Aggies go dancing in Bucky's first year
Texas A&M had to sweat it out until the final region was announced, but they’re back in the NCAA Tournament.
The Aggies (21-12, 11-7 SEC) are the 10th seed in the South Region, meaning they will go to Oklahoma City to take on St. Mary’s (27-5, 16-2 WCC).
Texas A&M is making its fourth straight NCAA Tournament appearance and first under head coach Bucky McMillan, who cobbled together a team in April and early May after taking the job April 5, 2025. McMillan added 14 players to the roster and still matched the 2024-25 team’s 11-7 conference mark.
The Thursday matchup makes for compelling viewing, as it pits the high octane Aggie offense against a Gaels team that is one of the tougher defenses in the country. Texas A&M is ninth nationally in scoring offense at 87.9 points per game, while St. Mary’s is seventh in the country in scoring defense, allowing just 64.6 points per game.
The Gaels also have one thing the Aggies don’t: height. Forward Paulius Murauskas, who is 6-foot-8, leads St. Mary’s in scoring at 18.8 points per game. Center Andrew McKeever is 7-foot-2, while backup Harry Wessels — one of only two bench players to get consistent minutes — is 7-foot-1. Perhaps unsurprisingly, St. Mary’s is fourth in the nation in rebounding margin and 14th in total rebounding.
Both teams rely heavily on the 3-pointer. The Aggies average nearly 11 made 3s per game while shooting 36% from distance, while St. Mary’s is in the top 15 in 3-point percentage at better than 39%. They also make opponents pay for fouling, as they lead the nation in free throw percentage at 80.5%.
The winner of this game will play the winner of No. 2 Houston and No. 15 Idaho. The Aggies and Cougars last met in the tournament two years ago in Memphis, where Texas A&M made a furious comeback capped by Andersson Garcia’s 3-pointer at the buzzer to send the second round matchup to overtime, a game that Houston eventually won.
If Texas A&M and Houston do face off again, the winner will get an added bonus for the Sweet 16 and Elite 8: a trip to H-Town and a very large supporting crowd as they play at Toyota Center.
