'Lots Of Emotion!' Aggies Players React to NCAA Tournament Bid
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The 2023-24 Texas A&M Aggies men's basketball team is going dancing once again. Coach Buzz Williams' squad was announced as the No. 9 seed in the South Region on Sunday evening and is set to match up with new athletic director Trev Alberts' old school in No. 8 Nebraska in the first round.
Texas A&M comes in at 20-14 and recovered from an up-and-down season, closing with a five-game winning streak before losing to Florida in the SEC Tournament semifinal game on Saturday.
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After the Aggies' were announced, some players spoke to 12th Man Productions about making the tournament.
“It was a lot of emotion in the room,” senior forward Henry Coleman III said. “I think from every mom, dad, coach, to player, there was a ton of emotion in the room. Everyone has made sacrifices over this year of something whether if it be school, time away from kids or family, everyone has had to sacrifice. To see it pay off and for us to get that nine-seed, it really meant a lot to everyone in this room.”
Senior guard Tyrece Radford has been one of the top-two leading scorers for the Aggies all season and described the emotions after hearing the announcement.
“It was emotional,” Radford recalled. “A couple of my teammates were dropping tears and you could see the excitement on everybody’s face, just being ready to play.”
It's the 16th overall appearance for the Aggies in the NCAA Tournament, where they have a 13-16 mark. The Cornhuskers and Aggies used to be in the Big 12 together where Nebraska held a 12-8 all-time advantage in the series.