Tag: Texas Aggies Basketball

Texas A&M forward Julius Marble has officially entered the transfer portal

After sitting out the entire 2023 season, Texas A&M forward Julius Marble has entered the transfer portal

After sitting out the entirety of the 2023-2024 college basketball season, Texas A&M forward Julius Marble has reportedly entered the transfer portal, according to On3, an unsurprising move to say the least. After transferring from Michigan State before the 2022-2023 season, Marble averaged 9.1 points and 4.1 rebounds in his first and now only season with the program.

Earlier this month, it was revealed that Marbles’ sustained absence was due to a sexual assault charge dating back to last October, providing sad clarity to what was a confusing disappearance throughout the season.

On the court, Marble is an efficient scorer in the paint, shooting 59% from the field during his final year with the Spartans and 53.3% during his final year with the Aggies. Without speculation on what the future holds for the Dallas, Texas native, his current legal situation will likely affect how quickly teams begin to reach out regarding his playing future.

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Texas A&M basketball is hosting former standout SMU guard this weekend

Texas A&M is currently hosting former SMU guard Zhuric Phelps this weekend

After missing out on several transfer portal targets this offseason, Texas A&M head basketball coach Buzz Williams has continued to search for the replacement of outgoing veteran guard Tyrece Radford heading into the 2024-2025 season.

Williams has already done an impressive job this month after adding former Nebraska guard CJ Welcher and former Minnesota forward Pharrel Payne in the last two weeks, as Payne is coming off his best season yet with the Gophers, averaging 10 points and six rebounds per contest.

However, former Oregon State guard Jordan Pope, who was a finalist to land with the Aggies last week, chose rival Texas on Wednesday afternoon. Still, this led Williams to contact a well-known veteran guard out of Dallas, Texas.

On Friday night, Jaxson Callaway (AggiesToday) revealed that Texas A&M is scheduled to host former SMU guard Zhuric Phelps for a visit through Saturday. As one of the top scorers and notable defenders last season, Phelps averaged an impressive 14.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and two steals in 2023. Phelps looks like a perfect fit for Williams’ system with one season of collegiate eligibility remaining.

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Former Oregon State guard Jordan Pope chooses Texas over Texas A&M

Texas has landed a commitment from former Oregon State guard Jordan Pope. Great.

Texas A&M was a finalist for one of the top remaining guards in the college basketball transfer portal, as former Oregon State guard Jordan Pope is headed to the Aggies’ bitter rival as the Texas Longhorns have found their replacement for outgoing guard Max Abmas.

Aggies head coach Buzz Williams has already landed two players through the portal in the last three days. Former Nebraska guard CJ Wilcher and former Minnesota forward Pherrel Payne will move to College Station as soon as this summer. However, more depth at guard is still sorely needed.

However, some good news may be on the horizon as Williams currently hosts former Oklahoma guard Otega Oweh, who averaged 11.4 points per game during the 2023 season. However, losing the Pope to the Longhorns stings a little more.

With the recent portal success, Aggie fans should trust Williams to gain a solid replacement for what the program will lose due to Tyrece Radford’s departure in the backcourt.

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Former Oregon State guard Jordan Pope will announce his transfer decision on Wednesday

It’s down to Texas or Texas A&M for former Oregon State guard Jordan Pope, who will make his announcement on Wednesday

Texas A&M Basketball has already landed two key players from the transfer portal in the last two days. Former Nebraska guard CJ Wilcher and former Minnesota forward Pharrel Payne will move to College Station for the 2024-2025 season.

Combined with the official return of star guard Wade Taylor IV, Texas A&M’s roster is in good hands once again, but to finally take the next step after falling to the No. 1-seed Houston Cougars in the NCAA Tournament last month, more help is needed through the portal.

Already hosting a bevy of talent this month, one of the top available guards is set to make his decision after visiting the program last week, as former Oregon State leading scorer Jordan Pope will announce his decision between Texas and Texas A&M on Wednesday evening, according to On3’s Joe Tipton.

In what could be an elite backcourt for the Aggies next season if Pope were to commit, he definitely proved his ability in 2023, leading the Beavers with 17.6 points, shooting 45% from the field, 37% from 3-point range, and 87% from the stripe.

While Texas certainly needs a replacement for the departing Max Abmas, Tyrece Radford’s Aggie career has also ended, providing Pope with a clear path to a starting spot opposite Taylor and incoming senior Manny Obaseki.

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Texas A&M lands a commitment from former Minnesota forward Pharrel Payne

Texas A&M Basketball has landed another commitment from the transfer portal, as former Minnesota forward Pharrel Payne is making his way to College Station

Texas A&M head basketball coach Buzz Willimas has acquired two players through the transfer portal in the last two days, as former Minnesota forward Pharrel Payne will make his way to College Station for the 2024-2025 season, coming off his productive 2023 season.

After the announcement that starting guard Wade Taylor IV would officially return next season, the Aggies are just a couple of transfer additions away from earning a potential third consecutive bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Needing to fill several holes on the depth chart after the departure of veteran guard Tyrece Radford, while the reveal of senior forward Julius Marbles’ legal issues eliminates his future on the roster, Williams’ addition of former Nebraska guard CJ Wilcher, who shot nearly 40% from beyond the arc last season, was just the first step.

With Tuesday’s addition from Pharrel Payne, who stands at 6-9 and 255 pounds, Payne averaged an impressive 10 points and 6.1 rebounds during his 2023 sophomore season while shooting 60% from the field. Payne is a dominant inside presence, bringing elite athleticism and plenty of offensive upside. He also averaged 1.4 blocks in 2023.

With plenty of talent remaining in the transfer portal, especially at guard, the expectations have just been heightened.

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Texas A&M guard Wade Taylor IV announces his future plans

Texas A&M guard Wade Taylor IV officially announced his return for the 2024-2025 season!

We’re now nearly a full month into the offseason for Texas A&M basketball, as head coach Buzz Williams’s primary task is to retain the key players on the roster while adding veteran talent at both guard and forward after the departure of veteran Tyrece Radford, coupled with the recent news regarding senior Julius Marbles’ legal issues.

However, the biggest task that remained above everything else was keeping star point guard Wade Taylor IV in College Station for one more season, as the Aggies’ second-round exit against Houston in the NCAA Tournament has fueled the incoming senior after losing by just five points in overtime mostly due to the 16 missed free throws on the night.

On Monday, Taylor made it official on X with a post stating,

“No place like Aggieland! Thankful to be here👍🏾 Let’s continue to chase greatness”

Named preseason SEC Player of the Year, Taylor met his hefty expectations while coming on strong during the season’s final stretch, averaging 19.1 points and four assists while shooting 36% from the field but 32.5% from beyond the arc.

As a team, A&M shot a dismal 29% from beyond the arc, leading to Monday morning’s news that Williams has added former Nebraska guard C.J. Wilcher from the transfer portal, who led the Cornhuskers in 3-point percentage (39%).

Wade Taylor’s return preserves Texas A&M’s contender status for next season and keeps one of the better locker room leaders with the program for another go-around.

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Former Toledo guard has included Texas A&M as a potential transfer destination

Texas A&M is a finalist to land former Toledo guard Ra’Heim Moss

Texas A&M basketball finished the 2024 season on a high note despite losing to Houston in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Head coach Buzz Williams has now led the Aggies to back-to-back trips to the big dance for the first time in his tenure with the program.

However, several departures have left holes in the roster entering the offseason, led by veteran guard Tyrece Radford after four productive seasons. Even though incoming senior guard Manny Obaseki’s vast improvement at the end of the year should be counted on going forward, adding another reliable offense threat in the backcourt with Wade Taylor IV is necessary.

Another key addition could be coming soon, as it has been confirmed by  On3’s Joe Tipton that Toledo guard Ra’Heim Moss, who recently entered the transfer portal, has narrowed down his future options to Oregon, Ole Miss, Ohio State and Texas A&M.

During his 2023 junior season, Moss, who stands at 6-4 and 205 pounds, led the Rockets with 15.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.0 assists. He shot 46% from the field but just 30% from beyond the arc.

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Texas A&M has contacted former FAU guard that recently entered the transfer portal

Buzz Williams is interested in former FAU guard Nick Boyd who recently entered the transfer portal

This offseason, Texas A&M head coach Buzz Williams has two jobs: keep as many starters from last year’s roster and utilize the transfer portal more aggressively. So far, senior forward Andersson Garcia is the only player to formally announce through social media that he will return for a final season.

Veteran guard Tyrece Radford is leaving after three seasons with the program. He finished his career with 27 points, 15 rebounds, and six assists in the Aggies’ loss to Houston in the NCAA Tournament’s round of 32. While incoming senior guard Manny Obaseki looks to replace Radford’s production paired with Wade Taylor IV, A&M still needs more guard depth.

On Thursday, it was reported that former FAU guard Nick Boyd, who averaged 9.3 points per game last season, has been in contact with Williams as several former players from the Owl’s memorable Final Four team during the 2022-2023 campaign have entered the portal after head coach Dusty May departed for Michigan.

Would Nick Boyd be a solid fit? Boyd shot 40% from the field and 34% from beyond the arc, compared to his 40% 3-point mark in 2022-2023. Plenty of uncommitted talent remains in the portal and will continue to grow in the coming weeks.

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Texas A&M forward Andersson Garcia announces his decision for next season

Andersson Garcia is back!

Social media never fails to entertain, but most of the time, it can be downright misleading, as Texas A&M senior forward Andersson Garcia was attached to a rumor stating that he had entered the transfer portal on Saturday.

None of this had been confirmed, and thankfully, most of the fan base was too busy with their personal lives to see what had been released. So far this season, no Aggie player from the roster has announced their attention to enter the portal.

Well, credit to Garcia for quickly dispelling the transfer portal rumor, stating that not only was this false, but the senior will officially be returning for his final season in College Station as well.

This is significant news regarding next season’s expectations, as Garcia, who broke Texas A&M’s career rebounding mark with 327 on the year, including the offensive rebounding record with 180, will always be remembered for hitting the game-tying shot against the No. 1-seed Houston Cougars in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Potential return announcements from Wade Taylor, Henry Coleman III, and Manny Obaseki are also expected in the coming weeks/months.

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A former Texas A&M Basketball recruiting target has entered the transfer portal

Former 2023 4-star forward Eric Dailey, a Buzz Williams recruiting target, has entered the transfer portal

Texas A&M’s 2023-2024 basketball season came to a disappointing end last Sunday night at the hands of the No. 1-seed Houston Cougars in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, as senior forward Andersson Garcia’s game-tying 3-pointer to send the game into overtime wasn’t enough to pull off the upset.

Overall, head coach Buzz Williams deserves a ton of credit for helping turn things around during the Aggies’ late-season run. This included a five-game winning streak led by the elite guard play of Wade Taylor IV, Tyrece Radford, and rising star Manny Obaseki.

However, with Radford set to depart the program, Williams’s in-house option to replace his down-hill driving production should be Obaseki. However, providing veteran help through the transfer portal is a more realistic option to prevent hindering the incoming senior’s development next season.

Outside of the guard postion, Williams is also in need of adding another wing/forward; with Andersson Garcia’s return for a final season still in flux, another former 4-star prospect has entered the portal, as Oklahoma State forward Eric Dailey spent just one season in Stillwater.

Out of the prestigious IMG Academy, Dailey was one of the Cowboys’ better players this season. He averaged nearly 10 points per game while shooting 50% from the field, and his rebounding numbers should improve down the line.

Previous recruiting relationships are key to landing players through the portal, and in order to continue the momentum into the 2024-2025 campaign, Buzz Williams will need to execute this offseason.

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