Texas A&M Men’s Basketball No. 13 in AP Preseason Poll

News release from Texas A&M Athletics:

BIRMINGHAM – Texas A&M senior guard Wade Taylor IV was named to the preseason All-SEC First Team by a select panel of both SEC and national media members, the league office announced on Monday.

Additionally, the Aggies matched their highest-ever preseason ranking ever at No. 13 in the Associated Press Top 25 preseason poll, which was also released on Monday. The No. 13 ranking matched Billy Gilllispie’s 2006-07 team that advanced to the Sweet 16 and finished the year at No. 9 in the AP poll.

The Aggies, under the direction of sixth-year head coach Buzz Williams, were one of nine SEC teams in the poll, joining No. 2 Alabama, No. 11 Auburn, No. 12 Tennessee, No. 16 Arkansas, No. 19 Texas, No. 21 Florida, No. 23 Kentucky and No. 24 Ole Miss.

Taylor, from Dallas, is no stranger to the all-league squad as the only Aggie to earn end-of-season first-team All-SEC honors twice. Also a two-time member of the SEC All-Tournament team, Taylor enters his final season in the maroon and white with 13 season school records already on his resume and more than 30 career school and SEC Tournament standards within range.

On his way to first-team All-SEC and NABC All-District honors last season, the do-it-all Taylor was the conference’s No. 3 scorer with 687 points while ranking in the top 10 in assists, steals, 3-pointers, free throws and FT percentage and minutes played.

Taylor IV is the lone DI player to log 500+ points, 100+ assists and 60+ steals the past two seasons.

The media vote predicted the Aggies finishing fifth in the SEC standings in 2024-25. 2024 Final Four participant Alabama was projected to win the regular season crown, while the 2024 tournament champion Auburn was expected to place second and the 2024 regular season winners, Tennessee, were picked third.

Preseason Media Poll

First Team All-SEC

Mark Sears – Alabama

Johni Broome – Auburn

Walter Clayton Jr. – Florida

Zakai Zeigler – Tennessee

Wade Taylor IV – Texas A&M

Second Team All-SEC

Grant Nelson – Alabama

Jonas Aidoo – Arkansas

Johnell Davis – Arkansas

Matthew Murrell – Ole Miss

Josh Hubbard – Mississippi State

Third Team All-SEC

Chad Baker-Mazara – Auburn

Alex Condon – Florida

Jaxson Robinson – Kentucky

Collin Murray-Boyles – South Carolina

Tramon Mark – Texas

SEC Player of the Year

Mark Sears – Alabama

Predicted Order Of Finish

1.    Alabama

2.    Auburn

3.    Tennessee

4.    Arkansas

5.    Texas A&M

6.    Florida

7.    Texas

8.    Kentucky

9.    Ole Miss

10.  Mississippi State

11.  South Carolina

12.  Georgia

13.  Missouri

14.  LSU

15.  Oklahoma

16.  Vanderbilt

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