Emotional Buzz Williams blasts NCAA choice committee for excluding Texas A&M

Texas A&M coach Buzz Williams started his postgame information convention Tuesday evening with a statement lasting nearly eight minutes through which he decried the Aggies‘ exclusion from the NCAA match as one thing that “defies logic.”

Williams’ feedback got here on the heels of his workforce’s 74-62 win over Alcorn State within the opening spherical of the NIT, for which the Aggies earned a No. 1 seed as one of many first 4 groups omitted of the 68-team NCAA match bracket.

“We have been and are utterly devastated and heartbroken,” Williams stated. “Unhappy is the improper phrase, as a result of it does not utterly specific the totality of our feelings.”

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Texas A&M (24-12) completed the season on a roll, storming by the SEC match with wins over Florida, fourth-ranked Auburn and No. 15 Arkansas to achieve its first convention championship sport, the place the Aggies got here up brief in opposition to Tennessee, 65-50. With three wins in Tampa, Florida — a part of a seven-game profitable streak — it was anticipated that Texas A&M had performed its manner into the NCAA match.

Within the wake of the SEC match, Williams stated he spent hours poring over information and making an attempt to know “how these 12 SEC competition-only wins weren’t sufficient,” whereas figuring out that the 4 groups within the SEC that gained greater than the Aggies have been awarded a 4-seed or greater. He stated his analysis additionally targeted on the choice committee itself: its members, how they’re appointed — “in different phrases, what committee chosen the committee?” — their profession paths, assembly frequency and matters of dialogue.

“I needed to be sure that I studied all of it with the lens they do, in order that I may higher perceive how what we did this season wasn’t sufficient. I needed this understanding so I may have a proof for our gamers, their dad and mom and coaches, and be accountable in my relationship with every of them,” Williams defined.

“After finding out all this nonstop the final two days and it from each vantage level,” he continued, “it defies logic that we’re not within the NCAA match.”

Williams stated that regardless of “repeated pleas,” he has been given no particular information — solely generalities — by these above him, inflicting him to “lose all respect and religion within the system and people which are in it.”

“What has transpired is improper,” Williams acknowledged.

Williams grew to become emotional at occasions whereas studying his assertion, significantly when referencing the gamers who determined to remain at Texas A&M with their further yr of eligibility that was granted as a result of pandemic.

“The method is clearly flawed, and it’s obvious that there’s far more included that’s unseen and unknown within the collection of the 36 at-large groups than what the general public is made conscious of,” Williams stated in concluding his assertion. “Till there may be full transparency and accountability, the system will keep damaged and this may proceed to occur.”

Williams additionally introduced with him a abstract of his analysis, copies of which he supplied to reporters.

The Related Press contributed to this report.