NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: SECOND ROUND - TEXAS A&M VS MICHIGAN

March 22, 2025

Wade Taylor

Henry Coleman

Manny Obaseki

Ball Arena

Texas A&M Aggies

Media Conference

Michigan 91, Texas A&M 79

Q. Wade, you knocked down the three with like eight and a half to go, you guys were up four but then went almost six minutes without a made basket. What was maybe some of the problems there that you guys weren't able to make some key shots down the stretch as they got on their run?

WADE TAYLOR IV: I think we was getting pretty good shots, shots that we normally call predictable, shots we call shower shots that we usually, make but they just didn't fall. We just tried to continue to get stops, try to stop the lead. But I don't think none of the shots we shot were bad, I just felt like they didn't fall.

Q. That final three-pointer you took, did you think it was going in. And if it does go, how do you think it affects the rest of the game?

WADE TAYLOR IV: I mean, if it goes in, I think we're down probably by two. We probably just try to play up straight and get a stop. Thought it was going in. I think all my shots are going in pretty much. But it didn't.

You live and you learn. Thankful for it. I'm thankful for God. He's teaching me something, so I'm forever grateful for the game we played today.

Q. Talk about the fight that y'all showed in the last few minutes and how that's been a testament to how y'all have played all season long.

HENRY COLEMAN III: Good question. I think that's just the character of everybody up here, from Coach to Wade to myself to Mo and to everybody on that roster. When you have guys with great character, you're always going to fight, and there was no doubt in my mind that we were going to fight until the end.

It's not the result that we wanted, but just a credit to these guys. They just fought all game long. I think Pharrel played unbelievable. I think Jace came in and gave us great minutes. CJ hit some key threes when we really needed them.

For all the guys, they fought, and I think that just comes with great character.

Q. Looking back on this team and looking back on this senior class, what do you want people to remember about y'all?

MANNY OBASEKI: I want y'all to remember us just by understanding and knowing how hard we worked and the things that we've accomplished throughout these past four years, five years. Will never be done again, especially at A&M.

I want you guys to understand that the people that orchestrated and played a part in what has transpired over these last four or five years wasn't by coincidence, and it goes to show you how special Buzz is as a leader, knowing who he wants, who to bring.

And on top of that, just the people that are in the program, the players and the coaches, all great people, pure hearts, want to do right by each other, want to do right by themselves and their family and for God.

I mean, there's not a lot of words that I can really put to describe how much these people mean to me and what this class and what Team 113 has meant to me, as well.

Q. For any of you, all year you guys have been a great rebounding team, first an offensive top 5 in total, but they were able to beat you in both categories. What was the difference today as opposed to the rest of the season?

HENRY COLEMAN III: I think we just didn't have the fight today, and that's -- as far as on the glass, I thought towards the end, we were fighting, and some of the balls didn't bounce our way. But it doesn't discredit the effort that some of the guys had on their end, I would say. Coach May is a really good coach. He coached well. They got us on that.

But the fight that we had -- what we've done, being the No. 1 offensive rebounding team the last two years, I don't know how many teams have done that. But what we've done and how we've manufactured reps on top of reps of just being elite offensive rebounders is something special.

Q. Wade, I think you fouled out in the last 30 seconds. What were the emotions coming off the court, and now that your illustrious career is over, how do you hope you're remembered for what you were able to do at A&M?

WADE TAYLOR IV: That I gave it my all every night, no matter what was said, what people thought. I stood on tiptoes for these guys I'm sitting with. Forever thankful to them and the coaching staff that brought me here, that believed in me. We've had a heck of a run these last four years. I'm so proud of everything we've accomplished.

Q. Henry, after the game it looked like you guys were huddled up for a minute on the court. What was that moment like? What was said, and who led that in the circle?

HENRY COLEMAN III: Everybody kind of spoke. We thanked God for wins and losses. I think it's foolish if you don't believe that God has orchestrated this for all of us to come together, for all of us to have our families meet and for all of us to just be right here in this moment. We're just super thankful for it.

It's not the result that we wanted, but I think the faith that we've had this whole time with these guys, with coach, with the coaching staff, has been unbelievable. For these two guys right here, a lot of stuff was said on them early in their career, but I think it's two of the hardest working people you'll ever meet, two people who are super respectful, two people you guys never saw in the paper doing anything stupid, two guys that handled themselves in the classroom each and every single year, honor roll students, scholar students, dean's list students, that had an impact way beyond basketball.

For these guys, their faith, how they've handled the good, the bad, it's just unbelievable, and I'm thankful for them.

Q. Wade, this is going to be a totally different team next year with so many of you guys leaving. With what this group was able to do, how do you hope that can maybe set up the program moving forward?

WADE TAYLOR IV: Yeah, I think we've set a really, really good foundation of how Texas A&M basketball looks, and a lot of people want to be a part of this now because of what we've done. I think that's a good thing to look at.

We have a lot of guys in that locker room, though, that's ready to fight, that's been watching us work, and they kind of know the recipe and how it goes.

I'm super excited to see what Coach and them have going on next year. I'm pretty sure that we'll be hands on and making sure that we're locked in with them no matter who comes in as far as players. We're just thankful to be here. We're thankful for the opportunity we've had at this school and what this school has done for our lives.

HENRY COLEMAN III: Can I say one thing about Texas A&M as a whole? It's impacted our lives, truthfully changed all of our lives, and I think we're thankful for it. It's changed my life.

We didn't hit every shot. We didn't get every rebound. We didn't get every steal. But we damn sure tried.

That's one thing you'll never, ever say about this team is that we never tried. Even when everybody tweeted stuff about us and we saw it, we always tried, and we always put our first foot forward and we kept it going. And we're just thankful for this, and thank you, guys.

MANNY OBASEKI: One last thing. That man right there next to Wade, one of the greatest people you will ever meet. He's one of the greatest coaches of all time, in basketball in general. He's changed my life. He's changed each and every one of our lives. I'm so thankful for him.

Coach Buzz, you mean everything to me. I love you. No matter what, I know you're going to be one call away, one text away, and no matter what anybody says, he's one of the greatest, and y'all can't change that, and nobody will change that or take that from him.