The Texas A&M Aggies caught fire late in the year for the second straight season. This time, they would not be denied and made it to the NCAA Tournament. During the second half of the season, they won 19 of 22 games and made it to the SEC Championship. Almost the entire team returns this year. The Aggies can win the SEC if they can overcome their lack of size depth.
Previous teams can be seen here.
Preseason College Basketball Rankings: #17 Texas A&M Aggies
Wade Taylor IV is back to run the show in College Station. He took a huge leap last year as a sophomore and now has the chance to cement himself as one of the SEC’s best point guards. He was fourth in the conference in scoring average last season. The three guys ahead of him spent the summer with NBA teams. He was also fifth in assists per game in the SEC. His backcourt mate is Tyrece Radford. He scored over 13 points per game last season and is an excellent rebounder for his size. The two of them form arguably the best backcourt in the SEC.
Also returning is the power forward duo of Julius Marble and Henry Coleman III. Marble played very well last year after transferring from Michigan State and having an expanded role. Coleman III also played well, leading the team in rebounds with 5.7 per game. Besides the two of them and Solomon Washington, who played some but not a ton as a true freshman, this team lacks in size. And even those two aren’t as big as you’d like. But they play bigger, and continuing to do so will be key.
Head coach Buzz Williams was able to pick up two high-impact transfers in the portal. Jace Carter was a bright spot in the last two years at UIC. He earned Horizon League All-Freshman honors two years ago and then earned All-Conference honors last year despite the Flames moving to the more challenging Missouri Valley. He really broke out last year, averaging 16.6 points and 7.0 rebounds per game out on the wing. Eli Lawrence earned All-Conference honors last season at Middle Tennessee State. The former Blue Raider had his best collegiate season yet, averaging over 12 points and 4.0 rebounds per game.
Projected Lineup
PF – Julius Marble (9.1 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 0.4 APG, 0.4 SPG, 0.4 BPG)
PF – Henry Coleman III (9.0 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 0.9 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.1 BPG)
G – Jace Carter (16.6 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 1.6 APG, 1.8 SPG, 0.7 BPG at Illinois-Chicago)
G – Tyrece Radford (13.3 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 2.4 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.3 BPG)
PG – Wade Taylor IV (16.3 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 3.9 APG, 1.7 SPG, 0.1 BPG)
