Buzz Williams discusses NIT win over Oregon, previews Wake Forest matchup

Texas A&M basketball head coach Buzz Williams joined Monday's edition of TexAgs Radio to share his thoughts on the Maroon & White's win over the Oregon Ducks at Reed Arena on Saturday afternoon and preview the opportunity ahead against Wake Forest.

Key notes from Buzz Williams interview

• I thought we played really good against Oregon. I thought our spirit and energy were good. We got productive minutes no matter who it was. We played to the scouting report. Our staff did a great job getting our guys prepared for their unique style of play. I think our guys were in an excellent groove. I think it is in the mix of being one of our best performances of the year, for sure.
   
• Manny Obaseki, the first thing is that he grew up with the proper support around him. He processes things really, really well. I think its really hard for these kids with all of this exposure at a young age; it's hard to stay grounded. It's almost impossible to stay patient. He has processed all of this as a freshman in a way that I don't think I've ever seen before. He's been very consistent in the weight room, in his individual workouts, and in his film study. I would say he's watched more film as a freshman than anyone I've ever been around. That foundation has allowed him not to get too high with the highs or low with the lows. He takes it all in and processes it the same.
   
• I've said it before, and I'll repeat it; I think he and Wade Taylor IV will have really good college careers. That stems greatly from the people that raised them and helped them become the men that they are today.
   
• I think you always want to be playing your best basketball now. I think our players and their relationship with our staff has a lot to do with that. I think our guys enjoy being around everyone in our program, and they show up every single day ready to go to work. We spend all of September and all of October trying to figure out how to be tough. We don't install plays or work on basketball because I want to be tough. And we may lose some non-conference games because of that. But I think it pays off in the long run. I think being good late is better than being good early.
   
• I think anytime you make lineup changes; it's hard. If you're going to be good at what you do, you have to have a little bit of an ego. We changed personnel, and we changed our offense. I don't think you can pin the change on one thing; it was the culmination of many things. We made changes throughout the eight-game losing streak. Yes, we went 15-2 to start the year, but then it became the Einstein quote of you can't keep doing the same thing and expecting different results.
   
• I think a lot of this goes back to the mindset of Quenton Jackson. A guy that started the season off the bench, was our leading scorer and just showed up and went to work every single day. That helps alleviate any potential drama within the room.
   
• Wake Forest is a really, really good team. I have a close relationship with Steve Forbes. It's hard not to when you live with someone for two years and work for who we work for. You don't have a choice other than to be close. They have done a really good job this year. They completely rebuilt their roster through the portal last offseason, a lot like us. When they changed the rules on recruiting due to COVID, allowing everyone to recruit, Antanas Kavaliauskas has been a huge asset to coach Forbes on the recruiting trail.