March 16, 2026, 5:30 p.m. CT

Texas A&M finished the 2025-2026 regular season 21-11 and tied for fourth in the SEC standings, as first-year head coach Bucky McMillan deserves his flowers for inheriting a roster that had just one player after former head coach Buzz Williams took the rest of the remaining roster with him to Maryland.

Ending the regular with back-to-back wins over Kentucky and LSU, the Aggies earned their spot in the NCAA Tournament, sitting at the 9- or 10-seed line over the last two weeks based on every major analysts prediction, and for those who are familiar with the preferable seed lines, double-digit seeds provide most teams, barring late season struggles, a much better path from a matchup perspective.

However, Texas A&M’s lack of size has been an issue all season, as the loss of Indiana transfer forward Mackenzie Mgbako placed a massive hole in the starting rotation, leading to McMillan having to play small ball, while senior forward Rashaun Agee, who stands at 6’7″ has played the five spot throughout the season.

While Agee’s elite ball skills as a big man, combined with the roster’s shooting depth, led to an average of over 90 points per game, Texas A&M’s 11 losses were almost exclusively to bigger teams. On Sunday, Texas A&M was officially selected as the 10-seed, set to face 7-seed St. Mary’s on Thursday, and, on paper, the Gaels are the 13th largest team in the country.

This size has led to efficient rebounding, ranking 14th in total rebounds, 15th in rebounding percentage, and 4th in offensive rebounds allowed. Combined with a 38% three-point percentage, the Gaels are highly efficient at the free-throw line, averaging 80% as a team.

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Texas A&M ranks 203rd in average height but 11th in average pace, meaning playing fast and forcing turnovers will be the key to setting the tone and pulling off a victory that likely puts them in the second round to face Houston. Still, this will also take an elite shooting performance, which was not the case during Thursday’s blowout loss to Oklahoma in the SEC Tournament.

While Rashaun Agee, who recorded his school-record 13th double-double against the Sooners, focuses on getting him the ball early, this strategy should not be the focus, as it has proven unsuccessful against bigger opponents. Instead, Agee playing inside out and finding open shooters early in the game, while playing fast, should lead to positive results.

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