Where Texas A&M Aggies Land in Latest NCAA Tournament Projections

The Texas A&M Aggies are rebounding in the latest NCAA tournament projections with just four games left in the regular season.

Texas A&M Aggies guard Marcus Hill high-fives a fan after the game against the Ole Miss Rebels at Reed Arena. | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

It is almost March, and every game matters more for the Texas A&M Aggies. A four-game skid had the Aggies reeling, but they have recovered lately with consecutive SEC victories.

There are several key games left on their schedule to test their mettle, but the Aggies may have played their way firmly into the NCAA Tournament pool.

As the program hopes to dodge the bubble ahead of the SEC Tournament, where does Texas A&M rank in the latest NCAA Tournament projections?

ESPN Bracketology Update Moves Aggies Up a Seed Line

Texas A&M Aggies guard Rylan Griffen (3) reacts during the second half against the Ole Miss Rebels at Reed Arena. | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

After falling to a double-digit seed line, the Aggies have rebounded to the ninth seed in the latest bracketology update from ESPN’s Joe Lunardi. This sets up a theoretical first-round matchup against SMU, a team the Aggies played during non-conference competition.

SMU and Texas A&M played on Dec. 7, an overtime win for the Mustangs where the Aggies collapsed during the extra period. It was Texas A&M’s third loss of the season, and it gave McMillan a chance to challenge his team.

“I think SMU is a really good team. I think they have a good chance to get to the NCA Tournament. Good players, good team,” McMillan said during a radio interview after the SMU game.

“We were in this situation at Oklahoma State three weeks ago, and we were down and didn't have the character yet to fight back … just got to close that out. We ended the game with three straight turnovers. It's hard to win when you do that versus a good team. I mean, that's pretty much what it came down to in that spot, but it was a good job fighting back. We just got to be able to close it.”

Texas A&M Aggies head coach Bucky McMillan reacts during the second half against the Ole Miss Rebels at Reed Arena. | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Previously, Texas A&M had climbed as high as the No. 7 seed, but a four-game losing streak against Alabama, Florida, Missouri and Vanderbilt led to a freefall in NCAA Tournament projections.

While these losses hurt the Aggies’ reputation, they offered a moment of recalibration, as Texas A&M lost to some of the SEC’s top programs. A three-point home win over Ole Miss and a four-point road win against Oklahoma rekindled the team's spirits.

While the Aggies may no longer be competing for the regular-season title, the focus can be on improving as a team and developing ahead of the SEC Tournament. Texas A&M has a four-game runway, with its next challenge on Feb. 25 against No. 20 Arkansas.

“You got to keep grinding,” McMillan said during a press conference ahead of the game against Arkansas. ”We don't have any bad losses. We've shown that we are a great team at home and on the road, particularly. … But I want to finish this thing off right and play well here in these last four games.”

Texas A&M Aggies guard Pop Isaacs (2) dribbles the ball during the second half against the Missouri Tigers at Reed Arena. | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

The key date is March 15; the Aggies need to do what they can to prove themselves ahead of Selection Sunday. They may be out of the bubble at the moment, but a poor finish could test that. It won’t be easy to close out the season, though McMillan has been wanting his team to close out better all year.

“A lot of teams wait until they get to the NCAA Tournament or their their life's on the line to really fight. … To get to the NCAA Tournament, you got to have that same sense of urgency every night that your life's on the line, and I think you've seen that from our guys,” McMillan said.

After Arkansas, A&M hosts Texas and Kentucky before closing the regular season out on the road against LSU. Whether or not they can make a deep run in the SEC Tournament, McMillan will want to see the Aggies show their “fight” to prove they belong in March Madness.