'Bits and Pieces': Why Texas A&M's Biggest Obstacle Next Season is Itself

The Texas A&M Aggies enter basketball season with the same goals they've had every year, but in order to get there, Coach Buzz Williams outlined on key trend his squad needs to fix.

Oct 15, 2024; Birmingham, AL, USA; Texas A&M Aggies head coach Buzz Williams talks with the media during SEC Media Days at Grand Bohemian Hotel. / Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

If the Texas A&M Aggies needed a musical comparison to their ever-improving basketball program, Buzz Williams gave them one right off the bat during the SEC's Men's Basketball Media Days in.

It wasn't a blanket comparison, but rather one focused on one player in particular: fourth-year guard Wade Taylor IV.

“He’s like Michael Jackson," Williams proclaimed of the Aggies' star. "He just gets a little better and better. There was the Jackson Five. Then it was "Off the Wall." Then it was "Billie Jean." Then it was "Thriller." He just keeps getting better."

High praise for a player, especially with Jackson's sobriquet being the "King of Pop," but if there is a player worthy of it, it's Taylor. And if he plays to a standard that high, perhaps the Aggies will be as big of a threat as Williams hopes they are.

Over the offseason, the Aggies took a look at their overall depth. After going without Julius Marble all season, the Aggies landed Pharrel Payne via the transfer portal, who's expected to add some size to the frontcourt, and bolstered their guard depth with both Zhuric Phelps and C.J. Wilcher.

“The three transfers probably addressed the things we needed the most," Williams said.

Now, pair them with the still-evolving Taylor, and it seems as if the Aggies — who will enter the season ranked No. 13 — are primed for another strong season.

Internally, at least, that seems to be the consensus.

"I feel like this is our best shot of making a run," Aggies shooting guard Hayden Hefner began, "and doing things really well just because of the experience that we have."

The biggest thing standing in Texas A&M's way? Texas A&M.

Two Decembers ago, Williams spoke extensively about non-conference woes that have plagued the Aggies for quite some time. A dropped home game near Christmas to an unranked Wofford marked their low point before they turned it around completely, winning 19 of the next 23 en route to an ugly first-round loss to Penn State the following March.

Last season, a few non-conference games fell the wrong way once again, but while the Aggies' SEC slate wasn't as successful as the record-breaking year in 2023, it still led them back to the Big Dance, where they nearly overcame Houston with a trip to the Sweet 16 on the line.

This year, the end goal remains the same. However, as far as Williams is concerned, his squad can do without the ups and downs.

"The one thing we have to see is if we can not have a miniature slump that causes problems," the coach explained. "We’ve had bits and pieces of those with each passing year ... (but) start to finish, can there be a crescendo without a distinct drop?"

That's much easier said than done. Texas A&M scheduled its most challenging non-conference slate to date and has a long road ahead of it, but it's also not far removed from the talent and roster it had just a few months ago.

The Aggies enter this season with the same goals they've had every year: they want to be dancing in March.

"Hopefully, with our team and our staff, this is the year we can continue to get better," Williams said, "but maybe not fall off a cliff for a week or two weeks.”

The answer to falling off a cliff is finding consistency. Luckily, that need has already been outlined.

And if the goal is to dance?

They've got the Michael Jackson of basketball with them, too.