Damn.
What an unbelievable game that just had to go against A&M, as is tradition.
And what late timing to write this. I’m sorry I got writer’s block.
In maybe the wildest match of the NCAA Tournament, the Aggies found themselves down by double digits with just under two minutes left to play in regulation. For most teams, it’d probably be a last curtain call, a last hurrah for the regular rotation guys to get a well-deserved standing ovation from the traveling fans before heading into the offseason.
Not these Aggies.
It’s like the saying goes - “I’ve seen ‘em lose and I’ve seen ‘em win. But I’ve never seen ‘em quit.” And they fully embodied that on Sunday night.
With 1:52 left in the game, Houston held a 81-69 lead. But some timely baskets from Tyrece Radford, Wade Taylor, and Solomon Washington, along with some missed free throws from the Cougars, cut the deficit to three with two seconds left. When all seemed lost after Houston got the ball after calling a timeout, the Ags were able to force a quick jump ball, where the possession arrow favored Texas A&M.
And then Andersson Garcia, of all people, hit the shot of his life. March. Madness.
A&M had life again thanks to a 17-5 run. It felt like it was destiny to win this one. Until, in classic A&M fashion, they didn’t.
Houston completely took over the overtime period, as the tone was set from the jump - an awesome defensive possession from the Aggies, where all that work led to an offensive rebound and an open three. From there, Texas A&M could never really keep up, as the Cougars were able to get whatever shot they wanted in the bonus period. A late free-throw from walk-on Ryan Elvin pretty much iced the game after a questionable timeout as Radford was driving to the hoop, and the Aggies’ season came to a close in Memphis in gut-wrenching fashion, 100-95.
And the worst part? They got no one to blame but themselves.
Missing 16 free throws is something that everyone’s gonna talk about, no doubt. And yes, they should’ve hit their shots from the line. It’s unfortunate because Texas A&M likely would’ve won had they made even a couple of free throws and shot better than 50% from the stripe in the first half. Just one example of would’ve, could’ve, should’ve.
Then there’s the whole Wade Taylor disasterclass, which was basically the last thing I was expecting from Four. He picked the absolute worst time to have maybe the worst game of his career, huh? For crying out loud, bro shot a tour date (5/27!). I’d rather him shoot, though, even if he was really inefficient. Live and die with my point guard, and I’ll take him over anyone. He’ll be back better than ever next season. Still proud of how he literally put this team on his back for large chunks of the season and willed them to be competitive.
But with the tournament behind us (shoutout to UConn for defeating the evil force that is Purdue, and to Fightin’ Texas Aggie Hassan Diarra for being a two-time National Champion) and the pain starting to fade a little bit from the loss, let’s reminisce on some of the good in a whirlwind of a season.
Yes, the Ags lost some dreadful games, notably to Vanderbilt and Arkansas - twice. But Buzz’s guys notched a ton of great wins this season. Beating Tennessee at home by 16? A season sweep of John Calipari and Kentucky? Coming back from 21 down to beat Iowa State on a neutral court? These were all incredibly memorable moments that allowed A&M to gain some much-needed momentum throughout the season and was a big reason why the Aggies were in the Big Dance in the first place.
The emergence of Manny Obaseki has been amazing to witness, as well. It only started at the end of February, but his quick ascendance to being a legitimate threat was one of the more fun progressions to watch from March onwards. Seeing him consistently put in double-digit points, find his confidence and shot, and play with a joy and intensity that was matched by few, if any, throughout the home stretch felt so great to see. He’s fully entrenched himself as a core part of the Aggies heading forward.
So what’s next?
Well, time to look forward to the offseason. And can’t do that without saying goodbye to the guys who will depart the program after this season.
Eli Lawrence was primed to be a quality shooter off the bench after transferring from Mississippi State, but he never quite found his footing. Wildens Leveque provided much-needed size on the inside, but never really had more than a minor role, averaging single-digit minutes per game. Wishing them both the best in their next endeavors.
But the main loss for Texas A&M this year is undoubtedly Tyrece ‘Boots’ Radford. A longtime veteran of this team, the sixth-year senior now departs after yet another year of being an integral part of the Aggies, as one of the key cogs on offense and on the glass is gone. His ability to drive to the rim, earn tough points, and be one of the best backcourt rebounders in the country were so invaluable for A&M throughout his tenure in College Station, and he’ll depart as one of the more beloved Ags in a while.
So with those three gone, and maybe a couple others through the portal, what’s the core of next year’s squad looking like?
Well first, there’s the main returners, with Wade Taylor, Manny Obaseki, Henry Coleman, Andersson Garcia (who denied transfer rumors), Jace Carter, Solomon Washington, and Hayden Hefner all likely returning for the Ags. All seven guys received legit minutes this year and should get some major run again in 2024. You know about them.
Then there are the redshirts. Bryce Lindsay was a freshman guard that got some non-conference minutes, but it was clear that he wasn’t quite ready for major time from the jump. Texas A&M redshirted him after a few games, but he’s got major, three-level scoring ability. Then there’s Brandon White, a 6’10” center from the esteemed Donda Academy who had pretty noteworthy offers until tearing his ACL, as well as Tyler Ringgold, a 6’8” wing who was a late pickup from South Florida. Finally, there’s Rob Dockery, a guy who should actually be an incoming freshman but reclassified to get a head start on strength and conditioning. He was a top-125 recruit in the 2024 class, and I’m excited to see how he’s developed.
Finally, there are two noteworthy freshmen to keep an eye on. First, there’s Andre Mills, a 6’4” guard that is an extremely skilled scorer from three levels but can drive to the basket pretty well ala Boots. The Massachusetts Player of the Year took a huge step forward in his development in his senior year, and I’m excited to see if he can carve out a role on this team. Next, there’s the athletic but raw George Turkson, a 6’7” wing that is very proficient at crashing the glass but still needs to refine a couple of other areas of his game. Andersson Garcia lite, maybe?
Obviously, Buzz Williams will be active in the transfer portal, and while there are a list of guys that the Aggies have reportedly offered, I’ll only list a couple of noteworthy players who I feel A&M has at least an OK/non-zero chance of landing or whom I’ve seen smoke around:
Guards: Rowan Brumbaugh (Georgetown), Davonte Davis (Arkansas), Jason Edwards (North Texas), Nick Boyd (FAU), Shakeel Moore (Mississippi State), Otega Oweh (Oklahoma), Myles Rice (Washington State), Rob Jennings (Texas Tech)
Forwards: William Kyle III (South Dakota State), Brandon Love (Texas State), Pharrel Payne (Minnesota), Eric Dailey Jr. (Oklahoma State)
Overall, I don’t know what to expect from the transfer portal. That’ll just be a wait-and-see thing as the offseason progresses. But after the end of this past season, the future is bright at Reed Arena, and even in an up-and-down year, there are positives to be drawn from the season and optimism for the year(s) ahead.
Thanks for a good season, and shoutout to the turnaround that Joni Taylor engineered with the women’s team as well. Getting back to the tourney and almost springing the upset as an 11-seed in just her second year at the helm is no joke - the groundwork has been laid to set up the program nicely.
Time to turn ahead to the diamond sports, where baseball and softball have been lights-out this year, and with a big series this weekend against #6 Vanderbilt ahead for Jim Schlossnagle and his crew, all eyes will be on Olsen Field for this three-game stretch. Meanwhile, football’s spring game is in less than 10 days as well, so be on the lookout for my inevitable spring football post because I can’t get enough football even in the offseason, apparently.
Sorry this took so long to get out. Congrats to my friends getting their rings over the next few days! See you all hopefully sooner rather than later.
-Sourav