Texas A&M picks up another experienced offensive lineman in former FAU guard Dorian Hinton
Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko continues to have a monster run in the transfer portal, bringing in more help to boost the competition along the offensive line.
Coach Adam Cushing will have another interior lineman added to mix with 6’4″ 317-pound former Florida Atlantic guard Dorian Hinton, confirming via social media he’ll be transferring to Texas A&M. The redshirt junior brings a wealth of experience (789 snaps last season) and is a stout pass protector, grading out at 85.7 according to PFF. In a similar move as a few other transfers, Hinton will take a step up in competition as he enters the SEC to finish his NCAA career.
The Aggies are already in the Top Ten in the 247 Sports transfer rankings, and there will be more to come as Coach Elko drops his signature Money Manziel meme on X (Twitter) for future commits.
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 Jarrett Johnson on Twitter: @whosnextsports1.
The Aggies fall to the Owls in a Top-25 Match in the second round of the ESPN Invitational Tournament
No. 12 Texas A&M (5-1) couldn’t overcome the blistering three-point shooting from FAU (4-1) as they dropped their first game of the season.
The first half was full of action, with both teams shooting lights out. I’m not sure if it’s because of the talent level overall during the season, but they came to shoot in the second round. Through the first, it was like a volleyball game as the ball flew up and down the court. Eventually, FAU built a 12-point lead with about five minutes left in the first half.
Feeling the pressure, Texas A&M locked down on defense and closed out on a 13-3 run. If it wasn’t for the two technical fouls, the Aggies probably went into the half with the lead but instead were down 46-44 at the break. Henry Coleman III went down with a lower leg injury late in the half, creating a massive hole in the Aggies’ offense and rebounding moving forward.
Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
FAU’s hot hand continued to start the second half, hitting every open shot possible, running out to an 18-point lead with about 11 minutes left in the game. Not wanting to let the game get away, Taylor IV hit a few big shots to help pull the team within ten halfway through the half.
He wasn’t done; he pulled the Aggies even closer with five straight points, cutting the lead to 78-73 with five minutes left. As the time ticked away, the Aggies could stay close behind the shooting of Taylor and Manny Obaseki down 89-84 with a minute left before Buzz called a time-out.
Unfortunately for the Maroon & White, they would go scoreless for the remainder of the game for a final score of 96-89.
Wade Taylor IV had a career day only to be matched by the FAU defense that scored over 20 points off turnovers and shot a ridiculous 53.3% beyond the arc with 16 made threes.
Below are the Aggie critical contributors from the game:
Texas A&M will be back in action at 5 p.m. CT. on Sunday for the third-place spot against the Iowa State vs. Virginia Tech game loser.
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 Jarrett Johnson on Twitter: @whosnextsports1.
The Owls of Florida Atlantic dropped 90+ points on both Butler and Texas A&M to prove they are not just a fluke but a legit Top 25 team this college basketball season.
Every once in a while, an unheralded mid-major program goes on a deep run in the NCAA Tournament, capturing the hearts of fans everywhere and etching their name into college basketball lore.
Most of the time, however, these programs fade back into relative obscurity within a year or two. Some programs find success for at least another year, like Wichita State’s magical season in 2013-14 following their run to the Final 4 as a nine seed in 2013, but for every story like that there is a Loyola-Chicago, George Mason, or Florida Gulf Coast.
For that reason, fans are often skeptical when a team that went on a deep run is highly regarded the next season in the polls, like Florida Atlantic – who came into the 2023-24 season as the No. 10 ranked team after last year’s run to the Final 4.
Skeptics were rewarded after FAU’s third game, a loss to Bryant where they only managed 52 points, but the Owls have since responded by hanging 91 points on Butler – another NCAA Tournament darling who parlayed their success into a spot in the vaunted Big East Conference – and then scoring 96 on No. 12 ranked Texas A&M on Friday to advance to the ESPN Events Invitational Championship on Sunday, where they will play the winner of Virginia Tech and Iowa State.
The Owls are now in the American Athletic Conference alongside Memphis – their first-round opponent in last year’s NCAA Tournament – and they look primed to have another wildly successful year, potentially bucking the trend of mid-major teams flaming out after Cinderella runs in the big dance.
No team has managed to fully become ‘the next Gonzaga’, who parlayed an Elite 8 run in 1999 into 24 straight NCAA Tournament appearances, but FAU looks more than capable of staying in the limelight at least for 2023-24 and could keep the momentum going for years to come.
Let’s dive into who the Celtics might be targeting at No. 35.
Even with the offseason here in earnest, the Boston Celtics have plenty on their plate regarding their future as they continue to work out prospects projected to go in the second round of the ’23 NBA draft.
With the Celtics likely to need cheap depth in the future, look for prospects who are either polished enough to get some real minutes in their rookie campaign or who might be okay with a season or two stashed abroad while the team makes decisions about how it will use the new two way player slot added to rosters in the latest collective bargaining agreement recently adopted by the league.
Adding to our previous reporting of the team’s known workouts comes a new wave of prospects Boston has been working out — let’s dive into who the Celtics might be targeting at No. 35.
Itâs no coincidence this team has the most retired jersey numbers with 17 banners hanging alongside them. https://t.co/q9NDoLJRtJ
A potential Tom Herman and Casey Thompson reunion could be on the horizon.
Former Texas quarterback Casey Thompson is on the move again.
Thompson is searching for a school to play his final year of college eligibility for the 2023 season. He entered the transfer portal as a graduate after playing one season with the Nebraska Cornhuskers. A potential reunion with his former head coach could be on the horizon.
Former Texas and currently FAU head coach Tom Herman is hosting Thompson for a visit this week.
Herman recruited and signed Thompson with the Longhorns in the class of 2018. He served in a backup role for three seasons under Herman until his firing following the 2020 season.
Thompson had an up-and-down year in 2022 for Nebraska. He threw for 2,407 yards, 17 touchdowns and 10 interceptions while starting 10 games.
The move would make tons of sense for both sides. Herman gets an experienced quarterback to lead his team in year one of the new gig. Thompson can return to the offensive system that he spent three years developing in.
Nebraska transfer quarterback Casey Thompson is expected to visit FAU next week, a source tells @247SportsPortal.
Owls head coach Tom Herman initially recruited Thompson to Texas as part of the 2018 class. https://t.co/XdxifSx8Of
It’ll go down as one of the more iconic shots in men’s NCAA tournament history. Right up there with Mario Chalmers, Kris Jenkins, Christian Laettner and Jalen Suggs.
We’ll be watching it again and again for years to come.
But before the replay gets lodged in our memories forever, take a look at Butler’s magic from a few different angles and bask in all the March Madness glory.
In a tournament that always delivers, Butler provided the best moment yet in 2023 with San Diego State’s 72-71 victory over Florida Atlanticâ one reminiscent of the shot Kris Jenkins hit in 2016 to win the title for Villanova in the same building.
College basketball fans across the country were stunned and the reactions were priceless. Here are the best from inside the building in Houston and around the country.
UConn’s Jordan Hawkins is a ready-to-play movement shooter perfect for the NBA.
This is a fascinating Final Four in the NCAA men’s tournament, especially because we may only have one first-round draft pick playing in either game.
Between the two matchups, UConn vs. Miami is the game to watch if you want to see likely future NBA players. Even if there aren’t many players selected in the first round, there are several who could find their way onto your favorite pro team.
Before the two games have their tipoffs in Houston on Saturday, these are the top NBA draft prospects you should keep your eyes peeled for whenever they are on the court.
NOTE: UConn’s Donovan Clingan would also make this list if he decides to declare for the 2023 NBA Draft.
The best takes and the sharpest bets on all the hoops storylines you need to know. Sign up for our Layup Lines newsletter, hitting your inbox on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Just eight teams remain in the hunt for a national title heading into Saturday. For the first time in the history of the NCAA Tournament, zero No. 1 seeds have advanced past the Sweet 16.
Top-seeded Alabama fell to San Diego State 71-64 in the upset of the weekend. The Aztecs held Alabama star Brandon Miller to just nine points in the win.
Fellow No. 1 seed Houston lost to Miami just a couple hours later as the final one seed domino to fall. Miami’s outside shooting was too much for Houston’s normally stingy defense to handle.
Texas is now the highest ranked team remaining in the tournament after dismantling Xavier. The Longhorns join Kansas State in representing the Big 12 in the Elite Eight.
Other intriguing storylines included Creighton ending Princetonâs cinderella story, Gonzaga hitting a late t
hree-pointer to beat UCLA and FAU upsetting Tennessee.
Here is a complete look at the updated national title odds entering the Elite Eight according to BetMGM.
