Wade Taylor IV & Andersson Garcia earn 2023-24 All-SEC honors

Ahead of the 2024 Southeastern Conference Tournament in Nashville, Wade Taylor IV and Andersson Garcia each received All-SEC recognition, the league announced Monday afternoon.

Initially slotted at No. 15 in the Associated Press Top 25 to begin the season, A&M remained in the poll until a Week 5 loss to Memphis. Momentum ceased almost entirely with a narrow defeat to vaunted Houston. Dropping the conference opener to LSU at Reed Arena only compounded feelings of desperation.

Seemingly poised for a February surge after wins over Kentucky and Tennessee, a five-game slide seriously jeopardized their postseason resume before concluding the regular season with three straight wins.

The Aggies finished 18-13 (9-9) and in seventh place in the conference. A&M was picked to place second behind Tennessee in the 2023-24 SEC Men’s Basketball Preseason Media Poll.

First Team All-SEC — Wade Taylor IV

As expected, the SEC Preseason Player of the Year anchored A&M offensively.

He ranked among the top five in the conference in points per game (18.0) and steals (2.0). His 4.1 assists average was also good enough for seventh. All were team bests.

In addition, Taylor ranked seventh in free-throw makes (4.4) and 3-pointers (2.4) per game.

The Dallas native scored at least 15 points in the first six games of the season, including 35 against Florida Atlantic at the ESPN Events Invitational.

His heroic 34-point performance nearly stunned Houston, who is now the No. 1 team in the nation. Despite the loss, Taylor’s valiant effort was not entirely in vain. He earned SEC Player of the Week for the second time in his career as a result.

Taylor dropped 31 points, six rebounds and five assists as A&M toppled Kentucky in January. He followed up with a personal-best 41 points in a loss in Fayetteville.

He is the first Aggie to garner First Team All-SEC honors in consecutive years.

Next to Don Marbury (1985-86), Taylor is just the second player in program history to score 500+ points with 100+ rebounds, 100+ assists and 50+ steals in a season.

SEC All-Defensive Team — Andersson Garcia

Garcia did his best Dennis Rodman impersonation all year. He led the entire conference in rebounds per game with 9.4 and compiled 292 boards on the season. 

Only behind Purdue’s Zach Edey — who will likely earn his second National Player of the Year award — Garcia was second in the entire nation in offensive rebounds per game (4.42).

For perspective, Edey is 7-foot-4. Garcia is 6-foot-7.

The Dominican Republic native also averaged 0.7 blocks per game to rank inside the SEC’s top 25.

With four 15-rebound games, he pulled down a career-high 19 rebounds vs. Houston Christian in December and scored in double digits on five occasions.

Along with Alex Caruso (2016) and Robert Williams (2017, 2018), Garcia is only the third Aggie to be listed on the SEC All-Defensive Team.

2023-24 SEC Men’s Basketball Awards

First Team
Mark Sears, Alabama
Johni Broome, Auburn
Zyon Pullin, Florida
Antonio Reeves, Kentucky
Tolu Smith III, Mississippi State
Dalton Knecht, Tennessee
Zakai Zeigler, Tennessee
Wade Taylor IV, Texas A&M

Second Team
Jaylin Williams, Auburn
Walter Clayton Jr., Florida
Rob Dillingham, Kentucky
Reed Sheppard, Kentucky
Matthew Murrell, Ole Miss
Josh Hubbard, Mississippi State
Ta’Lon Cooper, South Carolina
Meechie Johnson, South Carolina
Jonas Aidoo, Tennessee

All-Defensive Team
Johni Broome, Auburn
Cameron Matthews, Mississippi State
Jonas Aidoo, Tennessee
Zakai Zeigler, Tennessee
Andersson Garcia, Texas A&M

All-Freshman Team
Aden Holloway, Auburn
Alex Condon, Florida
Silas Demary Jr., Georgia
Rob Dillingham, Kentucky
Reed Sheppard, Kentucky
D.J. Wagner, Kentucky
Josh Hubbard, Mississippi State
Collin Murray-Boyles, South Carolina

Coach of the Year: Lamont Paris, South Carolina
Player of the Year: Dalton Knecht, Tennessee
Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Sean East II, Missouri
Freshman of the Year: Reed Sheppard, Kentucky
Sixth-Man of the Year: Rob Dillingham, Kentucky
Defensive Player of the Year: Zakai Zeigler, Tennessee