TAMPA, Fla. – The surging Texas A&M men’s basketball team isn’t leaving its NCAA tournament hopes to chance.
With three wins in three days over favored opponents, the eighth-seeded Aggies not only have landed an unlikely spot in the championship game of the Southeastern Conference tournament but almost certainly ensured their inclusion in the NCAA’s field of 68, too.
The Aggies can earn the SEC’s automatic berth by beating ninth-ranked, second-seeded Tennessee on Sunday. But even with a loss in the final, they’re likely in – only weeks after looking like they had no shot.
“That’s not up to me. I just go out there and I play my game. That’s up to the higher-ups,” Quenton Jackson said after his 20-point performance helped the Aggies take down 15th-ranked, fourth-seeded Arkansas 82-64 in Saturday’s first semifinal at Amalie Arena. “I try to make sure that me and my team are on the same page and we play as hard as we can every night.”
The Aggies (23-11) took down a ranked opponent for the second straight day, with Jackson also contributing six assists, five rebounds and four steals. Texas A&M improved to 8-1 since ending a month-long, eight-game losing streak in February.