Texas A&M (21-10, 11-7 SEC) withstood late-season fatigue and shooting struggles to get back on track, and outright earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament after defeating Kentucky and LSU in back-to-back games, as it took three overtimes and another All-SEC-caliber performance from senior forward Rashaun Agee, who produced 26 points and 11 rebounds, including his three-point play during the final seconds of the third overtime.
Paired with Rylan Griffen (24 points) and Pop Isaacs (18), the trio combined for 68 of the team’s 94 points, while first-year head coach Bucky McMillan should be the frontrunner for SEC Head Coach of the Year after taking over a program with zero returning starters, while having to raid the transfer portal for whoever was left to build a roster which, had just one active player when McMillan was hired.
After finishing February with a 2-6 record, including four consecutive losses, Texas A&M’s turnaround at the end of the season wasn’t just impressive, but resulted in the Aggies moving off the NCAA Tournament “bubble,” as ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi moved the Aggies back into the field for the first time in weeks, while the Texas Longhorns, who lost to Oklahoma on Saturday, are back on the bubble in the “Last Four Byes” category.
Furthermore, BarTorvik has the Aggies postseason odds at 99%, so for those who still think McMillan’s veteran squad has to win a game or more in the SEC Tournament to make the big dance, that’s simply a pointless exercise. In reality, next week’s tournament is more about seeding than anything else, as two wins could result in an 8-seed.
Texas A&M will face the winner of Oklahoma vs. South Carolina on Thursday at 8:30 p.m.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M rises in ESPN’s Bracketology after defeating LSU
Reporting by Cameron Ohnysty, Aggies Wire / Aggies Wire
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