NIT Championship: How to Watch Aggies vs. Xavier

The Aggies can win their first title in more than 30 years at Madison Square Garden on Thursday

Author:
Timm Hamm
Publish date:
Mar 31, 2022 6:12 PM EDT

The Texas A&M (27-12) men's basketball team takes on Xavier (22-13) on Thursday with an opportunity to win its first tournament title in more than 30 seasons.

The Aggies celebrate their victory over Washington State

The mid-season eight-game losing streak seems like a distant memory as the Aggies have gone 12-2 since. That skid probably cost them an NCAA tournament berth, but they have stormed through the NIT and have earned the chance to win it all.

In the semifinals Tuesday in New York, the Aggies thoroughly dominated Washington State in a 72-56 victory. Texas A&M scored 58 points in the paint – more points than the Cougars scored as a team – shot 48.5 percent, including 58.1 percent in the second half.

Javonte Brown scores inside on Washington State

Xavier, out of the Big East, advanced to the finals after beating St. Bonaventure 84-77. Jack Nunge averages a team-high 13.4 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Paul Scruggs adds 11.7 points, while Colby Jones averages 11.4 points and a team-high 7.4 rebounds.

“Just keep going,” freshman Manny Obaseki said after scoring 14 in the semifinals. “I think that’s one of the biggest things that’s helped me through this year, through the slumps, the ups, and the downs. Once you quit, quit. You let the devil win.”

“That’s why we’re still playing,” he said. “I think there’s a camaraderie that our guys have off the floor that’s as genuine as I’ve seen in my 28 years in college coaching. But the thing we’ve tried to emphasize the last couple of months, we need that camaraderie off the floor to be evident to everyone who doesn’t know who you are on the floor.”