March Madness Game Day: Are the Aggies Contenders or Pretenders?

Texas A&M Aggies men's basketball team has shot to prove to doubters they belong dancing in 2023 NCAA Tourney.

All season long, the Texas A&M Aggies men's basketball team has felt underrated.

Heading into March Madness, they may now have a target on their backs -- with the Aggies currently ranked No. 17 in the nation after failing to enter the top 25 a majority of the regular season.

None of that matters when the seven-seeded Aggies face off against the 10-seeded Penn State Nittany Lions on Thursday night in Iowa.

The slate is clean and everyone is 0-0.

Win, advance; lose, go home.

It's fairly simple, but the Aggies have a legitimate chance to prove to doubters and outsiders that they firmly belong in the Big Dance.

And yes, they DO belong there -- although many believe the seven-seed is a slap in the face.

If that's the case, the Aggies should cruise in the first round over Penn State.

However, Texas A&M is only a 2.5-point favorite heading into Thursday's tilt.

Rightly so as well, as the Nittany Lions are definitely not a give-me-win in the opening round.

This is the same Penn State team that took Purdue down to the wire in the Big Ten title game -- and almost pulled off the impossible.

March Madness is all about streaks, and honestly, the Nittany Lions are on fire right now.

Granted, the Aggies concluded the regular season on a hot streak, especially after knocking off top-ranked Alabama in College Station.

But Sunday's blowout loss to that exact same Crimson Tide team could have changed the tides for Texas A&M.

Hopefully, coach Buzz Williams can get his team to focus on the positives and what the Aggies did best to end the season -- winning close games.

It's win-or-go-home time in college basketball and the Aggies game is right around the corner.

---

Subscribe to the Texas A&M Aggies Daily Blitz Podcast!

Hey 12th Man! Want to see the Aggies in action? Get your Texas A&M game tickets from SI Tickets here!

Follow AllAggies.com on Facebook and Twitter!

Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Aggies? Click Here to Subscribe to the All Aggies Newsletter

Want even more Texas A&M Aggies News? Check out the SI.com team page here