Texas A&M Basketball: 3 keys to victory over Michigan in Sweet 16

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(Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

1. Make free throws

Texas A&M blew the doors off North Carolina. There weren’t many negatives to take away from the 21-point victory, but there was still one glaring issue that the Aggies have yet to solve: free throws.

The Aggies shot 66.7 percentage from the charity stripe against North Carolina. They were even worse against Providence, connecting on just 57.7 percentage of their free throws. This team averages 66.4 percent for the season, 320th in the country and dead last in the SEC. Missing a handful of free throws doesn’t matter much in a blowout, but the Aggies’ four point win over Providence could have been more comfortable than it was.

Although another runaway victory is possible, it’s more likely that Michigan makes this a game. All the dunks and splash plays in the world won’t matter if the game devolves into a fouling contest in the final minutes. Free throws tend to come back to bite teams in March. The Aggies better have taken some extra shots on their way from Charlotte to Los Angeles.