Texas A&M (21-10, 11-7 SEC) ended the regular season on a high note after defeating Kentucky at home and LSU on the road, ending the year tied fourth in the SEC standings with an 11-7 record, which is the best finish in 30 seasons for a first-year head coach, as Bucky McMillan is widely seen as one of the most underrated offseason hires.
On Monday, McMillan lost out on the SEC Coach of the Year award to Florida coach Todd Golden, who led the Gators to a 16-2 SEC record and a likely 1-seed in the NCAA Tournament, but that does not change the fact that Texas A&M defied preseason expectations, and the Aggies are in great shape for the future under McMillan’s leadership.
On Sunday, CBS Sports released its latest bracket update, and for Texas A&M, defeating LSU basically solidified the Aggies’ spot in the NCAA Tournament, predicted as a 10-seed face 7-seed Miami. However, if the A&M wins one or two games in the NCAA Tournament this week, McMillan’s veteran squad could move up one or two seed lines, as ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi currently predicts the Aggies as a 9-seed facing 8-seed UCLA.
Being an 8 or 9-seed is not favorable given the potential of facing one of four 1-seeds in the second round, and, in this case, the Aggies would take on Arizona, one of the most complete teams in the country, if they were to get past the Bruins in round 1.
On paper, a 10 or 11-seed is much more favorable from a matchup perspective, and could result in a run to the Sweet 16 for the first time in nearly a decade.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M predicted as a 9-seed in latest ESPN Bracketology