COLLEGE STATION — On Selection Sunday, Texas A&M basketball learned it would make the NCAA Tournament for the fourth consecutive season, playing as a 10 seed.
After a short stint in the SEC Tournament, losing to Oklahoma in unimpressive fashion, the Aggies (21-10, 11-7) still secured their spot in the South Region in the upcoming national tournament.
A&M will face seventh-seeded Saint Mary’s, who finished second in the West Coast Conference
The game will be played Thursday in Oklahoma City, Okla,, 374 miles north of College Station.
“We need everybody there,” Aggies head coach Bucky McMillan said of the A&M fanbase. “You don’t get many chances to rally around a group like this, and it’s tournament play, there’s nothing greater than the NCAA Tournament.”
The Aggies’ opponent is making their fifth consecutive tournament appearance. St. Mary’s finished the regular season with a 27-5 overall record and a 16-2 conference record, finishing in second place. The Gaels peaked at No. 21 in the Associated Press poll before ending the season on the outside looking in.
“They’re good every year, they’re tough,” McMillan said of their opponent following the Selection Show. “They’re well coached, they’re smart, got good guard play, usually (and) they’ve got size.”
All three of the Gaels’ top scorers are 6-foot-3 or taller, with the leading scorer, forward Paulius Murauskas, listed at 6-foot-8.
St. Mary’s features center Andrew McKeever, who stands 7-foot-2 and leads the team with 9.2 rebounds per game.
“(NCAA Tournament) is always going to be a tough matchup,” McMillan said. “You play well, you give yourself a chance.”
The winner will face either two-seed Houston or 15-seed Idaho for the chance to advance to the Sweet 16 in Houston.
“I mean, we all watched the NCAA Tournament. It’s the greatest on earth,” McMillan said. “Why’s it so great? Because anybody can win in tournament basketball. Anybody can win, and it’s your path to make it happen.”
Reach Texas A&M Beat Reporter Tony Catalina via email at Anthony.catalina@hearst.com.