Texas A&M basketball head coach Buzz Williams spoke at SEC media days on Wednesday, and one theme rang loud and clear during his time at the podium: consistency.
It’s a key trait for an Aggies team that is fresh off a highly successful 2022-23 campaign, in which they finished 25-10 (15-3 SEC), reached the SEC title game for the second year in a row, while also punching their ticket to the NCAA Tournament.
But after a first-round loss to Penn State, expectations have aptly been raised on this basketball program. Just this week, the Maroon and White were firmly ranked in the Top 25 of both the preseason coaches poll and the preseason AP Poll. It speaks to what the term “success” now means in Aggieland, and that equates to a deep run in the postseason.
Will A&M be ready to handle that pressure? According to Williams, they will thanks to an early non-conference slate, coupled with a bevy of returning production, and the leadership of Wade Taylor IV.
Those were just a few of the highlights from his time at the podium, in which he shed light on the team’s mindset and preparation for what should be an exciting basketball season ahead.
Here is everything Aggies basketball head coach Buzz Williams said at SEC media days on Wednesday.
The returning production in Aggieland is a luxury
Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
“We want to lead the league in the lowest transfers among coaches and among players. It’s very special to have this many returning players.”
Make no mistake, Wade Taylor IV is the leader of this team
Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports
“Yes, we want our team to do well, but our team is going to do well if Four is doing well. It’s not for Four. It’s for our program. He is the leader of the program. We have to hold each other accountable.”
Consistency in the postseason is the next step for A&M
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“It’s the next step. We have yet to win a game after Spring Break. That’s what we want to do. In our time, there have been pockets when we’ve been really good… but there have also been pockets where we have not been good.”
A&M faces a new challenge this season, but consistency from the start will be pivotal
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“From start to finish, how can we be our best? The schedule we’re about to play, we’ve never played in non-conference, and our mirror opponents are different this year than they’ve ever been. There are moving parts.”
No one can deny Coach Buzz’s love for his team, and that extends beyond the court
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“Maybe 2% of the time do I talk to Four about ball. You can ask Boots the same question. I do less coaching than I ever have before… I try to love more than I ever have before. I think it’s about being transparent and how I can help you.”
Coach Buzz, the ever-learning student
Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports
“I read 52 books a year. I know that’s not a lot compared to more studious people in the world, but I’m just trying to learn.”
Coach Buzz is always looking for areas to be more efficient in coaching this team
Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports
“Every coach has a different philosophy on what they want to do with their team in the summer and what they do in September and October. I’m not saying ours is wrong, and I’m not judging others. I just think that we’re always behind. I think we’re behind for the right reasons.”
Coach Buzz wants A&M to use that non-conference slate to their advantage
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“And I do think that we do probably win a game or two after Valentine’s Day that maybe we would not have expected to win based on non-conference results.”
Buzz isn’t taking his returning production for granted
Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports
“We do have a lot of returning players, but we’re also arguably playing the toughest non-conference schedule that A&M’s ever played. We don’t have much wiggle room to give away possessions at any point. We play eight games in November, and five of them are on the road.”
That early slate may be tough, but it only means the Aggies will get hot down the stretch
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“Hopefully, we’re a little ahead of schedule because of the returners, but the process we have followed this summer and up to this point has been the same that we always do.”
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