Last Year: 25-10; Second (15-3) in the Southeastern Conference, lost in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament
Head Coach: Buzz Williams (Fifth Year; 76-47 at Texas A&M, with one NCAA Tournament appearance)
Projected Starting Lineup
| PG Wade Taylor IV – 6’0″, 175 – Junior |
| SG Tyrece ‘Boots’ Radford – 6’3″, 190 – Senior (5th) |
| SF Andersson Garcia – 6’7″, 215 – Senior |
| PF Henry Coleman III – 6’8″, 245 – Senior |
| C Wildens Leveque – 6’11”, 250 – Senior (5th) |
Projected Starters’ 2022-23 Stats
Wade Taylor: 16.3 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 3.9 apg, 1.7 spg – 87.8% FT
Boots Radford: 13.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 2.4 apg, 0.9 spg – 38.6% FG
Andersson Garcia: 3.2 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 0.8 apg, 0.6 spg – 50.8% FG
Henry Coleman: 9.0 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 0.9 apg, 0.9 spg – 53.2% FG
Wildens Leveque: 5.5 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 0.8 apg, 1.2 bpg – 43.1% FG @ UMass
Experienced Reserves
| G Hayden Hefner – 6’6″, 185 – Senior |
| F Julius Marble – 6″9″, 240 – Senior |
| W Manny Obaseki – 6’4″, 195 – Junior |
| W Jace Carter – 6’6″, 220 – Junior |
| W Eli Lawrence – 6’5″, 190 – Senior (5th) |
| F Solomon Washington – 6’7″, 220 – Sophomore |
Experienced Reserves’ 2022-23 Stats
Hayden Hefner: 3.5 ppg, 0.7 rpg, 0.5 apg, 0.3 spg – 35.2% 3FG
Julius Marble: 9.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 0.4 bpg, 0.4 spg – 53.3% FG
Manny Obaseki: 5.2 ppg, 1.4 rpg, 1.0 apg, 0.4 spg – 42.9% FG
Jace Carter: 16.6 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 1.6 apg, 1.8 spg, 0.7 bpg @ Illinois-Chicago
Eli Lawrence: 12.2 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 1.4 apg, 1.0 spg – 42.1% FG @ Middle Tennessee State
Solomon Washington: 3.2 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 0.5 bpg, 0.5 spg – 47.8% FG
Freshmen
| W Rob Dockery – 6’6″, 205 – Freshman – Consensus Top 150 recruit |
| G Bryce Lindsay – 6’3″, 190 – Freshman – Consensus Top 200 recruit |
| C Brandon White – 6’10”, 245 – Freshman – Consensus Top 200 recruit |
If Texas A&M can remember the way they played when they went streaking last year, look out. The Aggies were disappointed by losing their first game of the NCAA Tournament last year, as any team would be. The plan had been to go on a run. They had been practicing all year for it.
The Aggies went on six and seven-game winning streaks during the Southeastern Conference season, and were on another four-game rip to the SEC Tourney title game last year, before being denied the title by Alabama and then falling to Penn State a few days later. That wasn’t how the script was supposed to go.
So the Aggies are back. Virtually everyone with eligibility left has returned to College Station, and head coach Buzz Williams has one of the more experienced, well-rounded rosters in the nation. And it all starts with a pair of guards who know how to lead and win.
Wade Taylor and Tyrece Radford have played a combined six seasons of college basketball, and they are the pulse of this team. Radford was being recruited by Williams more than five years ago, before Williams had even left Virginia Tech to become the Aggies’ coach, and eventually Radford, a Louisiana native, followed Williams to College Station. Taylor is from Dallas, and had a highly promising, if not exactly earth-shaking freshman campaign two years ago. Last winter, Taylor and Radford hit their stride together, and the Aggies started winning.
The two guards compliment one another well; Taylor is the more natural playmaker of the two, yet both are very effective offense-drivers who know how to get their teammates to the places they will succeed and always keep the pressure on opposing defenses. The most obvious manifestation of this is that even when the Aggies weren’t making baskets last year, they were still able to keep putting points on the board. That’s because Taylor and Radford got to the free throw line 383 times in A&M’s 35 games, and once there, the duo hit a combined 84% of their foul shots. They spearheaded an A&M offense which throve from the charity stripe; the Aggies cashed in about 19 points per game just on foul shots. There’s really no way that A&M could have succeeded like they did last year without getting to the line so much and hitting such a high percentage of their attempts. The Aggies ranked 300th in the nation in total field goals and 262nd in FG%; 218th in 2FG made and 266th in 2FG%; and 302nd in 3FG made and 269th in 3FG%. There were stretches last year when getting fouled and making the resulting shots was the Texas A&M offense. Now Taylor, Radford, and their stout supporting cast in the paint are here to say “Guess what? We’ll do it again”.
Radford is the lunch pail to Taylor’s fine dining
Taylor and his buddy Radford set the tone for their teammates, and the Aggies don’t need style points to know that they’ve come a long way. “We’ve had a bunch of ups and downs,” Taylor said after the Aggies knocked off #1 Alabama last winter. “On Dec. 20 we were 6-5 and nobody would have thought we’d be in this position we’re in today. This team is very resilient.”
Taylor is the Aggies’ top outside shooter, and on a team that doesn’t have many proven deep threats, his reliable jumper is invaluable. Despite his smaller stature, though, Taylor doesn’t just hang out on the three point arc. Taylor has a tight handle and repeatedly drives into the lane, leading to all of those freebies. He was also effective with the attempts he got off more or less cleanly, shooting 45% around the rim and 44% on all other 2FG attempts, in addition to 36% from downtown, per Bart Torvik. Taylor is also a significant irritant on defense, leading the Aggies (and ranking 5th in the SEC) in steals. With his terrific quickness, Taylor has the ability to spring into passing lanes and recover and get his hand on the ball even when he’s out of position or facing a size mismatch. He’s also shown a particular affinity for picking up turnovers far from the basket where one quick pass or a couple of dribbles often turns defense into points for A&M.
Taylor’s sophomore season was well and truly a star-making campaign, and he wasn’t just All-SEC, he was an honorable mention All-American. Heading into this year, he was named preseason SEC Player of the Year at SEC Media Days. “He has put so much work in. He is a leader on this team, what he does for us players and there is so much that he brings to the table for the coaching staff, too,” Radford said this fall of his backcourt buddy. If Taylor can continue working his way into the paint for such high-efficiency production while becoming a more consistent outside shooter, he will take his game to the next level. And if Taylor can do that, he’ll be able to lead his team deep into March – and be in line for every award and accolade a college point guard can accrue.
Radford is the lunch pail to Taylor’s fine dining, a guy who puts up numbers like any star guard but who does it in such a tough, fearless, indomitable way that even his opponents wish they had a ‘Boots’ on their team. Williams bestowed the nickname upon Radford years ago after concluding that Radford was as tough as an old pair of leather boots. And while science has not yet confirmed that analogy, it surely hasn’t refuted the statement, either. Radford does everything well; he finished second on the team in scoring a year ago, second in assists, defensive rebounds, free throws made and steals, third in total rebounds, offensive rebounds and made 3’s, and fourth in blocks. “He’s got great toughness, he’s a really good defender, he’s an excellent rebounder for his position. He’s a high-volume free throw attempt player…So he’s a focal point of their offense, obviously,” Arkansas coach Eric Musselman admired Radford last winter. “Crafty in the pick-and-rolls…He’s just versatile.” Despite standing 6’2″, Radford seems to play significantly larger than his listed size, and has no issue at all mixing it up with the biggest guys on the floor if there’s a rebound up for grabs or loose ball on the floor.
Henry Coleman returns for his third season in College Station, and he’s already become just as loved among the Aggie faithful as Taylor or Radford for his boundless energy and enthusiasm, physical post play, and the occasional George Strait t-shirt. Now, Williams hopes, it’s Coleman’s turn for a breakout. A former Duke transfer and Top 50 national recruit coming out of high school, Coleman has averaged 10 points, six boards and a steal per game through his first two seasons. Often, though, his contributions are more immeasurable than that. Coleman is the guys who always seems to get the key offensive rebound late in a game, knock the ball away from a guy who’s beaten his teammate and has a clear lane to the basket, or stuff a loud and powerful dunk when his Aggies need a jolt. Coleman had five double-doubles last year, none bigger than against Arkansas in the SEC Tourney as Coleman took over the paint in the second half. After trying to show his shooting range in his first season, Coleman realized during his second Aggie campaign that his efforts are put to better use at the basket, and he made 61% of his attempts there. Coleman’s leadership qualities both on and off the court are renowned, and made him a selection as just one of four athletes chosen to represent their schools at the SEC Spring Meetings earlier this year, and Coleman is hoping to continue leading the Aggies – and his community – to yet greater heights in the years to come.
| Five Stats Which Tell The Tale (with national ranks) |
| 43.2% – Team FG Percentage (262nd) |
| 40.7% – Opponent FG Percentage (29th) |
| 18.9 – FT Made Per Game (1st) |
| 2.3 – Blocks Per Game (308th) |
| 12.5 – Assists Per Game (223rd) |
After three years of playing a reserve role for Tom Izzo, Julius Marble made a big impression in his first season as an Aggies. While he was in East Lansing, Marble was expected to be a classic Spartan center. And that didn’t go perfectly, as the Dallas native turned out to be a solid scorer who was a bit miscast as a guy who could own the boards and protect the rim. Instead of continuing to bash his head into that same wall, Marble transferred closer to home and turned out to be a great fit alongside Coleman. Marble started the season on the bench, but ended up starting the 30 games while scoring double figures 16 times and posting career-best statistics across the board. Marble has not participated in the team’s exhibition tune-up games, and is out due to what Williams has described as a “university process”. Assuming that he returns to the court this year, Marble will add a great deal to the Aggie post.
While he’s still not exactly an intimidating banger, Marble more than held his own against the pivots of the SEC. Marble still isn’t a shot-blocker, and last season, graduated wing Dexter Dennis led the Aggies in rejections. Both Coleman and Marble will have to continue to play good defense and get on the boards at both ends since that isn’t their game. The duo’s activity on the boards is key, and while the Aggies ranked 220th in the country in defensive rebounding last year, they were 21st on the offensive boards. Coleman, Marble and Radford combined to score 61 putback buckets, and they’ll continue to score buckets in close and generate extra opportunities at a very high rate.
Williams has a few different options to replace Dennis, and however the minutes shake out, the Aggies have a lot of talented wing players. Manny Obaseki is likely to have the first crack at starting after returning from a hand injury which washed out much of last season. The former Top 50 national recruit is one of the more talented players on the roster, and prior to his injury last season, Obaseki had been averaging 7 points and had scored in double figures five times through the first 13 games. Unfortunately, though, after he returned ahead of the postseason, Obaseki scored just four points in five March games. Hayden Hefner is the team’s top three point threat on the wing, and knocked down 19 of them at 35% last season. He’s a long jump shooter who can get his looks against a variety of defenders, and also managed to shoot 61% at the rim last year despite his lanky frame. While the majority of his attempts came from deep, Hefner has shown that he can score from mid-range as well. If Hefner can prove that he’s dangerous every time he gets the chance to shoot, it will help to even out A&M’s offense. Given the team’s struggle to consistently pull defenses outside a year ago, Hefner could emerge as an important piece.
Jace Carter did it all for Illinois-Chicago last season, and the versatile wing is hoping to fit in seamlessly in College Station. Like Dennis, Carter has the size and strength to play some minutes inside and proves too much for some wings to handle on his way to the basket. He can make outside shots, and hit 38% of his 3’s two years ago. “He can go get a bucket, he’s a three-level scorer. He has burst,” Illinois State coach Ryan Pedon told 247 Sports, speaking about Carter. “He can shoot. He has a fast-twitch about him. He’s got a competitive edge about him. I think his stuff could translate.” Last season, though, as the top target of attention from opposing defenses, Carter fell to 31% from outside. He made 49% of his jumpers inside the arc, though, and 67% of his shots at the rim. Carter is a proven scoring option who brings translatable defensive skills, strength and length. He can block a few shots, too, which always helps when the bigs don’t do a whole lot of that. If he can occupy a similar defensive role to what Dennis gave the Aggies a year ago, Williams will happily allow Carter to show what he can do on offense as well.
When Williams wants size, energy, and somebody to join Coleman in pounding the boards, he can call upon Andersson Garcia. A native of the Dominican Republic and former Mississippi State Bulldog, Garcia fit in nicely last year by adding tremendous energy to the Aggies. A guy who doesn’t always have to score in order to help out, Garcia does work on the glass every time he gets into the game. Despite averaging less than 17 minutes per contest, Garcia pulled down 70 offensive rebounds; good for second on the team and 14th among all SEC players. Garcia chipped in 17 putback stabs of his own, and earned 53 foul shots despite just 65 field goal tries given his willingness to mix it up inside. Eli Lawrence is another transfer who is newly-arrived from Middle Tennessee State. There, he was part of a deep group of two-way wings, and Lawrence will add more of that ability and hustle to A&M’s rotation. Though he was just a 33.0% shooter from deep, that didn’t stop Lawrence from getting up triple tries as a Blue Raider. About half of his shots the last two seasons came from distance, and Lawrence is hoping to hit a higher percentage while being more selective in College Station.
In mid-summer, the Aggies added a different set of post player to the roster. Wildens Leveque stands out among A&M’s deep group of forwards – literally. The largest player on the team, Leveque is a former South Carolina and UMass center who should solidify things inside when Williams needs to match up with opposing pivots. Leveque isn’t purely a banger – he can shoot the ball out to the three point arc. Last year, though, Leveque did not shoot it efficiently. If he’s to earn prime minutes for A&M, he will need to score at a good clip. Leveque knows how to protect the rim, and brings 52 career starts to College Station. Solomon Washington is back to battle for rebounds and minutes, as well. As a rookie last year, the Louisiana product proved that he’s happy to do some dirty work inside, and converted the team’s highest returning rate of putback tries. He didn’t shoot a good percentage, but Washington tried some three’s last year, and has inside/out scoring potential to go with his abundance of energy.
| Five Out-of-Conference Games to Keep an Eye on |
| @ Houston – December 16 |
| N – Florida Atlantic / Butler – November 24 |
| vs Memphis – December 10 |
| @ Virginia – November 29 |
| @ Ohio State – November 10 |
A trio of freshmen are also coming aboard. Though none is expected to play a large role immediately, all three of them bring skills to develop which should make them good fits for a Williams-coached team. Bryce Lindsay is a guard from Maryland who finished his prep career and then stayed for a postgraduate season at IMG Academy in Florida. A scoring point guard with a reputation as a standout shooter, Lindsay should benefit from playing behind a pair of well-rounded veteran guards. “They will be getting a high IQ point guard who can lead their team and is willing to do anything to win,” Lindsay told 247 Sports upon his commitment. “I will bring my shot making skills, I will be able to shoot from anywhere in the gym whether off the dribble or on the catch. I’m just someone who knows how to play the game right.” Lindsay offers more size than Taylor, and should get the chance to show his skills if indeed he’s ready to make outside shots.
Brandon White will be able to marinate for a bit behind the stockpile of veteran frontcourt players, but he’s got skills to show. With soft hands, good quickness and flashes of slick footwork, White was once ranked as a 4-star prospect, and held offers from Houston and Creighton before choosing the Aggies. One of the reasons that White wasn’t able to keep that lofty rating has been his motor, but Williams demands effort from his guys and should get the most out of his skilled freshman big. White has real potential at both ends going forward. Rob Dockery is a bouncy young wing with good length. He scores effectively on slashes to the cup and has the rangy, high-energy look of a Williams player. If he can refine both his handle and jumper, Dockery should grow into an impact two-way player.
Last Year, Texas A&M was not a good offensive team. The Aggies’ brilliance from the charity stripe couldn’t hide the fact that they were frequently unable to put together consistent performances scoring the ball. The hope is, with some more outside shooting coming in, that this team will have more of what last year’s group lacked. The chemistry that comes with so much of A&M’s core returning should only help.
“I understand it’s a rarity to have this many returning players, but I also think that’s why maybe we have a chance to be good, is because we have so many coming back,” Williams said at SEC Media Days. “Not because we have the best ones, we just have so many that everybody’s familiar with, and that helps in 2023.”
While they weren’t great scorers, the Aggies have proven to be tough customer who will buy themselves extra possessions and points with their effort, hustle and Plains old grit. “In the figurative fights they’ve learned not to flinch,” Williams has said of his team. This year, with a couple of the best guards around and as many waves of hard-working forwards as you like, Texas A&M expects to still be fighting late into March.
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