Meet the Texas A&M Aggies, Penn State’s First Round Opponent in the NCAA Tournament

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Two red-hot teams are prepared for battle on Thursday night.

It’s official - Penn State is going dancing! Thanks to a hot finish to the season, Penn State has found its way into the NCAA Tournament as a ten-seed, where they will face off with seven-seed Texas A&M at 9:55 p.m. ET, Thursday, in Des Moines, Iowa.

Let’s take a quick look at Penn State’s first round opponent:

(#18)TEXAS A&M AGGIES
COLLEGE STATE, TX
RECORD: 25-9 OVERALL
15-3 SEC
COACH: BUZZ WILLAMS
OVERALL RECORD: 329-200 (16 Seasons)
TEXAS A&M RECORD: 76-45 (4th Season)

PLAYER TO WATCH : G Wade Taylor IV

Taylor is the primary playmaker for the Aggies potent attack, leading the team with 16.6 points per game and 4.0 assists. Taylor is also the second-leading three-point threat for the Aggies, with a 36.5% rate beyond the arc. He rarely misses from the free throw line, making him a major asset to help Texas A&M hang on to leads down the stretch.

The Dallas native has helped carry the offense at times, with 11 games of 20 or more points. Taylor is entering the tourney on a hot streak, with at least 18 points in nine of the final 10 games of the season, and at least 21 points in seven of those 10 - including a season-high 28 points to help propel the Aggies past one-seed Alabama in the regular season finale.

THE 2022-2023 SEASON

Texas A&M was picked seventh in the SEC to enter the season, but exceeded expectations finishing second in the conference in both regular season record and conference tournament. However, it wasn’t always smooth sailing for the Aggies.

Some early season nonconference woes had Aggies fans scratching their heads, with consecutive losses to Murray State and Colorado dropping them to 2-2. A tough 1-3 stretch with losses to Memphis, Boise State and Wofford left the team with a 6-5 record with SEC play yet to come. However, Texas A&M was able to rebound by winning the last two games of its nonconference slate against Northwestern State and Prarie View, followed by a five game winning streak in SEC play.

The Aggies proved to be a distant second in the SEC behind overall one-seed Alabama, with a program-best 15-3 mark in conference play. However, Texas A&M did manage to get a victory over the Tide at home to close out the regular season on March 4.

Texas A&M rode victories over Arkansas and Vanderbilt to make the SEC Championship Game, but fell to Alabama 82-63. Despite today’s loss, the Aggies enter the tourney on a 19-4 stretch dating back to December 27.

Penn State and Texas A&M tip off at 9:55 p.m. ET, on Thursday, March 16 on TBS.

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By: Jared Slanina
Title: Meet the Texas A&M Aggies, Penn State’s First Round Opponent in the NCAA Tournament
Sourced From: www.blackshoediaries.com/2023/3/12/23636893/penn-state-nittany-lions-basketball-texas-a-m-aggies-2023-ncaa-tournament-march-madness-opponent
Published Date: Mon, 13 Mar 2023 00:37:00 +0000

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