No. 7 seed Texas A&M and No. 10 seed Ole Miss need a deep run in the Southeastern Conference tournament if they hold any March Madness aspirations.
Desperate for a couple of wins, the teams meet Thursday night in downtown Nashville, Tenn.
The winner will advance to Friday’s matchup against second-seeded Kentucky, which was victorious at SEC regular-season champion Tennessee in the campaign’s finale Saturday.
Texas A&M coach Buzz Williams’ group is part of bracket analyst Joe Lunardi’s “First Four Out” category, meaning the Aggies (18-13) could use a win over the Rebels (20-11) and a shocker over the Wildcats to bolster their postseason chances.
Winners of three straight games, the Aggies have done it before.
Just two years ago as an eight seed in Tampa, Fla., they beat No. 9 seed Florida, No. 1 seed Auburn and No. 4 seed Arkansas before falling to second-seeded Tennessee in the tournament’s title game.
“I would say we have more experience going into this tournament,” Williams said. “I think they’re still trying really hard and are receptive to what the coaches are asking of them. They’re excited for what’s ahead.”
In the first meeting at College Station, Texas, on Jan. 27, the Rebels won 71-68, a victory that moved them to 17-3.
However, they have won just three times since — 86-82 at home against rival Mississippi State after beating Texas A&M, then Missouri — which went 0-18 in the conference — twice by single digits.
The teams met last Saturday in Oxford, Miss., with the Rebels suffering a stinging 86-60 trouncing by the Aggies on Senior Day.
Mississippi coach Chris Beard, who received a contract extension Wednesday, was apologetic to the fans, season ticket-holders and students who postponed their spring break to support the players at the final home game.
In his first season at Ole Miss, Beard said he hoped the university would reimburse those who paid money to attend.
“There wasn’t a lot of Ole Miss basketball out there tonight,” said Beard, whose Rebels were one of only three teams to start the season 13-0. “Basketball is a lot like life. It comes down to pride: You either have it or you don’t.
“Nobody’s going to feel sorry for you.”
–Field Level Media