Do not forget the 2021-2022 Texas A&M Aggies men’s basketball team. 

Mere hours ago, the team was moments away from an NIT title. It was poetic justice for a group many thought got hosed, snubbed, screwed, and other words not fit for print by the NCAA Tournament selection committee. Even Aggie coach Buzz Williams issued a statement stating that there was no logical reason his team should have missed the NCAA Tournament.

Regardless, it was off to the NIT. And after four straight double-digit wins leading up to the championship game, Texas A&M was beginning to look unbeatable. 

Then, they lost. Tyrece Radford’s buzzer-beater bounced in and out. A one-point lead with five seconds left turned into a one-point loss. And so the Aggies fell to Xaiver, 73-72. It was simply heartbreaking. 

There’s no point in sugar-coating it now. What’s done is done. Complaining about the refs and their calls, ESPN’s coverage, or a raging mix of both won’t change the result. 

This Aggie team didn’t deserve to go out with a loss, but it’s sports. Heartbreak is a part of it and anyone who has been around sports at some point in their life understands that, even if they don’t want to believe it. I didn’t want to believe it either, not at first. 

But now, it’s time to look back. How will this Texas A&M team be remembered?

They won’t get the banner, and they won’t get the glory. They won’t be listed in the lists of former champions. And that hurts. But it’s time to move on. It was heartbreaking, but one mere loss is no reason to let this team, this tournament run, and these players fade away into obscurity over the coming years and decades. 

That’s the part that scares me. I’m concerned about what happens years down the line, when Buzz Williams’ tenure is done, nobody on the court in New York is still putting up shots, and 2022 NIT merchandise starts to become collectors items. 

I’ve dug through reference sites and digital archives for stories I’ve had to write in the past. Title winners are still listed somewhere in those record books, even after the players and coaches have passed on. But the rest? Many of them are lost to time, in memory if not in name. History may not be written by the victors, but it sure does remember them the most. 

But what remains for a team like this Aggie squad? They lost two championship games this year. Are they doomed to the status of historical footnote?

But this team went 27-13. They won 11 of their last 13 games and went 7-2 in postseason play, all after enduring an eight-game losing streak. That deserves more than a mere footnote. These Aggies deserve more. It’s up to the fans to make that happen.  

I watched this team play three NIT games in person, including their semifinal win against Washington State in Madison Square Garden. They fought hard, played with an incredible drive, and put on a show.

That’s the team that should be remembered. Not for losing to Xavier, but for being one of the best Texas A&M men’s basketball teams to ever play the game. 

So that’s my plea. Remember this team, regardless of the final outcome. Remember Quenton Jackson, Hassan Diarra, Henry Coleman III, Manny Obaseki, Wade Taylor IV, and everyone else I regret not being able to list. 

Some will be back to continue fighting for the maroon and white. Others, like Jackson, have played their last game as an Aggie. They’ve done all they can for the school. Now, it’s up to everyone else to give them their place in Texas A&M lore.

Even if they didn’t bring home the hardware to prove it, this Texas A&M team is one of the best to ever take the court in Aggieland. We should all remember them for what they did accomplish, not what they didn’t.