Tag: Hayden Hefner

Buzz Williams, Wade Taylor IV, and Hayden Hefner speak after No. 15 Texas A&M’s season-opening win vs. Texas A&M-Commerce

Hear what head coach Buzz Williams, Wade Taylor IV, and Hayden Hefner had to say after Texas A&M’s 78-46 win vs. Texas A&M Commerce.

No. 15 Texas A&M (1-0) opened up the season in front of the second biggest crowd on opening day for Aggie Basketball in team program history with a dominating 78-46 victory over the Texas A&M-Commerce Lions (0-1).

Right off the bat, head coach Buzz Williams’ talented and now very deep squad had their sloppy moments in the first half but completely dominated on the boards, holding a 19-7 rebound advantage at one point while finishing with a 47-25 advantage.

Leading the scoring efforts, junior guard and preseason SEC Player of the Year Wade Taylor IV was on his game from start to finish, scoring 16 points, including 4-7 from 3-point, while surprisingly, junior guard Hayden Hefner, known more as a pure shooter, lit up the scoreboard in the paint and beyond the arc, scoring a game-high 19 points on 7-11 from the field, and 3-6 from 3-point.

Standing out the most is the Aggies’ depth, specifically transfer guards Jace Carter (8 points) and Eli Lawrence (11 points), who have already shown their potential impact in 2023.

After the game, Buzz Williams, alongside Wade Taylor IV and Hayden Hefner, spoke to the media to reflect on the win as they prepare to head to Columbus (OH) to face Ohio State on Friday night.

Lastly, please, if you can, donate to Texas A&M-Commerce head coach Jaret von Rosenberg’s GoFundMe, which was created in response after his wife suffered a stroke early last month and requires monetary aid through her various stages of rehabilitation.

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.

Post Game Recap: No. 15 Texas A&M opens up the season with a dominant 78-46 win over Texas A&M Commerce

The 15th ranked Aggies took care of business at home beating Texas A&M Commerce convincingly in their season opener.

No. 15 Texas A&M (1-0) opened up the season in front of the second biggest crowd on opening day for Aggie Basketball in team program history with a dominating victory over the Texas A&M Commerce Lions (0-1).

Texas A&M Commerce came to play early, pressing the ball and giving the Aggies a little bit of trouble early. After jumping out to a 20-9 lead, right when it looked like the game would get out of hand, A&M went on an 11-1 run to pull within one point halfway through the first half.

Buzz Williams saw enough of the lethargic play and used time to refocus his team. Whatever he told his guys worked as they turned up the defensive pressure and closed out the first half on a blistering run out, scoring Commerce 21-7 to go into the locker room with a 41-27 lead.

Hayden Hefner and Tyrece Radford lead the team in points with 10 and 9, while Wade Taylor IV looks just as smooth as he did last year, contributing 8 points, four rebounds, and four assists with limited minutes.

The second half was where we saw the Aggies’ depth and talent start to wear down the Lions. In signature Buzz Williams fashion, a high-energy Aggie basketball team took the court in the second half and looked every bit like a top 15 team in the nation.

Texas A&M was able to keep the Lions scoreless for almost three minutes as they built a 20-point lead, letting Buzz stay dry, keeping his jacket on, and getting his bench players some PT. With Taylor and Radford getting some rest this game, Hefner and Senior transfer guard Eli Lawrence took over the scoring duties.

Hefner finished the night as the leading scorer with a career-high 19 points on an efficient 7-10 shooting with three 3-pointers. Lawrence scored 11 points off the bench, which was good enough for third-best behind Taylor and his 16-point effort. The 6’7″ sophomore Solomon Washington also had a strong game, hitting double-digits with 10 points and seven rebounds.

Overall, after the first game of the season against an under-matched opponent, the Aggies passed almost with flying colors. There was a moment in the first half where the team became extremely sluggish before coach Buzz called a timeout to get them back in line. The second was the poor free throw shooting for the team as a whole, considering how well they shot the ball last year from the charity stripe.

Those are minor issues you might see early in the season and should get cleaned up as they get closer to SEC play. This deep and talented group looks like a hungry team that’s not taking any opponent for granted this year, and we can wait to be a part of the journey to the tournament.

NOTE: Julius Marble was not seen suited up, and once tip-off came, he was not on the sideline. This wasn’t too much of a surprise as Buzz Williams said Marble would be away from the team due to a “university process” situation.

Texas A&M will be back in action on Nov. 10 when they travel to Columbus to take on Ohio 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 Jarrett Johnson on Twitter: @whosnextsports1.

The Aggies open up their 2022 basketball season by defeating Louisiana Monroe 87-54

The Aggies open up their 2022 basketball season defeating by Louisiana Monroe 87-4

The Aggies couldn’t have asked for a better season-opening win in one of their most important seasons under 4th-year head coach Buzz Williams, defeating the Louisana Monroe Warkhawks 87-54 on Monday night.

In the first game without former star guard, and 2021 leader Quenton Jackson, the starting lineup included returning starters Tyrece Radford, Wade Taylor IV, Henry Coleman, Witchita State transfer Dexter Dennis, and freshman Solomon Washington.

From start to finish, the Aggies showed consistency on offense and were lethal from beyond the arc, shooting an impressive 46 % from 3-point range while hitting 12 3’s, while starting guard Wade Talyor IV (18 points, 4-6 from 3) showed great improvement as a shooter and should be a go-to offensive threat from the outside as the season progresses. Witchita State transfer Dexter Dennis had a solid debut, shooting 4-6 for 11 points and 3-4 from three, the second most on the night behind Taylor IV. While shooting 50.8 percent from the field, the Aggies outrebounded the Warhawks 47-36, while mounting a 38-point lead during their second-half run.

Led by junior forward Henry Coleman III, the Aggies’ inside game began to pick up in the second half, scoring 6 of his 11 points after the break, while Michigan State transfer forward Julius Marble also contributed 6 points in the paint, as the two will continue to jell down the stretch to eventually become a feared duo.

Fan favorite Hayden Hefner (12 points, 2-5 3-point) and Manny Obaseki (4-6, 10 points) showed just how deep Buzz Williams’s roster truly is, as the latter Obaseki will most likely join the starting lineup down the stretch as the former 5-star continues to increase his level of play as the season ramps up. All in all, the team did its job and blew out an inferior opponent, while showing that they belong in the conversation for one of the better teams in the SEC, and the country at large. Gig ’em.

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