LOOK: Texas A&M Aggies Guard Wade Taylor IV Named to CBS Sports' All-American Team

A third preseason award for Texas A&M Aggies guard Wade Taylor IV saw the junior among some of college basketball's top stars on an All-American team.

Matt Guzman | Oct 20, 2023

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Texas A&M Aggies

If two preseason recognitions weren't enough for Texas A&M Aggies guard Wade Taylor IV, he now has a third.

Ahead of his third season under coach Buzz Williams, the junior has received high praise for his potential, especially after how well he performed as a true freshman last year. That praise took the form of Jon Rothstein's Preseason Player of the Year nod, as well as the same distinction from the SEC.

CBS Sports is the latest to join the Taylor hype train, naming the guard to its All-American second team.

Mar 11, 2023; Nashville, TN, USA; Texas A&M Aggies guard Wade Taylor IV (4) goes under the arms of Vanderbilt Commodores forward Quentin Millora-Brown (42) during the second half at Bridgestone Arena / © Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports

Taylor IV averaged 16.3 points, 3.9 assists and 1.7 steals on a well-rounded year for him, which only made his impact greater during the Aggies' surprise run.

"One of only two returning First Team All-SEC performers from last season, Taylor nearly doubled up his career averages as a sophomore where he averaged 16.3 points and 3.9 assists per game for Texas A&M," CBS Sports wrote. "He's the leading returning scorer and assist man for an Aggies team that has as much continuity as any in college hoops."

The Aggies guard is joined by Creighton's Ryan Kalkbrenner, Illinois' Terrence Shannon Jr. and USC's Boogie Ellis and Isaiah Collier, but fell just short of the first team that features Purdue's Zach Edey, among other top stars.

Taylor IV is among the eight returning top scorers for the Aggies next season, and will continue to prove his worth throughout the season as Texas A&M looks repeat the season it had last year, though winning a game in the NCAA tournament would be a welcome change if things play out as well as they did for the Aggies.

And first-team or not, Taylor IV is ready to lead that charge.

Published Oct 20, 2023

MATT GUZMAN

Matt Guzman is a sports journalist and storyteller from Austin, Texas. He serves as a credentialed reporter and site manager for San Antonio Spurs On SI and a staff writer for multiple collegiate sites in the same network. In the world of professional sports, he is a firm believer that athletes are people, too, and intends to tell stories of players and teams’ true, behind-the-scenes character that otherwise would not be seen through strong narrative writing, hooking ledes and passionate words.