Aggies Win vs. Mississippi State Gives Much-Needed NCAA Tournament Boost
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The Texas A&M Aggies beat the Mississippi State Bulldogs, 75-69, on Wednesday night at home to keep their NCAA Tournament hopes alive. Senior night was highlighted by a strong defensive showing and four players scoring in double-digits: Manny Obaseki (17), Solomon Washington (15), Tyrece Radford (14) and Wade Taylor IV (13).
The Aggies never trailed in the game. The victory over the Bulldogs was a NET Quadrant 2 win for the Aggies. Mississippi State is currently projected to be a ninth seed in the NCAA Tournament. The strong showing could help the "bubble team."
Of the 68 teams who will punch their ticket to play in the tournament, Texas A&M (16-13, 7-9 SEC) still have a chance to secure their spot in the Big Dance.
The Aggies' resume includes home wins over Mississippi State, Tennessee, Kentucky and Florida plus a neutral-floor victory over Iowa State.
Texas A&M will play their final regular-season game against Ole Miss on the road Saturday at 1 p.m. The Rebels are currently not projected to make the tournament, so consider this a must-win for A&M.
Then, the Aggies will shift focus to the Southeastern Conference Tournament in Nashville, Tennessee on Wed, Mar 13 to Sun, Mar 17.
Another challenge, considering there are projected to be seven teams from the SEC Conference that make the NCAA Tournament, the second-most out of any conference (9, Big-12 Conference).
Selection Sunday is March 17th with the First Four on March 19-20 and the First Round on March 21-22.
The Big Dance concludes in the NCAA Championship Game on April 8. The UConn Huskies currently are the favorites to win the crown. UConn defeated San Diego State 76-59 in the final last year to take the 2023 NCAA title. Florida (2006 and 2007) is the last team to win back-to-back titles.