Tag: Buzz Williams

Buzz Williams Pre-Game Press Conference ahead of March Madness opening round matchup against Penn State

Hear what Texas A&M Head coach Buzz Williams had to say ahead of the Aggies NCAA Tournament opening round matchup against Penn State on Thursday night

Texas A&M (26-9, 15-3 SEC) is as you know, headed back to its first NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2018 season, and the first trip under Head coach Buzz Williams in his fourth season with the program. On Selection Sunday, the Aggies received a seven-seed in the Midwest Bracket and will face the 10-seed Penn State Nittany Lions on Thursday night inside Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa.

The fact that Texas A&M was selected two seeds lower than nearly every media member, bracket expert, and analytics metric expected, discussions have surrounded Buzz Williams’s relationship with the Selection Committee, who may have punished the Aggies this post-season after Williams’s passionate plea for “Transparency” after Texas A&M was unjustly snubbed from the Tournament last season.

Nevertheless, the Aggies are back in the Big Dance and a matchup with one of the hottest teams in the country, Penn State start Jalen Pickett (17.9 ppg) vs. Aggies guard Wade Taylor IV (16.5 ppg) should make for an exciting 40 minutes in the first full day of Tournament action. on Tuesday, Williams spoke with the media two days ahead of the game, not only focusing on the opponent at hand but taking in the experience that is the magic of March Madness.

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Joe Lunardi’s prediction regarding the Aggies’ Tournament seeding is just a small part of a larger systematic issue

ESPN’s lead “Bracketologist” Joe Lunardi practically predicted that the Aggies would land in a lower seed than expected due to Head coach Buzz Williams’ “public tantrum” last season

The 7-seeded Texas A&M Aggies (25-9, 15-3 SEC) are set to take on the 10-seed Penn State Nittany Lions on Thursday night, returning to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2018 season, and first appearance under Head coach Buzz Williams in his fourth season with the program.

On the surface, the Aggies more than earned their spot in the Big Dance after winning 19 out of their last 23 games, notching 15 SEC regular season victories, combined with a second consecutive return to the SEC Tournament Title Game last Sunday, falling to Alabama in a lopsided snoozer.

Even after the loss to the Crimson Tide, Texas A&M ranked 19th in the NET, 25th in KenPom, and 17th in the final AP and USA TODAY Coaches polls, but to the Selection Committee, none of that mattered, so a 7-seed is the best they could do because Buzz Williams had the shear audacity to stand up for his team after their tournament snub last season, simply stating coherent facts which were unsurprisingly translated as “whining” from most of the media landscape.

One insider that many of you know all too well, ESPN’s Joe Lunardi revealed in his pre-tournament Bracket “Hits and Misses” article that he predicted, and possibly knew through sources, that Williams’ “public temper tantrum” would result in punishment if the Aggies were to make it to the tournament this season, and surprise surprise, he was correct.

“The committee did 7-seed Texas A&M no favors. The Aggies were clearly a line or two better than that. Then again, we said last year that A&M’s public temper tantrum over its exclusion from the field was a very bad idea. Committee members are human, after all, perhaps with long memories.”

Furthermore, GigEm247 Beat Writer Carter Karels revealed after the Aggies were selected that during a phone interview with Lunardi back in late February, as the analyst again stated,

“Suppose if A&M and North Carolina are the last two teams this year. Well, there might be one, two or three leftover committee members who go, ‘That guy just would not shut up. Did he have to put out a term paper?’

“To me, that is just bad politics. And frankly, I would have scheduled a little better, too, to take that out of the equation.”

Yes, Joe Lunardi may be a proven insider, but there’s zero evidence that he knew exactly how the committee would respond to A&M’s positioning in the bracket this postseason, but it’s very hard to deny any wrongdoing. If the committee has the power to go beyond the metrics and base their selections on personal anguish, expect passionate coaches like Buzz Williams to withhold their opinions on any matter going forward, especially if their team is on the bubble at the end of the season. Oh, and the other three 7-seeded teams’ NET rankings in the Tournament compared to A&M’s? 42, 42, 33.  Enjoy the bad math, and BTHO Penn State.

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

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Aggies rise in final AP and USA TODAY Coaches polls

In the final Top 25 rankings from both the AP and USA TODAY, the Aggies finished within the Top 20 in both polls

Texas A&M (25-9, 15-3 SEC) has finally made it back to the NCAA Tournament after one of their best, and most memorable seasons to date, earning their first bid to the Big Dance since the 2018 season, and first time under Head coach Buzz Williams.

Projected as a 5-seed by numerous bracket analytics-based websites while holding an all-important NET ranking of 19 just how before the Selection Show aired, the Aggies were selected as a seven seed in the Midwest Region of the bracket in Des Moines, Iowa, and will face the 10-seed Penn State Nittany Lions on Thursday at 8:55 p.m. CT, which will air on TBS.

On Monday, the Aggies found themselves among the Top 20 teams in the country in the final AP and USA TODAY Coaches poll, ranked 17th and rising one spot from a week ago in both polls. Yep, a team ranked 17th in the country is definitely a seven-seed in the Tournament, no doubt about it…

Aside from going down the conspiracy theory road, Buzz Williams’ relationship with the Selection Committee has been volatile since last season’s press conference just days after the Aggies were snubbed from the tournament after their incredible run in the SEC Tournament. William’s most notable quote criticized the general makeup of the selection process from a statistical perspective.

“The process is obviously flawed, and it is apparent that there is way more included that is unseen and unknown in the selection of the 36 at-large teams… Until there is complete transparency and accountability, the system will stay broken.”

What’s done is done, and while the seeding may be borderline ridiculous, Texas A&M is back in the NCAA Tournament with a chance to continue what has already been a special season, and who knows, maybe the journey is far from over. Gig ‘Em, and BTHO Penn State.

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

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Buzz Williams Post NCAA Tournament Selection show Press Conference

Hear what Head coach Buzz Williams had to say after Texas A&M was selected as a 7-seed in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday night

Texas A&M (25-9, 15-3 SEC) will travel to Des Moines, Iowa as a 7-seed in the NCAA Tournament to face the red-hot 10-seed Penn State Nittany Lions (22-13, 10-10 Big Ten) on Thursday at 9:55 p.m. ET., 8:55 p.m. CT. on TBS. Yes, you read that right, you’re Aggies are a 7-seed.

After falling to the Alabama Crimson Tide 82-63 in the SEC Championship early Sunday, Texas A&M already knew that they would be included among the 68 teams in the NCAA Tournament, but were unsure where they’d be seeded after an impressive second consecutive appearance in the Title game after going 15-3 in the SEC during the regular season.

With a NET ranking of 19 even after the loss, many, including myself, felt the Aggies had done more than enough in the last three months to earn at most a 5-seed in the tournament, but when Selection Sunday finally started rolling through their list of matchups, it was announced that Texas A&M would play in Des Moines, Iowa as a, yes, 7-seed.

Taking on one of the hottest teams in college basketball in Penn State on Thursday in the opening round seems like a minor punishment after Head coach Buzz Williams spoke out against the selection committee at the end of last season, but nevertheless, the Aggies are back in the Big Dance for the first time since 2018, and first time under Buzz Williams leadership.

After Texas A&M was selected, Buzz Williams spoke to the local media who traveled with the team to Nashville, Tennessee for the SEC Tournament, as Williams discussed A&M’s resume this season while giving insight on the reasoning behind their seeding selection. Here’s what he had to say on the matter.

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

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SEC Post Game Press Conference: Buzz Williams, Wade Taylor IV, Julius Marble

Hear what Head coach Buzz Williams, Wade Taylor IV, and Julius Marble had to say after Texas A&M’s 87-75 SEC Semifinal win, heading into the SEC Championship game against Alabama on Sunday afternoon

Texas A&M (25-8, 15-3 SEC) is headed back to their second straight SEC Championship game after defeating the Vanderbilt Commodores 87-75 in the Semifinals on Saturday afternoon.

Texas A&M led by a whopping 24 points at halftime, shooting over 70% from the field at one point in a game where the Aggies did not trail for a single minute, and even though the Commodores waged a substantial comeback to outscore A&M 50-38 in the second half, sophomore guard Wade Taylor IV’s 19 second half points sealed the victory to face the 1-seed Alabama Crimson Tide in what should be a highly entertaining rematch.

Wade Taylor led the game with 25 points, including 4-7 from three, while Julius Marble (13 points) and Tyrece “Boots” Radford (16 points) provided enough offense to curb any late Vanderbilt run. Statistically, the Aggies shot an incredible 59.6% from the field, 52% from 3-point, and 60% from the charity stripe, and recorded 30 rebounds and 20 assists on the day.

After Alabama defeated Missouri in the earlier matchup, the Aggies will look to stay undefeated against the Crimson Tide, winning their memorable season finale 67-61 on March 4. After the game, Head coach Buzz Williams, Wade Taylor IV, and Julius Marble spoke to the media to reflect on the huge semifinal win, while a quick turnaround in the SEC Championship on Sunday afternoon will take up the rest of their entire focus for the remainder of the night. Here is what all three had to say.

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

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PHOTOS: Texas A&M defeats Vanderbilt 87-75 in the SEC Semifinals

Here are the best images from Texas A&M’s 87-75 SEC Semifinal victory over the Vanderbilt Commodores on Saturday afternoon

Texas A&M (25-8, 15-3 SEC) is headed back to their second straight SEC Championship game after defeating the Vanderbilt Commodores 87-75 in the Semifinals on Saturday afternoon.

Texas A&M led by a whopping 24 points at halftime, shooting over 70% from the field at one point in a game where the Aggies did not trail for a single minute, and even though the Commodores waged a substantial comeback to outscore A&M 50-38 in the second half, sophomore guard Wade Taylor IV’s 19 second half points sealed the victory to face the 1-seed Alabama Crimson Tide in what should be a highly entertaining rematch.

Wade Taylor led the game with 25 points, including 4-7 from three, while Julius Marble (13 points) and Tyrece “Boots” Radford (16 points) provided enough offense to curb any late Vanderbilt run. Statistically, the Aggies shot an incredible 59.6% from the field, 52% from 3-point, and 60% from the charity stripe, and recorded 30 rebounds and 20 assists on the day.

After Alabama defeated Missouri in the earlier matchup, the Aggies will look to stay undefeated against the Crimson Tide, winning their memorable season finale 67-61 on March 4. After the game, USA TODAY Sports provided some of the best images from the matchup, so please, enjoy the huge win all over again through our photo gallery!

Buzz Williams has the makings of a top-10 coach, according to Saturday Down South

Texas A&M’s Buzz Williams is on the precipice of being one of the greatest coaches in college basketball, according to Saturday Down South.

While Texas A&M embarks on an SEC title run as the No. 2 seed it’s important to remember this year’s success wasn’t a given at the start of the season. Praise is in order for the 14-man roster, and special kudos should be given to the man that helmed this season’s achievements: Buzz Williams.

According to Saturday Down South, Williams’ success at College Station has him on the precipice of being not only one of the greatest coaching minds not just in the SEC but in all of college basketball. Coming off his second AP SEC Coach of the Year Award while leading the Aggies to the second seed in the SEC Tourney, he also has A&M on the precipice of punching their ticket to the big dance. Williams is checking off the boxes that mirror some of the most successful college basketball programs in history.

As outlined by Saturday Down South, let’s review Williams’ contributions to A&M:

The goal of any non-blue-blood should always be to check these boxes:

  • Hire a head coach who provides stability
  • Consistently be one of the better teams in the conference
  • Get better as the season progresses
  • Get to the NCAA Tournament annually

So far, Williams checked all of those boxes. This year somehow one-upped last season’s progression. Well, that’s because the Aggies were a floundering disaster prior to SEC play.

Williams has a 62.5% winning percentage in his four seasons with A&M and this season highlights some of his finest work. They might be competing as the SEC’s No. 2 seed now, but the picture wasn’t so pretty after early losses to Murray State, Colorado, Boise State, and Memphis. After dropping to 6-5 following a home loss to Wofford, that could have been the nail in the coffin for the Aggies.

But that’s where the great coaches in college basketball do their best work. In the face of adversity, they buckle down and adapt. Williams’ work in turning this season around is what makes him so special.

He made sure to emphasize defense as the Aggies went on to surrender just 63 points per game since that home loss to Wofford. Instead of settling for three-pointers, he challenged his team to attack and force their opponents to stay honest in the paint. The end result: A&M became the No. 1 team in the country in free throws made and free throws attempted per game.

After upsetting top-seeded Alabama in the regular season finale, Williams has the Aggies playing the type of basketball that makes them a matchup nightmare for any opponent. It feels as if this program is right on the edge of taking that next leap, and it’s a kudos to the work Williams has done at the helm.

This is no secret to those at College Station, but it’s a welcome sight to see others finally beginning to notice.

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 Pete on Twitter: @PeteThreee

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SEC Post Game Press Conference: Buzz Williams, Henry Coleman III, Wade Taylor IV

Hear what Head coach Buzz Williams, Henry Coleman III, and Wade Taylor IV had to say after the Aggies defeated Arkansas 67-61 in the SEC Quarterfinals

The 18th-ranked Texas A&M Aggies (24-8, 15-3 SEC) pulled off one of the biggest comebacks in SEC Tournament history on Friday night, coming back from a 13-point deficit against the Arkansas Razorbacks (20-10, 8-10 SEC) to defeat the Hogs 67-61 for the second time this season.

The Aggies outscored the Razorbacks 42-23 in the second half and were of course led by star guard Wade Taylor IV with 18 points to lead all scorers, which included a 6-6 showing from the free throw line. Henry Coleman III was a huge part of the team’s second-half run, recording a 16-point, 11-rebound double-double, while both Tyrece Radford and Dexter Dennis netted 11 points each in yet another complete team effort from the maroon and white. Ranking third in the country in free throw rate at 25.4 attempts per game, the Aggies hit 18 of their 24 (75%) attempts from the stripe, putting the game away as their offense stalled late in the second half.

The Aggies will now face the red-hot Vanderbilt Commodores on Saturday afternoon in the semifinal matchup of the SEC Tournament, which will air at 2:00 p.m. CT on ESPN. After the game, Head coach Buzz Williams, Henry Coleman III, and Wade Taylor IV spoke to the media to discuss the win, as their quick turnaround to face the Commodores will be quite the challenge, to say the least. Here is what all three had to say after the victory.

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

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Buzz Williams Pre SEC Tournament Press Conference

Hear what Head coach Buzz Williams had to say a day before Texas A&M takes on Auburn or Arkansas in the SEC Tournament Quarterfinals

Texas A&M (23-8, 15-3 SEC) is set to take on either the 7-seed Auburn Tigers or 10-seed Arkansas Razorbacks in the SEC Tournament in Nashville, Tennessee, on Friday night, positioned to return to their second consecutive conference championship game after falling to Tennessee last season.

The Aggies finished off the regular season with an exclamation point, defeating the Alabama Crimson Tide 67-61 behind a career-high 28 points from Wade Taylor IV, who would go on to be named an AP First Team-All-American just two days later to cap off a brilliant regular season for the sophomore stud.

Through all the early adversity mixed with their incredible run during SEC play, the Aggies are as focused as they’ve been all year, and after going 3-1 vs. Auburn and Arkansas this season, this familiarity should instill even more confidence in a group that seems to play their best brand of basketball in late March in Buzz Williams tenure.

Before Texas A&M officially enters the tournament, Head coach Buzz Williams sat down with the local media to first reflect on the regular season finish, and look towards both the SEC Tournament, and of course, where they will be selected in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday Afternoon. Here is what Buzz had to say.

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

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Texas A&M basketball 2022-23 regular season roster breakdown, stats, and analysis

As Texas A&M marches toward its tournament run we look back at the regular season roster that propelled the Aggies to success in ’22-23.

Texas A&M enters the month of March after a superb regular season that saw the Aggies finish 23-8 overall and 15-3 in the SEC, good for second place in the conference. As compensation for their success this year the Aggies enter the SEC tournament as the top-tier threat to dethrone Alabama, while they also await to hear their name called on Selection Sunday. The latter is arguably a given at this point.

With regular season celebrations in the rearview mirror, it’s now full steam ahead with focus and energy toward tournament season. But before the madness of March ensues, it’s worth a look back on the 14-man roster that propelled Texas A&M to a stellar season.

We break down each player’s 2022-23 stats below, as well as recap with a quick analysis: