Texas A&M basketball was unceremoniously snubbed from the latest release of the AP Poll, with the Aggies— while, in fairness, receiving some votes— left out of the top 25. This is a glaring omission in all respects; the 16-4 Aggies boast an extremely competitive resume and currently sit atop the SEC standings.
While that's something that will have Aggie fans rolling their eyes, other college basketball voices across the country have not been as slow to recognize Bucky McMillan's excellence as the AP voters have been. ESPN's Joe Lunardi of Bracketology fame released his latest projection for the NCAA tournament field, and after what Texas A&M has been accomplishing this season, they are moving on up.
Texas A&M sees upward movement in latest Bracketology despite AP Poll snub
Lunardi's most recent projections have the Aggies moving up a seed line from where they were previously, coming in as an 8 seed in the NCAA tournament field. If this projection were to hold, they would face off with Will Wade's NC State squad in the first round before squaring off with the intimidating 1-seed Michigan Wolverines in the Round of 32.
While this projection would most likely lead to a second-round exit at the latest for the Aggies— McMillan is working some magic in College Station, but to take down Michigan could be a feat that is beyond even him— it is still impressive to think how far this program has already come under Bucky. The Aggies were an afterthought for the tournament in the preseason, given how much rebuilding they had to do in the wake of Buzz Williams' departure, but now they're squarely in the field.
This is the toughest stretch of the season upcoming, however, with four out of five games being Quad 1. If the Aggies can hold their own and win some upsets, however, they could continue to move on up in the projections as things continue apace.