Even though Buzz Williams had made more noise in recent years in the transfer portal, he's off to an outstanding start in the 2025 recruiting class.
San Francisco Archbishop Riordan small forward Jasir Rencher committed to the Aggies Thursday night, joining fellow 4-star Jeremiah Green in the 2025 class. A&M has been doing strong work on the West Coast, with Rencher being from the Bay area and Green now in Arizona (though he used to live in the D/FW area).
The 6-foot-6, 195-pound Rencher had offers from around the country, including three from other SEC schools. He cut his list of finalists to A&M, New Mexico, Washington, LSU and Oklahoma before choosing the Aggies Thursday.
Picking up some wing players with the ability to shoot and get in the lane was vital for the Aggies in the 2025 class. After this season, they will lose Jace Carter, Manny Obaseki, Hayden Hefner, CJ Wilcher and Zhuric Phelps -- a large part of their expected shooting guard/small forward rotation this season. Rencher and Green will join Rob Dockery and George Turkson as the next wave of players at those positions.
Analysis
First off, Rencher has a very high basketball IQ. He has great anticipation, as you can see him follow his own shot for a layup and, later, break down the court for an easy dunk when he sees the ball get poked free for a turnover. Buzz likes players who do the little things, so that will help him out.
Rencher has a very nice shooting stroke and has some creativity in his game, as you can see him switch to his left hand on a contested layup. I was impressed with how he can take contested shots, but remain under control and have his upper body steady as he releases the ball. He can hit from distance, which is definitely something the Aggies need.
If I have a concern (I didn't see much in the way of passing), it's his ball-handling. He dribbles pretty far away from his body, and you can see one instance where a guy actually pokes the ball loose before Rencher recovers and makes a shot. But even though he did really well at the AAU level, things will get ratcheted up at the college level. I've also heard his passing is a little iffy, so that will be an area to improve on as well.
Rencher is listed as a Top 100 player by nearly all the recruiting services, and I'll buy that. He's got good size -- I'm looking forward to see him put on some more muscle -- and has an inside-out game. He plays serious defense, which is another thing that will endear him to Buzz. He may not be a complete player yet, but all the pieces are there. It will be interesting to watch him develop.