Zhuric Phelps – Syndication Server

Everything HC Buzz Williams, Pharrel Payne and Zhuric Phelps said after 70-66 win over Purdue

Texas A&M head coach Williams, Phelps, and Payne had to say after 70-66 win over Purdue at the Indy Classic

Texas A&M head coach Buzz Williams intentionally scheduled his non-conference games, and after an early season stumble against UCF, the Aggies have won 9 of the next ten games.

No. 11 Purdue was the latest victory after a 70-66 win where the Aggies played smothering defense and shot the best they have all season long. A big key to the win was the efficiency of junior transfer Pharrel Payne, who went 6-6 for 16 points and pulled down nine rebounds. He discussed where he felt the team stepped in the right direction in this game.

“I would say communication is who we are we take a lot of pride in that I think defense is what we would say makes our team go so that’s a big thing for us.”

Buzz has caught some flack over the last few seasons as a team that hasn’t really put together a full year of constant play. However, they are off to a much better start this year and they have gotten much better at closing out games and their maturity is showing when they get in tough spots.

“I think our guys through the schedule we’ve played through their maturity through their experience. I think they’re beginning to have maybe a little bit of peace and being uncomfortable.”

Below, you can watch the entire post-game conference.

Texas A&M will return home to face Houston Christian at Reed Arena on Dec. 20 at 1:00 p.m. CST. The game can be watched on ESPN+/SECN+.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.

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Here are the best photos from No. 17 Texas A&M’s 70-66 win over No. 11 Purdue

View some best photos from Texas A&M’s 70-66 win over Purdue

Saturday morning’s Indy Classic was meant to be a neutral site game featuring No. 17 Texas A&M against No. 11 Purdue. However, it turned out otherwise. With Purdue located about an hour from Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the game was not just physical, but also hostile.

The Aggies were unfazed and shook off a sloppy first half where they committed several turnovers but still had a lead going into halftime. Out of the locker room, they seemed to have more intensity and were able to gain a sizeable lead that Purdue could not overcome with a final score of 70-66 for another Quad 1 win for A&M.

The Aggies are on a roll, having won five in a row. They started with a ranked Ohio State team, followed by wins over Creighton, Rutgers, Texas Tech, and now Purdue. When completely healthy, Texas A&M is a perfect 9-0 and could head into SEC play at 11-2 with a ton of momentum.

Below are some of the best photos from the game.

Texas A&M will return home to face Houston Christian at Reed Arena on Dec. 20 at 9:00 a.m. CST. The game can be watched on ESPN+/SECN+.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Jarrett Johnson on X: @whosnextsports1.

Instant reaction to Texas A&M basketball’s 80-77 win over Rutgers

Texas A&M holds off Rutgers to take fifth place in the Players Era Festival Tournament

Saturday afternoon, No. 20 Texas A&M Aggies (6-2) defeated the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (5-3) in their final game to take fifth place in the Inaugural Players Era Festival Tournament at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, NV.

It’s still early and Coach Buzz Williams always gets his team whipped into shape if conference ball starts. They have a clear identity on both sides of the ball and the staff knows exactly what they want to do. However, the win against a good but inexperienced Rutgers team was another poor shooting night. It was another game where they shot below 40% in the first half and under 80% from the free-throw line.

Rutgers young guns Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey gave them all they could handle for a combined 42 points and 13 rebounds, keeping the Scarlet Knights in the game and even taking the lead a few times. The Aggies were led by All-SEC guard Wade Taylor, who scored 24 points, while Solomon Washington, Henry Coleman III, and Manny Obaseki all pitched in with 11 a piece.

A&M has all the right pieces and has been put in a great position to be 8-0 against quality competition. They are buying into what Buzz is selling and for the most part, it’s working.

However, they have to reward their coach by finishing shots and closing out teams earlier. The SEC is too competitive to leave points on the court on makeable shots.

They continue to look the part of a top-25 team but if they want to make some noise late in the season, the shooting percentage have to improve dramatically. Still the Aggies showed their resiliency holding off a dangerous team for an 81-77 win to close out their time in Las Vegas.

No. 20 Texas A&M defeats No. 21 Creighton 77-73 in the Players Era Tournament

Junior forward Solomon Washington’s late impact led to Texas A&M’s critical 77-73 win over Creighton

Texas A&M (5-2) earned one of its biggest wins Wednesday night against No. 21 Creighton, defeating sharpshooting Blue Jays 77-73 behind a late Aggie offensive surge.

Needing to find more consistency on offense, Texas A&M head coach Buzz Williams once again relied on start point guard Wade Taylor IV, who led the Aggies with 18 points and three key three-pointers.

However, A&M’s front court won this game down the stretch, as forwards Henry Coleman (17 points, nine rebounds), Andersson Garcia (10 points, seven rebounds), and Solomon Washington (10 points, six rebounds) powered their way through the paint.

In one of his worst shooting nights, senior guard Zhuric Phelps finished 2-15 from the floor, missing layup after layup after scoring 20 points in Tuesday’s loss to Oregon. While Williams opted to continue feeding Phelps in the pick-and-roll, Coleman and Garcia deserve much credit for finishing several of Phelp’s misses at the rim.

Trailing 31-27 at the half, a defensive battle ensued while the Blue Jays’ elite three-point shooting nearly put the game out of reach, but thanks to a solid rebounding night (48), the Aggies kept things close with just a second remaining.

Taking a 64-61 lead after a Wade Taylor 3-pointer, Creighton’s outside shooting continued the lead-trading dual, but the game permanently swung Texas A&M’s way after Solomon Washington’s and one, making it 72-70 with over 30 seconds remaining.

After Creighton center Ryan Kalkbrenner made one of two free throws, Henry Coleman’s pressure-breaking dunk, and another Solomon Washinton layup ended the game and delivered the Aggies their second potential Quad 1 win of the year.

Note: Head coach Buzz Williams earned his 100th win with Texas A&M in his sixth season.

Texas A&M will play in the 5th place game of the Players Era Tournament at 2:30 p.m. CT. on Saturday.

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Here are the best photos from Texas A&M’s 71-54 comeback win over Southern

Here are some of the best photos from Texas A&M’s 71-54 win over Southern

Texas A&M plays a very aggressive brand of basketball, and with that comes a few gaps on both sides of the court that the Aggies need to clean up heading into the Players Era Festival Tournament.

As you know by now, A&M played a horrible first half that could get them in trouble as they start to play more Quad 1&2 teams in the next few weeks. On offense, they have to hit their free throws. They are doing an elite job getting to the rim and drawing fouls, but they barely shot 50% against the Jaguars.

Then they had an unusual issue of not being able to finish near the basket and they should have scored closer to 90 points. Especially, since they had 29 offensive rebounds in the contest. However, the second half is more of what we should be accustomed to, seeing as the team starts to gel with the handful of new players added to the team.

Below are some of the best photos from the game.

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Instant reaction to Texas A&M basketball’s 71-54 win over Southern at Reed Arena

The Aggies bounce back after sluggish first half to blow past the Southern Jaguars

The No. 23 Texas A&M Aggies (4-1) survived a poor shooting first half in Reed Arena to beat the Southern Jaguars (1-4) 71-54, as the Aggies’ second-half explosion finished out their first home stand of the season.

It’s too early in the season to worry about trap games, but A&M had one of the most sluggish starts to a game I’ve seen in recent history. They shot a horrendous 22.9% from the field and 50% at the free-throw line. After the first 20 minutes rolled off the clock, the Aggies went into the locker room down 14 points to the unranked Jaguars.

Whatever head coach Buzz Williams told his team during halftime must have resonated because the Aggies came out with a burst of energy.

A&M took their first lead since early in the first half on a Jace Carter layup, putting them up 45-44. They went on a 28-5 run and expanded their lead to 53-44. Zhuric Phelps, Wade Taylor, and Andersson Garcia all finished in double figures, playing a much more efficient game in the second half.

A&M shook off a slow start to round themselves into shape and get back to Buzz Williams’ brand of basketball. Swarming defense and aggressive drives to the basket put the Maroon & White back in control of the game, allowing for some good work before they head out of town for the Players Era Festival.

CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein praises Texas A&M basketball’s deep backcourt

Senior point guard Zhuric Phelps has made Texas A&M’s backcourt one of the deepest in the country

No. 23 Texas A&M (3-1) is off to a solid start to the 2024-2025 college basketball season, as the season-opening loss to UCF is now in the rearview mirror after the Aggies defeated previously ranked Ohio State team 78-64 last Friday night behind an elite defensive effort.

Outside of the UCF loss, the addition of former SMU guard Zhuric Phelps has changed A&M’s offense for the better, adding quality depth to help out star guard Wade Taylor IV and senior Manny Obaseki while replacing former veteran guard Tyrece Radford’s slashing ability in the paint.

In just three appearances, Phelps has already led the Aggies in scoring. At the same time, his defense is equally impactful, setting up consistent transition scoring opportunities for a team still figuring out its half-court offense. On Tuesday, CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jon Rothstein praised Phelp’s addition to the Aggies backcourt.

“Texas A&M’s Zhuric Phelps is underrated nationally. Leading the Aggies in scoring (16 PPG) and also having an impact on D (2.7 SPG). Add Wade Taylor IV and Manny Obaseki and Buzz Williams has three quality veteran guards.”

Underrated is right, as Phelp’s under-the-radar addition this offseason, paired with former Minnesota center Pharell Payne and guard CJ Wilcher, has only made the Aggies a more formidable team. In contrast, the equally underrated return of senior forward Henry Coleman (11.3 points, 6.8 rebounds) has also impacted the team on both ends.

No. 23 Texas A&M will host Southern (0-3) on Wednesday, November 20. The game will be streamed on SEC Network+ and ESPN+ at 7:00 p.m. CT.

Texas A&M basketball will need to lean on Andersson Garcia and Zhuric Phelps

Texas A&M head coach Buzz Williams talks about the qualities that Andersson Garcia and Zhuric Phelps bring to the Aggies

On Monday, Head Coach Buzz Williams gave his thoughts about the big win over Lamar in their bounce-back victory in their home opener. Buzz’s big advantage this season is the returning experience led by senior guard Wade Taylor IV.

Senior forward Andersson Garcia and senior guard Zhuric Phelps have very important roles this year, and Wade Taylor will need to lean on these two to help relieve some of the stress on the offense side. Former SMU guard Phelps has made an immediate impact, averaging 17 points and 63.6% from the field. He also had six steals in his first two games in the Maroon & White.

Garcia, better known as “The Dominican Dennis Rodman,” is somewhat of a cult hero in Aggieland. When he is not grabbing rebounds, he is playing in the band or knocking down game-tying three-pointers in the postseason. He is the top offensive rebounder in the SEC and has been working on this jump shot, turning himself into a double-double machine.

Below are a few comments from Buzz Williams about how Garcia and Phelps have already significantly impacted the last two games.

“Andersson Garcia is really bright. How he processes rebounding is savant-ish. He is a much more confident shooter than he has ever been because of the work he’s put in. He can shoot.”

“Not only does Zhuric impact our team, but he’s going to make the game easier for the other four guys on the floor. I think he has a very high ceiling. He’s a great on-ball defender and that changes our team. I don’t think he’s close to his ceiling yet.”

No. 23 Texas A&M will host No. 21 Ohio State on Friday, Nov. 15. The game will air on SEC Network at 8:00 p.m. CT.

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Texas A&M defeats Lamar 97-71 before hosting No. 23 Ohio State on Friday night

Texas A&M’s depth and enhanced 3-point shooting are promising signs ahead of hosting No. 21 Ohio State

No. 23 Texas A&M (2-1) looks like a completely different team compared to the Aggies’ Week 1 road loss to UCF. This is mainly due to better shooting and the addition of senior guard Zhuric Phelps, who has now led the Aggies in points over the past two games.

After defeating East Texas A&M on Friday, head coach Buzz Williams’s deep and talented roster showed up and showed out against visiting Lamar on Monday night. The Aggies defeated the Cardinals 97-71 behind 12 3-pointers and 55% shooting from the field.

Needing an early spark, senior forward Andersson Garcia hit two early threes to get the Aggies offense going, leading to former Nebraska guard CJ Wilcher making his first real impact with the teams since transferring, hitting three from deep on five attempts.

However, the guard play of stars Wade Taylor IV (13 points) and Zhuric Phelps (16 points) stood out due to Taylor’s decision-making and Phelps’ slashing ability, which continues to look like a dangerous combination as the schedule only gets tougher over the next month.

Defensively, the Aggies held Lamar to 37% shooting and 33% from 3-point land, forcing ten turnovers while recording seven steals and six blocks.

Making a huge impact off the bench, Andersson Garcia knows that this is just the start of what could be a special final collegiate season for the elite defender:

“I think it’s (15 points) my career high. I was feeling great. My mentality was it was my last year so I needed to play one game at a time. I want to take advantage of every second.”

Texas A&M will host No. 21 Ohio State on Friday, Nov. 15. The game will air on SEC Network.

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Is this Texas A&M’s best basketball roster under head coach Buzz Williams?

Buzz Williams needs to take advantage of the talented roster he’s assembled this season

Texas A&M (1-1) evened up its record to start the 2024-2025 basketball season after defeating newly named East Texas A&M 87-55 on Friday night, just four days after dropping the season opener vs. UCF.

While it’s too early in the season to know just how good this team is, it’s abundantly clear that from a depth and overall talent perspective, this is the best team on paper that head coach Buzz Williams had built after landing guard Zhuric Phelps and starting center Pharell Payne from the transfer portal.

Right out of the gate, Payne has stood out as an athletic big who can run the floor and make the most of his scoring opportunities. In his first two appearances, he recorded 23 points, 12 rebounds, two blocks, and two steals.

Making his season debut on Friday, former SMU guard Zhuric Phelps led the game with 18 points, which looked like a slight upgrade athletically compared to former veteran guard Tyrece Radford.

Payne, Phelps, and former Nebraska guard CJ Wilcher are just the new additions, as the return of star guard Wade Taylor alongside guard Manny Obaseki fills out the deep backcourt.

At the same time, forwards Andersson Garcia, Henry Coleman, and Solomon Washington bring back a lot of defensive talent and experience in areas that were lacking depth last season.

While it’s true that this team will go as far as Wade Taylor takes them, the senior may lead the team in scoring so far, but it’s been his 13 assists in two games that have opened up the offense, allowing players like senior guard Hayden Hefner to find his stroke from deep.

In his sixth season, head coach Buzz Williams deserves credit for building the Aggies into an SEC contender compared to what he inherited. Still, as we saw in the loss to UCF, slow starts must be avoided against teams like Ohio State, Oregon, and Creighton in nonconference play.

There’s a reason Texas A&M was ranked 13th in the country entering the season. Prove it.

Texas A&M will continue its homestay over the next four games, set to host Lamar on Monday, Nov. 11.

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 Cameron on Twitter: @CameronOhnysty.