Texas A&M PG Wade Taylor IV Named Naismith Trophy Player Of The Week
Wade Taylor IV was the x-factor Saturday night as the Texas A&M Aggies men's basketball team secured their biggest win of the season over No. 6 Tennessee at Reed Arena.
Now, he's being rewarded for his efforts.
Taylor was named the Naismith Trophy National Player of the Week on Monday after leading the Aggies to a 2-0 week, the Naismith Awards and Atlanta Tipoff Club announced. The Aggies also bested Missouri 63-57 on Wednesday evening.
Taylor averaged 21.5 points in the two victories, including 25 in the Aggies' 85-69 upset over the Volunteers. The Dallas native also connected on five 3-pointers and dished out seven assists in the nationally televised victory.
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A preseason Naismith Men's Player of the Year Trophy, Taylor has been the backbone of the Aggies in 2023. He's totaled nine 20-plus point outings, including a 41-point performance in a road loss against Arkansas. The 6-foot junior has also been clutch behind the arc, connecting on 30.8 percent of his shots.
Through 23 games, Taylor leads the Aggies in scoring (19.9), assists (87), steals (51), 3-pointers (59) and free throws (111). He is the nation's leading scorer among players with at least 80 assists and 50 steals.
The Aggies (15-8, 6-3 SEC) hit the road this week for a matchup against Vanderbilt and No. 15 Alabama before returning to Reed Arena for their season finale matchup against Arkansas.
Entering the home stretch, the Aggies are a projected 10-seed in ESPN's latest bracketology rankings and are scheduled to take on 7-seed Texas in the first round of the Dallas Region.