Aggies will begin the season in the Top 25 for the first time since 2017
As the leaves begin to change colors and a cool wind drifts down from the north, Texas A&M reverts to its natural state: Noted Basketball School. This year, the transition happens with a bit more excitement as the Aggie men are ranked in both the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches Polls.
A&M will open the season ranked #15 in the Associated Press Preseason Poll and slotted at #19 in the USA Today Coaches Preseason Poll. This is the first preseason ranking in either poll for the Ags since 2017, when they opened at #25 in the AP Poll but unranked in the Coaches Poll. You would have to go back to 2011 to find the last time A&M received a preseason ranking in both polls.
Other SEC teams in the polls included Tennessee (#9 in the AP/#10 in USA Today), Arkansas (#14/#14), Kentucky (#16/#16), and Alabama (#24/#24). Kansas will open the season at #1 in both polls, and future SEC member Texas slotted in at #18 in both lists.
Head coach Buzz Williams will head to Birmingham, Alabama this Wednesday, October 18, for SEC Media Day accompanied by graduate guard Tyrece “Boots” Radford and junior point guard Wade Taylor IV. The event will be covered on the SEC Network, and we will post highlights here as well.
The Aggies unofficially open the season with an exhibition matchup against Texas Tech at the Super Pit in Denton on October 29. This will be part of a doubleheader benefiting victims of the Maui fires in August. A&M will officially launch its 2023-24 campaign on November 6 against Texas A&M-Commerce at Reed Arena.
This also means that it’s time for season previews. Part 1 of the Good Bull Hunting Season Preview will drop this week, focusing on the returning players. In future installments, we’ll look at departures and newcomers, a review of the offseason, and a scan of the schedule.