'Correct Them Now!' Buzz Williams Addresses Texas A&M Aggies Faults

Texas A&M Aggies men's basketball started off strong against UCF, but a late second-half collapse did the team in as they lost the season opener 64-61.

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. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images / Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

The No. 13 Texas A&M Aggies certainly didn't plan to open their season the way they did.

After a solid start against UCF in the beginning of the game that saw them go in halftime tied at 29, a late collapse by the Ags that saw them miss three game-tying shots in a row proved to be the demise for the team, as UCF took the win in the season opener 64-61, as fans stormed the Addition Financial Arena court.

Luckily, head coach Buzz Williams is aware of how quickly the negatives that cost the team the game can be fixed and was already seeing improvement in practice throughout the week.

"Well, we didn't do enough to win, but the things that we struggled with are correctable and we need to correct them now," Williams said in a press conference Thursday. "The guys were very receptive to that yesterday as we started working. We fouled way too much. Half of their points in the second half were from the free throw line, over 33% of their points from the game were from the free throw line, and the fouling were not the types of fouls that we wanted."

Williams also spoke highly of Minnesota transfer Pharrel Payne, a forward who led the Aggies with 15 points and also added on six rebounds and a single assist.

"We probably knew who he was before anyone else, but I over the last two years, I think that he's grown into his body more, his strength more," Williams said. "He has really been good for us in regard to what we need in the physicality of games. The three games we've played have forced him to to grow some, and that came alive particularly in the second half Monday. Hopefully we keep going in that direction."

Williams and the Aggies welcome East Texas A&M University, formerly Texas A&M-Commerce, to Reed Arena tonight at 7 p.m., hoping to get back on track after the heartbreaking season-opener loss.

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