Aggies get 4 seed, will face Yale in first round of NCAA Tournament

Enjoy your days of anticipation

After finishing the regular season 22-10 and ranked No. 12 in the country, Texas A&M has landed a 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Aggies will travel to Denver and face 13 seed Yale in the first round on Thursday, March 20.

The 4 seed is the highest the Aggies have garnered since they were a 3 seed in 2016, though many will be understandably frustrated with the seed given that A&M projected as high as a 2 seed three weeks ago, and was widely considered to be a 3 seed heading into the SEC Tournament before being upset by rival Texas. But losing five of your last seven games will do that.

However, that SEC Tournament loss also means A&M will be more well-rested than they have in their previous two NCAA Tournament appearances. In both the 2023 and 2024 seasons, A&M played three SEC Tournament games, finishing on Sunday/Saturday rather than Thursday. When they lost to Penn State in 2023, it was their 4th game in seven days. When they lost to Houston in 2024, it was their 5th game in 11 days. Will the extra rest benefit the Aggies this time around? Only time will tell.

With eight seniors, A&M has the making of a team that could make a deep tournament run if they play well. The Aggies are capable of playing suffocating defense, and are one of the best offensive rebounding teams in the country. Add in an elite scorer in Wade Taylor IV (A&M’s career scoring leader), and it’s easy to see why this is a team to like. What limits the Aggies is their proclivity for prolonged offensive droughts and inconsistent free throw shooting. While their defense, rebounding and physicality is often enough to overcome those shortcomings, even against elite competition, it can also make for very ugly games, even against lesser opponents.

Now, enjoy your days of nervousness before the tournament begins. Gig ‘em!