Tag: Buzz Williams

Texas A&M basketball will need to lean on Andersson Garcia and Zhuric Phelps

Texas A&M head coach Buzz Williams talks about the qualities that Andersson Garcia and Zhuric Phelps bring to the Aggies

On Monday, Head Coach Buzz Williams gave his thoughts about the big win over Lamar in their bounce-back victory in their home opener. Buzz’s big advantage this season is the returning experience led by senior guard Wade Taylor IV.

Senior forward Andersson Garcia and senior guard Zhuric Phelps have very important roles this year, and Wade Taylor will need to lean on these two to help relieve some of the stress on the offense side. Former SMU guard Phelps has made an immediate impact, averaging 17 points and 63.6% from the field. He also had six steals in his first two games in the Maroon & White.

Garcia, better known as “The Dominican Dennis Rodman,” is somewhat of a cult hero in Aggieland. When he is not grabbing rebounds, he is playing in the band or knocking down game-tying three-pointers in the postseason. He is the top offensive rebounder in the SEC and has been working on this jump shot, turning himself into a double-double machine.

Below are a few comments from Buzz Williams about how Garcia and Phelps have already significantly impacted the last two games.

“Andersson Garcia is really bright. How he processes rebounding is savant-ish. He is a much more confident shooter than he has ever been because of the work he’s put in. He can shoot.”

“Not only does Zhuric impact our team, but he’s going to make the game easier for the other four guys on the floor. I think he has a very high ceiling. He’s a great on-ball defender and that changes our team. I don’t think he’s close to his ceiling yet.”

No. 23 Texas A&M will host No. 21 Ohio State on Friday, Nov. 15. The game will air on SEC Network at 8:00 p.m. CT.

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Texas A&M defeats Lamar 97-71 before hosting No. 23 Ohio State on Friday night

Texas A&M’s depth and enhanced 3-point shooting are promising signs ahead of hosting No. 21 Ohio State

No. 23 Texas A&M (2-1) looks like a completely different team compared to the Aggies’ Week 1 road loss to UCF. This is mainly due to better shooting and the addition of senior guard Zhuric Phelps, who has now led the Aggies in points over the past two games.

After defeating East Texas A&M on Friday, head coach Buzz Williams’s deep and talented roster showed up and showed out against visiting Lamar on Monday night. The Aggies defeated the Cardinals 97-71 behind 12 3-pointers and 55% shooting from the field.

Needing an early spark, senior forward Andersson Garcia hit two early threes to get the Aggies offense going, leading to former Nebraska guard CJ Wilcher making his first real impact with the teams since transferring, hitting three from deep on five attempts.

However, the guard play of stars Wade Taylor IV (13 points) and Zhuric Phelps (16 points) stood out due to Taylor’s decision-making and Phelps’ slashing ability, which continues to look like a dangerous combination as the schedule only gets tougher over the next month.

Defensively, the Aggies held Lamar to 37% shooting and 33% from 3-point land, forcing ten turnovers while recording seven steals and six blocks.

Making a huge impact off the bench, Andersson Garcia knows that this is just the start of what could be a special final collegiate season for the elite defender:

“I think it’s (15 points) my career high. I was feeling great. My mentality was it was my last year so I needed to play one game at a time. I want to take advantage of every second.”

Texas A&M will host No. 21 Ohio State on Friday, Nov. 15. The game will air on SEC Network.

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Where did Texas A&M basketball land in the initial US LBM Coaches poll after Week 1?

Where did Texas A&M basketball lands in the initial US LBM Coaches poll after Week 1?

Texas A&M (1-1) started the season ranked No. 13 overall and a team with a ton of experience that was a few shots short of making it to the Sweet 16 last year. However, even though they won their last game the season-opening road loss to an unranked UCF team drops the Aggies to No. 23 in the newest coaches poll.

We saw some of the same issues pop up as last year’s team in the loss against UCF with missed free throws, perimeter defense, and scoring outside of Wade Taylor. Adding Zhuric Phelps, who missed the game against UCF, showed that he can be a spark in the scoring to avoid Wade Taylor having to play hero ball.

Ranking Team Record Points
1 Kansas 2-0 759 (21)
2 Alabama 2-0 724 (4)
3 UConn 2-0 702 (3)
4 Auburn 2-0 660 (2)
5 Gonzaga 2-0 651 (1)
6 Duke 2-0 608
7 Iowa State 1-0 576
8 Arizona 2-0 516
9 Tennessee 2-0 502
10 Houston 1-1 488
11 North Carolina 1-1 456
12 Purdue 2-0 437
13 Creighton 2-0 385
14 Baylor 1-1 328
15 Marquette 2-0 308
16 Indiana 2-0 234
17 Cincinnati 2-0 230
18 Kentucky 2-0 182
19 Florida 2-0 179
20 Illinois 2-0 151
21 Arkansas 1-1 150
22 Ohio State 1-0 148
23 Texas A&M 1-1 99
24 Rutgers 1-0 84
25 St. John’s 2-0 79

Schools Dropped Out

No. 19 Texas; No. 22 UCLA; No. 25 Ole Miss;

Others Receiving Votes

Texas Tech 75; Ole Miss 60; Texas 54; Xavier 38; Oregon 37; Michigan State 29; BYU 29; UCLA 18; UCF 17; Wake Forest 12; Saint Mary’s 12; Kansas State 9; Clemson 9; New Mexico 8; Dayton 8; North Florida 7; Maryland 5; Providence 4; Mississippi State 4; Nevada 2; San Francisco 1; Grand Canyon 1

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Is this Texas A&M’s best basketball roster under head coach Buzz Williams?

Buzz Williams needs to take advantage of the talented roster he’s assembled this season

Texas A&M (1-1) evened up its record to start the 2024-2025 basketball season after defeating newly named East Texas A&M 87-55 on Friday night, just four days after dropping the season opener vs. UCF.

While it’s too early in the season to know just how good this team is, it’s abundantly clear that from a depth and overall talent perspective, this is the best team on paper that head coach Buzz Williams had built after landing guard Zhuric Phelps and starting center Pharell Payne from the transfer portal.

Right out of the gate, Payne has stood out as an athletic big who can run the floor and make the most of his scoring opportunities. In his first two appearances, he recorded 23 points, 12 rebounds, two blocks, and two steals.

Making his season debut on Friday, former SMU guard Zhuric Phelps led the game with 18 points, which looked like a slight upgrade athletically compared to former veteran guard Tyrece Radford.

Payne, Phelps, and former Nebraska guard CJ Wilcher are just the new additions, as the return of star guard Wade Taylor alongside guard Manny Obaseki fills out the deep backcourt.

At the same time, forwards Andersson Garcia, Henry Coleman, and Solomon Washington bring back a lot of defensive talent and experience in areas that were lacking depth last season.

While it’s true that this team will go as far as Wade Taylor takes them, the senior may lead the team in scoring so far, but it’s been his 13 assists in two games that have opened up the offense, allowing players like senior guard Hayden Hefner to find his stroke from deep.

In his sixth season, head coach Buzz Williams deserves credit for building the Aggies into an SEC contender compared to what he inherited. Still, as we saw in the loss to UCF, slow starts must be avoided against teams like Ohio State, Oregon, and Creighton in nonconference play.

There’s a reason Texas A&M was ranked 13th in the country entering the season. Prove it.

Texas A&M will continue its homestay over the next four games, set to host Lamar on Monday, Nov. 11.

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Best Photos from Texas A&M’s 87-55 win over East Texas A&M

Here are the photos from Texas A&M’s 87-55 win over East Texas A&M on Friday night

No. 13 Texas A&M (1-1) made the most of its bounce-back opportunity against newly named East Texas A&M on Friday night, blowing out the visitors 87-55 behind a complete team performance, including senior guard Zhuric Phelps’ debut 18-point outing.

Finally, looking like the No. 13-ranked team in the country, the Aggies knew that finishing every game is the goal moving forward, something that plagued head coach Buzz Williams‘ team in the season-opening loss to UCF after being held scoreless with three minutes left in the game.

After losing veteran guard Tyrece Radford this offseason, William’s perfectly utilized the transfer portal, landing starting center Pharrel Payne, guard CJ Wilcher, and, of course, Zhuric Phelps, whose impressive career at SMU was more than enough to help the Aggie offense for at least one season.

Never trailing, Texas A&M’s defense smothered the cross-town Aggies, producing six blocks and eleven steals and forcing 18 turnovers. It’s still very early, but this team looks much improved in several areas ahead of a challenging nonconference schedule.

Here are the best photos from the win, including several shots of Buzz William’s entertaining facial expressions!

Texas A&M senior guard Zhuric Phelps was the Aggies’ missing link

Zhuric Phelps’s inside game is key to Texas A&M taking the next step offensively

After Texas A&M opened the 2024-2025 basketball season with a somewhat shocking road loss to UCF, many of us believed that former SMU guard Zhuric Phelps, who missed the game, left a hole the Aggie offense, especially after center Pharell Payne fouled out of the game.

On Friday, Phelps made his Texas A&M debut against newly named East Texas A&M. The Aggies were dominant on offense and defense, blowing out the visitors 87-55 behind Phelp’s dazzling introduction.

It’s not like Phelps is new to the scene or anything after averaging 14.8 and 17.8 points per game during his final two seasons at SMU, known as a driving force in the paint. After veteran Texas A&M guard Tyrece Radford departed the program this offseason, head coach Buzz Williams knew that Phelps, on paper, at least, looked like Radford’s replacement.

In 18 minutes, Phelps came off the bench determined to prove his importance within A&M’s deep roster. He shot 61% from the field while effortlessly finessing his way into the paint for a game-high 18 points, showing a soft touch on every layup.

Texas A&M’s paint presence finally has a reliable big man in Pharrell Payne to match up with Henry Coleman. This opens up the pick-and-roll for Phelps to shred defense inside and open up the perimeter offense.

This makes star guard Wade Taylor IV’s job easier. The senior’s 10 points and notable six assists proved that dishing the rock results in efficient scoring, with senior guards Manny Obaseki and Zhuric Phelps being able to drive in the paint whenever they’re on the court.

Texas A&M will continue its homestay over the next four games, set to host Lamar on Monday, Nov. 11.

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Texas A&M basketball defeats East Texas A&M 87-55 to earn first win on the year

Texas A&M finally looked like the No. 13-ranked team in the country on Friday

Texas A&M (1-1) finally looked like the No. 13-ranked basketball team in the country after blowing out newly named East Texas A&M 87-55 on Friday night, just four days after falling to UCF on the road to open the year.

This Aggie team looked the part from start to finish, shooting 55.7% from the field, including 33% from beyond the arc.

At the same time, former SMU guard Zhuric Phelps, who made his season debut, scored a game-high 18 points and five rebounds, shooting 8-13 while looking like a more athletic version of former Texas A&M guard Tyrece Radford.

Head coach Buzz Williams looked to limit the minutes of his starting five. Star point guard Wade Taylor IV produced a solid 10 points and six assists, feeding the post at a high rate. Forwards Pharell Payne (8 points, six rebounds) and Henry Coleman III (14 points, eight rebounds) combined for 22 points and 14 boards.

However, the shooting of veteran guard Hayden Hefner nearly matched Phelp’s memorable debut, as the senior shot 4-6 for 13 points, including 3-5 from 3-point, looking confident on his stroke while playing great defense on the perimeter.

Defeating a lesser opponent isn’t an impressive feat, but the Aggies needed to show that they have improved on offense and defense, accomplishing both goals on Friday night.

Texas A&M will continue its homestay over the next four games, set to host Lamar on Monday, Nov. 11.

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Watch Texas A&M basketball’s Coleman & Carter preview the season opener against UCF

Here’s everything players Coleman & Carter had to say ahead of Texas A&M basketball’s season opener vs. UCF

The Texas A&M basketball season will open on the road in Orlando when the Aggies take on UCF on Monday, Nov. 4, in Addition Financial Arena.

A veteran squad will hit the hardwood on Monday, and two players they will need a lot out of this year are Henry Coleman and Jace Carter. Both would say they could have played better last season and will step up to the challenge of a deep postseason run.

This will be the last bite of the apple for most of the current A&M roster under head coach Buzz Williams, and Coleman noted how well they have met the team’s expectations. Carter, who is from Florida, gave some insight into what it means to him to be playing back in his home state to start the season.

Ahead of Monday’s season opener vs. UCF, Coleman and Carter spoke to the media, previewing the roster and matchup before tipoff.

Below, you can watch the entire press conference.

 

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Watch Texas A&M HC Buzz Williams preview the season opener against UCF

Here’s everything head coach Buzz Williams had to say ahead of Texas A&M basketball’s season opener vs. UCF

The Texas A&M basketball season will open on the road in Orlando when the Aggies take on UCF on Monday, Nov. 4, in Addition Financial Arena.

A&M has another tough non-conference schedule highlighted by No. 14 Purdue and No. 15 Creighton, but first, Buzz’s experienced team has a talented UCF team they can’t look over, especially since it’s an away game. This type of schedule will pay dividends when it comes to prepping them for SEC play and the selection committee at the end of the season.

Williams took a note from Texas A&M Football head coach Mike Elko this offseason. He utilized the transfer portal, adding commitments from former Nebraska shooting guard CJ Welcher, former SMU guard Zhuric Phelps, and former Minnesota center Pharrel Payne.

However, nothing trumps the return of star guard Wade Taylor IV, who will join senior guard Manny Obaseki in the starting backcourt, which looks like one of the better guard combinations in the country.

Ahead of Monday’s season opener vs. UCF, Buzz Williams spoke to the media, previewing the roster and matchup before tipoff.

Below, you can watch the entire press conference.

 

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Watch: Texas A&M HC Buzz Williams previews the 2024 basketball season

Everything Texas A&M HC had to say at the media day press conference

The Texas A&M basketball team will get to start the season where they left off when they travel an hour south to take on the No. 4 Houston Cougars on Oct. 27 in an exhibition game.

With all the changes across Aggie athletics, the basketball season snuck up on us this fall. They have another tough nonconference schedule that features the No. 4 Houston Cougars, No. 14 Purdue, No. 15 Creighton, and Wake Forest. The quality of the schedule will prepare A&M for its SEC schedule, where 8 to 9 teams are in the Top 25 in most polls.

Head coach Buzz Williams knows that a lot can happen in college basketball and the strength of schedule rankings. So, after he laid out his general thought process for his non-conference scheduling, he realized that a lot can change over a few months.

“….are we going to say in March we played a hard schedule or are we just saying that prior to Halloween you know what I mean because it’s constantly shifting”

There is plenty to be excited about with the 2024 teams, and Coach Buzz is ready to start. Below, you can watch the entire press conference.

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