Texas A&M Basketball: 5 reasons Aggies can upset Michigan in Sweet 16
By Jeff Shull
4. Win at the free throw line
If you could take one negative for the Aggies from each of the two wins in the NCAA Tournament so far, it is their poor free throw shooting. They are a putrid 28-for-42 (62 percent) from the line, which is not that much worse than their season average of 66 percent. Luckily it hasn’t cost them as their defense has been up to the task, allowing just 69 and 65 points in the two victories.
Another thing going for them is Michigan are just as bad at the line. It shouldn’t be a difficult task to win at the free throw line. The Wolverines also come into this game shooting 66 percent from the line this year and have equaled that percentages in their two victories so far.
March Madness games are tight more often than not, which makes free throw shooting imperative — especially at the end of games. Michigan saw this first hand with Houston missing three free throws in the last 25 seconds of their matchup, allowing Jordan Poole to hit the game-winning three to get them to this point.
Given A&M lost a game to LSU this season in which they were up by five with 12 seconds left, they know how Houston is feeling.