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Texas A&M Basketball: Aggies Not Selected by the NIT

By Matthew Bartlett

Feb 22, 2017; Fayetteville, AR, USA; Texas A&M Aggies center Tyler Davis (34) shouts toward the bench during the second half against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Bud Walton Arena. Arkansas defeated Texas A&M 86-77. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 22, 2017; Fayetteville, AR, USA; Texas A&M Aggies center Tyler Davis (34) shouts toward the bench during the second half against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Bud Walton Arena. Arkansas defeated Texas A&M 86-77. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports /
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The NCAA Tournament Bracket is out. No Aggies. Now the NIT Bracket has been announced. The Aggies won’t be invited to that tournament either.

Earlier on this season it looked like the Aggies might be a fringe top 25 team. At worst it looked like they could stay competitive in the SEC, which isn’t exactly known as a basketball powerhouse. Now with the NCAA Tournament officially not an option, the Aggies had their hopes set on the National Invitational Tournament.

The field was announced on Sunday evening follow the release of the NCAA Tournament bracket. 32 teams made the cut:

2017 NIT Tournament Bracket

No. 1 Seeds

Syracuse, California, Iowa, Illinois St.

Syracuse Quadrant

1 Syracuse
8 UNC Greensboro

4 Monmouth
5 Ole Miss

3 Indiana
6 Georgia Tech

2 Georgia
7 Belmont

Cal Quadrant

1 California
8 Cal State Bakersfield

4 Colorado State
5 Charleston

3 BYU
6 UT-Arlington

2 Houston
7 Akron

Illinois State Quadrant

1 Illinois State
8 UC Irvine

4 UCF
5 Colorado

3 Utah
6 Boise State

2 Illinois
7 Valparaiso

Iowa Quadrant

1 Iowa
8 South Dakota

4 TCU
5 Fresno State

3 Alabama
6 Richmond

2 Clemson
7 Oakland

Must Read: Texas Stunk at Basketball This Year Too

Looking Forward at the Road to Come

Was the season a success? No. When Texas A&M made the decision to move from the Big 12 to the SEC they intended to compete for championships. It wasn’t just a football decision.

The Aggies have already won conference titles in swimming, baseball, and mens hoops. The next step is to be a perennial contender in those big money sports: basketball and football.

Texas A&M will add 2017 recruit Saving Flagg and point guard J.J. Caldwell to their team next year. Senior Tonny Trocha-Morelos will be done with his Aggie career after this season. There is uncertainty at whether or not we have seen the final game of Robert Williams Texas A&M career yet.

Next: Full NCAA/NIT Bracketology and Analysis

With those new additions and a talented, now upperclassmen core of Tyler Davis, DJ Hogg, and Admon Gilder, the Aggies should be relevant in 2017. If they’re not… then some seats might start to get warm in Reed Arena.