Saint Mary’s fifth-straight NCAA Tournament bid comes with a touch of deja vu for head coach Randy Bennett.
The Gaels earned a No. 7 seed this year, and they’ll open the Big Dance against No. 10 Texas A&M at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on Thursday.
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Saint Mary’s first NCAA bid under Bennett was in 2005, and it also began in Oklahoma City. The Gaels lost that game, but they’ve made the cut 11 times since then, won five first-round games, and made a trip to the Sweet 16 in 2010.
The Gaels (27-5) shared the West Coast Conference regular-season title with Gonzaga this season. They were the No. 2 seed in the WCC Tournament, but they got upset by No. 3 Santa Clara in the semifinals.
Saint Mary’s used a big, physical lineup to bully its way to wins. Seven-foot-3 center Andrew McKeever leads the WCC with 9.2 rebounds a game, while the Gaels’ leading scorer, Paulius Murauskas (18.8 PPG), is No. 2 on the team with 7.7 rebounds a night. Six-foot-7 freshman Dillan Shaw and 7-1 center Harry Wessels both average more than five rebounds a game.
The Gaels average 40.3 rebounds and 78.2 points a game, both of which rank among the leaders in the WCC, but they’re facing one of the hottest offenses in the country.
Texas A&M averages 87.7 points a game, which is tied for No. 8 nationally. The Aggies (21-11) have six players averaging at least 10 points a game, led by 6-foot-8 seventh-year senior Rashaun Agee, who is putting up 14.7 points and 8.9 rebounds a game. They also have three players shooting at least 40 percent from 3-point range, led by Rylan Griffen, who is shooting 41.7% from beyond the arc.
The Aggies ended the regular season in a three-way tie with Tennessee and Vanderbilt for fourth place in the SEC, but they entered the conference tournament as the No. 6 seed and were upset in the second round by No. 11 Oklahoma.
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Saint Mary’s vs. Texas A&M Odds
Saint Mary’s is a 3.5-point college basketball betting odds favorite on BetMGM as of this writing, and the Over/Under is at 147.5 points.
The Moneyline is at -160 for Saint Mary’s and +135 for Texas A&M.
Saint Mary’s vs. Texas A&M On TV
The first-round NCAA Tournament game featuring No. 7 Saint Mary’s and No. 10 Texas A&M will be televised on TruTV.
Tip-off is scheduled for 7:35 p.m. ET.
Saint Mary’s vs. Texas A&M Prediction
I predict Texas A&M wins 78-72.
Saint Mary’s defense is no joke. The Gaels are giving up just 64.6 points a game, and they’ll probably out-rebound Texas A&M, but the Aggies just have too much firepower.
Agee has played a lot of basketball, and he is one of the best big men in the SEC. He pulled down a career-high 17 rebounds against Florida State earlier this season, and he has 13 double-doubles on his resume.
If he’s having an off night, Texas A&M has an endless list of shooters who can get hot at any moment. And the Aggies aren’t afraid to shoot. They average almost 30 3-pointers a game.
Keep an eye on Mikey Lewis from Saint Mary’s. He’s a streaky but talented scorer who could get hot and change the outcome of this game. But the Gaels are going to struggle if they don’t get career nights from Murauskas and Lewis.
