SEC Basketball Media Days: Best quotes from Buzz Williams, Tyrece Radford, and Henry Coleman
Texas A&M is merely a few weeks away from the start of the 2022-2023 College Basketball season, getting ready for their exhibition game against Texas A&M-Kingsville on Nov. 4th, while their season officially opens on Nov. 7th against Louisiana Monroe at Reed Arena.
On Wednesday, head coach Buzz Williams, senior point guard Tyrece Radford, and junior forward Henry Coleman represented the Aggies at SEC Media Days in Birmingham, Alabama., where a flurry of questions was asked surrounding the expectations for the team this season after their 27-13 finish and appearance in the NIT title game in 2021, and how the team will deal with the loss of star guard Quenton Jackson, who departed for the NBA at seasons end.
And to no ones surprise, Williams was later asked about his publicized comments in March lasting a full 8 minutes towards the NCAA Tournament Selections Committee after being wrongfully snubbed on selection night, yet the evidence is still clear that Texas A&M belonged in the tournament after consecutive wins over Florida, Arkansas, and Auburn, while falling to Tennessee in the SEC finals simply due to attrition.
Here are the top quotes from head coach Buzz Williams, Tyrece Radford, and Henry Coleman.
Tyrece Radford on the team adjusting to the loss of star guard Quenton Jackson
Oct 19, 2022; Birmingham, Alabama, US; Texas A&M Aggies guard Tyrece Radford during the SEC Basketball Media Days at Grand Bohemian Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
“Our team has a lot of new guys and a lot of old guys. A combination of that. Q (Jackson) was a manufacturer of offense last year. With that being said, we have a lot of new talent and a lot of people learning their roles. A couple of us have new roles we have to adjust to get used to.”
Buzz Williams on dealing with the loss of Quenton Jackson this season
Oct 19, 2022; Mountain Brook, AL, USA; Texas A&M head coach Buzz Williams speaks during the SEC Tip Off 2022-23 Men’s Basketball Media Day in Mountain Brook Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2022 at Grand Bohemian Hotel.
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“We’ll miss who he is. We’ll miss his person. We’ll miss his competitive character. We’ll, for sure, miss his speed and his skill. I thought over the last month of the season, he was one of the better perimeter players in the country. He was a big part of what we were doing.”
Buzz Williams on if the offense will remain the same as it did towards the end of the year during the team's successful run
Oct 19, 2022; Birmingham, Alabama, US; Texas A&M head coach Buzz Williams during the SEC Basketball Media Days at Grand Bohemian Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
“It will probably end up being a combo of both,” Williams stated. “A lot of good things happened down the stretch that we like. Then, we’ve tried to adapt relative to our new guys to add to what we were doing toward the end.
“I don’t know if there is ‘a’ person on our current roster that will step in and do immediately what (Jackson) did at the end of his career, but I think there are guys that will kind of be able to do bits and pieces.”
Buzz Williams on the importance of having Wade Taylor IV and Manny Obaseki back in the lineup
Oct 19, 2022; Mountain Brook, AL, USA; Texas A&M head coach Buzz Williams speaks during the SEC Tip Off 2022-23 Men’s Basketball Media Day in Mountain Brook Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2022 at Grand Bohemian Hotel.
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“Those guys were really important cogs in what we were doing last year at a very young age,” Williams stated. “I think the continuity of having them back and knowing what we’re doing … we’ve tweaked some things on both sides of the ball like all teams do, but they know our habits and how we go about things.
“They’ve done a great job from a leadership standpoint with the six new guys. This is what’s important. This is not what’s important. This is how we do it. Both of those guys have been phenomenal in that aspect.”
Henry Coleman on the talented transfers including Dexter Dennis, Julius Marble, Andersson Garcia, and Khalen Robinson
Oct 19, 2022; Birmingham, Alabama, US; Texas A&M Aggies forward Henry Coleman III during the SEC Basketball Media Days at Grand Bohemian Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
“I think the guys we’ve brought in are guys who have prepared and are willing to work,” Coleman stated. “Julius, Dexter, K.K. (Arkansas transfer Khalen Robinson) … we talk about (Mississippi State transfer) Andersson Garcia. You talk about some of the freshmen that have come in.
“They’re culture guys. Their ability to adapt to what our culture is — hard-nosed, blue-collar, work everyday mindset — they’ve adapted unbelievably. They’re ready to work each and every day. I’m excited those guys are here.”
Tyrece Radford on the key transfer portal additions, and their potential impact offensively and defensively
Oct 19, 2022; Birmingham, Alabama, US; Texas A&M Aggies guard Tyrece Radford during the SEC Basketball Media Days at Grand Bohemian Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
“I think we have a lot of guys that pretty much can be a threat offensively and defensively. We have a lot of guys that can thrive in many positions. So, there’s no telling where our offense is going to take us this year.”
Henry Coleman on the determination to make it to the NCAA Tournament this season after last season's snubbing
Oct 19, 2022; Birmingham, Alabama, US; Texas A&M Aggies forward Henry Coleman III during the SEC Basketball Media Days at Grand Bohemian Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
“This team is hungry. We’re ready to work,” Coleman stated. “Everybody acknowledges what happened last year. I think our culture, who we are, we’re ready to work, and we’ll continue to work.
“I think, as a program, we have foresight. We’re focused on right now. Being prepared for the moment, living in the moment.”
Tyrece Radford echoing Henry Coleman, stating his determination to exceed expectations this season
Oct 19, 2022; Birmingham, Alabama, US; Texas A&M Aggies guard Tyrece Radford during the SEC Basketball Media Days at Grand Bohemian Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
“The opportunity we have this year is way greater,” Radford stated. “Because we know what we’re capable of.”
Buzz Williams on if he has "second thoughts" regarding his statement rebuking the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee last March
Oct 19, 2022; Mountain Brook, AL, USA; Texas A&M head coach Buzz Williams speaks during the SEC Tip Off 2022-23 Men’s Basketball Media Day in Mountain Brook Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2022 at Grand Bohemian Hotel.
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“No,” Williams stated. “I’m going to always do that, regardless of what Twitter says or the opinions of others. I think that I’ve been blessed way more than I deserve. I think with that blessing comes responsibility. The No. 1 responsibility is to do what’s right for the people in the organization.”
“What I said is what I believe, regardless of the fanfare and the ferocity of things that were said about me. I understood going into that what was going to be said. If you can’t stand up for your people when you believe you should stand up for them, then I don’t believe you’re worthy of being a leader.”
Buzz Williams on why he continues to show zero regret for his passionate statement
Oct 19, 2022; Birmingham, Alabama, US; Texas A&M head coach Buzz Williams during the SEC Basketball Media Days at Grand Bohemian Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
“Do I think it’s good for my career to do that? No,” Williams stated. “Do I think it helps me get another job? No. Is it offensive to others? Do I sound like a crybaby? All the stuff that people wrote me, texted me, DM’d me … I understood all that.
“But I felt as though it was right relative to the children and the families they represent. So, I don’t regret it, nor will I ever regret it.”
