DENVER — Throughout the Texas A&M men’s basketball team’s 2024-25 season, A&M head coach Buzz Williams has said repeatedly that there would likely never be a team like the Aggies had again.
Amid the transfer portal era, A&M leaned on its veteran depth to make its third straight NCAA tournament appearance. A group of eight seniors or graduate players played their final game for the Aggies in Saturday’s 91-79 loss to Michigan in the second round of the NCAA tournament.
Many programs praise their outgoing class of seniors, but A&M guards Wade Taylor IV, Hayden Hefner, Manny Obaseki, Jace Carter, Zhuric Phelps and CJ Wilcher, along with forwards Henry Coleman III and Andersson Garcia, proved to be a transformational group that turned the Aggies from a struggling program into a tournament contender again.
Texas A&M forward Andersson Garcia, left, drives past Michigan center Danny Wolf, right, during the first half Saturday in Denver. Garcia's A&M career came to an end along with seven teammates after the NCAA tournament loss.
After the game, Williams prayed over the eight outgoing players one by one behind closed doors. It lasted almost 30 minutes. It’s a tradition Williams has carried for all 18 years he’s been a head coach.
“Every prayer is different because of my relationship with that young man and with their family,” Williams said. “And so I just try to be precise, despite being overly emotional, in letting them know how much I love them, letting them know how much I care for them, and letting them know no matter where they go or where I go or who's the coach or where they play or if they don't play, none of that impacts the relationship and that I'll always be there to support them.”
Taylor ends his A&M career as arguably the most decorated player in school history. He broke over 15 school records, most notably the program’s all-time scoring record. He finished with 2,058 points. He had his jersey No. 4 unveiled in the Reed Arena rafters after A&M’s home finale when the Aggies upset No. 1 Auburn. Taylor came off the court with 15 seconds left in the game Saturday after he fouled out. He said he wanted to be remembered for giving his all every game, no matter what people thought or said about him.
“I stood on 10 toes for these guys I'm sitting with,” Taylor said. “Forever thankful to them and the coaching staff that brought me here, that believed in me. We've had a heck of a run these last four years. I'm so proud of everything we've accomplished.
Hefner set the school record for most career games (143). He opted to spend his fifth and final season of college basketball with the Aggies despite having a bench role down the stretch of last season.
"Like I told [Hefner], we'll be friends forever, and now you can come to my house and we can watch a game and eat queso together," Williams said. "Nobody will say anything. Nobody will tweet about it. I'm honored."
Coleman, who transferred from Duke after his freshman season, was a steady force at forward for A&M. He set the school record for offensive rebounds (364). After the game, the Aggies huddled on the court together before they exited the floor for the final time. Coleman said every player spoke and they collectively thanked God for the wins and losses.
“I think it's foolish if you don't believe that God has orchestrated this for all of us to come together, for all of us to have our families meet and for all of us to just be right here in this moment,” Coleman said. “We're just super thankful for it. It's not the result that we wanted, but I think the faith that we've had this whole time with these guys, with coach, with the coaching staff, has been unbelievable.”
Obaseki was A&M’s highest-rated recruit signed in program history as a four-star prospect in the Class of 2021. Although Obaseki was up-and-down during the regular season the last two years, he proved to be a key piece in A&M’s last two postseason games. Obaseki said he wants the outgoing class to be remembered for doing things that will likely never be done again at A&M.
“I want you guys to understand that the people that orchestrated and played a part in what has transpired over these last four or five years wasn't by coincidence, and it goes to show you how special Buzz is as a leader, knowing who he wants, who to bring,” Obaseki said. “And on top of that, just the people that are in the program, the players and the coaches, all great people, pure hearts, want to do right by each other, want to do right by themselves and their family and for God. I mean, there's not a lot of words that I can really put to describe how much these people mean to me and what this class and what Team 113 has meant to me, as well.”
Garcia, who transferred from Mississippi State after his sophomore year and nicknamed the “Dominican Rodman” for his exceptional rebounding abilities, became a fan-favorite. He scored 11 points and added six rebounds against the Wolverines.
Carter, who played the last two years for A&M, prided himself on defense and dealt with criticism and hate from fans off the court. Phelps and Wilcher both played just one season for the Aggies. Phelps, who transferred from SMU, led the team in minutes this season. Wilcher, who came from Nebraska, helped fill a void for the Aggies on the perimeter.
Coleman closed his final press conference by saying his time at A&M changed his and his outgoing teammates’ lives.
“We didn't hit every shot, we didn't get every rebound, we didn't get every steal, but we damn sure tried,” Coleman said. “That's one thing you'll never, ever say about this team is that we never tried. Even when everybody tweeted stuff about us and we saw it, we always tried, and we always put our first foot forward and we kept it going. And we're just thankful for this, and thank you, guys.”
