'He's Been Through Alot': Buzz Williams Praises Texas A&M Star Tyrece Radford Following Florida Win
Even Buzz Williams had to collect himself when speaking of Texas A&M senior Tyrece "Boots" Radford.
After all, the previous 48 hours had been a roller coaster of emotions for the entire hoops program.
Radford, who scored a team-leading 26 points in a 67-66 win over Florida at Reed Arena Saturday afternoon, was arrested on Friday after evading the police in a motor vehicle that occurred in December. While being detained, the Aggies were preparing for their SEC matchup at home in what felt like a must-win game.
Radford was later released on bond before Saturday's game. Perhaps the moment fueled him for a performance few in College Station would forget. From the first whistle on, Radford was in his element, scoring the first four points to give the Aggies a slight cushion.
He'd also drain a 35-foot 3-pointer with just over a minute remaining the give the Aggies the win. The victory should carry weight in helping A&M (13-8, 4-4 SEC) secure a spot in next month's NCAA Tournament.
“He has been through a lot,” Williams said of Radford following the game. “I think the world of him. Not just because he is a good player. I thought how he responded was otherworldly.”
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Radford's tone-setting layups guided the Aggies on an 11-0 run that put them up by seven in the opening five minutes. Florida (15-7, 5-4) responded after the first 10 minutes with its own 14-3 run.
Radford, who finished 10 of 16 from the floor, and 2 of 3 from beyond the arc, drained a 3-pointer as time expired in the first half to cut Florida's lead to six points. At the start of the second half, he broke away for a fast layup, thus setting the tone for another 9-0 run from A&M.
“He’s a really good player,” Florida coach Todd Golden said of Radford. “Obviously, a veteran that likes the big moment.”
Florida's inconsistencies carried over into the final 10 minutes. The Aggies took advantage of the Gators' ill-timed shots and produced, going on a 25-9 run to build a 59-55 lead with 7:54 left.
"We preached these last couple days about the middle 8 [minutes] of the game that is really important," said Radford. "We emphasized that at practice and it showed tonight at the game.”
Florida regained the three-point lead with just over three minutes remaining but missed all four of its final shots. Radford, who also picked up five rebounds, drilled a pair of free throws to tie the game. Less than a minute later, he drilled the eventual game-winning shot.
Solomon Washington came down with a crucial rebound in the closing seconds to make Radford a hero.
Prior to meeting with the media, it was made known that he would not be discussing his ongoing legal situation. Radford, however, did thank Williams for his unyielding trust in him after a daunting 48 hours.
“[Williams] believes in me and I believe in him. That’s the relationship we have — faith and trust,” Radford said. “Buzz is always going to be my guy for life. The last 24 hours is pretty much what we go through every day — believe in each other every day.”
The Aggies hit the road to take on Missouri this upcoming Wednesday at 8 p.m.