As Texas A&M marches toward its tournament run we look back at the regular season roster that propelled the Aggies to success in ’22-23.
Texas A&M enters the month of March after a superb regular season that saw the Aggies finish 23-8 overall and 15-3 in the SEC, good for second place in the conference. As compensation for their success this year the Aggies enter the SEC tournament as the top-tier threat to dethrone Alabama, while they also await to hear their name called on Selection Sunday. The latter is arguably a given at this point.
With regular season celebrations in the rearview mirror, it’s now full steam ahead with focus and energy toward tournament season. But before the madness of March ensues, it’s worth a look back on the 14-man roster that propelled Texas A&M to a stellar season.
We break down each player’s 2022-23 stats below, as well as recap with a quick analysis:
The Aggies are arguably the SEC’s biggest threat heading into the tournament with a key statistical advantage at their disposal
Texas A&M may have been the surprise team of the SEC in the regular season, but it’s no secret that the Aggies are on everyone’s radar as they approach the SEC tournament. While Alabama is the top seed in the bracket, we’ve witnessed the Aggies slay that dragon just this past weekend in their 67-61 victory in the regular season finale.
What are the odds that Texas A&M can dethrone the Crimson Tide once more should they meet for the SEC title? If they lean into a key strength like they did this past Saturday, chances are we’ll see this movie play out once more.
One of the advantages in the Aggies’ back pocket is their knack for both getting to the free throw line at will, as well as converting those opportunities. In a college basketball landscape where the offensive and defensive rating is at the top of everyone’s minds, free throw efficiency tends to be easily glossed over.
Texas A&M ranks third in the country in free throw rate (25.4 attempts per game) and when they can knock down those shots it serves as an easy foil to any defense. Look no further than Saturday’s win over Alabama, as the Aggies converted 27-of-28 free throws and kept the Crimson Tide’s defense honest in guarding the paint.
It doesn’t matter how stout or formidable your defense is, you will end up paying the price when slashers like Wade Taylor, Dexter Dennis, Tyrese Radford, and Henry Coleman enforce their will in the paint. What should not go unnoticed is that Radford and Taylor were both perfect from the charity stripe against Alabama in the regular season finale, going 10-for-10.
When the shot isn’t falling or if the offensive rhythm is in a funk, there’s no better medicine than converting easy opportunities at the free-throw line.
The Aggies are still waiting to see who stands in their way ahead of Friday’s quarterfinals matchup, but it’s clear a rematch with Alabama could be in the works. Whether it’s the Crimson Tide or another SEC foe in the headlights, Texas A&M’s aptitude for the charity stripe should serve them well moving forward.
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Hear what Aggies forward Henry Coleman III had to say ahead of Texas A&M’s Wednesday night rematch vs. the visiting Arkansas Razorbacks
Texas A&M (18-7, 10-2 SEC) is preparing to take on the visiting Arkansas Razorbacks on Wednesday night in a rematch from their first meeting on Jan. 31st, where the Aggies fell 81-70 in frustrating fashion. Winners of their last three games, Head coach Buzz Williams has his team or their best shape both mentally and physically to take on the final stretch of the regular season, their toughest portion of the schedule all season.
Coming off of their 12-point 74-62 victory over the LSU Tigers on the road last Saturday, sophomore guard Wade Taylor IV scored a game-high 23 points going 5-8 from 3-point land, followed by 13 points from guard Dexter Dennis, who went 3-5 from deep as both players hit all 8 three-pointers on the night.
The Razorbacks are three days removed from their 70-64 home loss against Mississippi State, falling to 6-6 in the SEC, needing to most likely go .500 or better in the conference in order to reach the NCAA Tournament.
Before the game, forward Henry Coleman III spoke to the local media to preview the matchup, while giving a brief glimpse ahead into the latter half of the regular season heading into March. Here is what he had to say.
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In the return of “Buzz Ball”, a term coined from Aggies head coach Buzz Williams’ defensive scheme that requires consistent effort and defensive intensity needed for 40 minutes every game, Texas A&M came into the Sullivan Athletic Center on Black Friday to face the 3-2 DePaul Deamon Deacons the hope to reestablish said defensive identity.
After their 67-51 win against Loyola Chicago on Sunday, Buzz Williams knew that in order to increase early scoring, develop an offensive rhythm, and play sufficient defense throughout, the offensive needed to run through Tyrece “Boots” Radford, while having players like Wade Taylor IV continue coming off the bench. Let me tell ya, that plan worked to perfection on Friday afternoon, as Radford scored a career-high 31 points, while Wade Taylor IV notched 21 and 6 of the team’s steals. Radford’s offensive leadership and steadfast scoring effort continued late, as the senior scored 11 of the team’s final 13 points in the second half.
The Aggies held the lead the entire first half after going up 5-0, holding a 38-27 lead at the half. Henry Coleman III was third on the team in scoring with 12 points, 3 rebounds, and 6 assists, and was an impressive 11-13 from the free throw line, while the team went 25-31 (80.6%) from the charity stripe.
The defense, led by Wade Taylor IV’s 6 first-half steals was stifling throughout, limiting the Demon Deacons to 26% shooting and 28% from 3-point, while forcing 15 turnovers.
After reaching an admirable 4-2 on the season, Texas A&M will return to Reed Arena to face SMU on Wednesday, Nov. 30th at 7:00 PM CT., which will be aired on SEC+/ESPN+.
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Head coach Buzz Williams’ Press Conference after Aggies’ defeat Abilene Christian 77-58
On Friday night, the 2022 Texas A&M Basketball squad defeated Abilene Christian by the score of 77-58, as the Aggies move to 2-0 on the young season, as they have begun to find their identity as a cohesive unit on offense and defense.
In two games so far this season, starting guard Wade Taylor IV has emerged as the go-to scoring threat, leading the team in points for the second game in a row with 21, while shooting a perfect 3-3 from 3-point. Henry Coleman III had 13-points and an 11-rebound double-double, while Dexter Dennis and Tyrece Radford both accounted for 13 points on the night in what was a very balanced scoring attack for the starting 5.
After the game, head coach Buzz Williams, Henry Coleman III, and Wade Taylor IV spoke to the media to discuss the win, as the team looks towards their upcoming matchup with Murray State in the Myrtle Beach Invitational starting next Thursday.
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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Texas A&M Basketball Head coach Buzz Williams, Tyrece Radford, and Henry Coleman speak at SEC Media Days on Wednesday
Texas A&M is merely a few weeks away from the start of the 2022-2023 College Basketball season, getting ready for their exhibition game against Texas A&M-Kingsville on Nov. 4th, while their season officially opens on Nov. 7th against Louisiana Monroe at Reed Arena.
On Wednesday, head coach Buzz Williams, senior point guard Tyrece Radford, and junior forward Henry Coleman represented the Aggies at SEC Media Days in Birmingham, Alabama., where a flurry of questions was asked surrounding the expectations for the team this season after their 27-13 finish and appearance in the NIT title game in 2021, and how the team will deal with the loss of star guard Quenton Jackson, who departed for the NBA at seasons end.
And to no ones surprise, Williams was later asked about his publicized comments in March lasting a full 8 minutes towards the NCAA Tournament Selections Committee after being wrongfully snubbed on selection night, yet the evidence is still clear that Texas A&M belonged in the tournament after consecutive wins over Florida, Arkansas, and Auburn, while falling to Tennessee in the SEC finals simply due to attrition.
Here are the top quotes from head coach Buzz Williams, Tyrece Radford, and Henry Coleman.
SEC announces Aggie Basketball representatives for upcoming media days
College basketball season is upon us, and two weeks from now, head coach Buzz Williams and the 2022 Texas A&M Basketball squad will be well represented at the upcoming SEC Media Days set for October 18th & 19th, as the team is looking to finally break through the glass ceiling and make their first NCAA Tournament appearance under Williams after being wrongfully snubbed towards the end of the last season.
The Aggies are returning almost their entire 2021 roster, with the most obvious loss being guard Quenton Jackson, who along with guard Tyrece Radford and forward Henry Coleman helped lead the team to the SEC Tournament final, the NIT Final, and a 27-13 record, their most wins in program history.
Coincidentally, Tyrece Radford and Henry Coleman will serve as the team representatives alongside Buzz Williams, coming as no surprise as both will be counted on produce at a high rate this coming season.
For the Women, the team is entering their first season after Legendary head coach Gary Blair’s last season with the program, and new head coach Joni Taylor is slated to take the podium on opening day at 4:20 p.m CT. Announced on Wednesday morning, the player representatives will be forward, Aaliyah Patty and center, Sydnee Roby.
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Things haven’t been great for LSU on the hardwood lately. Just a couple weeks ago, they were 15-1, fighting for a one seed.
Now, they’ve lost three in a row and are below .500 in conference play. Things have been better.
Their last win came on Jan. 12 at Florida. It’s LSU’s lone win since losing Xavier Pinson against Tennessee.
It doesn’t sound like Pinson will be back when LSU hits the court against Texas A&M on Wednesday night. To make matters worse, LSU could also be without Darius Days.
Without Pinson and Days, LSU is a completely different team. Those are two guys with a lot of experience. They’re also guys that can get hot shooting the 3-ball, something LSU doesn’t have a lot of this year.
Texas A&M’s defense is good. If LSU really struggles on offense again, they could lose this game.
The injuries to Pinson and Days have made what was supposed to be the easy part of the schedule a bit more challenging.
This will be the first opponent not in the top 40 LSU has faced in over a month. It’ll also be a welcome trip back home after the environments LSU had to play in last week.
Like LSU, Texas A&M is also 15-4. It’s just come against a much easier schedule.
A&M just has two wins against top 100 teams. A win over Notre Dame in December and a win over Arkansas earlier this month.
They’re coming off back-to-back losses to Kentucky and Arkansas. A&M held their own in both games, losing by just a combined nine points.
The Aggies don’t have an elite scorer, but they have three players averaging in the double-digits per night. Senior guard Quenton Jackson is their leading scorer with 12.6 points per contest.
Duke transfer Henry Coleman is one of the better big men in the conference and will present a challenge for LSU down low.
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Prediction
I think LSU gets the win here, but it might be closer than people think.
With the NBA trade deadline approaching, there may be some swaps of picks in the 2021 NBA Draft, which is considered to be a strong class.
With the NBA trade deadline approaching, there may be some swaps of picks in the 2021 NBA Draft, which is considered to be a strong class.
Now that the rosters for the McDonald’s All-American Game have been announced and the Hoophall Classic is complete, top prospects are emerging as future stars in the league.
This list does not include any of the top international prospects who will likely be selected in 2020 like Killian Hayes and Theo Maledon. It also does not mention any of the top returning players in the nation as it will be unclear who will opt to play in the NBA and it is still tough to predict at this point.
Instead, it offers an introduction to the current high school seniors and the international
All statistics are updated through February 3, 2020 and are pulled from D1Circuit.com, MaxPreps and RealGM unless stated otherwise.
1. Cade Cunningham, Oklahoma State (Committed)
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Guard, 6-foot-7, 18 years old, Montverde Academy (Florida)
Cade Cunningham is currently the anchor for Montverde Academy, which is being called the best high school team of all-time. They are currently ranked as the top school in the nation. The point forward is so good that an NBA scout recently told Yahoo’s Krysten Peek he would likely be the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft if he were eligible. That indicates he might already be the best player who is not currently in the league. For proof: Cunningham averaged 18.0 points and 8.5 assists per 36 minutes at the U19 World Cup, trailing just one player for total assists (40) during the tournament. With his size and his playmaking ability, he is already showing flashes of becoming a future franchise cornerstone.
2. Jalen Green, Uncommitted
(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Guard, 6-foot-5, 17 years old, Prolific Prep (California)
Jalen Green is an incredibly explosive athlete who has improved as a shooter over the past few years as well. The scorer has become a more consistent and reliable option on the floor, offering an attacking mentality that will continue to develop as his competition continues. One of his crowning achievements thus far: He took home tournament MVP during the U17 World Cup in 2018, leading the United States to the gold medal behind 15.7 points per game. He averaged 7.7 three-pointers per 40 minutes during this competition, showing he is a fearless shooter. His natural stroke from the free-throw line shows that his three-point percentage will likely increase within time, too.
3. Evan Mobley, USC (Committed)
Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Big, 7-foot-0, 18 years old, Rancho Christian (California)
Evan Mobley was 2019’s Gatorade Player of the Year in California and came into the summer as the highest-rated player on RSCI, which compiles all of the rankings on recruiting sites like 247 Sports and Rivals. The versatile big brags a 7-foot-5 wingspan with a 40-inch vertical leap, a rare measurement combination. He has recently been listed as a small forward, however, which Sports Illustrated’s Jeremy Woo says “points to the dissonance” between his current identity and the best eventual fit in the NBA for someone his size. Still, there is arguably more to like about Mobley’s potential than that of 2020 projected lottery big man James Wiseman.
4. Scottie Barnes, Florida State (Committed)
Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Forward, 6-foot-8, 18 years old, Montverde Academy (Florida)
Scottie Barnes currently plays alongside Cunningham at Montverde Academy and has a lot to offer as he continues to develop. He is a stat-sheet stuffer capable of putting up impressive lines for points and rebounds as well as assists. Like Cunningham, he has a point-forward mentality which is elevated by the fact that he is also measured with an incredible 9-foot-1 standing reach. Barnes can be a plug-and-play option for almost any team on both offense and defense in the NCAA and eventually in the NBA. That was an especially attractive trait for him for Team USA in the U19 World Cup, where he was a strong facilitator from the elbow. He assisted on 16.8 percent of scores for his team when he was on the floor despite never acting as his offense’s primary playmaker.
5. Ziaire Williams, Uncommitted
(Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
Wing, 6-foot-8, 18 years old, Sierra Canyon (California)
Ziaire Williams is currently playing high school basketball at the high-profile Sierra Canyon. While he had to sit out the first few months of his senior year because of transfer rules, he has been a force to be reckoned with already. But that was no surprise for those who have followed the prospect. Williams led his AAU team (which also briefly included the aforementioned 2021 projected lottery pick Jalen Green) in points as well as rebounds and assists per game on the U17 circuit. The prospect has shown he is an above-average finisher near the rim, which will be important as he continues his growth. The Stepien’s Ross Homan also believes Williams can become the best shooter in this class. It will be fascinating to monitor his collegiate decision as he is the highest-rated recruit without an NCAA commitment yet.
