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Texas A&M Aggies men's basketball head coach Buzz Williams made the trip to Birmingham, AL. for SEC Media Days Tuesday but was surprisingly not joined by a familiar face.
Texas A&M star guard Wade Taylor IV chose to not take the trip, instead allowing forward Andersson Garcia and guard Hayden Hefner to get their time in the media spotlight.
"It was Wade's decision," Williams said. "He wanted Andersson Garcia and Hayden Hefner to come here. Andy was our leading rebounder. That was his decision and it speaks to who he is and how he's raised."
Even though Taylor IV wasn't in attendance, Williams had no shortage of praise for his best player ahead of their fourth season together.
"He will go down in history as one of the best players to ever play at A&M," Williams said. "He graduated in three years and will get his masters in four. Back to back first team all conference."
Entering this season, Taylor IV is sixth on Texas A&M's all-time career scoring list with 1,588 points. He's also 10th in career assists (369), third in made 3-point field goals (221), third in made free throws (407), fifth in steals (174) and first in free throw percentage (.846).
Instead of putting his name in the transfer portal or giving the NBA Draft a shot, Taylor IV decided to return to College Station, and as a result, is being recognized as one of the best players in the SEC ahead of the regular season. He was named to the All-SEC Preseason First-Team on Monday, joining a group that also includes Auburn Tigers forward Johni Broome, Florida Gators guard Walter Clayton Jr., Alabama Crimson Tide guard Mark Sears and Tennessee Volunteers guard Zakai Zeigler.
Last season, Taylor IV started all 36 of Texas A&M's game while averaging a career-high 19.1 points to go along with 3.5 rebounds and four assists. He averaged 23 points a contest in Texas A&M's two NCAA Tournament
Williams said that Taylor IV is only getting better, and used an interesting comparison to illustrate this growth.
"He's like Michael Jackson, he just keeps getting better and better," Williams said.
Taylor IV and the No. 13 Aggies will begin the regular season on Monday, Nov. 4 at UCF.
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