Tag: Houston Cougars Basketball

Despite losing to Houston in the round of 32, Andersson Garcia’s game tying 3-pointer will be remembered forever

Texas A&M’s tournament run may be over, but Andersson Garcia’s game tying 3-pointer will forever live in out memories.

Texas A&M’s (21-15) 2023-2024 season ended after falling to the No. 1-seed Houston Cougars on Sunday night, failing to complete what looked to be an epic comeback after taking the game to overtime.

With just 1:20 left in regulation, the Aggies battled back from their 82-71 deficit on the backs of Tyrece Radford, Wade Taylor IV, Manny Obaseki, and, most importantly, senior forward Andersson Garcia, who would go on to have his “one shining moment” at the buzzer.

Down 86-83 with 1.2 seconds on the clock, head coach Buzz Williams drew up a play that no one saw coming, as Radford inbounded to Garcia, who had only attempted 19 3-pointers on the year, quickly picked up the bounce pass at the top of the key, shooting what would become the most memorable shot in his playing career.

Fading away like a kid in his driveway shouting, “Kobe!” Garcia tied the game, causing an eruption from the crowd. He immediately placed his hands over his face, cemented on the ground while being tackled by his Aggie teammates in the process.

Sending the game into overtime, Houston, led by elite point guard Jamal Shead (21 points, ten assists) and Emmanuel Sharp (30 points, 7-10 3-point), continued to make shots while the Aggies failed to take advantage of the moment, eventually falling 100-95.

In contrast, a wave of disappointment briefly took over the A&M sideline. Still, despite the loss to one of the best teams in the country, Andersson Garcia’s Texas A&M career won’t just be remembered for setting the new program rebounding record.

While the Aggies can undoubtedly learn from the defeat, primarily caused by the 16 missed free throws coupled with a bad shooting night from Wade Taylor IV, the NCAA Tournament is beautiful and cruel. After falling in the first round last season, almost defeating a championship favorite is undoubtedly a step in the right direction heading into next season.

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Best Photos: Texas A&M’s 100-95 loss in overtime to Houston – NCAA Tournament – Second Round

Here are the best photos from Texas A&M’s 100-95 overtime loss to Houston in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Texas A&M (21-15, 9-9 SEC) took No. 1 Houston (32-4, 15-3 Big 12) to the wire and then some before running out of magic late in the overtime.

This game will be fresh on the minds of Aggies fans for the next few years as one of the most nerve-racking games in recent history.  After a pretty tight game through early in the second half, Houston slowly started to pull away as the clock rolled into the one-minute mark. Then a little bit of the Olsen Magic found its way into FedEx Forum via smothering defense and a big three-point shot from Andersson Garcia to send the game into overtime.

However, once in overtime, the Aggies could not hit enough shots to take a lead. even after a poor showing on the offensive side, they were able to give themselves a fighting chance late. They played hard and never gave up, but this loss will keep them out of the Sweet Sixteen for yet another year.

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PREVIEW: Texas A&M men’s basketball team will attempt to shock the nation vs. top seed Houston in March Madness

“Wade is the best point guard in the country,” said Jace Carter. “We’re not going to look away from him. He’s our quarterback we roll with.”

The Texas A&M men’s basketball team faces another university from the Lone Star State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament South region on Sunday night in Memphis.

The No. 9 Aggies (21-14) will play No. 1 Houston (31-4), who narrowly defeated Texas A&M 70-66 earlier this season on Dec. 16 at the Toyota Center.

“It felt like playing last night in the Nebraska Super Bowl,” head coach Buzz Williams recalled Saturday about the December matchup. “When you have some prior information it’s helpful. We still try to maintain the same groove, rhythm, routine in prep.”

Senior forward Henry Coleman III believes the Aggies will present the Cougars with a new look on Sunday.

“Roles are a little bit different,” Coleman said. “Guys knew their roles, but we’re a little bit better.”

Junior guard Wade Taylor VI has been locked in throughout the postseason, scoring at least 20 points in each game, including a game-high 25 during a dominant first round win against Nebraska. Taylor’s teammates believe in him too.

“Wade is the best point guard in the country,” proclaimed junior guard Jace Carter. “We’re not going to look away from him. He’s our quarterback. We roll with him.”

Texas A&M plays Houston on Sunday at 7:40 p.m. CST on TNT.

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Houston HC Kelvin Sampson praises the Aggies ahead of Texas A&M vs. Houston in the round of 32

Ahead of Texas A&M’s round of 32 matchup vs. No. 1-seed Houston, the Cougars head coach knows Aggies will be a tough out

9-seed Texas A&M’s 98-83 win over the 8-seed Nebraska Cornhuskers in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday night wasn’t a fluke by any means. Just hours after the Aggies’ resounding victory, No. 1-seed Houston destroyed 16-seed Longwood, setting up a round-of-32 rematch between both programs.

A&M’s ascendance from losing five consecutive conference games to reeling off five straight wins to finish off the regular season is built around the guard play of the team’s elite trio, led by Wade Taylor IV and Tyrece Radford. In comparison, junior guard Manny Obaseki’s 128 points in the Aggies’ last seven games have singlehandedly changed the program’s identity for the better.

Knowing what’s in front of them ahead of Sunday night’s matchup, Cougars head coach Kelvin Sampson wasn’t shy in expressing just how much of a challenge Texas A&M presents.

“If you look at the SEC right now, probably the best team in the SEC right now is Texas A&M. They’re a team that can get to the Final Four. They’re that good.”

Look, I know that this may sound like, as former Alabama head coach Nick Saban used to say, “rat poison,” but remember that the Aggies, without Tyrece Radford coupled with Obaseki’s lack of playing time, nearly beat the Cougars on the road behind Wade Taylor IV’s 34 points, losing 70-66 back in December.

While the SEC has performed poorly in the NCAA Tournament this year, Texas A&M, Tennesee, and Alabama are the last three programs remaining after two days of play.

Where does Texas A&M hold an advantage on paper? Rebounding. Averaging 42 rebounds per game, only second in the country to Arizona, A&M’s forward rotation of Solomon Washington, Andersson Garcia, Henry Coleman, and Wildens Leveque will need to make an impact early and often.

The match between 9-seed Texas A&M and 1-seed Houston is set for 7:40 p.m. CT and will air on TNT on Sunday, March 24.

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Game time for No. 9-seed Texas A&M’s round of 32 matchup vs. No. 1-seed Houston has been announced

After defeating Nebraska in the first round, the Aggies will now face the No. 1-seeded Houston Cougars on Sunday night

Texas A&M is on to the round of 32 in the 2024 NCAA Tournament after thoroughly defeating Nebraska 98-83 on Friday night. However, it isn’t any easier here. The Aggies will now face No. 1-seed Houston on Sunday night. The Cougars are coming off a 40-point victory over Longwood in round one.

It’s been a wild ride for the Aggies thus far, who, just a month ago, were on the cusp of missing out on the big dance after enduring a miserable five-game losing streak, but after the emergence of junior guard Manny Obaseki, who has now scored nearly 130 points in his A&M’s last eight games, including 22 points against the Cornhuskers.

Joining his brilliance, fellow star junior guard Wade Taylor IV led the game with 25 points, including shooting 7-10 from 3-point range. In comparison, senior guard Tyrece Radford netted an efficient 20 points and 10 rebounds on the night while consistently attacking the basket at will.

Shooting an insane 56.5% (13-23) from deep, this type of elite shooting performance won’t happen tonight, especially against the No. 1-scoring defense in the country, as the Cougars limit opponents to an average of 56.7 points per game.

Hey, this is March, when anything can happen, so buckle up and make your plans now, as Texas A&M vs. Houston is set for 7:40 p.m. CT. and will air on TNT on Sunday, March 24.

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Best Photos: Texas A&M’s 98-83 win over Nebraska – NCAA Tournament – First Round

Here are the best photos from Texas A&M’s huge 93-83 win over Nebraska in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

A milestone has been reached as Coach Buzz Williams gets his first NCAA Tournament as the head coach of Texas A&M. The Aggies defeated Nebraska 98-83 behind star guard Wade Taylor IV’s 25 points, including 7 3-pointers. It’s a great story because this was the first season since Buzz took over, and it seemed like he was on the chopping block for most of the season.

Then, in typical Buzz Williams fashion, he gets his team back on track at just the right time to make a run and put them back in the conversation as one of the teams to beat.

Their handling of the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the first round has earned them a rematch against the No. 1 seed Houston Cougars. The game earlier this year was a hard- battle with Houston fought, squeaking out a four-point victory. However, this time, the Aggies will be better prepared, with Tyrece Radford available after missing the first game. Also, Manny Obaseki has come on as of late, scoring double-digits in multiple games at the back end of the season.

That game will take place on Sunday, March 24 in Memphis

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Texas comes up short in overtime vs. Houston, 76-72

The recurring theme of the Texas basketball season following a close Houston loss is “too little, too late.”

Texas gave a valiant effort against the Houston Cougars on Monday night. Like too many times in the young season, the Longhorns came up just short.

Houston built a sizable lead early on in the game. The Cougars led by as many as 12 points in the first half and held a 41-30 lead early in the second half before the Longhorns battled their way back into the game.

After falling behind by 11 points with over 18 minutes left in the second half, Texas stormed back building as much as a 54-48 lead. Houston answered back with a 9-0 run taking a lead of its own.

The Longhorns fought to the end taking the game to overtime. The Cougars outlasted them.

The recurring theme of the game for Texas was consistently falling just short of success. On too many defensive possessions, the Longhorns allowed offensive rebounds and second opportunities. On too many offensive possessions, the team settled for bad shots that missed.

In the grand scheme of the season, the Houston game isn’t going to be what prevents Texas from reaching its goals. Nevertheless, early losses to West Virginia and UCF made this game of added importance. The Longhorns simply couldn’t get it done.

Point guard and top scorer Max Abmas led Texas with 20 points on the game. Starting forward Dillon Mitchell added 16 points followed by fellow forward Dylan Disu’s 14-point game.

The Longhorns will next travel to Fort Worth to face No. 25 TCU. They fall to 14-7 on the season.

Texas basketball takes on No. 4 Houston on Monday night

The Texas Longhorns look to bounce back from their BYU loss against Houston on Monday night.

We have Monday night basketball in Austin. The Texas Longhorns (14-6) take on the No. 4 Houston Cougars (18-2) on ESPN.

The Cougars are beatable though it won’t be an easy task. The team’s two losses came on the road in Big 12 play against Iowa State (16-4) and TCU (15-5). Since the two losses, Houston is on a four-game winning streak with home victories over Texas Tech, UCF and Kansas State and a seven-point road win over BYU.

Texas will see one familiar face from another Big 12 squad in the game. Baylor transfer L.J. Cryer leads the Houston scoring attack with 15.2 points per game on a 40.7% field goal percentage and 38.7% three point shooting rate. Fellow guards Jamal Shead and Emmanuel Sharp average double-digit points opposite Cryer.

The Longhorns are looking to bounce back from a loss on Saturday against the BYU Cougars in Provo, 84-72. Certainly, there’s a lot of basketball left, but Texas’ margin for error is thinner after the loss.

Undoubtedly, Texas will need to play better defense than it did in its last game against BYU. With a road trip to face Houston on the horizon, the Longhorns might need to capitalize on the opportunity to add a resumé-boosting victory at home.

Generally speaking, a 10-loss or less season is a good barometer for a successful year for Texas in college basketball. For the Longhorns, that means a 7-4 finish in Big 12 play after starting 3-4 in conference. In short, that kind of ending to the season is unlikely with a loss on Monday given that eight of the team’s remaining 11 games are against ranked opponents.

Reserve guard Chendall Weaver could play a role in a Texas upset. Weaver broke out against Oklahoma with an attacking double-digit scoring night off the bench. He followed an 11-point performance against Oklahoma with a 15-point game against BYU. With baskets seemingly hard to come by for the Texas offense at times, Weaver’s consistent points at the basket could provide the team a higher floor.

Texas will look to get to 15 wins on the season when the team takes on the Houston Cougars at 8 p.m. CT on ESPN.

Updated Big 12 Men’s Basketball Standings

Updated Big 12 standings.

The Big 12 has been a gauntlet this season. Even the highest-ranked teams in the conference have had their struggles, especially when going on the road.

Houston, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Baylor, the league’s four highest-ranked teams, have are a combined 12-8 this season. Houston is one of four teams in the conference without a road win.

It’s tough to win games in the best basketball conference in the country, especially on the road, where teams are a combined 10-25 this season.

Seven teams are currently within one game of first place in the conference and 13 of the 14 teams are within two games of first place in the Big 12. It’s going to be a wild six weeks in conference play and the Big 12 tournament is going to be must-see television.

Here’s a look at the latest Big 12 standings.

Oklahoma Sooners tumble in USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll

After losses to TCU and Kansas, the Oklahoma Sooners took a tumble in the latest USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.

It was a tough week for the Oklahoma Sooners on the hardwood, dropping road games to the TCU Horned Frogs and Kansas Jayhawks.

They lost each game by an average of 10.5 points and weren’t all that competitive down the stretch.

Still, the Sooners have a good team. They just have to figure out some of their second-half road issues. But after their 0-2 week, the Sooners dropped seven spots to No. 16 in the latest USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.

At 13-3, each of the teams the Sooners have lost to are currently ranked inside the top 25. North Carolina, who beat Oklahoma in the Jumpman Invitational in Charlotte, moved up four spots to No. 3 in the nation behind UConn at No. 1 and Purdue at No. 2. Kansas dropped one spot to No. 4 despite their win over Oklahoma after losing to UCF in Orlando earlier in the week.

TCU, who beat the Sooners on Wednesday and played Kansas to a two-point loss the Saturday before, moved into the top 25 to No. 22 in the nation in this week’s poll.

Houston, who entered last week as the last remaining unbeaten team, dropped three spots in the poll after losses to TCU and Iowa State this week. Baylor rose five spots to No. 9 in the nation.

The Sooners are one of eight Big 12 teams ranked in this week’s edition of the Coaches Poll. BYU is at No. 19, Iowa State entered the poll at No. 20, as did Texas Tech at No. 25.

The Oklahoma Sooners next take the floor Wednesday in Norman against the West Virginia Mountaineers.

A look at the full Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports:

Rank Team Record Points Change
1 UConn 15-2 785 +3
2 Purdue 15-2 762 -1
3 North Carolina 13-3 717 +4
4 Kansas 14-2 713 -1
5 Houston 14-2 619 -3
6 Duke 13-3 590 +5
7 Tennessee 12-4 574 -2
8 Wisconsin 13-3 533 +7
9 Baylor 14-2 523 +5
10 Kentucky 12-3 514 -4
11 Auburn 14-2 509 +5
12 Memphis 15-2 489 +1
13 Arizona 12-4 424 -5
14 Illinois 12-4 319 -4
15 Creighton 13-4 261 +5
16 Oklahoma 13-3 239 -7
17 Utah State 16-1 238 +6
18 Marquette 11-5 214 -6
19 BYU 13-3 174 -2
20 Iowa State 13-3 152 +9
21 Ole Miss 15-1 151 +2
22 TCU 13-3 150 +12
23 Dayton 13-2 130 +6
24 San Diego State 14-3 102 -5
25 Texas Tech 14-2 92 +11

Schools Dropped Out

Colorado State (18th), Gonzaga (21st), Clemson (22nd), FAU (25th)

Others Receiving Votes

Colorado State (81), FAU (67), Alabama (60), Seton Hall (40), Clemson (39), Grand Canyon (34), Texas (20), Nevada (14), Gonzaga (11), Oregon (10), N.C. State (9), Villanova (9), James Madison (8), Princeton (7), St. John’s (6), Florida State (4), Wake Forest (2), Nebraska (2), Florida (2), New Mexico (1), Indiana State (1)

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