Photo: L.G. Patterson, Associated Press Photo: Mark Humphrey, STF / Associated Press Photo: Julie Bennett, Associated Press Photo: Sam Craft/Associated Press Photo: Sam Craft, FRE / Associated Press Photo: Joshua L. Jones, MBI / Associated Press Photo: Joshua L. Jones, Associated Press Photo: Mark Humphrey/Associated Press Photo: L.G. Patterson/Associated Press Photo: L.G. Patterson/Associated Press Photo: Mark Humphrey, STF / Associated Press Photo: L.G. Patterson, Associated Press Photo: Ron Jenkins, FRE / AP

COLLEGE STATION – Less than a year ago Buzz Williams was three points from leading Virginia Tech to an upset of top-seeded Duke in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament.

Later in the spring, Williams returned to his home state of Texas and on Tuesday he was named the SEC’s coach of the year by the Associated Press, following his first regular season at Texas A&M.

AT TEXAS SPORTS NATION: Buzz Williams says ‘I think there’s a chance’ of Texas A&M making a postseason tournament

The Aggies (16-14, 10-8 SEC) were picked to finish 12th in the 14-team SEC, but cut that in half by finishing tied for sixth with South Carolina. A&M is the seventh seed in this week’s SEC tournament and will face 10th seed Missouri at 6 p.m. Thursday in Nashville.

A&M won its most league games since 2016, when future NBA players Danuel House Jr., and Alex Caruso led the program to a 13-5 finish and the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament.

The A&M team of two years ago that made the Sweet 16 finished 9-9 in league play and squeezed into the NCAA postseason. Williams’ first team will need to win the SEC tournament to make the NCAA tournament, because of a poor stretch in nonconference play in late November and early December, when the Aggies were still adjusting to their new coach.

Williams was asked Monday about the possibility of winning the league’s coach of the year, and he said he’d never won the award at Virginia Tech or Marquette.

“I don’t anticipate that I’ll win this year … (and) I haven’t spent any time thinking about that,” he said.