What to Watch for in Texas A&M’s Matchup vs Saint Mary’s in March Madness

For the first time in a long time, Texas A&M collides with Saint Mary’s on the court in a win-or-go-home scenario.

It’s the first round of the NCAA Tournament, and the stakes have never been higher for both programs all season, as both the Aggies and Gaels are fighting to extend their season a few more days and live to see another day in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, at Paycom Arena.

Can the Aggies get enough guard play and stay out of foul trouble? Do the Gaels take advantage of the size mismatch and fire away from the three-point line? Which offense and defense show up in the biggest moments?

Right now, ESPN analytics are giving Saint Mary’s the slight edge with a 53.2 percent chance to win the game over A&M.

What's going to take for the Maroon and White to twist those numbers and escape round one with a victory? Which players are going to step up? It is the time of the year when legends are made, so is this the shining moment that head coach Bucky McMillan’s team gets on the national stage in front of tons of fans?

Texas A&M vs Saint Mary's Preview

Going into the afternoon, the Aggies are coming off a loss in the SEC Tournament to Oklahoma, while the Gaels are coming off a loss to Santa Clara in the WCC tournament.

Saint Mary’s has put together a phenomenal season, posting a 27-5 record and losing only to a handful of teams. Those schools were Vanderbilt, Boise State, Santa Clara twice, and Gonzaga. There are several shooters on their team who can get to the basket, and they have height going for them.

For A&M, they head into the day with a 21-11 record, where they finished tied for fourth in the SEC. On their resume, they conclude with a 5-8 Quad 1 record and a 4-3 Quad 2 record with no Quad 3 or Quad 4.

Offensively, the Maroon and White are averaging 87.7 points per game to go along with an average of 37.7 rebounds and 18.1 assists. From the field, they are shooting 45.8 percent and 36.2 percent from three. At the free-throw line, they are converting on 73.7 percent of their shots.

As for Saint Mary’s, they are averaging 78.2 points per game, 40.3 rebounds, and 18.1 assists. From the field, the offense is going 46.1 percent, 36.2 percent from beyond the arc, and 80.5 percent from the line.

An interesting department to watch for both schools is the free-throw percentage for the Gaels, who are No. 1 in the country in that category, while the Aggies are No. 2 in bench points. It could very likely come down to whether head coach Bucky McMillan's group can avoid fouling and sending the Gaels to the line and whether head coach Randy Bennett’s unit can limit the damage of the bench point production.

Players To Watch

Ruben Dominguez Texas A&M Aggies. — Nov 21, 2025; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies guard Ruben Dominguez (9) reacts during the second half against the Manhattan Jaspers at Reed Arena. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

For Saint Mary’s, there are a couple of big men who have been part of the early and late success throughout the season. If Paulius Murauskas and Andrew McKeever can get going inside and take the pressure off the guards, that should help them to get to the finish line.

Their electric guard play includes Mikey Lewis, Joshua Dent, and Dillan Shaw, and they can heat up and knock down their shots, so whether they can respond to ‘Bucky Ball’ half-court and full-court pressure will be the question.

For A&M, there are a lot of guards who can nail their shots but have to make a ton of threes because that is a main part of this team's DNA. Senior guard Rylan Griffen is the best three-point shooter, with the Spanish Sniper, Ruben Dominguez, right behind him with the explosive play.

As for the forwards for the Aggies, it’s going to come down to the two forwards that have been the most predictive all season, which are Rashaun Agee and Zach Clemence. The duo is going to need its best game of the season and avoid getting in foul trouble because they are the rim protectors and needed on the defense to shut down the Gaels’ bigs.

Tipoff between Saint Mary’s and A&M begins at 6:35 p.m. on truTV.