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Texas A&M (23-11) finished the 2024-2025 season on a low note after falling to 5-seed Michigan 91-79 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday night. In back-to-back seasons, the Aggies came close but couldn't finish the job under head coach Buzz Williams, whose sixth season was supposed to be the most successful yet.
Bringing back six seniors while adding three players from the transfer portal last offseason, star guard Wade Taylor IV became the program's all-time leading scorer at the end of the regular season. Despite earning a 4-seed in the tournament due to the team's elite depth, rebounding, and defensive dominance, the Aggies' offensive issues hindered their ability to match Michigan's second-half run, ultimately losing them the game.
Amid all the emotions after the loss, Buzz Williams' future at the helm is likely intact after he and his coaching staff discussed how they plan to attack the transfer portal, which opens on Monday.
Ahead of the most crucial offseason of Williams' tenure, here are three key takeaways from Texas A&M's 91-79 loss to Michigan in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
In basketball, skill combined with elite effort leads to winning. Still, since the start of Texas A&M's 2024-2025 season, the Aggies consistently fielded one of the worst shooting teams in the SEC teams, but among the eight seniors, led by star guard Wade Taylor IV, the consistent effort was never an issue.
On paper, the Aggies were realistically good enough to make it to the Sweet 16 or even the Elite 8, but given the lack of offense, including Taylor's poor outside shooting, coach Buzz Williams can be blamed for many things. Still, he wasn't the one taking the shots late in the game after the Wolverines made their run.
The most significant era of Texas A&M basketball is over. While the emotional postgame send-off was filled with admiration for fellow players and the coaching staff, the Aggie fan base is focused on wins and losses. Welcome to the new era. However, it will look.
After transferring from Minnesota last offseason, forward Pharrel Payne progressively became one of Texas A&M's best and most complete players. During his first two career NCAA Tournament games, the athletic big man scored 51 points and singlehandedly gave the Aggies a chance to win against Michigan.
Payne and Solomon Washington are the only key contributors returning next season, and while that seems bleak, the Minnesota native is more than good enough to build around. Standing at 6'9" and 250 pounds, Payne's strength in the paint and soft touch at the rim led to finishing the season with 10.4 points per game, 5.1 rebounds, and shooting nearly 65% from the field.
Payne has embraced the program after just one season, knowing that if Buzz Williams can land impactful veterans from the transfer portal, the sky is the limit, and the Aggies should be able to compete for a spot in the NCAA Tournament next season.
Unsurprisingly, the Aggies fell in the second round after Buzz Williams chose to go away from feeding forward Pharrel Payne late in the second half, combined with defensive calls that allowed Michigan to score in transition and force to match their production. It's fair to criticize Williams as a coach, but the lack of consistent scoring has been an issue throughout his A&M career.
Heading into Monday's opening of the college basketball transfer portal, Williams reportedly has a plan, but he will compete with Tennessee, who will also lose five seniors to graduation. Combined with the redshirt players and incoming 2025 freshman class, Williams has options. Still, he must land at least five players, including two guards and two more interior veterans, to add depth behind Payne and Washington.
Losing Wade Taylor IV hurts, but the transfer portal will offer options for those looking for a new home on the big stage. Focusing on adding more shooting talent is also extremely important to help improve A&M's offensive consistency and help Payne thrive in the paint.
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.
This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Three takeaways from Texas A&M's March Madness 91-79 loss to Michigan
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Bringing back six seniors while adding three players from the transfer portal last offseason, star guard Wade Taylor IV became the program's all-time leading scorer at the end of the regular season. Despite earning a 4-seed in the tournament due to the team's elite depth, rebounding, and defensive dominance, the Aggies' offensive issues hindered their ability to match Michigan's second-half run, ultimately losing them the game.
Amid all the emotions after the loss, Buzz Williams' future at the helm is likely intact after he and his coaching staff discussed how they plan to attack the transfer portal, which opens on Monday.
Ahead of the most crucial offseason of Williams' tenure, here are three key takeaways from Texas A&M's 91-79 loss to Michigan in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Texas A&M's effort wasn't enough to make it past the second round
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In basketball, skill combined with elite effort leads to winning. Still, since the start of Texas A&M's 2024-2025 season, the Aggies consistently fielded one of the worst shooting teams in the SEC teams, but among the eight seniors, led by star guard Wade Taylor IV, the consistent effort was never an issue.
On paper, the Aggies were realistically good enough to make it to the Sweet 16 or even the Elite 8, but given the lack of offense, including Taylor's poor outside shooting, coach Buzz Williams can be blamed for many things. Still, he wasn't the one taking the shots late in the game after the Wolverines made their run.
The most significant era of Texas A&M basketball is over. While the emotional postgame send-off was filled with admiration for fellow players and the coaching staff, the Aggie fan base is focused on wins and losses. Welcome to the new era. However, it will look.
Junior forward Pharrel Payne is the new face of the program
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After transferring from Minnesota last offseason, forward Pharrel Payne progressively became one of Texas A&M's best and most complete players. During his first two career NCAA Tournament games, the athletic big man scored 51 points and singlehandedly gave the Aggies a chance to win against Michigan.
Payne and Solomon Washington are the only key contributors returning next season, and while that seems bleak, the Minnesota native is more than good enough to build around. Standing at 6'9" and 250 pounds, Payne's strength in the paint and soft touch at the rim led to finishing the season with 10.4 points per game, 5.1 rebounds, and shooting nearly 65% from the field.
Payne has embraced the program after just one season, knowing that if Buzz Williams can land impactful veterans from the transfer portal, the sky is the limit, and the Aggies should be able to compete for a spot in the NCAA Tournament next season.
Buzz Williams reportedly has a transfer portal plan, but will he execute it?
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Unsurprisingly, the Aggies fell in the second round after Buzz Williams chose to go away from feeding forward Pharrel Payne late in the second half, combined with defensive calls that allowed Michigan to score in transition and force to match their production. It's fair to criticize Williams as a coach, but the lack of consistent scoring has been an issue throughout his A&M career.
Heading into Monday's opening of the college basketball transfer portal, Williams reportedly has a plan, but he will compete with Tennessee, who will also lose five seniors to graduation. Combined with the redshirt players and incoming 2025 freshman class, Williams has options. Still, he must land at least five players, including two guards and two more interior veterans, to add depth behind Payne and Washington.
Losing Wade Taylor IV hurts, but the transfer portal will offer options for those looking for a new home on the big stage. Focusing on adding more shooting talent is also extremely important to help improve A&M's offensive consistency and help Payne thrive in the paint.
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.
This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Three takeaways from Texas A&M's March Madness 91-79 loss to Michigan
Continue reading...
