Penn State will tip off its first NCAA Tournament game since 2011 on Thursday, facing a Texas A&M team most thought was severely underseeded. The Aggies are coming off a second-place finish in the SEC, after going 15-3 in conference play. On the other hand, you have a Nittany Lions squad that fought tooth and nail at season’s end to be included in the field. And, while some may think Penn State’s Big Ten Tournament run deserved a higher seed, it’s understandable to see them where they are today.
While A&M finished the season strong, they did have some head-scratching losses in the non-conference slate, namely Wofford, Murray State, Colorado, none of which are tournament teams.