Texas A&M basketball has been knocked out of the SEC tournament after losing to the Oklahoma Sooners in their third game against them this season. The Aggies took home the first two victories, but the Sooners are riding high right now, and it's always tough to beat a team three times in a single season, which is why we labeled OU as the worst possible matchup for the Aggies here.
Of course, the Aggies are all but secure in their status as an NCAA tournament team, which is a massive accomplishment for Bucky McMillan's first season. It also wouldn't be the worst thing for this Aggie squad to get some rest headed into March Madness, especially with the frenetic pace they play at.
The other possible upside here is a little bit oblique, but it's such a hilarious possibility that Aggies are already talking about it. Texas A&M's loss may have knocked the Longhorns, rather than the Aggies, out of the tournament.
Texas A&M's SEC Tournament loss may have knocked Texas out of the NCAA Tournament field
As of this game, the Aggies were above the "last four byes" category in Joe Lunardi's Bracketology, which means they were in a pretty good spot. Losing in the conference tournament doesn't do a whole lot to hurt you unless you're right on the bubble and vulnerable to bid-stealers— which does describe the Aggies' rivals, the Texas Longhorns.
Texas is plummeting after their loss to Ole Miss last night, while the Sooners are ascending. OU is looking to put together a run in Nashville that will get them in the field of 68, and the win over the Aggies may be just what they needed.
Oklahoma has gotten right up to the edge of the bubble here, and Texas is right at the bottom of it. If the Aggies' loss to the Sooners is the catalyst that moves the Longhorns out of the NCAA Tournament field, it would be a really funny silver lining to what otherwise was an annoying loss.