texas A&M HC Buzz Williams speaks after the Aggies’ 71-68 loss to Ole Miss

Hear what Texas A&M head coach Buzz Williams had to say after the Aggies’ crushing 71-68 loss to the visiting Ole Miss Rebels.

Texas A&M Basketball (12-8, 3-4 SEC) has dealt with heartbreak after heartbreak during SEC play, starting with their one-point loss to the Arkansas Razorbacks after a career-high 41-point night for star point guard Wade Taylor IV, leading to Saturday’s disappointing blown 7-point lead late in the second half against the visiting Ole Miss Rebels, falling 71-68.

Scoring 30 points on the night, including a late three to bring the Aggies within one point with just 11 seconds remaining, Wade Taylor’s continuous late-game heroics were not enough to save what was a clunky finish after an otherwise inspiring night on offense from an A&M team who shot nearly 40% from the field.

Entering the bye week on a disappointing note, head coach Buzz Williams spoke to the media after the loss, knowing that for his team to find some offensive consistency late in games, more players need to step up outside of Wade Taylor. Losing in front of a packed Reed Arena is a tough pill to swallow, as Williams later noted:

“The crowd’s energy was tremendous. I’m thankful for the students. I’m thankful for everybody. I thought the atmosphere was really good. I wish we had a different result for that crowd.”

Texas A&M will host Florida inside Reed Arena on Saturday, Feb. 3. The game will air at 3:00 p.m. CT. and will air on ESPN2.

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Post Game Recap: After blowing a late lead, Texas A&M falls to Ole Miss 71-68

Looking to enter the bye week on a positive note, things went south late, as Texas A&M fell to Ole Miss 71-68 on Saturday night.

Texas A&M (12-8, 3-4 SEC) fell to the visiting  Ole Miss Rebels (17-3, 4-3 SEC) in front of a packed Reed Arena on Saturday night, as every player, coach, and fan dutifully represented the start of Breast Cancer Awareness Month while subtly draped in pink.

Coming off one of their worst offensive performances on the season in Tuesday’s win over Missouri, the Aggies started the game off hot, shooting an impressive 8-14 (57%) from the field, led by junior guard Wade Taylor IV’s 14 points, including three three-pointers.

Playing at a frenetic pace to start, A&M’s usual shooting woes began to seep in after holding a 27-18, allowing Ole Miss, one of the faster teams in the SEC, to run up and down the court during an 8-0 Rebels run. Whether it was bad shot selection or poor performance when holding the lead, Ole Miss slowly began to look like the better team.

Outside of sophomore forward Solomon Washington’s two free throws to take a one-point lead, Ole Miss took late control as guard Matthew Murrel drained a lead-taking three-pointer as time expired, giving Ole Miss a 31-29 lead heading into halftime.

Second Half: 

The Rebel’s 14-0 record when leading at the half began to make sense as soon as the second half began, going on an unprecedented 13-0 run before Taylor broke through for a layup with 16 minutes remaining. However, credit to the Aggies and, of course, Wade Taylor’s heroic performance for waking up and returning the favor with an 11-3 run of their own, led by seven points on the star point’s guard’s end.

Finally getting the bigs involved in the paint, forwards Henry Coleman III and Andersson Garcia continued to provide effort-led production on the boards. However, working the offense inside out was challenging due to the Rebel’s size advantage.

Texas A&M continued to chip away despite Ole Miss’ continued offensive onslaught, as transfer guard Jace Carter nailed the first non-Wade Taylor outside shot of the night, providing the Aggies their first lead at 49-48 since the first half.

Suddenly, the tides turned for the Maroon & White, as the Aggies finally broke out with a 13-3 run behind, yes, Wade Taylor IV’s incredible floor leadership and smooth scoring to take a 60-55 lead while approaching the two-minute mark. However, this was short-lived, as the Rebels found a spark on the way to their 7-0 run to tie the game at 60 with just 2:01 left.

Ole Miss would take a two-point lead after guard Matthew Murrel’s mid-range jumper, leading to senior guard Tyrece Radford draining two free throw attempts to tie the game at 62. As we’ve seen throughout the season for A&M’s opponents, Ole Miss guard Jaylen Murray capitalized on Aggie’s defensive lapse, nailing a deep three-pointer to take a 65-62 lead at the 22-second mark.

After a Tyrece Radford free throw, paired with two free throws for the Rebels, Wade Taylor’s hero ball went into effect once again as the junior sprinted down the court, hitting 5th three-pointer on the night to get within one point. After two more free throws from Ole Miss, the Aggies had one more chance to tie the game with a three, but a foul on Taylor away from the ball sent him to the line, making both shots.

Sending Ole Miss back to the line, Murrel hit two more free throws to take the final 71-68 lead of the night, as Tyrece Radford’s three-point attempt to tie the game sailed right, ending the Aggie’s SEC win streak.

Texas A&M now disappointingly enters the bye week, needing to regroup before hosting the tough Florida Gators on Saturday, Feb. 3.

Below are the Aggies critical contributors from the game:

Wade Taylor IV:  30 points / 6 rebounds / 3 assists

Tyrece Radford:  13 points / 3 rebounds/ 2 assists

Henry Coleman III:  7 points / 5 rebounds

Jace Carter:  7 points / 12 rebounds

Ole Miss top contributors:

Jaemyn Brakefield: 15 points / 2 rebounds

Jaylen Murray: 13 points/ 5 assists

Allen Flanagan: 11 points / 7 rebounds

Texas A&M will host Florida inside Reed Arena on Saturday, Feb. 3. The game will air at 3:00 p.m. CT. and will air on ESPN2.

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After defeating LSU 73-69, Texas A&M has steadily risen in the newest NET Rankings

Texas A&M earned its second SEC win over the LSU Tigers on Saturday afternoon, giving way to a slight increase in the Aggies’ Net Ranking.

Texas A&M narrowly defeated the LSU Tigers 73-69 inside a packed Pete Maravich Assembly Center on Saturday afternoon, earning their second win in SEC play behind a collective team effort, led by star guard Wade Taylor IV’s 19 points, all coming in the second half.

After another slow start, falling 9-0 in the first five minutes, Taylor incurred multiple fouls, sending him to the bench for most of the first half. Needing the rest of the starting unit to step up, veteran guard Tyrece Radford (15 points, 9 rebounds) and transfer guard Jace Carter (13 points, 6 rebounds) provided enough offensive production, including six 3-pointers, to keep pace with the Tiger’s hot shooting day.

However, scoring was not the story behind the Aggies’ success, as senior forward Andersson Garcia (10 points, 10 rebounds) led the way for his third double-double of the year, helping out-rebound LSU 48-34, with 21 offensive rebounds compared to the Tiger’s 6. For reference, A&M is the country’s No. 1-ranked offensive rebounding team, averaging nearly 19 offensive boards per contest.

While the Aggies’ 11-7 (2-3 SEC) record is underwhelming on its face, Texas A&M holds an impressive 4-4 Quad 1 win record. At the same time, only four teams (Purdue, Arizona, UConn, Wisconsin) have more Quad 1 victories on the year. With the win, A&M has also risen five spots in the newest NET Rankings from 44th to 39th and is on the verge of hitting their stride as the SEC with two consecutive home games against Missouri and Ole Miss this week.

Note: If LSU continues to stack wins in conference play, Saturday’s win could result in the Aggies’ 5th Quad 1 victory at the end of the regular season.

Texas A&M will return home on January 23 to take on the Missouri Tigers at 8:00 PM CST in Reed Arena. The game will air on the SEC Network.

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Behind Enemy Lines: Previewing Texas A&M’s road test vs. Arkansas with Razorbacks Wire’s Derek Oxford

We went behind enemy lines with Razorbacks Wire’s Derek Oxford ahead of Texas A&M’s Tuesday night road test vs. Arkansas.

Texas A&M (10-6, 1-2 SEC) will travel to Bud Walton Arena on Tuesday night to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks (9-7 0-3 SEC), who are desperate to find some consistency after enduring three consecutive blowouts to Auburn, Georgia, and Florida.

For the Aggies, defeating Kentucky 97-92 to earn their first win in SEC play certainly felt like head coach Buzz Williams’s team had found its groove, but after falling to Auburn on the road last Tuesday, A&M’s has yet to show the ability to earn a tough SEC road win.

Last season, Texas A&M led the series 2-1, earning the last two victories in their second Feb. meeting while defeating the Razorbacks in the SEC tournament before returning to the Championship round for the second consecutive season.

Ahead of the matchup, we sat down with Razorbacks Wire’s Derek Oxford to get his perspective on what has gone wrong in Fayetteville this season and what to expect on Tuesday night.

Texas A&M Basketball still voteless in the newest USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll

After defeating the then No. 6-ranked Kentucky Wildcats 97-92 on Saturday, Texas A&M is still on the outside looking in.

Texas A&M Basketball put on one heck of a performance on Saturday afternoon, defeating the then No. 6-ranked Kentucky Wildcats 97-92 inside a packed Reed Arena, as the Aggies earned their first SEC win on the young season in big-time fashion.

While the last two weeks have been a mix of doom and gloom combined with fear of what might come next, credit A&M head coach Buzz Williams for correcting the issues that plagued his team at the start of SEC play, as the schedule, at least on paper, includes two winnable matchups, starting with visiting the struggling Arkansas Razorbacks on Tuesday night.

Even with the significant victory over the Wildcats, Texas A&M is still on the outside looking in the newest USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll. Still, if we’re discussing their chances of making the NCAA Tournament, the Aggies have already earned their fourth Quad 1 win on the year after Saturday’s win, with more opportunities to pad their resume in the coming months.

Here is a look at the complete Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports.

Texas A&M will travel to Fayetteville to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks on Tuesday, Jan. 16 at 8:00 p.m. CT. The game will air on the SEC Network.

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Texas A&M guards Wade Taylor IV and Tyrece Radford willed the Aggies to their biggest win of the season over No. 6 Kentucky

Combining for 59 points on the day, Texas A&M’s elite guard duo, Wade Taylor IV and Tyrece Radford, stole the spotlight.

Texas A&M’s 97-92 overtime victory over the No. 6-ranked Kentucky Wildcats may have been the win that rejuvenated an Aggies squad, who entered the weekend 0-2 in SEC play, shooting less than 40% from the field.

After falling to a tough Auburn team last Tuesday night, Aggies head coach Buzz Williams was quick to point out his team’s need to fight in every conference matchup remaining, something that finally occurred in the second half against the Tigers while coming full circle on Saturday afternoon.

“I hope that we play with some level of desperation and level of competitive character. We didn’t against LSU. I thought we did against Auburn.”

Led by a complete team effort, it was the bounce-back play of star guards Wade Taylor IV and Tyrece Radford that stole the show, pulling out a full-on heroic attempt from start to finish, combining for 59 points and 9 of the team’s 12 three-pointers on the day, and despite several poor calls, the duo matched Kentucky’s elite transition game and high scoring offense in the Aggies high scoring contest on the year.

Taylor (31 points, six rebounds, five assists) found his stroke from beyond the arc after shooting 3-20 from deep since the start of conference play, pulling up in transition on multiple occasions to drain clutch shot after clutch shot as the game tightened in the second half.

Even more critical, veteran lefty Tyrece Radford (28 points, nine rebounds, four assists) finally looked like himself for the first time all year after dealing with a cryptic breathing issue that kept him sidelined for multiple games, bullying his way into the paint while sustaining multiple fouls after buckets, establishing a sense of toughness against Kentucky’s taller defenders, which he had been preparing for since Tuesday’s loss.

“Coming into the game they were telling me to hoop and be myself, just like I was telling Wade Taylor IV and Jace Carter.”

For the Aggies to accomplish their lofty goals, starting with making the NCAA Tournament for a second consecutive season, Taylor and Radford must continue playing at a high-level week to week.

Still, until any new developments regarding senior forward Julius Marble’s impending return come to light, the rest of the roster will need to step up, including sophomore forward Solomon Washington (7 points, nine rebounds, two blocks, two steals), whose energetic play and elite defensive instincts provide a huge momentum boost to A&M’s lineup after missing the last two games.

“He (Solomon Washington) is the spark of our team. He brings the energy. That’s just him. That’s the elite part of his game.”

This is just a glimpse of what the Aggies can be this season when at complete to semi-full strength, but a one-game sample won’t cut it. For the tides to turn, this must become a lasting trend, starting with next Tuesday’s road battle vs. the struggling Arkansas Razorbacks in Fayetteville.

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‘We tell each other to keep shooting. One thing that carries over is our defense’ Tyrece Radford, Wade Taylor IV speak after Texas A&M’s 97-92 win over No. 6 Kentucky

Hear what Texas A&M guard Wade Taylor IV and Tyrece Radford had to say after the Aggies’ thrilling 97-92 win over No. 6 Kentucky.

Texas A&M Basketball came into Saturday’s game against the No. 6-ranked Kentucky Wildcats as focused as they have been as a cohesive unit all season long, taking full advantage of a packed Reed Arena after dropping their first two SEC games in 2024.

Led by guard duo Wade Taylor IV (31 points) and Tyrece Radford’s (28 points) tremendous bounce-back performances, the proven leaders combined for 59 points and nine of the Aggies’ 12 makes from beyond the arc, helping to defeat the blue-blood visitors 97-92 in one of the more exciting matchups this season.

In desperate need of a win in conference play, A&M also earned what should be its fourth Quad 1 victory on the year, so despite the poor play since the start of the year, the Aggies have continued to pad their NCAA Tournament resume, but there is a lot of work yet to be done.

Focusing on Radford and Taylor, whose incredible resurgence after combining for just 22 points in last Tuesday’s road loss to Auburn, providing that the lackadaisical start to SEC play was just a short phase that has now taken its course. After the game, Wade Taylor IV noted the importance of taking on every SEC game going forward with the same energy and, hopefully, the same offensive efficiency.

“We should look at every game as an opportunity. This was the right step in the direction tonight. Tonight we showed how resilient we are.”

Here is everything Tyrece Radford and Wade Taylor IV had to say after Texas A&M’s thrilling win over No. 6 Kentucky on Saturday afternoon.

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‘I’ve never won against Kentucky. I’m hopeful that we can continue on this path we’ve built’ Buzz Williams speaks after Texas A&M’s 97-92 win over No. 6 Kentucky

Hear what Texas A&M Basketball head coach Buzz Williams had to say after the Aggies thrilling 97-92 win over No. 6 Kentucky on Saturday.

Texas A&M Basketball came into Saturday’s game against the No. 6-ranked Kentucky Wildcats as focused as they have been as a cohesive unit all season long, taking full advantage of a packed Reed Arena after dropping their first two SEC games in 2024.

Led by guard duo Wade Taylor IV (31 points) and Tyrece Radford’s (28 points) tremendous bounce-back performances, the proven leaders combined for 59 points and nine of the Aggies’ 12 makes from beyond the arc, helping to defeat the blue-blood visitors 97-92 in one of the more exciting matchups this season.

In desperate need of a win in conference play, A&M also earned what should be its fourth Quad 1 victory on the year, so despite the poor play since the start of the year, the Aggies have continued to pad their NCAA Tournament resume, but there is a lot of work yet to be done.

After the game, head coach Buzz Williams deserves a ton of credit for getting his team back to playing with an identity and finally shooting much better from the field (40.2%); Williams continued to focus on his love and admiration for the young men on the roster, precisely the incredible effort from Taylor and Radford.

“Whether they make or miss a bunch of shots, I love them (Wade Taylor IV and Tyrece Radford). I’m never going to betray my relationship with those players or with their families. I want them to make shots. Today we made shots and that gave us a chance.”

Defensively, the Aggies dominated on the boards, securing a 54-46 rebound advantage, including 25 offensive rebounds, which was the key to ensuring the win in the final minutes.

Speaking with the media after the game, Williams will now shift his focus on taking on Arkansas next Tuesday night in Fayetteville. Here is everything he had to say after Saturday’s massive victory.

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WATCH: Texas A&M guard Manny Obaseki wrecks the rim vs. No. 6 Kentucky

Amid Texas A&M’s home matchup vs. No. 6 Kentucky, junior guard Manny Obaseki wrecked the rim with a sweet one-handed dunk.

So far this season, Texas A&M Basketball, outside of star guard Wade Taylor IV’s memorable 34-point outing in the Aggies’ non-conference loss to Houston, but in their third SEC game of the year, hosting No. 6 Kentucky, junior guard Manny Obaseki likely reserved a spot in Sports Center’s Top 10 on Saturday afternoon.

With just under 12 minutes left in the first half, both teams were shooting lights out from fields, as the Aggies’ anemic offense over the last two weeks suddenly found life, leading to one of the best dunks you’ll see all year, as Obaseki drove left, found some room, and elevated for a one-handed slam, as the former blue-chip prospect lived up to his much anticipated athletic prowess.

So far this season, Manny Obaseki has only averaged 5 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 0.7 assists while coming off the bench for most of the year, appearing in 15 games. Head coach Buzz Williams will need the offense to find its groove in the second half for the Aggies to earn a much-needed victory over an elite Kentucky team.

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