COLLEGE STATION, Texas – During his preseason press conference Thursday, Texas A&M head basketball coach Buzz Williams said that starting power forward Julius Marble is currently not permitted to participate in team activities while going through a “university process.”
Williams added that he is not able to elaborate on the situation and how long Marble will be away from the team. Marble did not attend the Aggies’ preseason media day event Thursday in Reed Arena but is still listed on the online roster.
“He is not able to take part in team activities,” Williams said. “He is going through a university process. I am not privy to any of that, so I can’t comment on it further. But that is where it stands.”
Marble projected to remain a starter for the upcoming 2023-24 season, which for No. 15 A&M begins with a home game against Texas A&M-Commerce in Reed Arena on Nov. 6 (7 p.m. on SEC Network+).
After joining the Aggies last season, the 6-foot-9, 235-pound Marble made an immediate impact. The Michigan State transfer appeared in all 35 games and made 30 starts while ranking fourth and fifth on the team in points (9.1) and rebounds (4.1) per game, respectively. He also connected on a team-high 53.3% of his field goal attempts.
In August, Marble participated in all three of the exhibition games A&M played during its one-week foreign tour in the Bahamas. But he did not play in the Aggies’ closed scrimmage against Baylor last Friday.
Without Marble, A&M would have a few options to fill his place beside starting forward Henry Coleman III. In their unofficial 78-73 victory over the Bears, the Aggies started sophomore Solomon Washington and played him for 20 minutes. Two other forwards, senior Andersson Garcia (26 minutes) and UMass transfer Wildens Leveque (nine minutes), received action as well.
In that scrimmage, Washington recorded three points, four rebounds and one assist, Garcia tallied a team-high five rebounds with two points and two steals, and Leveque totaled one rebound. Guards Wade Taylor IV and Tyrece Radford led A&M with 20 points apiece.
The Aggies leaned on Garcia and Washington off the bench last season. With his prowess as a defender and rebounder, Garcia made the biggest impact among the two. The Mississippi State transfer came in at 3.2 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. Washington emerged later in the season and finished averaging 3.2 points and 2.9 rebounds.
Before its season opener, A&M will have an exhibition game vs. Texas Tech in the Compete 4 Cause Classic in Denton, Texas this Sunday. That matchup will begin following the conclusion of the exhibition game between North Texas and Sam Houston State, which is scheduled to start at 2 p.m.
To watch Williams’ press conference Thursday, click here. GigEm247 also interviewed Taylor and Radford, which can be found here.