Monday, November 4
Orlando, Fla.
6:00 PM
Texas A&M
at
UCF
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G/F
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
F/C
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
Photo by: Craig Bisacre/Texas A&M Athletics
Aggie Men’s Hoops Takes on UCF in Rare Road Season Opener
Nov 01, 2024 | Men's Basketball
ORLANDO, Fla. – The No. 13 Texas A&M men's basketball team opens 2024-25 season on the road for the first time in more than 20 years against the UCF Knights at 6 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 4 in the first-ever meeting between the two schools.
RADIO/TV INFORMATION
AMBITIOUS NON-CON SLATE
With the all-important NET rankings in mind, Texas A&M has constructed perhaps its toughest non-conference schedule in school history.
For the first time in program history, the Aggies' non-conference slate features five opponents from power conferences without factoring in possible opponents from in-season tournaments. Additionally, the Aggies are guaranteed dates with Oregon and Creighton at the star-studded Players Era Festival In Las Vegas.
ABOUT THE AGGIES
WEARING THE SEC GRADUATE PATCH
Four Aggies have already earned their bachelor's degrees and will wear the coveted SEC Graduate patch in 2024-25.
Players with their degrees in hand already are:
RETURNING FIREPOWER
With seven of the team's top eight players in terms of minutes-played returning in 2024-25, the Aggies have an uncommon percentage of returning points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks. Last year's team leader in every statistical category across the board returns in 2024-25.
jersey number changes
Back For More in 2024-25
Statistic 2023-24 Total Returning Pct.
Points 2,736 2,105 76.9%
Assists 412 318 77.2%
Rebounds 1,541 1,233 80.0%
Steals 250 224 90.0%
Blocks 107 82 76.6%
JERSEY UPDATE
Two Aggies will wear different jersey numbers in 2024-25.
PRESEASON HONORS FOR '4'
PRESEASON PROGNOSTICATIONS
SCORING THE BALL
Texas A&M has three players with more 1,000 career points and two more within range of quadruple digits.
Texas A&M's Active Career Points Leaders
Player Points Years
Wade Taylor IV 1,588 3
Zhuric Phelps 1,137 3
Henry Coleman III 1,046 4
Jace Carter 914 3
CJ Wilcher, Xavier 818 4
REBOUNDING THE BALL
Texas A&M has two players with more 500 career rebounds and another within range.
Texas A&M's Active Career Rebounds Leaders
Player Points Years
Henry Coleman III 649 4
Andersson Garcia 628 4
Jace Carter 493 3
- It is the Aggies' first season opener in a true road game since falling to George Washington, 94-74, in the first game of 2000-01. The GW game also marks Texas A&M's most recent defeat in a season opener. The Aggies have won 23 straight season openers.
- In fact, to find a road victory in a season opener, you have to go back to 1980 when Shelby Metcalf's Aggies opened with a 66-57 win over the Maine Black Bears at Memorial Gymnasium or "The Pit" in Orono, Maine.
- Sixth-year Aggie head coach Buzz Williams is 5-0 in season lid-lifters in Aggieland and 15-2 in openers as a head coach (0-1 at UNO, 6-0 at Marquette and 4-1 at Virginia Tech). His most recent loss in a season opener was an 85-82 loss to Alabama State at VT in 2015.
Dropping Dimes. #GigEm pic.twitter.com/LxB5mHVxK7
— Texas A&M Basketball (@aggiembk) November 4, 2024
RADIO/TV INFORMATION
- The game will be streamed on ESPN+ with Austin Lyons (play by play), Mike O'Donnel (analyst) and Hannah Jo Graves (reporter) describing the action.
- ESPN+ is a standalone streaming service that requires a subscription ($) separate from your TV provider credentials (YouTube TV, DirecTV, AT&T UVerse, Comcast, etc.). It can be accessed through the ESPN App on smartphones, tablets, connected streaming devices (such as Apple TV, Roku, Chromecast, etc.) or via watchespn.com. If you do not have TV provider credentials you can sign up for ESPN+ here.
- The matchup airs on the Texas A&M Radio Network, locally on 1620 AM/94.5 FM or worldwide on the 12th Man Mobile App with Andrew Monaco and Dr. John Thornton describing the action.
AMBITIOUS NON-CON SLATE
With the all-important NET rankings in mind, Texas A&M has constructed perhaps its toughest non-conference schedule in school history.
For the first time in program history, the Aggies' non-conference slate features five opponents from power conferences without factoring in possible opponents from in-season tournaments. Additionally, the Aggies are guaranteed dates with Oregon and Creighton at the star-studded Players Era Festival In Las Vegas.
ABOUT THE AGGIES
- Texas A&M returns seven of its top eight players in scoring and minutes from a year ago.
- Leading the way is two-time first-team All-SEC pick Wade Taylor IV, who is college basketball's only player to log 500+ points, 100+ assists and 60+ steals in each of the past two seasons.
- Also returning is the SEC's top rebounder from 2023-24, Andersson Garcia, who finished the year with 327 total rebounds to break the 42-year old school standard of 317 set by Claude "The Crockett Rocket" Riley in 1981-82.
- Other top returnees include Jace Carter (16 starts in 2023-24), Solomon Washington (20 starts in 2023-24), Henry Coleman III (73 career starts), Manny Obaseki (started final eight games of 2023-24) and Hayden Hefner (18 starts in 2023-24).
- The Aggies' No. 13 preseason AP Top 25 ranking matches the highest in school history (2006-07).
- With 21 wins in 2023-24, sixth-year head coach Buzz Williams became the third Texas A&M head coach to lead the Aggies to three straight 20-win seasons and the first to do it in more than a decade.
- The Aggies added three impact transfers in guard Zhuric Phelps (leading scorer at SMU), Pharrel Payne (leading shot blocker at Minnesota) and C.J. Wilcher (top bench scorer at Nebraska), along high school standouts Chris McDermott, Andre Mills and George Turkson.
WEARING THE SEC GRADUATE PATCH
Four Aggies have already earned their bachelor's degrees and will wear the coveted SEC Graduate patch in 2024-25.
Players with their degrees in hand already are:
- Henry Coleman III (University Studies-Race, Gender & Ethnicity)
- Hayden Hefner (Marketing - Strategic Retailing Track)
- Wade Taylor IV (University Studies-Race, Gender & Ethnicity)
- CJ Wilcher (Child, Youth & Family Studies).
RETURNING FIREPOWER
With seven of the team's top eight players in terms of minutes-played returning in 2024-25, the Aggies have an uncommon percentage of returning points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks. Last year's team leader in every statistical category across the board returns in 2024-25.
jersey number changes
Back For More in 2024-25
Statistic 2023-24 Total Returning Pct.
Points 2,736 2,105 76.9%
Assists 412 318 77.2%
Rebounds 1,541 1,233 80.0%
Steals 250 224 90.0%
Blocks 107 82 76.6%
JERSEY UPDATE
Two Aggies will wear different jersey numbers in 2024-25.
- Junior Solomon Washington shifts from #13 to #9.
- Redshirt freshman Rob Dockery dons #3 after having the #9 last season, although he didn't wear it in a game.
- With the NCAA rule change in 2023 allowing players to wear any number between 0 and 99, Washington will become the first Aggie to wear #9. Similarly, freshmen Andre Mills and Janusz Ratowski would be the first to wear #7 and #18, respectively.
PRESEASON HONORS FOR '4'
- 1st Team All-SEC (Media & Coaches)
- 2nd Team All-America (Jay Bilas/ESPN, Blue Ribbon)
- 3rd Team All-America (CBSSports.com, Jon Rothstein/CollegeHoopsToday.net, John Fanta/FoxSports.com)
- Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year watch list
- NABC D1 Player of the Year watch list
PRESEASON PROGNOSTICATIONS
- Texas A&M was ranked No. 13 in the preseason edition of the Associated Press Top 25 poll. It matches the highest preseason AP Top 25 ranking for the Aggies in program history. The 2006-07 Aggies, who advanced to the Sweet 16, were also ranked No. 13 in the preseason poll.
- The Aggies were one of nine SEC teams in the AP Top 25, joining No. 2 Alabama, No. 11 Auburn, No. 12 Tennessee, No. 16 Arkansas, No. 19 Texas, No. 21 Florida, No. 23 Kentucky and No. 24 Ole Miss.
- The Aggies were projected to place fifth in the SEC in 2024-25 by a vote of the SEC beat media, behind Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee and Arkansas.
SCORING THE BALL
Texas A&M has three players with more 1,000 career points and two more within range of quadruple digits.
Texas A&M's Active Career Points Leaders
Player Points Years
Wade Taylor IV 1,588 3
Zhuric Phelps 1,137 3
Henry Coleman III 1,046 4
Jace Carter 914 3
CJ Wilcher, Xavier 818 4
REBOUNDING THE BALL
Texas A&M has two players with more 500 career rebounds and another within range.
Texas A&M's Active Career Rebounds Leaders
Player Points Years
Henry Coleman III 649 4
Andersson Garcia 628 4
Jace Carter 493 3
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