2025-2026

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Gap
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7:33p, 3/3/25
AG
I think many here are aware of it, but all signs strongly point to Joni Taylor returning to Texas A&M for the 2025-26 season. (Perhaps, that may be breaking news to some.)

A lot needs to change to be successful next year. Significant roster changes will definitely occur.

The top 4 on my list are:

1 - much better guard play
2 - carry 13-15 on the roster (I know 15 is the max)
3 - coaching staff changes to address our unresolved weaknesses
4- better NIL game and allocated appropriately

What other items are high on the list?
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aggiedrjdub
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7:38p, 3/3/25
AG
For the love of God, I hope this isn't the case. Rumor has it there will be 4-5 current athletes entering he portal, she's recruited two no names for next season, and if she sails off into the sunset with team USA again I might lose it even more. I swear to you I heard Gary Blair coaching the team harder on Sunday than she did.

I guess we have to accept that it is what it is. The only saving grace would be a complete roster overhaul with 7-8 elite McDonald AA. Without that, we will be 15/16 again.
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fitzwatema
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10:58p, 3/3/25
AG
  • . More aggressive/pressure defense
  • . Better use of post players
  • Better ball movement on offense
  • . Find a better strength and conditioning coach
  • A full roster

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aggiedrjdub
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8:48a, 3/4/25
AG
Gap - what would you define as successful next year? Top 3 in the SEC? Top half? NCAA tournament?
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Gap
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In reply to aggiedrjdub • 9:18a, 3/4/25
AG
aggiedrjdub said:
Gap - what would you define as successful next year? Top 3 in the SEC? Top half? NCAA tournament?
That is a great question. What is successful? What is realistic? Hmmm.

(And as an aside, anyone who I have conversed with here probably knows I have been plenty critical of what has happened this season and even said at one point I don't know how our coach would return next year. So, what I said in the OP is not my endorsement, it is just what I understand to be the reality.)

On to your question, if you are top 4 in the SEC, you are currently top 10 in the nation per the AP poll. That would be super successful for next year.

Per the current NET, the top half (top 8) in the SEC are all in the top 19 in NET. That would be successful as long as the SEC is that kind of league again next year and there is no reason that it shouldn't be. That would include some stumbles against other good teams.

In 2023-24, we made the NCAA tournament, I think we had a NET of 41. That didn't feel like a super successful year, but it was better than many other alternatives.

To be considered successful, I think we need to be better than that year 2 of Joni and in the NCAA tourney and also feel like what happened in 2025-26 is sustainable and the program is on a solid footing going forward to go upwards from there.

That is the first time that I have pondered that question. And I may be getting successful and realistic mixed together. What do you think?
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AggieSports
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In reply to Gap • 10:27a, 3/4/25
AG
I think that's a very good assessment. Maybe we call it "realistically successful." Lol I hope and expect Joni will be putting all her energy into rebuilding our roster this off-season rather than dividing her time with USA basketball. I wish she'd bring in a top notch recruiter bc this staff doesn't seem to be getting it done. Nothing else really matters if you don't have the players. I sure hope we can get some good ones through the portal.
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aggiedrjdub
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In reply to Gap • 11:23a, 3/4/25
AG
I agree with what you're stating. Looking at our current roster, simulating who may or may not come back, and seeing what we've recruited so far for next season, do you think any of what you've stated is even remotely possible? From the looks of it, we just do not have the talent on this current roster to compete with the current top 8 SEC teams. The current athletes cannot stay healthy and that has been an ongoing issue for Joni. The staff has shown no ability to develop what we have, and I see no successful recruiting going on behind the scenes. There has been no outward acknowledgement of any positive changes to look forward to in year 4. In fact, this staff has shown signs of resignation at times IMO. We caught lightning in a bottle with AC; however, I think the obvious move to AC as the elite player on the court may have triggered Barker to leave (I'm sure there's more to the story). (Nothing personal - just an observation). I'm sure there is a great deal of frustration going on inside the program from all involved. It's apparent on social media that even the most die hard fans are turning on Joni.

Is there a scenario that happened this year where Joni traded scholarships (4), for NIL dollars? Idek if that's legal or not. If that were the case, that was an abject failure of a solution. Again - no idea. Just trying to reason why we left 4 spots open.

I do agree that if she stays for year 4 the bar to return for year 5 has to be incredibly high. Looking at our track record of hiring and firing, we have released 2 coaches after unsuccessful tenure and results. (Peggie and Candi - one lasted 3 years and the other 4 I believe). I just have no confidence based on 3 years of observation that this staff can get it done.

The highest frustration I have with the current staff is to revert back to the history and signing of Gary Blair. He came out of the box swinging with little to no expectations and we felt a momentum shift for the program even after year 1. The same cannot be said with this current staff. It is a vapid hole of despair currently (lol dramatic, I know).
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85AustinAg
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2:22p, 3/4/25
AG
Why is there any expectation that any of these improvements might occur when everything we've seen to date indicates otherwise? This discussion isn't even worth having.
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AggieSports
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In reply to 85AustinAg • 2:27p, 3/4/25
AG
85AustinAg said:
Why is there any expectation that any of these improvements might occur when everything we've seen to date indicates otherwise? This discussion isn't even worth having.

Then why are you in it? Lol
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Gap
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2:34p, 3/4/25
AG
I agree with most everything said above. Is it possible to reach that level? Not sure. And if so, why didn't we start driving toward that level 3 years ago and keep it up non-stop. Reaching it would likely involve a lot of roster movement and transfers and changes to the coaching staff.

Going with 11 on the roster was a surprise to pretty much everyone that I have spoken to. People were scratching their head about it in November when only Saidu was out given the risks and of course it has only gone further south since then. I understand that was just a preference to have a smaller roster. But given the injury history of our roster, I would have thought a smaller roster would have been around 13 not 11.

I haven't ever heard anything about a trade off of NIL dollars to have less players on scholarship. I've never thought about that before. Interestingly, in the revenue sharing / NIL model with the schools that begins this Fall, you present an interesting scenario. If WBB were to get 5% of the approx $20M, that is a total of $1M. With 15 on a roster, each player would get $67,000 but with 11 on a roster, each would get $91,000. I hadn't thought about that lever for more or less NIL per player. It will be interesting to see if the SEC goes with a model where each school provides the same percentage per sport or if schools get to decide that allocation per sport on their own and we have differences between schools.
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Kbeauty63
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In reply to Gap • 2:47p, 3/4/25
AG
Gap said:
I agree with most everything said above. Is it possible to reach that level? Not sure. And if so, why didn't we start driving toward that level 3 years ago and keep it up non-stop. Reaching it would likely involve a lot of roster movement and transfers and changes to the coaching staff.

Going with 11 on the roster was a surprise to pretty much everyone that I have spoken to. People were scratching their head about it in November when only Saidu was out given the risks and of course it has only gone further south since then. I understand that was just a preference to have a smaller roster. But given the injury history of our roster, I would have thought a smaller roster would have been around 13 not 11.

I haven't ever heard anything about a trade off of NIL dollars to have less players on scholarship. I've never thought about that before. Interestingly, in the revenue sharing / NIL model with the schools that begins this Fall, you present an interesting scenario. If WBB were to get 5% of the approx $20M, that is a total of $1M. With 15 on a roster, each player would get $67,000 but with 11 on a roster, each would get $91,000. I hadn't thought about that lever for more or less NIL per player. It will be interesting to see if the SEC goes with a model where each school provides the same percentage per sport or if schools get to decide that allocation per sport on their own and we have differences between schools.
and just a small sidenote - but international players do NOT get NIL - i.e. AC did not & the new player coming from Italy will not be able to either.
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BQ_90
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In reply to Kbeauty63 • 2:55p, 3/4/25
AG
Kbeauty63 said:
Gap said:
I agree with most everything said above. Is it possible to reach that level? Not sure. And if so, why didn't we start driving toward that level 3 years ago and keep it up non-stop. Reaching it would likely involve a lot of roster movement and transfers and changes to the coaching staff.

Going with 11 on the roster was a surprise to pretty much everyone that I have spoken to. People were scratching their head about it in November when only Saidu was out given the risks and of course it has only gone further south since then. I understand that was just a preference to have a smaller roster. But given the injury history of our roster, I would have thought a smaller roster would have been around 13 not 11.

I haven't ever heard anything about a trade off of NIL dollars to have less players on scholarship. I've never thought about that before. Interestingly, in the revenue sharing / NIL model with the schools that begins this Fall, you present an interesting scenario. If WBB were to get 5% of the approx $20M, that is a total of $1M. With 15 on a roster, each player would get $67,000 but with 11 on a roster, each would get $91,000. I hadn't thought about that lever for more or less NIL per player. It will be interesting to see if the SEC goes with a model where each school provides the same percentage per sport or if schools get to decide that allocation per sport on their own and we have differences between schools.
and just a small sidenote - but international players do NOT get NIL - i.e. AC did not & the new player coming from Italy will not be able to either.
but i would think they will be part of the new revenue sharing that is coming
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MUAG
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4:50p, 3/4/25
Does any one here know much about NIL money? I thought donors control which players















Does anyone here really know how NIL money works? I thought donors indicate which sport gets the money. If so, there would have to be a donor or donors that gave enough money for women's basketball to really help. I am totally ignorant on NIL, I don't see how there will be any improvement next year without a big infusion of NIL money, Apparently women basketball players can demand lots more money than other women sports. Maybe why softball, volleyball and golf seem to do fine. Rumor was that it would have taken $400,000 to keep Barker, but maybe thar was false. LSU quit recruiting no.1 high school recruit since they said it would take a million to get her. Texas is one of places she may go. Vic would not have gotten that support here. Not to be a downer, but see no hope for improvement.








MUAG
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BQ_90
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In reply to MUAG • 9:54p, 3/4/25
AG
MUAG said:
Does any one here know much about NIL money? I thought donors control which players















Does anyone here really know how NIL money works? I thought donors indicate which sport gets the money. If so, there would have to be a donor or donors that gave enough money for women's basketball to really help. I am totally ignorant on NIL, I don't see how there will be any improvement next year without a big infusion of NIL money, Apparently women basketball players can demand lots more money than other women sports. Maybe why softball, volleyball and golf seem to do fine. Rumor was that it would have taken $400,000 to keep Barker, but maybe thar was false. LSU quit recruiting no.1 high school recruit since they said it would take a million to get her. Texas is one of places she may go. Vic would not have gotten that support here. Not to be a downer, but see no hope for improvement.









Things change next year with revenue sharing. NIL isn't published, so it's all speculation. We aren't up there with top 5 in sec, but that doesn't excuse poor roster mgt
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Cedar09
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10:41p, 3/4/25
After the 1 and done what will our AD do?
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Bucketrunner
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In reply to BQ_90 • 12:12p, 3/5/25
There are plenty of good high school players who would have come for the education - certainly enough to fill a roster.
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taylorswift13_
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In reply to Cedar09 • 12:16p, 3/5/25
AG
Cedar09 said:
After the 1 and done what will our AD do?
hopefully not schedule powerhouses like A&M Corpus Christi and Ball State next year in non conference
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BQ_90
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In reply to taylorswift13_ • 12:29p, 3/5/25
AG
taylorswift13_ said:
Cedar09 said:
After the 1 and done what will our AD do?
hopefully not schedule powerhouses like A&M Corpus Christi and Ball State next year in non conference
we need several home/away games with PV to boost our RPI
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taylorswift13_
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In reply to BQ_90 • 12:32p, 3/5/25
AG
My friend works with UTSA athletics and he's always giving me crap for us hurting their NET ranking
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giggitygigem
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In reply to taylorswift13_ • 11:28a, 3/6/25
This is hilarious.
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