HC Buzz Williams and his staff are 'ahead' regarding the transfer portal opening on Monday
HC Buzz Williams and his staff are 'ahead' regarding the transfer portal opening on Monday
Texas A&M (23-11) couldn't get past the second round of the NCAA Tournament for a consecutive season, falling to 5-seed Michigan 91-79 in one of the more lopsided second halves the Aggies endured this season. After leading 39-35 at the half, junior forward Pharrel Payne's 26 points helped build a double-digit lead at the 13-minute mark of the second half.
Still, due to defensive lapses and head coach Buzz Williams' odd choice to move away from Payne late in the game when the Wolverines made their run, the Aggies folded and never regained the lead. Wade Taylor IV and seven other seniors' college careers ended disappointingly. Williams not making it past the second round in all three of Texas A&M's NCAA Tournament appearances has the fan base split on his future.
Still, nothing points toward Williams losing his job. His career with the program will be judged by how he navigates the transfer portal, having to replace all eight seniors, which includes losing forwards Henry Coleman III and Andersson Garcia. At the same time, Solomon Washington and Pharrel Payne are the only key contributors returning to the front court.
Losing Wade Taylor IV, Manny Obaseki, and Zhuric Phelps will also be an extremely tough task to replace. Still, during the postgame press conference, Williams noted that the Aggies are ahead of schedule and prepared to move once the college basketball transfer portal opens on Monday.
"Every coach knows the portal starts Monday, so we'll travel tomorrow. Our staff is ahead on where I need to go. You want to put together the best roster each year. Each year we've been better in how we've assimilated our roster."
Analyzing Texas A&M's future 2025-2026 roster will take time, but after picking up key pieces last offseason, which included Zhuric Phelps and Pharrel Payne, the fan base should trust that Buzz will replenish the roster and add to the returning sophomores who have yet to make an impact.
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.
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