BASKETBALL PREVIEW: TEXAS A&M CHALLENGES OHIO STATE WITH VETERAN BACKCOURT, AGGRESSIVE OFFENSIVE REBOUNDING
By
Andy Anders on November 10, 2023 at 7:20 am
@andyanders55
TEXAS A&M
AGGIES
1 - 0
NOV. 10, 2023 - 7 PM ET
VALUE CITY ARENA
COLUMBUS, OHIO
PEAOSU -1.5
Yes, Oakland gave the Buckeyes
a scare in their first game, leading for 30 of the first 31 minutes and being within one score with just 22 seconds remaining despite Ohio State’s ultimate 79-73 victory. But the Golden Grizzlies don’t touch the caliber of play the Buckeyes will see Friday.
No. 15 Texas A&M comes to Value City Arena fresh off a 25-10 campaign in 2022-23 and a 78-46 win over Texas A&M-Commerce to open this season. The Aggies secured an NCAA Tournament bid as a No. 7 seed last year, where they lost in the first round to 10th-seeded Penn State. Many of the best pieces from that team are back with another year of development under their belts.
“We’re looking forward to a great test,” Chris Holtmann said. “Really good Texas A&M team. We have some unique styles, some different challenges here these first few games. A&M’s a terrific team. They’ve got a really good backcourt with (Wade) Taylor and (Tyrece) Radford and they’ve got really good depth on the front line.”
NEED TO KNOW
VETERAN BACKCOURT
Texas A&M’s lineup is anchored by two upperclassmen at point and shooting guard in Taylor and Radford, the team’s top two scorers from a year ago. For an Ohio State squad with sophomores starting at its 1 and 2 spots, there should be some great feedback on Friday.
“I think it’s one of the best backcourts we’ll face,” Holtmann said. “Obviously Taylor is the preseason SEC Player of the Year but Radford’s a terrific, terrific guard. Tough, attack-minded, athletic. It’s a terrific backcourt.”
CRASH THE GLASS
Only 10 teams in all of college basketball grabbed more offensive rebounds over the course of the season than Texas A&M did a year ago. That trend continued in the Aggies’ first game, albeit against an undersized TAMU-Commerce team. Texas A&M picked up 16 boards on the offensive side – though no individual had more than three – surpassing its average of 12.4 per game last campaign.
Ohio State has shown vulnerability on the defensive glass already this season, allowing 14 offensive rebounds in its exhibition against Dayton and 11 against Oakland on Monday.
“It’s not just their frontcourt guys, they’ll send, at times, four to five (players) at the offensive glass,” Holtmann said. “I think you can tell that’s a big part of what they do and their numbers back that up. It’s really going to be a collective effort for us right now. It’s just a major part of what they do and a major part of their offensive efficiency.”
THREE NOTABLE AGGIES
WADE TAYLOR IV
PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP
| 4 |
Wade Taylor IV |
G |
6-0 |
175 |
16.0 PPG, 6.0 APG |
| 23 |
Tyrece Radford |
G |
6-3 |
190 |
9.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG |
| 2 |
Hayden Hefner |
G |
6-6 |
185 |
19.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG |
| 15 |
Henry Coleman III |
F |
6-8 |
245 |
1.0 PPG, 8.0 RPG |
| 10 |
Wildens Leveque |
C |
6-11 |
221 |
4.0 PPG, 6.0 RPG |
Taylor is the anchor of Texas A&M’s experienced backcourt, leading the Aggies in points, assists and steals a year ago at 16.3, 3.9 and 1.7 per game in those categories. He was also the best 3-point shooter among the team’s starters, making 35.6 percent of his shots from distance. He opened the season with a 4-of-7 outing beyond the arc against TAMU-Commerce, collecting 16 points on the evening.
“He’s a terrific offensive player,” Holtmann said. “He’s got a great change of pace, he’s good in ball screens. He’s got the ability to really shoot it with range and depth. He can also make good reads, good with the ball. He can see your ball-screen coverage and make particular reads against it. I think his change of pace, his speed, all that – he’s not the biggest guard, but he’s just a really talented guard.”
TYRECE RADFORD
Radford should be Taylor’s partner in crime, finishing second behind Taylor with 13.3 points per game in 2022-23. He added 5.3 rebounds per game, aligning with the squad’s glass-crashing identity, and also finished second behind Taylor in assists with 2.4 per game. He recorded nine points and four assists in the season opener.
HENRY COLEMAN III
The top player to watch for in Texas A&M’s frontcourt is Coleman, another senior on an Aggies roster that possesses 10 upperclassmen out of 16 total players. Coleman collected 5.7 rebounds per game a year ago to tie for the team lead in that category, but is also the top returning scorer for Texas A&M among its forwards at nine points per game last campaign.
HOW IT PLAYS OUT
LINE: OHIO STATE -1.5, O/U 139.5
Texas A&M has a palpable advantage in experience where it matters most – at guard – and has a strength where Ohio State has a weakness in offensive rebounding. With the Buckeyes’ young core, tonight’s game feels like an uphill climb, but one that should strengthen them for more important games down the road.
Prediction: Texas A&M 77, Ohio State 71
A veteran backcourt led by SEC preseason player of the year Wade Taylor IV and a glass-crashing offense are among the biggest challenges Texas A&M will present to Ohio State.
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