Tag: Buzz Williams

Buzz Williams named AP SEC Coach of the Year

after going 23-8 and winning a record 15 games in SEC play, Aggies Head coach Buzz Williams has been named AP SEC Coach of the Year

Texas A&M (23-8, 15-3 SEC) has completed one of its most successful seasons in program history, notching 23 regular season wins while securing a second-place finish in the SEC with a record 15 conference victories to boot.

The real story however, lies within the context of just how bad the season could have gone if it wasn’t for the steadfast leadership of Head coach Buzz Williams paired with a talented group of veteran players who had yet to experience a trip to the NCAA Tournament in their time with the program.

Sitting at a daunting 6-5 after an embarrassing home loss to Wofford (which would remain their only home loss all season), the Aggies won 17 of their next 20 games while sweeping for SEC teams (LSU, Auburn, Missouri, Florida) on their way to what is guaranteed to be their first trip to the big dance under Williams, and first since the 2017-2018 season for the program. Due to this epic turnaround, Buzz Williams was ceremoniously named AP SEC Coach of the Year on Tuesday, just one day after being named Co-SEC Coach of the Year on Monday.

This is his second AP SEC Coach of the Year award after receiving the honor during the 2020 season. Congratulations to Buzz and his family on the award, and don’t forget to watch the Aggies take on the winner of Auburn vs. Arkansas on Friday, March 10, at 6:00 p.m. on the SEC Network.

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Aggies move up in AP and USA TODAY Coaches Poll rankings

The Aggies continue to rise in both the AP and USA TODAY Coaches Poll

Texas A&M (23-8, 15-3 SEC) is finally receiving the praise they deserve after their historic turnaround during the regular season, winning 17 out of their last 20 games including a program record 15 in SEC play, recently defeating the then No. 2 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide 67-61 on Saturday afternoon.

Due to their epic turnaround from 6-5 in late December to finishing 23-8, Head coach Buzz Williams was named Co-SEC Coach of the Year, while Wade Taylor IV (1st Team) and Tyrece “Boots” Radford (2nd Team) were named to the All-SEC team. On Monday, the Aggies were again rewarded by both the AP and USA TODAY Coaches poll for their performance against Alabama, ranked 18th in the AP Top 25, rising six spots from last week, also ranked 18th in the Coaches poll, increasing 3 spots from last week.

Knowing that no matter what happens in the SEC Tournament this week, a spot in the NCAA Tournament is guaranteed, yet earning a higher seed is still very much in their grasp if they were to notch a couple of wins in Nashville, so yes, there is still plenty to play for ahead of the big dance.

After finishing in second place in the conference, the Aggies will await to play the winner 7th-seed Auburn vs. 10th-seed Arkansas on Friday at 6:00 p.m. CT. and will air on the SEC Network.

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 named Co-SEC Coach of the Year; Wade Taylor and Tyrece Radford make All-SEC Team

Buzz Williams has been named Co-SEC Coach of the Year; Wade Taylor and Tyrece Radford make All-SEC Team

Texas A&M (23-8, 15-3) just completed one of their best, and most memorable regular seasons in program history, and after defeating the No.2-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide 67-61 on Saturday afternoon, the accolades began to roll in on Monday.

After starting the season 6-5 with a home loss to Wofford, the Aggies finished the regular season with 23 wins and a program record 15 in conference play, while winning 17 of their last 20. Earlier today, Aggies Head Coach Buzz Williams was rightfully named Co-SEC Coach of the year for the first time in his tenure with Texas A&M, making it his second Coach of the Year award since receiving the AP SEC Coach of the Year award after the 2020 season. Williams will share the honor with Vanderbilt Head Coach, Jerry Stackhouse.

It was also announced that sophomore guard Wade Taylor IV was named 1st team All-SEC, while senior guard Tyrece “Boots” Radford was named to the 2nd team. During the regular season, Taylor led the Aggies in points per game (16.1), steals per game (1.8), and assists per game with 4.1, while his 86.9% free throw percentage was one of the best in the country. Tyrece Radford was second in points (13.3), assists (2.4) steals (0.9), and shot 80.2% from the stripe.

Texas A&M will now face the winner of Auburn vs. Arkansas on Friday night in the Quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament.

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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Joe Lunardi’s recent seed projection for Texas A&M is… questionable

ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi releases his newest and highly questionable seeding projection for Texas A&M ahead of the NCAA Tournament

Not to say that there is some ongoing feud between Texas A&M Head coach Buzz Williams and ESPN “Bracketologist” Joe Lunardi or anything, but ever since Williams’ gave his impassioned speech to the local Aggie media after the program was shockingly left out of the NCAA Tournament field last March after their memorable SEC tournament run, there’s been some sound in the silence.

Going back to late December, Texas A&M sat at a disappointing 6-5 after losing to Wofford at home and was rightfully written off by every bracket analyst just weeks before the start of SEC play. Since that pre-Christmas embarrassment took its course, Head coach Buzz Williams and his experienced squad flipped the script, winning 17 of their last 20 games, earning a program record 15 wins in conference play, and of course, their first trip (pending selection) to the NCAA Tournament in WIlliams’ tenure with the program.

Within those 17 victories include wins of projected 3-seed Tennessee, and 1-seed Alabama, while sweeping four SEC programs (Missouri, Auburn, LSU, Florida) en route to our outright second-place finish in the SEC. Good enough for, let’s say, 4 or 5 seeds, right? Well, according to Lunardi’s latest bracket update on Sunday, the Aggies are still projected as a 7-seed less than a day after defeating No. 2-ranked Alabama 67-61 on Saturday afternoon. Oh, and after beating the Tide, the Aggies obtained their 6th Quad 1 win this season, three more than the No. 1 ranked Houston Cougars.

With the SEC Tournament starting later this week, Texas A&M will play the winner of 7th-seed Auburn vs. 10-seed Arkansas on Friday night with a chance to further increase their seeding, or not? We shall see.

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-Game Press Conference after Texas A&M defeated Alabama 67-61

See what Head coach Buzz Williams had to say after Texas A&M defeated Alabama 67-61 in their regular-season finale.

Texas A&M (23-8, 15-3) capped off their regular season with one of their best, and most important victories of the season, defeating the No.2-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide 67-61 inside a sold-out Reed Arena to the tune of 12,989 Aggies in attendance. Behind a suffocating Aggie defense that held the Crimson Tide to just 7-36 (19.4%) from 3-point, Texas A&M earned their record 15th win in SEC play heading into the postseason.

The Aggies were provided with two outstanding performances from Wade Taylor IV, who scored a career-high 28 points, paired with Tyrece “Boots” Radfords’ 21 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists. Dexter Dennis scored an effective 11 points and recorded 11 rebounds on the day, while all three players combined for 60 of the teams’ 67 points. Only shooting 34% from the field, Texas A&M’s continued success at the free-throw line proved to be the x-factor in securing the win, hitting 27-28 (96%) from the stripe including 26 made free throws from Taylor, Radford, and Dennis.

After the game, Head coach Buzz Williams spoke to the local media to reflect on the win, discuss Reed Arena’s impact on the day, and look forward to next week’s SEC Tournament, Here’s what Buzz had to say.

How to watch Alabama vs. Texas A&M basketball game

No. 2 Alabama will close out the regular season on Saturday when they take on No. 24 Texas A&M. Here is how you can catch all the action!

[autotag]Nate Oats[/autotag] and the No. 2 Alabama men’s basketball team will complete the 2022-23 regular season on Saturday when they travel to College Station to take on the Texas A&M Aggies.

Alabama (26-4, 16-1 SEC) has already locked up the regular season SEC title and the No. 1 seed in next week’s SEC tournament while Texas A&M (22-8, 14-3 SEC) has locked up the No. 2 seed.

Both the Crimson Tide and the Aggies have held onto their respective standings in the SEC all throughout conference play and have asserted themselves as the top two teams in the SEC.

Saturday’s matchup in College Station is sure to be electric. Here is how you can catch all the action.

Buzz Williams’ Pre-Game Press Conference ahead of Texas A&M vs. Alabama

Hear what Head coach Buzz Williams had to say ahead of Texas A&M’s season finale matchup vs. Alabama on Saturday afternoon

Texas A&M (22-8, 14-3) is set to take on the No. 2 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide (26-4, 16-1 SEC) in their regular season finale with zero SEC regular season championship implications after the Tide claimed the conference after defeating Auburn on Wednesday, but nevertheless, the Aggies have a boatload to play for ahead of next week’s SEC Tournament, followed by the NCAA Tournaments later this month.

Coming off of their 69-61 victory against Ole Miss on Tuesday night, Texas A&M simply took care of business against a lesser opponent, led by Tyrece “Boots” Radford’s 13-point outing, star sophomore guard Wade Taylor IV proved 12 points, 5 rebounds, and 7 assists, while junior forward Julius Marble pitched in 10 points and 5 rebounds on the night. In a total team effort, the Aggies grabbed 40 rebounds and recorded 11 steals while forcing 19 turnovers against the Rebels in one of their better defensive performances of the season, all while withstanding Ole Miss guard Matthew Murrell’s 26 points and 8 3-pointers in a career shooting night for the junior.

On Friday, Head coach Buzz Williams spoke to the local media ahead of Saturday’s 11:00 AM tip-off against the Tide to discuss the matchup in detail, urge students to show up in what is a white-out game, while also giving an update on Dexter Dennis’s rehab progress. 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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Aggies are positioned well in both the NET and KenPom rankings ahead of the postseason

Ahead of their season finale vs. Alabama on Saturday, Texas A&M is ranked inside the Top 30 in both the NET and KenPom Rankings.

Texas A&M (22-8, 14-3 SEC) will not have the chance to earn a share of the SEC regular-season title on Saturday due to Alabama’s comeback victory against Auburn on Wednesday night, but that doesn’t mean that the Aggies season hasn’t been one of the more successful campaigns under Head coach Buzz Williams, who should rightfully be in the conversation for SEC Coach of the Year.

After defeating Ole Miss on the road 69-61 on Tuesday night, the Aggies won their 14th SEC game this season, and have solidified their second-place finish in the conference, all while staying in a great position in both the NET and KenPom rankings ahead of the SEC, and NCAA Tournament later this month.

As of Thursday, Texas A&M is ranked 26th in the NET with a 14-1 home record, and a 5-5 record against Quad 1 opponents, while actually rising in the KenPom ratings to 23rd, just below Kentucky at 22nd, who accounted for just one of the Aggies three total losses in SEC play this season.

On Saturday, 2nd-ranked Alabama will head to what could be a sold-out Reed Arena in what may be a meaningless game for them, but for Texas A&M, notching their 6th Quad 1 win to end the regular season could be monumental to increasing their seeding in the NCAA Tournament.

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-Game Press Conference after Texas A&M defeats Ole Miss 69-62

Hear what Head coach Buzz Williams had to say after the Aggies defeated Ole Miss 69-61 on Tuesday night to earn their 14th win in SEC play

Texas A&M (22-8, 14-3 SEC) defeated the Ole Miss Rebels on Tuesday night to the tune of 69-61 to even the series vs. the Mississippi schools, and win their 14th SEC game this season. With the win, the Aggies are still in contention for an SEC regular season title but will need some help tomorrow night from the Auburn Tigers to face Alabama on the road, needing the Crimson Tide to lose one more game in order for Saturday’s season finale matchup to have any meaning.

In an impressive defensive effort from the Aggies, Tyrece Radford led the team in points for the first time in a month with 13, while Wade Taylor IV scored 12 points, and recorded 5 rebounds and 7 assists on the night. Returning from injury in early January, Manny Obaseki played 11 minutes while scoring four points in a solid showing.  Defensively, the Aggies pulled down for rebounds combined with 11 steals, holding the Rebels to 37% shooting aside from Ole Miss guard Matthew Murrels’ career night with 26 points and 8 3-pointers.

After the game, Head coach Buzz Williams spoke to the media to reflect on the big win, while looking forward to Saturday’s season finale vs. the Tide, hoping that the program will be fighting to win an SEC regular season championship for the first time in nearly a decade. Here’s what Buzz had to say on the night.

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-Game Press Conference ahead of Texas A&M’s Tuesday night matchup vs. Ole Miss

Hear what Head coach Buzz Williams had to say ahead of Texas A&M’s final road game of the season vs. Ole Miss on Tuesday night

Texas A&M (21-8, 13-3 SEC) lost for the first time in almost a month after falling to Mississippi State 69-62 inside Humphrey Coliseum on Saturday afternoon, failing to hit a shot from the field for nearly 13 minutes in the second half in one of the team’s worst offensive performances all season long. On Tuesday night, the Aggies will stay in the Magnolia State to face the Ole Miss Rebels (11-18, 3-13 SEC), who are coming off just their 7th home win this season against LSU on Saturday.

Even though the offense struggled mightily, sophomore guard Wade Taylor IV scored 21 points for his 10th 20-point game, and 9th 20-plus points game this season, while Henry Coleman III and Andersson Garcia both scored 11 points in an otherwise forgettable afternoon from the floor. It was a general lack of energy and turnovers (16 on the night) that did the Aggies in, knowing that if just a few more shots were made in the second half against the Bulldogs, discussing their 14th win in SEC play would be the primary narrative.

Counting as a Quad 1 loss, Texas A&M actually rose in both the USA TODAY Coaches poll (No. 21 from No. 25) and AP Top 25 poll (No. 24 from No. 25), all while the Aggies are still in contention for an SEC regular season title if they can defeat Ole Miss on Tuesday night plus an Alabama loss to Auburn that following Wednesday.

On Monday, Head coach Buzz Williams sat down with the local media to reflect on Saturday’s loss, and preview the team’s matchup with the Ole Miss Rebels who is still a very tough opponent despite their lackluster record. Here is what Buzz had to say ahead of Tuesday’s showdown.

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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