Texas A&M
23-11,11-7SEC
Michigan
27-9,14-6Big Ten
Team Stats
Game Leaders
Players Mentioned
Aggies' 2024-25 Season Ends in Second Round of NCAA Tournament
Mar 22, 2025 | Men's Basketball
A&M finished the season at 23-11 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year.
Texas A&M held a 10-point lead with just over 13 minutes remaining, but the Wolverines slowly chipped away at the Aggies' advantage before grabbing their first lead of the half at 71-70 with 6:08 remaining. A&M went cold just inside of the 8:00 minute mark and didn't make a field goal for the next six minutes, as the Wolverines took control of the game down the stretch.
The resilient Maroon & White made a rally of their own as a layup and two free throws from Zhuric Phelps drew the Aggies within three with 1:29 remaining, but they could get no closer.
Junior Pharrel Payne posted a career-high for the second straight NCAA Tournament game as he led all scorers with 26 points on 10-of-13 shooting. It matched the A&M scoring record in the NCAA Tournament, set originally by Hall of Famer Acie Law IV in 2007 vs. Louisville and tied by Josh Carter vs. BYU in 2008.
Joining Payne in double figures was all-time leading scorer Wade Taylor IV with 14 points and Andersson Garcia with 11. Zhuric Phelps led the Aggies with seven rebounds off the bench and also dished out six assists.
Taylor finishes his illustrious career with dozens of school standards, most notably for career points with 2,058, career free throws with 536 and career FT percentage at .851 (536-of-630).
Henry Coleman III finished with a school record 364 offensive rebounds and Hayden Hefner played in his school record 143rd game at Texas A&M on Saturday.
Playing their final games in the Maroon & White in addition to Taylor, Coleman and Hefner were Jace Carter, Garcia, Manny Obaseki, Zhuric Phelps and CJ Wilcher. The core senior group led the Aggies to 94 wins, three NCAA Tournament appearances, two NCAA Tournament wins, two SEC Tournament finals, a NIT Championship over the past four seasons.
Postgame Press Conference
Manny Obaseki, Henry Coleman, Wade Taylor, Buzz WilliamsQ. Wade, you knocked down the three with like eight and a half to go, you guys were up four but then went almost six minutes without a made basket. What was maybe some of the problems there that you guys weren't able to make some key shots down the stretch as they got on their run?
WADE TAYLOR IV: I think we was getting pretty good shots, shots that we normally call predictable, shots we call shower shots that we usually, make but they just didn't fall. We just tried to continue to get stops, try to stop the lead. But I don't think none of the shots we shot were bad, I just felt like they didn't fall.
Q. That final three-pointer you took, did you think it was going in. And if it does go, how do you think it affects the rest of the game?
WADE TAYLOR IV: I mean, if it goes in, I think we're down probably by two. We probably just try to play up straight and get a stop. Thought it was going in. I think all my shots are going in pretty much. But it didn't.
You live and you learn. Thankful for it. I'm thankful for God. He's teaching me something, so I'm forever grateful for the game we played today.
Q. Talk about the fight that y'all showed in the last few minutes and how that's been a testament to how y'all have played all season long.
HENRY COLEMAN III: Good question. I think that's just the character of everybody up here, from Coach to Wade to myself to Mo and to everybody on that roster. When you have guys with great character, you're always going to fight, and there was no doubt in my mind that we were going to fight until the end.
It's not the result that we wanted, but just a credit to these guys. They just fought all game long. I think Pharrel played unbelievable. I think Jace came in and gave us great minutes. CJ hit some key threes when we really needed them.
For all the guys, they fought, and I think that just comes with great character.
Q. Looking back on this team and looking back on this senior class, what do you want people to remember about y'all?
MANNY OBASEKI: I want y'all to remember us just by understanding and knowing how hard we worked and the things that we've accomplished throughout these past four years, five years. Will never be done again, especially 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.
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.
Q. For any of you, all year you guys have been a great rebounding team, first an offensive top 5 in total, but they were able to beat you in both categories. What was the difference today as opposed to the rest of the season?
HENRY COLEMAN III: I think we just didn't have the fight today, and that's -- as far as on the glass, I thought towards the end, we were fighting, and some of the balls didn't bounce our way. But it doesn't discredit the effort that some of the guys had on their end, I would say. Coach May is a really good coach. He coached well. They got us on that.
But the fight that we had -- what we've done, being the No. 1 offensive rebounding team the last two years, I don't know how many teams have done that. But what we've done and how we've manufactured reps on top of reps of just being elite offensive rebounders is something special.
Q. Wade, I think you fouled out in the last 30 seconds. What were the emotions coming off the court, and now that your illustrious career is over, how do you hope you're remembered for what you were able to do at A&M?
WADE TAYLOR IV: That I gave it my all every night, no matter what was said, what people thought. I stood on tiptoes for these guys I'm sitting with. 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.
Q. Henry, after the game it looked like you guys were huddled up for a minute on the court. What was that moment like? What was said, and who led that in the circle?
HENRY COLEMAN III: Everybody kind of spoke. We thanked God for 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. 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. For these two guys right here, a lot of stuff was said on them early in their career, but I think it's two of the hardest working people you'll ever meet, two people who are super respectful, two people you guys never saw in the paper doing anything stupid, two guys that handled themselves in the classroom each and every single year, honor roll students, scholar students, dean's list students, that had an impact way beyond basketball.
For these guys, their faith, how they've handled the good, the bad, it's just unbelievable, and I'm thankful for them.
Q. Wade, this is going to be a totally different team next year with so many of you guys leaving. With what this group was able to do, how do you hope that can maybe set up the program moving forward?
WADE TAYLOR IV: Yeah, I think we've set a really, really good foundation of how Texas A&M basketball looks, and a lot of people want to be a part of this now because of what we've done. I think that's a good thing to look at.
We have a lot of guys in that locker room, though, that's ready to fight, that's been watching us work, and they kind of know the recipe and how it goes.
I'm super excited to see what Coach and them have going on next year. I'm pretty sure that we'll be hands on and making sure that we're locked in with them no matter who comes in as far as players. We're just thankful to be here. We're thankful for the opportunity we've had at this school and what this school has done for our lives.
HENRY COLEMAN III: Can I say one thing about Texas A&M as a whole? It's impacted our lives, truthfully changed all of our lives, and I think we're thankful for it. It's changed my life.
We didn't hit every shot. We didn't get every rebound. We didn't get every steal. But we damn sure tried.
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.
MANNY OBASEKI: One last thing. That man right there next to Wade, one of the greatest people you will ever meet. He's one of the greatest coaches of all time, in basketball in general. He's changed my life. He's changed each and every one of our lives. I'm so thankful for him.
Coach Buzz, you mean everything to me. I love you. No matter what, I know you're going to be one call away, one text away, and no matter what anybody says, he's one of the greatest, and y'all can't change that, and nobody will change that or take that from him.
Q. What was the locker room like afterward when you guys were able to meet and maybe just the emotions and time that y'all had back there before you came up here to the podium?
BUZZ WILLIAMS: Yeah, I'm sorry it took so long. We've done the same thing all 18 years that I've coached, and I'm not saying it's right, nor am I saying it's wrong. It's just how we go about things. Anybody who just played their last game, everybody in the organization puts their right hand on that person, and I pray over that person.
So if I violated the timing of all of it, it's just because we had eight of them in there. That's all. We don't address the game. I pray over them. Everybody in the organization knows that that's what's coming. When I say amen, I head this direction.
Q. What do you wish more people understood about this team and this group of seniors specifically?
BUZZ WILLIAMS: Oh, respectfully, opinion of others doesn't impact me. But what has impacted me is the relationship with these guys. Obviously it's an emotional time. We wanted not only to win for the right reasons. We also just wanted to continue to stay together, and I know that sounds maybe like fluff. It's actually the truth.
I forgot your question. But I've quit looking at all of that stuff, and I know that it comes with it. So I'm not complaining, and I understand the exposure is part of why all of us are doing so well.
I'm not comparing my job to people who are saving lives and protecting our freedom in any sort of way, nor am I a simpleton in understanding how complex this industry has become, like all industries, including yours.
But to have the lifelong relationships that have been created here over a long period of time is very rare, and so I'm honored and humbled and thankful.
Q. Pharrel had an incredible game with 26, but his last basket came at 9:59. What did they change in the last quarter of the game to stop him from scoring?
BUZZ WILLIAMS: I don't know what Coach said on your question on that. I thought Gochi did a good job. I don't think we finished at the rim at the rate we need to, and I think we fouled way too much.
We played with a low turnover rate, but for us, we are dependent on shooting more balls from the field and from the free-throw line. And so to get in the bonus, to allow them in the bonus so quickly both halves goes against us.
And then we are reliant completely on extra shots from offensive rebounds, and we are reliant and dependent on only allowing the opponent one shot. We did not do as well as our averages up until today from a defensive rebound perspective or an offensive rebound perspective.
Q. You said you pray for your players afterwards. Why is it important for you after the season to pray for them, and can you give us an example of how you pray over them afterwards?
BUZZ WILLIAMS: Yes, sir, a part of that started when I was 33 years old. I didn't know what to say. Not because I'm overly spiritual, nor am I a good person. Sometimes even with my family when I don't know what to say, I just pray.
Being on a team is special. I wasn't ever a good player, but since I've been 12, I've always been on a team. It's taken me away, like all coaches, from some level of normalcy with my family, but my family has been so supportive of my career.
And this team, Team 113 for Texas A&M, it ended 45 minutes ago, and I don't think that there's -- I'm not smart enough to say anything that would solve that.
So that's what I've done every year. Every prayer is different because of my relationship with that young man and with their family. 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.
Q. What do you feel like is the outlook of this program with so many guys leaving, and how much work is there to do in the coming weeks to build another roster?
BUZZ WILLIAMS: Yeah, I mean, that's just what this has become. Pick a team. I think they had four graduate transfers. Any team.
I think what we've tried to do is just -- because everything is happening at such a fast rate, is how can I be present in that moment and how can I help everyone within the organization to be present in that moment.
That's so hard to do. Sometimes it's emotionally hard to do, like now. Mentally, hey, I just missed that shot, or physically, I just messed up that ball screen coverage. We call it the red folder. How can we be present in real time in the red folder.
I'm incredibly proud of everyone, not just the players, the staff. I'm proud of our accomplishments throughout their tenure, including this year. I know you're familiar with all of the numbers. That would be egotistical for me to talk about it. But just as proud as I am of the accomplishments, I'm proud of the life change.
Every coach knows the portal starts officially Monday, and so I'm assuming we'll travel tomorrow. I would think that our staff is way ahead in regards to where I need to go and who I need to call and what I need to do.
That's just prevalent, regardless of program. Like any coach, you want to put together the best roster with the right people that you can per year and build for the future sort of thing. I don't know how much that applies, but I think our staff has been good, and each year I think we've been a little better in how we've assimilated our roster.
Q. From your perspective, what do you think caused the struggle in that part of the game when Michigan made that run to take the lead that y'all weren't able to come back from?
BUZZ WILLIAMS: My brain is completely fried, but I do think at the 8-ish-minute time-out, I don't know if he called it, I called it, or it was the media, I think we had 70 points. And you've watched, I think, nearly all of our games. We were doing really well. We averaged 71 points in SEC play, and we had eight and a half minutes to go with 70.
We didn't finish at the rim. We got them into the bonus too much. We didn't shoot enough balls. And I didn't think that we protected the rim as well as we have. I thought we did a good job relative to the threes and the prowess that they have, but in that run, we were not getting stops. I think we had three turkeys in the first half and got a turkey to start the first four minutes of the second half. I haven't talked to Bubba since the game has been over. I don't know that we got another one.
It was too often we weren't scoring, but arguably the more important thing, we weren't getting stops.
Q. You've always touched on the long-term relationships the sport has allowed you to make. What does it mean to have that connection and to continue to have that connection with this group of players long after their playing careers are over?
BUZZ WILLIAMS: Yeah, I have, like, four friends. My wife would be No. 1 on the list. I try not to count my children as friends. But I only have three other friends other than my wife. I know this comes across the wrong way. I hired two of them because I'm so friendless.
But I do think the transformational relationships, the true love in our program means no agenda. We haven't had an agenda. We want to help them be better players, but we want our program to be total development.
I think the development that these long-tenured guys have had has been life changing. And I do think they're better players, and our teams have continued to improve. But someday they're going to be old and can't play, and someday I'm going to be old and can't coach.
But I think that the relationships were built on faith, hope and love is really cool.
Not to sound condescending maybe, but at some point I think you have to be accountable to those relationships, regardless of anything else, results, opinions. Yeah, I'm just very thankful and honored that, like I told H, we'll be friends forever, and now you can come to my house and we can watch a game and eat queso together. Nobody will say anything. Nobody will tweet about it. I'm honored.
