Hayden Hefner – Syndication Server

Here are the best photos from No. 11 Texas A&M’s 68-57 win over LSU

View some best photos from Texas A&M’s bounce back win over LSU

Texas A&M (14-4, 3-2 SEC) earned a much-needed victory on Saturday after their defensive prowess held LSU to a season-low 57 points.

It was a welcome surprise to see star guard Wade Taylor IV back on the court, but it was a shaky return, going 3-13 from the field.

However, he is the best free-throw shooter on the team and went 5-6 from the stripe, ending with 12 points, extending his double-digit scoring streak. It was also great to see forward Henry Coleman get back in the mix, with 10 points on 5-7 shooting.

Coach Buzz Williams will always praise his team’s heart and knows that even when things are not going their way, they will never give up working hard to improve.

“The competitive maturity of our guys is other-worldly. When the ball was in the air, last week we didn’t do the things that got us to this point. When Alabama shot it, they got it back 51 percent of the time. We’ve worked on it since then.”

Here are the best photos from Saturday night’s game.

A&M will return to face No. 21 Ole Miss at The Sandy and John Black Pavilion on Jan. 22 at 8:00 p.m. CST. The game can be watched on ESPN2.

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Everything Texas A&M HC Buzz Williams had to say after the loss to Kentucky

Head coach Buzz Williams praises Kentucky after tough road loss

After a hot start, Texas A&M has been roaming in no man’s land the past two weeks, dropping back-to-back games against Alabama and Kentucky after narrowly escaping Oklahoma.

Defensively, the Aggies have not been playing poorly and are giving up the regular shots they always have. So, when you are playing some of the top-scoring teams in the nation, they are going to get their looks.

The same goes for A&M. They could easily be an 85-point-a-night team if they were more efficient.

Texas A&M has been getting some great looks from the three-point line but can’t convert, and they have missed over 30 free throws over the last two games. In what turned out to be an emotionally charged game against Kentucky, the offense looked like a completely different team than what they have put on the court over the last month.

“I think you have to play with great emotion in order for it to be a game you just can’t be emotional”

A&M needs to get Wade Taylor back on the court as soon as possible to structure the flow of the game because right now, the Aggies seem lost.

Below, you can watch the entire post-game conference.

Texas A&M will return to face LSU at Reed Arena on Jan. 18 at 7:30 p.m. CST. The game can be watched on SEC Network.

Here are the best photos from No. 10 Texas A&M’s 81-69 loss to No. 8 Kentucky

View some best photos from Texas A&M’s rough 81-69 road loss to Kentucky

Tuesday night was one of the worst Texas A&M basketball performances I have ever seen this year. The loss drops the Aggies to 2-2 in conference play and will need to return to the drawing board to get back on track.

The biggest issue has been at the free throw line and because of how A&M plays offense they get numerous opportunities at the line. For the second consecutive game, the Aggies shot under 65%, and if they had just shot their average of 70% it would have been a much different game.

They also have to find an offensive identity while they are waiting for Wade Taylor to return from injury. Outside of Pharrel Payne, they are struggling to score and relying too much on one-on-one ball.

Here are the best photos from Saturday night’s game.

Texas A&M will return to face LSU at Reed Arena on Jan. 18 at 7:30 p.m. CST. The game can be watched on SEC Network.

Here are the best photos from No. 10 Texas A&M’s 94-88 loss to No. 5 Alabama

View some best photos from Texas A&M’s rough 94-88 home loss to Alabama

A commendable trait of the Texas A&M basketball team is their relentless effort; they play hard for all 40 minutes. Conversely, their most frustrating aspect is their inconsistency in making jump shots from any position on the court.

Saturday night revealed the team’s difficulties at a critical time. The Aggies recorded 22.2% from beyond the three-point arc, made only four shots, and missed 20 free throws, achieving under 60% overall.

One could reasonably say that had they converted one additional three-pointer and shot at least 65% from the free-throw line, then the Aggies could have defeated a top 5 team.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be, and they must now move on and focus on their next game against another top-ten Kentucky team. Here are the best photos from Saturday night’s game.

Texas A&M will return to face No. 6 Kentucky at Rupp Arena on Jan. 14 at 6:00 p.m. CST. The game can be watched on ESPN2.

Men’s basketball coach Buzz Williams says that Texas A&M SG Hayden Hefner ‘is an assassin’

“You can’t judge a book by its cover. ‘H’ is an assassin. He’s going to do exactly what he’s supposed to do. I have great respect for him.”

It’s safe to say that Texas A&M men’s basketball head coach Buzz Williams is a member of the Hayden Hefner fan club.

In typical Buzz fashion, he was brutally honest about the graduate student shooting guard following an 80-60 victory versus Texas in the conference opener Saturday at Reed Arena.

“Probably the least talented player that played in the Lone Star Showdown, but it’s hard to grade guts,” Williams said of Hefner. “He’s got big guts.”

Then Monday, Williams provided massive praise for Hefner on “The Aggie Basketball Hour.”

“He’s not the same person from when he got here to today,” Williams explained. “You can’t judge a book by its cover. ‘H’ is an assassin. He’s going to do exactly what he’s supposed to do. I have great respect for him.”

The No. 9 Aggies face off against No. 16 Oklahoma tonight at 8 p.m. from the Lloyd Noble Center on the SEC Network.

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“We’re appreciative of all their support” Texas A&M HC Buzz Williams recognizes the 12th Man in big win

“I think this will be a rarity” Texas A&M HC knows 20-point wins will not be commonplace in the SEC

Over the years, coach Buzz Williams has been criticized for consistency issues with the Texas A&M basketball team. However, this season, after a tough non-conference schedule, they have embraced who they are as a team, and it shows in every single game.

The SEC is going to be a gauntlet, and 20-point wins will be the exception rather than the rule. Buzz understands this, and while it’s great for morale, he knows his team needs to stay grounded to be successful in the long run.

“I think it’ll be rare. I wasn’t saying any of that from a motivational standpoint.”

“That’s how thin the margin is. It shows how elite the league has been going into one. I think this will be a rarity.”

He also praised one of the game’s unsung heroes, Aggie mainstay Hayden Hefner, who has made some notable plays this season and hit a few big shots in Saturday’s win.

“(Hefner) is accepting. He doesn’t have to be here. He has already graduated. He’s here because he cares.”

“He cares about our group and has a burning desire to have success. … His nature is so giving.”

Below, you can watch the entire post-game conference.

Texas A&M will go on the road to face Oklahoma at Lloyd Noble Center on Jan. 8 at 8:00 p.m. CST. The game can be watched on SEC Network.

“I’ve never witnessed anything like that….” Texas A&M’s Pharrel Payne speaks on atmosphere at Reed Arena

“I was really excited to get in here and play” Hefner was ready for the Lone Star Rivalry

What a way for Texas A&M to open up conference play against rival Texas by storming back in the second half en route to an 80-60 win in front of a packed Reed Arena.

Major props have to be given to the crowd that showed up despite school not being back in session yet. The atmosphere was electric, and at times, it was extremely difficult to hear the play-by-play. It was a big factor in keeping the energy high, and it was very visible how the team fed off the student section.

“I’ve never witnessed anything like that. It was so exciting to play in that game.” – Pharrel Payne

“I knew it was going to be a pretty lively environment. Growing up, I didn’t watch it too much… I was really excited to get in here and play.” – Hayden Hefner

Fifth-year senior Hayden Hefner played a significant role in hitting some clutch shots, stifling any chance at a Longhorn comeback. He knows he must take advantage of the opportunities and answer when his number is called.

“Controlling my energy, controlling what I can control and doing whatever it takes to win.”

Below, you can watch the entire post-game conference.

Texas A&M will go on the road to face Oklahoma at Lloyd Noble Center on Jan. 8 at 8:00 p.m. CST. The game can be watched on SEC Network.

Instant reaction to Texas A&M basketball’s win 77-45 over Houston Christian

Hayden Hefner leads the Aggies past HCU in a 32-point victory at Reed Arena on Friday afternoon

Texas A&M (10-2) reaches double-digit wins on the season beating Houston Christian (4-8) 77-45 at Reed Arena Friday afternoon.

The Aggies didn’t come out as clean as they should have, and it took them until about the five-minute mark before they took hold of the game. They shot the ball well but committed too many fouls allowing HCU twelve free-throw opportunities with them hitting eight. On the other end, A&M only shot a single free throw in the entire first half.

One reason for the slow start can be attributed to the fact that Wade Taylor IV did not suit up. This is the first time in his Aggie career that he’s missed a game, and it showed early. However, Hayden Hefner picked up the slack scoring 13 of his game-high 19 points in the first half to take a 35-23 lead into the locker room.

The second half was the brand of basketball we have become accustomed to seeing this season with A&M playing tight defense forcing contested shots and dominating the boards. Pharrel Payne and Manny Obaseki also woke up offensively for a combined 23 points and 12 rebounds. A&M easily pulled away in the half for a 32-point win in front of the home crowd at Reed Arena.

GAME NOTES:

Hayden Hefner led all scorers with 19
The Aggies out rebounded HCU 52-25
47% FG / 41% 3PT / 60% FT

Texas A&M will return home to face Abilene Christian at Reed Arena on Dec. 28 at 3:00 p.m. CST. The game can be watched on the SEC Network.

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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Hayden Hefner proclaims Texas A&M has the ‘best shot of making a run’ this upcoming season

“That helps the coaches out because we already know the system. We can teach these young guys more as the coaches are trying to teach.”

Guard Hayden Hefner is back in College Station for a fifth-year, and he has high hopes for the Texas A&M men’s basketball team this season.

“I feel like this is our best shot of making a run and doing things really well just because of the experience we have,” Hefner said Tuesday. “I know that’s a thing people talked about last year, but really, returning like 75% of the guys who played last year. Being able to have that really helps the coaches out because we already know the system. We can teach these young guys more as the coaches are trying to teach.

“That allows us to make up more ground as the season goes on. We’re better prepared at the preseason level and at the non-conference level to understand what we’re aiming for as an identity at a much faster pace than maybe in the past.”

The No. 13 Aggies begin the 2024-25 campaign against the team that ended their NCAA Tournament run in March, No. 4 Houston, on Oct. 27 at 4 p.m. CT

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