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Will Texas A&M make NCAA Tournament?

By John Buhler

Buzz Williams, Quenton Jackson, Wade Taylor IV, Texas A&M Aggies. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Buzz Williams, Quenton Jackson, Wade Taylor IV, Texas A&M Aggies. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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Texas A&M basketball fans are sweating it out, knowing the Aggies are truly a bubble team.

A win over the Tennessee Volunteers would guarantee them a spot in the big dance, but the Texas A&M basketball team is very much a bubble team when it comes to making the NCAA Tournament.

As of very early Sunday morning, ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi has Buzz Williams’ Texas A&M Aggies as one of the last four teams into the 2022 NCAA Tournament. Lunardi projects the Aggies as a No. 12 seed along with the other last teams in: Michigan, Notre Dame and Wyoming. Texas A&M hopes to hold off the projected last four teams out: SMU, Xavier, Oklahoma and Wake Forest.

Beating Tennessee for the SEC Championship would remove all doubt, but Texas A&M has a good shot at getting in as one of the last four at-large teams anyway.

At the time of this writing, Texas A&M trails by 15 in the second half vs. Tennessee so they’ll likely have to make it as an at-large barring an improbable comback.

Texas A&M basketball: Can Aggies make it into the 2022 NCAA Tournament?

Despite a bad eight-game losing streak earlier in SEC play, the Aggies have won seven conference games in a row entering play vs. Tennessee on Sunday. Of those seven wins, three have been over ranked opponents: At No. 25 Alabama in conference play and vs. No. 4 Auburn and No. 15 Arkansas in the SEC Tournament. Their late surge could get them in even with a loss to Tennessee.

Ultimately, Texas A&M would not have a case outside of the current run they are on. Those wins over Alabama, Auburn and Arkansas will carry tremendous value come Selection Sunday. Texas A&M also gets the benefit of the doubt by playing in one of the stronger conferences in the league. Had this have been the SEC of yesteryear, then no chance, but for 2021-22, they will be getting in.

Fingernails may be chewed, but Texas A&M has done enough of late to get in as an at-large team.

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