Year one with Buzz Williams was looking grim at one point, but things are heading in the right direction for Texas A&M basketball to have a decent year.
Other than the actual hire of the man himself, the first couple weeks of Buzz Williams’ tenure as head coach of Texas A&M basketball weren’t great. In the aftermath of firing Billy Kennedy, every recruit from the 2019 class asked for their release and have since signed elsewhere. Not that it was the greatest class in the world, but it still stung.
Not only that, but current players on the roster were seeking transfers. Admon Gilder announced his decision to transfer and eventually wound up heading to Gonzaga, Brandon Mahan, John Walker III and John Brown are all currently in the transfer portal as well looking for new homes to hoop.
However, things have picked up in the last month or so. Williams put together a solid 2019 recruiting class that is currently ranked No. 37 in the 2019 247 Sports Composite. There is still an outside chance he lands Virginia Tech transfer Kerry Blackshear as well, though a contender is still the most likely scenario there. Savion Flagg decided to return for his junior season this week. He joins a pretty solid returning five for the 2019-20 season.
If the SEC conference schedule is any indication, the Aggies might actually have an outside chance at a tournament run in Williams’ first year. Now, this depends on how quickly the incoming freshman can develop into reliable backups. They couldn’t have asked for a much easier schedule to get the ball rolling.
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Check out Good Bull Hunting’s break down of how it is actually determined, but the conference schedule essentially comes down to three permanent home-and-home (LSU, Arkansas, Missouri), four rotating home games (this year is Kentucky, Ole Miss, Florida, Mississippi State), four rotating road games (this year is Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee, Vanderbilt) and three rotating home-and-homes (this year is South Carolina and Georgia).
Getting the tough one-time opponents at home and easier opponents on the road is the best case scenario, and that’s pretty much what happened here. All four rotating home games come against 2018 tournament teams, and Alabama and Vanderbilt are winnable matchups. Auburn and Tennessee are both likely losses no matter where the game is played, which will be easier to swallow on the road.
The two rotating home and homes could have been better, though South Carolina definitely overachieved in 2018-19 and Georgia finished second to last in conference. Georgia is banking on a Top 10 recruiting class to get them going under Tom Crean, so those games may be tough.
Overall, Buzz Williams couldn’t have scripted a better, actually realistic scenario for Texas A&M basketball’s conference schedule in his first season. Hopefully the returning experience makes a difference and the new kids can provide valuable depth. Don’t expect it, but also don’t be surprised if this team makes a surprise bid for a tournament spot.