Aggies Men's Hoops: Texas A&M Ranked No. 13 in Rothstein 45 List
With as much hype as the Texas A&M Aggies football team received ahead of coach Jimbo Fisher's sixth season in College Station, it'd be difficult to imagine that the Aggies' men's basketball squad would match it.
But difficult or not, it's happened. Texas A&M debuted at No. 15 in this season's first iteration of the AP poll — it's third-highest ranking of all-time — and is set to face immense pressure to repeat the success it found a year ago before even stepping on the court for the first time.
CBS Sports analyst Jon Rothstein only added to that pressure with his "Rothstein 45" rankings, putting the Aggies at No. 13 in the country, "and for good reason."
Texas A&M Aggies guard Wade Taylor IV dribbles the ball against a Vanderbilt defender during the SEC tournament in Nashville, Tennessee.
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"The Buzz is palpable in College Station, and that’s for good reason," Rothstein wrote. "Buzz Williams and Texas A&M return the highest percentage among SEC teams, and this year’s rendition of the Aggies should be Williams’ best since he arrived in College Station from Virginia Tech."
Retention is a big deal for an Aggies squad that surprised almost everyone last season. Williams has stressed the importance he and his staff place on their players' characters, going as far as to say that his team might not be the most talented, but it does have the best people.
While that isn't normally what you'd expect to hear from a head coach, the Aggies weren't what anyone expected them to be last season, and this season, that could very well continue.
"The backbone of the best teams Williams has coached in his career has been veteran guard play," Rothstein continued. "We saw it at Marquette with Junior Cadougan, we saw it at Virginia Tech with Justin Robinson. Wade Taylor IV is next in line to take that baton, and he is very much an SEC Player of the Year candidate in 2023-2024.”
So, with a conference player of the year candidate and a slew of returning players — both starters and bench — the Aggies have the groundwork made up. Williams is returning for his fifth season in Aggieland, too, and with it, comes his unconventional methods. But that isn't necessarily a bad thing.
The Aggies have been receiving their flowers this preseason, after all.
