Taylor, Radford's Huge Games for Texas A&M Basketball Place Them In Rare Air
Early in the game for Texas A&M basketball, Aggie Hoops fans could tell it was going to be a good night. Both Tyrece "Boots" Radford and preseason SEC Player of the Year Wade Taylor IV were feeling it, knocking in difficult shots and driving the lane with aplomb.
As the game wore on, complemented by the tough, hard-nosed play of Andersson Garcia and others, Taylor and Radford were each virtually unstoppable. Longtime viewers of this Texas A&M basketball program will be well aware that Radford is seemingly a lock to score any time he is able to get a step going left, and when Taylor is hitting his threes, it becomes extremely hard to defend against this team.
The night ended with impressive stat lines for both Aggie guards. Taylor notched 25 points and 7 assists, while Radford put up a game-high 27 points and 5 assists of his own. Solomon Washington was the only other Texas A&M basketball player in double-digits, putting up 11 points.
That's enough to be considered carrying the entire team offensively, I think it's safe to say. That's nothing new for the Aggies; it's well-known that these are the two best and most consistent offensive weapons for the Ags.
What wasn't immediately obvious was the rare air that these performances put these two guys in. ESPN College Basketball insider Jeff Borzello took to Twitter to share a shocking stat after the game.
FINAL: Texas A&M 85, No. 6 Tennessee 69.
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) February 11, 2024
Per @ESPNStatsInfo, Wade Taylor (25 points and 7 assists) and Tyrece Radford (27 points and 5 assists) are the third pair of teammates in the last 25 years to each have 25 points and 5 assists against a top-10 opponent.
Borzello didn't share the other two pairs that met these criteria, but I think it serves well, in any case, to underscore the magnitude of what Taylor and Radford accomplished. This is a Tennessee defense that is among the best in the entire country, and these two guards were able to essentially toy with them for most of the game.
This Texas A&M basketball team has been more predicated on heart, effort, and defensive intensity than anything else for most of the season. If these two guys can remain playing at this offensive level as we close out the year, this will be an extremely dangerous team come tournament time.