Texas A&M
Last season: 22-13, reached Sweet 16
Nickname: Aggies
Coach: Billy Kennedy
Conference: Southeastern Conference
Who’s gone: Forward Robert Williams (NBA), center Tyler Davis (NBA), forward DJ Hogg (NBA) and center Tonny Trocha-Morelos, guard Duane Wilson.
Who’s back: Guard Admon Gilder considered the NBA before deciding to return for his senior season, giving the Aggies veteran experience and solid scoring after he averaged 12.3 points last season. Guard TJ Starks is back after averaging 9.9 point as a freshman. Guard Jay Jay Chandler will need to take a step forward after scoring 3.7 points as a freshman last year.
Who’s new: Junior college transfer Wendell Mitchell is a talented guard expected to get minutes. Texas A&M replaced some of the size it lost with the signing of John Brown, a 7-foot sophomore who spent last season at Blinn Junior College.
The Skinny: The Aggies reached the Sweet 16 for the second time in the last three years last season behind a big lineup led by Williams, who was the 27th overall pick in the draft, and Davis. The team will look much different this season with a guard-heavy lineup that will certainly play much faster than last year’s squad.
Expectations: A year after the Aggies lost to to Michigan in the regional semifinals, most aren’t expecting much this season. The three losses to the NBA left major holes in the roster and Texas A&M was predicted to finish 12th in the SEC in the preseason media poll. Oddsmakers say Texas A&M is a 120-1 longshot to win the national title.
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