Tag: Jayden Epps

Five ‘splash signings’ the Aggies can make in the transfer portal

With nearly every starter expected to return next season, there are still holes in Texas A&M’s roster, and the transfer portal presents plenty of intriguing options

Texas A&M finished off the 2022-2023 season with a memorable 25-10 record, a 15-3 finish in the SEC, a second consecutive appearance in the SEC Tournament Championship game, and their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2017.

Even though the Aggies fell to Penn State in the opening round of the tournament, Head coach Buzz Williams has continued to check boxes in his last two seasons, and the program has not been in better shape since he arrived in 2019.

From a roster perspective, three starters including Henry Coleman III, Julius Marble, and Wade Taylor IV, are slated to return, former Wichita State transfer Dexter Dennis will depart after one incredible season with the maroon and white, and his defensive presence will be sorely missed. Senior guard Tyrece “Boots” Radford also has the opportunity to return for a final season, yet his decision is still in flux, opening up a starting spot in the backcourt in need of added depth no matter how his decision plays out.

Referring back to Aggies Wire writer Pete Hernandez’s article detailing who Texas A&M should target in the transfer portal, perimeter shooting and an athletic wing defenders made up a majority of the list, and man oh man, are there some fascinating options in one of the more talented portals in quite some time.

This week, 247Sports writer Travis Branham ranked the Top 50 transfer portal players before the portal officially closes on May 11th, and for the Aggies to finally take the next step in competing for a championship next season, an “immediate impact” signing is needed to complete the roster and push Texas A&M towards contender status. With that, here are five players from Branham’s rankings that are realistic options for the Aggies in the next two months.

Could transfer portal guard Jayden Epps be a seamless fit with Texas A&M basketball?

Illinois combo guard Jayden Epps is the latest name to hit the transfer portal. Could the former 4-star recruit be a fit with the Aggies?

If you thought you could rest easy with Texas A&M men’s basketball heading into their offseason, think again because the transfer portal has rendered the college basketball landscape a 24/7 news cycle. Thankfully, we’ve got you covered here at Aggies Wire as the latest significant name to hit the portal has reportedly landed on A&M’s radar.

Illinois guard Jayden Epps officially entered the portal on Tuesday, and in a subsequent move that proved quicker than gossip, he’s already heard from more than a few noteworthy programs.

Per a report from Andrew Slater, Epps has been contacted by a dozen schools to date, including Georgetown, NC State, Virginia, Georgia, Wisconsin, Minnesota, DePaul, Pittsburgh, Auburn, LSU, Arkansas, and last but not least, Texas A&M.

The freshman guard, who was a former four-star recruit from the Class of 2022, would arguably command interest from any school based on name alone. But as it pertains to joining the Aggies, would he truly fit with this program, or is the thought of him coming to College Station simply wishful thinking?

Epps averaged 9.5 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.5 assists as the Fighting Illini (20-13) reached the 2023 NCAA Tournament, eventually falling 73-63 to Arkansas in the first round.

Though the Aggies will return All-SEC First Team guard Wade Taylor IV, the departure of Dexter Dennis and potentially Tyrece Radford means that the backcourt could benefit from some additional depth.

In 247Sports’ prospect profile, Jerry Meyer had this to say of the combo guard:

A physically well built combo guard at 6-2. Has a quick burst with strength giving him explosiveness in tight spaces. A polished three-level scorer with an old school efficient pull up game in the midrange. Long range shot must be respected. Strong driver especially going right. Loves to finish at rim with a one hand scoop lay up. Capable distributer as well. Strong and composed with the basketball. Rebounds his position well. Has quality lateral quickness and the ability to defend the one through the three.

The Aggies ranked third in the nation in free throw attempts per game (24.9), largely as a result of driving downhill and attacking the paint. Now pair Epps alongside Taylor and you have two versatile guards that can make defenses pay for reaching close to the basket. Simply put, that translates to “match made in heaven.”

His adaptability in being able to match up across both guards and wing players would also make him incredibly valuable in Buzz Williams’ rotation, as the departure of Dennis means the loss of his defensive prowess.

The portal officially opened on March 13 and runs through May 11, so there is still plenty of time for the Aggies to make corresponding moves. After reaching a second-consecutive SEC title game and subsequent NCAA Tournament appearance, expect the Maroon and White to be active via the portal as a means of building on their success from this past season.

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 Pete on Twitter: @PeteThreee

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Penn State, Jalen Pickett crush Illinois to stop losing streak

Jalen Pickett went off on Illinois to snap Penn State basketball’s losing streak.

Penn State’s offense was on full display at The Bryce Jordan Center on Tuesday night. They used their hot shooting night to beat Illinois 93-81.

This victory put a stop to the four-game losing streak Penn State had coming into the evening. The story of the game was [autotag]Jalen Pickett[/autotag].

After the loss to Maryland over the weekend, coach [autotag]Micah Shrewsberry[/autotag] put the spotlight on Pickett.

Frustrated with the lack of foul calls Pickett has been receiving, Shrewsberry said, “That kid is one of the best players in our league. He’s being treated unfairly.”

Pickett was red-hot in the first half. He looked to attack and get himself involved in the offense early.

He finished the first half with 24 points, shooting 10 of 12 from the floor and 4 of 6 from three.

Pickett also scored his 2,000th career point in the first half after hitting a three. This is a major milestone for the senior guard who is in his second season at Penn State.

The rest of the team followed their senior guard’s performance. Penn State shot 56% in the first half from both the field and three-point land.

After trailing at halftime in all four of their previous games, the Nittany Lions took a 53-40 lead into the locker room.

The hot shooting continued for Penn State.

Pickett finished with 41 points, shooting 15-20 from the field and 5-9 from three. This set the Bryce Jordan Center record for most points scored in a single game.

He also became the third men’s player to score 40 points in a game for Penn State, joining Gene Harris and Jesse Arnelle.

Guard [autotag]Seth Lundy[/autotag] added 15 points and seven rebounds. Freshman guard [autotag]Kanye Clary[/autotag] continued his run of good play adding 12 points on 50% shooting.

The team finished the game shooting 57.9% from the field and 42.9% from three point range.

This was the response they needed at home, hosting Illinois who came into the game 8-2 in their last 10 games.

Senior guard [autotag]Terrence Shannon Jr.[/autotag] was the game’s second leading scorer with 20 points. The Illini also had four others in double digits, including starting forwards [autotag]Coleman Hawkins[/autotag] with 12 points, [autotag]Matthew Mayer[/autotag] with 11 points and guard [autotag]Jayden Epps[/autotag] with 12 points.

Penn State goes on the road for their next game. They will face Minnesota, Saturday night at 9 pm eastern on Big Ten Network.

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Badgers lose third straight, fall to Illinois 61-51 on Saturday

Wisconsin lost their third straight contest Saturday, falling to Illinois 61-51 at home. The Badgers have now lost six of their last seven.

Wisconsin lost their third straight contest Saturday, falling to Illinois 61-51 at the Kohl Center. The Badgers have now dropped six of their last seven games and finished this week of action 0-3.

The contest was super low scoring heading into half, with Illinois holding a 20-16 lead and each team’s individual halftime point total was their lowest of the campaign. Down the stretch, the Fighting Illini pulled away and at one point held a 17-point advantage with 2:29 left in the game. The lead was greatly fueled by a 10-0 run the team went on.

For the Badgers, the return of Max Klesmit (upper body) was a welcomed one and it was evident throughout the first half and into the second that the team greatly benefited from the guard’s defensive prowess. He was able to secure two steals while he also supplied on the offensive end. His 12 points (4-10 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 1-3 FT) ranked second on the team.

Chucky Hepburn rebounded well from Wednesday’s three shot, three point performance in the loss to Maryland, supplying 15 points (6-14 FG, 3-5 3Pt), five rebounds, two steals and a rebound over 36 minutes.

On the opposite side, Matthew Mayer torched the Badgers, scoring a game-high 26 points (9-19 FG, 5-11 3Pt, 3-4 FT) while also adding six rebounds and a block. He turned it on in the second half, producing 18 points after halftime.

In addition to Mayer, Jayden Epps was able to chip in nine of his 13 points in the second half, helping the Fighting Illini pull out the victory.

The loss dropped the Badgers to 12-8 on the season and 4-6 in the Big Ten. Wisconsin will return to action Thursday (Feb. 2) on the road against Ohio State at 6 PM.

With the victory, Illinois improved to 15-6 on the campaign and they are now 6-4 in conference matchups. Overall, the team has won six out of their last seven games, including a two-game sweep over the Badgers this year.

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