Tag: Wade Taylor IV

CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein ranks Texas A&M Basketball in the Top 15 of his ‘Rothstein 45’

Ahead of Texas A&M’s 2023-2024 college basketball season, CBS Sport’s Jon Rothstein personally ranks the Aggies in his Top 15 team rankings.

Even though Texas A&M’s 2023 football season hasn’t delivered on its hefty preseason promises, have no fear because the 2023-2024 college basketball season is right around the corner. Head coach Buzz Williams’ 15th-ranked squad is ready to take on the challenges ahead and meet their preseason expectations.

On paper, the Aggies return four out of five starters from last season, headlined by preseason SEC Player of the Year, junior point guard Wade Taylor. Filling out the backcourt, senior do-it-all guard Tyrece “Boots” Radford brings a wealth of skill and experience to the table. In contrast, the starting forward tandem of senior duo Henry Coleman and Julius Marble is as formidable as it gets in near the basket.

From a depth perspective, guards Manny Obaseki, Hayden Hefner, and freshman sharpshooter Bryce Lindsay can heat up on offense at any moment, while fan-favorite forward Andersson Garcia, who quite literally saved the Aggies in several games last season due to his elite defensive skillset. Oh, and while current Dallas Maverick Dexter Dennis is the only departed 2022 starter, transfer portal additions Eli Lawrence and Jace Carter will likely fill his small forward spot as we advance.

On Tuesday, CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jon Rothstein continued his “Rothstein 45” rankings countdown, and coming in at No. 13, Texas A&M’s hot finish in the 2022 regular at least has Rothstein mightily intrigued:

“No. 13 in the Rothstein 45, the Texas A&M Aggies, and the Buzz is palpable in College Station, and that’s for good reason. Buzz Williams and Texas A&M return the highes percentage among SEC teams, and this year’s rendition of the Aggies should be Williams’ best since he arrived in College Station from Virgina Tech. The backbone of the best team’s Williams has coached in his career has been veteran guard play; we saw it at Marquette with Junior Cadougan, we saw it at Virgina Tech with Justin Robinson. Wade Taylor IV is next in line to take that baton, and he is very much an SEC Player of the Year candidate in 2023-2024.” 

After reportedly defeating Baylor in a closed scrimmage, the hype has continued to escalate. If Rothstein is as excited about Texas A&M as much of the Aggie fan base, that’s surely a positive sign.

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Aggies starting point guard Wade Taylor IV is named to the 2024 Bob Cousy Award Watch List

Texas A&M junior point guard Wade Taylor IV was named to another pre-season watchlist on Monday.

Expectations will be high for Pre-Season All-American Wade Taylor. The junior guard has been named to virtually every pre-season watch list to which he is eligible to be added.

Taylor was recently announced to the Bob Cousy Award watch list along with 19 other players. The award is given annually to the top point guard in Division 1 men’s basketball, and Aggie legend Acie Law IV received the honor back in 2007.

Below is how President and CEO of the Naismith Basketball of Fame, John L. Doleva, describes the spirit of the award.

“The point guards that have been named to the 2024 Bob Cousy Award Watch List truly embody the skills and characteristics that made Bob Cousy the ‘Houdini of the Hardwood,'” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. We look forward to watching their leadership and playmaking abilities take center stage and working alongside Bob Cousy and the selection committee to narrow down the watch list throughout the season.”

Wade Taylor IV finished last season at 16.5 points per game and led the SEC in free throws made with 168 at 87.5%.  He was named to the following 2023 teams.

  • SEC All-Tournament Team
  • All-SEC First Team (AP and Coaches)
  • Third-Team All-American (Stadium.com)
  • NABC Second-Team All-District 20

We look forward to seeing Taylor lead the Aggie basketball team under the watch of Buzz Williams as this talented squad embarks on even greener pastures in 2024.

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Texas A&M Basketball has the second highest percentage of returning scoring ahead of the 2023-2024 season

Returning four out of five starters this season, Texas A&M Basketball and head coach Buzz Williams are poised post season run.

Texas A&M’s 2023-2024 college basketball season is now just weeks away, as the Aggies will host Texas A&M Commerce on Monday, Nov. 6. Already receiving plenty of preseason hype, including being ranked 15th in the AP and 19th in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches poll last week.

While most know that the roster is filled with experience, the talent level is undeniable, led by an impressive backcourt led by junior Wade Taylor IV, who was recently named preseason SEC Player of the Year, and highly dependable veteran guard Tyrece “Boots” Radford.

In the frontcourt, senior forwards Henry Coleman III and Julius Marble round out the starting rotation, while current Dallas Maverick Dexter Dennis is the only departed starter from the 2022 roster, as his spot will likely be filled by Middle Tennessee transfer forward Eli Lawrence.

Off the bench, do-it-all defensive-minded forwards Andersson Garcia and Solomon Washington join former five-star guard Manny Obaseki as the relief scoring options, and don’t forget about freshman sharpshooter Bryce Lindsay, who enters his first season with eyes on making an immediate impact.

So, with this returning firepower, Texas A&M ranks second below Wisconsin with the highest percentage of returning scoring entering the 2023-24 season at 88.4%.

Ending the 2022 season at 25-10 (15-3 SEC) while appearing in the SEC title game for consecutive years and reaching the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018, the preseason hype is warranted, the pieces are in place, and the fans are ready to pack Reed Arena throughout the regular season.

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Texas A&M Basketball is well positioned in the initial 2024 KenPom ratings

Ahead of Texas A&M’s 2023-2024 CBB season, the Aggies found themselves in the Top 25 of the newest 2024 KenPom Ratings.

Texas A&M’s 2023-2024 college basketball season is less than a month away, and while the Aggie football team is enjoying their much-needed bye week, it’s time to shift some of the focus to head coach Buzz Williams and his highly talented squad.

On Wednesday, Williams and the Aggies experienced guard duo consisting of Wade Taylor IV and Tyrece “Boots” Radford spoke during the second day of SEC Media Days to preview the season ahead, while Taylor, who was named preseason SEC Player of the Year, knows that to succeed and reach their lofty goals, it’s all about the equal trust developed since entering the program two seasons ago.

“I don’t really think everyone understands that I committed to
Coach Buzz and the staff during COVID. I wasn’t even able to take a visit. I committed based on trust. That should speak a lot.”

When looking at the preseason metrics that matter, college basketball analytics guru Ken Pomeroy released his initial KenPom ratings/rankings earlier this week, placing Texas A&M at No. 24 overall, with the 27th-ranked defense heading into the season.

Selected to finish second in the SEC below Tennessee, this ranking is somewhat surprising, primarily due to the Aggies’ demanding out-of-conference schedule, which included a road trip vs. Ohio State, a rematch with Penn State, a potential matchup with 10th-ranked Florida Atlantic, a road trip to face Virginia, and back to back matchups vs. Memphis and 7th-ranked Houston.

Receiving criticism during his first four seasons at the helm due to scheduling “weaker” opponents in November and December, Buzz Williams has already destroyed that narrative ten times over, as the Aggies will surely face adversity before SEC play, which will only aid the team mentally and physically throughout the season.

Texas A&M will open the 2023-2024 season by hosting Texas A&M Commerce on Monday, Nov. 6 inside Reed Arena. The game will air on SEC+.

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Facing hefty expectations, Texas A&M Basketball and head coach Buzz Williams will play the role of Goliath vs. David in 2023

With plenty of preseason expectations flooding the Texas A&M Basketball program, head coach Buzz Williams has all the pieces to compete.

Texas A&M’s 2023-2024 basketball season is less than a short month away, and amid the Aggies football bye week that has given the team and Aggie fans everywhere a much-needed rest, head coach Buzz Williams and guards Wade Taylor IV and Tyrece “Boots” Radford represented the program during Wednesday’s portion of the 2023 SEC Media Days.

Entering the year in unprecedented territory during Williams’ tenure, Texas A&M has been chosen to finish second in the SEC standings. At the same time, Wade Taylor IV was recently named preseason SEC Player of the Year early this week after leading the team in scoring with 16.5 points per game last season, including being one of just three NCAA DI players with 500+ points, 125+ assists, and 50 plus steals while making 85% or better on free throw attempts. For Williams, Taylor IV runs the show.

“Yes, we want our team to do well, but our team is going to do well if Four is doing well. It’s not for Four. It’s for our program. He is the leader of the program. We have to hold each other accountable.”

Rankings-wise, the Aggies are well-represented, placed in the Top 25 of the preseason coaches (19th) and AP Poll (15th), their third-highest ranking in program history. Even Hall of Fame Kentucky head coach John Calipari praised Texas A&M’s notable returning experience. Enough hype?

Yes, these are lofty expectations ahead of a pivotal season after finishing 25-10 (15-3 SEC), reaching the SEC title game for the second year, and punching their ticket to the program’s first NCAA Tournament Appearance since 2017. Still, it’s not like the hype wasn’t earned on paper.

Hearts were broken after falling to the then red-hot Penn State Nittany Lions in the Tournament’s First Round. Still, the journey was only beginning, as standout one-year rental guard Dexter Dennis, now a member of the Dallas Mavericks, was the only member of the starting five to depart. Utilizing the transfer portal, Williams quickly added productive guards Jace Carter and Eli Lawrence to solidify the depth.

While Taylor IV and Tyrece Radford provide a dangerous 1-2 punch in the backcourt, the senior frontcourt duo of Henry Coleman III and Julius Marble bring a defensive presence that can only be rivaled by Tennessee, picked to finish first in the SEC. However, despite the talent and experience the roster presents, Buzz Williams knows that last season’s disappointing 6-5 start needs to become a thing of the past, with several tough opponents filling out the early part of the schedule.

“It’s the next step. We have yet to win a game after Spring Break. That’s what we want to do. In our time, there have been pockets when we’ve been really good… but there have also been pockets where we have not been good.”

Facing Ohio State on the road before heading to the ESPN Invitational for a rematch with Penn State, the Aggies have a chance to meet No. 10 Florida Atlantic, who made the Final Four last season, if both teams advance, providing several early season challenges that could define the trajectory of the program heading into SEC play.

“From start to finish, how can we be our best? The schedule we’re about to play, we’ve never played in non-conference, and our mirror opponents are different this year than they’ve ever been. There are moving parts.”

Time will tell just how good this team can be, but the pieces are in place, and going off of the man who reads, yes, 53 books a year (Incredible), the studious Buzz Williams has proven his ability to provide a spark, especially late in the season.

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‘I think we’ve turned this program around for good.’ Wade Taylor IV and Tyrece Radford preview upcoming Texas A&M basketball season at SEC Media Days

In speaking at SEC media days on Wednesday, Wade Taylor IV and Tyrece Radford are ready to make some noise this coming season.

Texas A&M basketball’s own Wade Taylor IV and Tyrece “Boots” Radford spoke at SEC media days on Wednesday, and one thing’s for certain: this team is ready to make some noise this coming season.

Truth be told, the definition of success for this Aggies team has been raised after coming off a highly successful 2022-23 campaign, in which they finished 25-10 (15-3 SEC), reached the SEC title game for the second year in a row, while also punching their ticket to the NCAA Tournament.

A first-round loss to Penn State ended their special season prematurely, which only means expectations have aptly been raised for this basketball program. Just this week, the Maroon and White were firmly ranked in the Top 25 of the preseason coaches and AP Poll. It speaks to what the term “success” now means in Aggieland, and that equates to a deep run in the postseason.

Taylor, who was named the SEC’s preseason Player of the Year, and Radford don’t take those elevated expectations lightly. They are both emphatic in the belief that this team has turned around the basketball program for good. Alongside the team is coach Buzz Williams, who has engineered this team to be a collection of players and, better yet, a family.

Those were just a few of the highlights from his time at the podium, in which he shed light on the team’s mindset and preparation for what should be an exciting basketball season ahead.

Here is everything Taylor and Radford said at SEC media days on Wednesday.

Texas A&M’s Wade Taylor IV named preseason SEC Player of the Year as all-conference teams released

The results of the preseason media vote are in for the 2023-24 SEC men’s basketball season, and the projected all-conference teams are out.

Texas A&M guard Wade Taylor IV was voted the preseason choice for SEC Men’s Basketball Player of the Year by media members ahead of the 2023-24 season, the conference announced.

The Aggies junior averaged 16.3 points and 3.9 assists in 28.7 minutes per game last season. He scored 25 or more points four times last season, including two of his final five games as Texas A&M reached the conference tournament final. He shot 39.6% from the floor and 35.6% from behind the arc.

The voters also assembled the projected all-conference teams ahead of the season. Seven players were named to the first team, including Taylor IV,

Eight of the 14 teams in the conference had at least one representative among the 12 honorees. Four SEC teams had multiple players selected for one of the two teams: Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, and Arkansas.

Here’s who the voters think will be the best players in the conference this season.

Preseason All-SEC First-Team

Position Player Team
G Wade Taylor IV Texas A&M
G Santiago Vescovi Tennessee
G Justin Edwards Kentucky
F Tolu Smith Mississippi State
F Johni Broom Auburn
F Trevon Brazile Arkansas
F Grant Nelson Alabama

Preseason All-SEC Second Team

Position Player Team
G Mark Sears Alabama
G Davonte Davis Arkansas
G Riley Kugel Florida
G Antonio Reeves Kentucky
G Zakai Zeigler Tennessee

Texas A&M guard Wade Taylor IV named SEC preseason Player of the Year

Texas A&M star guard Wade Taylor IV has been named SEC preseason Player of the Year heading into the Aggies pivotal 2023-2024 CBB season.

As the 2023-2024 college basketball season is less than a month away, Texas A&M’s preseason hype is not just based on projections but on how the Aggies finished last season with a 25-10 record (15-3 SEC), second-consecutive SEC title game appearance, and an NCAA Tournament berth.

Ranked 15th in the AP and 19th in the USA TODAY Coaches Polls, Texas A&M’s roster is stacked with talent. Still, no player comes close from a potential perspective than guard Wade Taylor IV, who, as of Tuesday, has been named SEC preseason player of the year while receiving a 1st Team All-SEC projection.

Entering his junior season with the program, the Dallas, Texas native led the Aggies with 16.5 points per game last season, including being one of just three NCAA DI players with 500+ points, 125+ assists, and 50 plus steals while making 85% or better on free throw attempts.

Interestingly enough, Taylor IV is the first Aggie basketball player to be selected 1st Team All-SEC since former forward Robert Williams before the memorable 2017-2018 season.

In combination with the announcement, Texas A&M has been selected to finish second in the SEC below Tennessee. Congratulations, Wade!

1. Tennessee
2. Texas A&M
3. Arkansas
4. Kentucky
5. Alabama
6. Auburn
7. Mississippi State
8. Florida
9. Missouri
10. Ole Miss
11. Vanderbilt
12. Georgia
13. LSU
14. South Carolina

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Texas A&M basketball lands in ESPN’s latest Way-Too-Early Top 25 projections

ESPN is predicting a strong year ahead for Texas A&M basketball as they landed in the latest Way-Too-Early Top 25 rankings for the 2023-24 season.

It’s never too early to prepare for the coming college basketball season, and the worldwide leader in sports unveiled their early projections.

Texas A&M is coming off a 25-10 season (15-3 SEC) in which they appeared in the SEC title game for consecutive years and reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018. That level of success has the media forecasting a strong season ahead for the Maroon and White.

The Aggies landed at No. 19 in ESPN’s latest Way-Too-Early Top 25 rankings. The plethora of returning talent has them equipped to pick up where they left off at the close of last season:

Will the Aggies pick up where they left off in the second half of 2022-23, when they won 19 of 22 games before falling in the SEC championship game and the first round of the NCAA tournament? Having Wade Taylor IV back to run the show is a huge plus, while Buzz Williams also has three other returning starters after Tyrece Radford decided to come back. Dexter Dennis is the lone starter leaving, but transfers Jace Carter (UIC) and Eli Lawrence (Middle Tennessee) will help replace him.

After putting together a resounding turnaround campaign last year, it will be a different story in 2023. Texas A&M is no longer under the radar, rather, they are expected to reach new heights with one of the more well-rounded rosters in the country. Wade Taylor IV and the returning Tyrece Radford headline a group that leads the SEC in returning production next season.

To put it bluntly, reaching the SEC title game or merely appearing in the NCAA Tournament are no longer applicable barometers of success. It’s time for the Aggies to win the conference and make a deep run in the month of March. Don’t believe us? Well, head coach Buzz Williams sang the same tune earlier in the offseason.

The Maroon and White did well in the transfer portal with the additions of Jace Carter, Eli Lawrence, and Wildens Leveque. Carter and Lawrence should serve as apt replacements for Dexter Dennis, while Leveque has an opportunity to help mentor a promising frontcourt led by Solomon Washington and Henry Coleman III. All in all, there’s no reason to doubt why Texas A&M can’t be a true contender when it’s all said and done this year.

The Aggies will kick off their 2023-24 campaign against Texas A&M-Commerce on Monday, Nov. 6, from Reed Arena.

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Texas A&M guard Wade Taylor IV named preseason first-team All-SEC and Player of the Year

Following a breakout sophomore season, Aggies guard Wade Taylor IV was named both preseason first-team All-SEC, as well as Player of the Year by Jon Rothstein of College Hoops Today.

One of Texas A&M basketball’s rising stars is getting high praise ahead of the 2023-24 season.

Wade Taylor IV was named to both preseason first-team All-SEC and Player of the Year by Jon Rothstein of College Hoops Today. The junior guard is coming off a breakout 2022-23 campaign in which he led the Aggies in scoring (16.8 ppg), assists (3.9 apg), and steals (1.7 spg) in roughly 28.7 minutes per game. Taylor also earned AP first-team All-SEC honors for his accomplishments on the hardwood last season.

Taylor’s ascendance in the backcourt was a major factor in the Aggies turning their season around last fall. After a demoralizing loss to Wofford dropped the Maroon and White to 6-5 on the season, Texas A&M went 17-3 in their remaining 20 regular season games to finish the year 23-8.

The Aggies would go on to reach a second consecutive SEC title game while also returning to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018, ending their postseason run with a 25-10 record.

This latest accolade is further evidence of Taylor getting the preseason respect he deserves. Coupled with the return of Tyrece “Boots” Radford for a super-senior season, the Aggies have a case to be made for boasting one of the country’s best backcourts, and Taylor’s ascension is by all counts a major factor in the heightened expectations for the Aggies this year. As head coach Buzz Williams recently advocated, it’s time to win the whole thing this season.

The Aggies will kick off their 2023-24 campaign against Texas A&M-Commerce on Monday, Nov. 6, from Reed Arena.

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