NASHVILLE, Tenn. (KBTX) – When Texas A&M head coach Buzz Williams formulated the program’s 2024-25 schedule, there was concern about the grind it would put physically and mentally on his program.
The Aggies enter this week’s Southeastern Conference tournament boasting the nation’s fourth-hardest strength of schedule — a gauntlet that started well before a historically difficult conference slate. It’s changed how the staff has handled days off and practice routines throughout the season, incorporating more film than on-court reps.
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“I’m trying to accrue mental reps, while trying to shave down some of the physical reps and only time will tell if that’s right,” Williams said before the Aggies’ trip to Austin. “We’ve just tried to tweak it some. It’s the wear and tear physically that’s easy to see. You’re playing against the best players and the best coaches, but I also think it’s the wear and tear emotionally.”
Thursday, when the Aggies (22-9) take the court in Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena for their first game of the SEC Tournament, they find themselves in a completely new position during the Williams era. By virtue of their incredibly difficult strength of schedule, BracketMaxtrix.com projects the Aggies as a lock in the NCAA Tournament, holding a three seed. In years past, the website, which averages the seeds of nearly 100 bracket projections, showed the Aggies needing to prove their case a little bit more during the conference tournament.
However, as Williams mentioned weeks ago, this is an A&M squad that has suffered more wear and tear than any in his time in Aggieland.
Williams looked to former NFL coach Herm Edwards on how to handle the situation.
“If you’re playing and they’re keeping score, let’s play to win that,” he said.
Over the last four seasons, the Aggies have played in 10 SEC tournament games, more than any other SEC team during that timeframe, with the veteran core of that group playing in all 10. They are used to long stays in Music City, which includes two finals appearances and a semifinal run last year, and guard Hayden Hefner said they don’t mind missing out on the rest.
“In the past it’s seemed like that,” he told KBTX Wednesday, with a grin. “I think it’s just a testament to us being able to get the job done, being able to put one thing behind us and move on to the very next thing.”
Nationally, this mindset plays in the Aggies’ favor. Every Final Four team over the last three years made it to the semifinals of their respective conference tournaments. The only outlier was Alabama last season, who was knocked out in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament but made it to the Final Four.
However, the numbers fare differently within the SEC. Since 2019, teams that make it to the SEC title game on Sunday have not made it past the Sweet 16 since Auburn in 2019. Last season, both Auburn and Florida were handed early exits in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, a trend that began with A&M in 2023.
A&M has a historic road block in its path to its first SEC tournament crown. After beating 12th-seeded Vanderbilt, 13-seed Texas (18-14) has its eyes on sending the Aggies home in the Longhorns’ first appearance in the SEC tournament. It will play as a rubber match to the season series, in which each home team won.
In their first meeting, an 80-60 Aggie win in Reed Arena, A&M fed a steady diet of passes in to center Pharrell Payne, who netted 15 points in the win. The Aggies dominated the first half of the game in Austin, shooting 52% from 3-point range in the game. However, A&M couldn’t hold back the Longhorns in the second half, who overcame a 43-25 deficit at halftime to nail a game-winning shot at the last second.
The Longhorns are in that position familiar to the Aggies over the last several seasons, sitting on the bubble and hoping they do enough to work their way into the NCAA Tournament. According to a report from the Houston Chronicle Wednesday, head coach Rodney Terry could be playing for his job.
“A lot of respect for Texas A&M team we’re about to play right now,” Terry said Wednesday after the Vanderbilt win. “Coach Williams has had a great season. His team is extremely well-coached. They play really hard. They’re a physical team. We’re just excited about another day and another opportunity.”
And for an A&M team with eight seniors, the Aggies are looking for the opportunity to raise a trophy in Nashville for the first time after coming so close so many times before.
“We’re trying to go in and win,” guard Wade Taylor IV told KBTX Monday. “A lot of guys on this team have been to the championship twice and semis, so we kind of have a good track record in Nashville. We want to keep that going, but we want to finish it off right and we want to win the whole thing.”
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Travis L. Brown sits down with Hayden Hefner
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