The Texas A&M Basketball team is having a strange offseason. Rather than building internally, the team saw nine players transfer out, leaving a gaping hole on the roster. During this offseason, Buzz Williams has been frantically putting together pieces of a team that will look to improve beyond their 2-8 conference record from 2020.
The team already has seven additions from last year, six of whom are transfer players. To add to that, Williams put together a strong class of incoming freshmen.
The first is Ashton Smith, a 6-9 center out of Spring, Texas. He will be complemented by a small, but gifted point guard in Wade Taylor, who is a top-110 player in the country. But neither of these players are the team’s prized recruit.
5-star Texas A&M Basketball incoming freshman Manny Obaseki could have a huge impact
Okay, technically Manny Obaseki is no longer a 5-star player. He was knocked into 4-star status in 247Sports’ most recent rankings, but isn’t it just more fun to call him a 5-star player?
Regardless, Obaseki is an incredible prospect. While he may not be the highest-rated player at his position, but he could easily be considered the best athlete among the bunch. He’ll likely earn early playing time, as he could bring a huge level of energy to the court.
Recently, Obaseki was listed by Travis Branham as one of ten freshmen that are most likely to have an impact in 2021-22. Here is a small snippet of what he had to say about the incoming guard.
"“He can function both on and off the ball, is an improving three-level scorer and has the potential to be a premier defender in the collegiate ranks.”“He can function both on and off the ball, is an improving three-level scorer and has the potential to be a premier defender in the collegiate ranks.”"
While Obaseki’s athleticism and offensive explosiveness will be his primary selling point, his ability to step up on defense isn’t discussed very frequently. Under Buzz Williams, you can guarantee that MO will become one of the most annoying defenders for opposing teams to play against.
The article also mentions the fact that the Texas A&M Basketball team has a lot of turnover, which could open the door for immediate playing time for Obaseki. He may not be one of the most talked-about players in his class, but he could step up in a bit way in 2021-22.
Don’t look now, but the Aggies could be a sneaky SEC contender in 2021-22.