The No. 8 seed Nebraska Cornhuskers will battle the No. 9 seed Texas A&M Aggies in Friday night’s NCAA tournament South region game taking place at the FedExForum. Will it be the Cornhuskers or the Aggies to make it to the round of 32?
Nebraska Cornhuskers
After a decent season, the Nebraska Cornhuskers (23-10; 12-8 Big Ten) have been selected as an at-large bid to partake in the 2024 March Madness. They finished the Big Ten Conference regular season in third place, beating teams like the Purdue Boilermakers, the Northwestern Wildcats, and the Wisconsin Badgers. In a quest for the postseason title, they faced the Indiana Hoosiers and won, sealing a semi-final date with the Illinois Fighting Illini. They lost that game 98-87, but their performances were enough for the Selection Committee to hand them their first NCAA tournament ticket since 2014. In the game against Illinois, they won the first half 51-40, only to slip in the second half to a 58-36 defeat.
Head Coach Fred Hoiberg has an even bigger challenge when they play the Texas A&M Aggies on Friday as they look to make history, getting past the first round of the competition. While there’s a possibility that they could win this tie as they did against top sides like Purdue, Wisconsin, and Northwestern, their inconsistency might be a worry. Falling to defeat at the hands of the Penn State Nittany Lions and the Michigan Wolverines is unacceptable for a team of their quality.
Texas A&M Aggies
Like the Cornhuskers, the Texas A&M Aggies (20-14; 9-9 SEC) received an at-large bid in the South region to participate in the 2024 NCAA tournament. It wasn’t a great season for the Aggies in the Southeastern Conference, as they finished 7th in the standings. However, they had defining moments in the season, beating the Tennessee Volunteers, the Florida Gators, and the Kentucky Wildcats. Entering the Southeastern Conference tournament, they played the Ole Miss Rebels in the second round. Afterward, they faced Kentucky in the quarterfinals, beating them again before losing to the Florida Gators in the semi-finals. These results against the top sides in the conference earned them a consecutive March Madness appearance.
Nevertheless, they are the underdogs going into the game against the Cornhuskers. Buzz Williams will need the team in full spirit throughout the game to stand a chance against the Fred Hoiberg-led side. Surpassing the 2018 result, when they reached the Sweet Sixteen, would be a triumph for the Aggies this season.
Head-to-Head Cornhuskers vs Aggies
The Aggies have won three of the last four meetings between these two teams. The most recent game was in the 2010/2011 season, with Nebraska winning 57-48 at the Devaney Center. This encounter is one to look out for, and you can find Basketball lines & odds for the game among other NCAA Basketball fixtures right here at BetVictor.
Nebraska vs Texas A&M predictions
The Nebraska Cornhuskers are slightly favored to win this game as they’ve been seeded as No.8. But they will surely face a tough challenge in the hands of No.9 seed, the Aggies. The Cornhuskers seem to be the better team, having averaged 77.6 points, 37.8 rebounds, and 15.3 assists per game compared to the Aggies, who have recorded 74.8 points, 42.7 rebounds, and 11.3 assists. While the Cornhuskers have a better chance of going to the next round, the outcome could be different. Keep in mind that anything can happen in sports, and nothing is guaranteed. Never wager more than you can afford to lose.
Players To Look Out For
The Texas A&M Aggies need Wade Taylor IV and Tyrece Radford in their best form to go through. Taylor is the heart of the team, as he averages 18.9 points, four assists, and 1.9 steals per game. Andersson Garcia will also be instrumental. He has the most rebounds, with 9.4 per game.
On the other hand, the Cornhuskers will rely on Keisei Tominaga, Brice Williams, Rienk Mast, and Juwan Garry for a win on Friday. These players provide a minimum of 14.9, 13.1, 12.5, and 11.7 points per game, respectively. Despite being one of the players with the most points per game on the squad, Mast also delivers in rebounds and assists, as he averages 7.6 rebounds and three assists per game.
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