'On a Different Level!' Joni Taylor Excited For Texas A&M's NCAA Tournament Chance

Texas A&M Aggies Coach Joni Taylor expressed her excitement as Texas A&M Women's Basketball heads to the NCAA Tournament as the No. 11 seed.

Call St. Patrick's Day a lucky one for the Texas A&M Women’s Basketball team

The Aggies (19-12) secured an at-large bid as the No. 11 seed in the race to Albany's Sweet 16 for a chance to make it to the Final Four in Cleveland on April 5, ending a two-year hiatus from the 68-team event. But before A&M can dream of winning a national champion, it first must get past No. 3-seed Nebraska in Corvallis, Oregon Friday. 

Addressing the media, head coach Joni Taylor eagerly discussed her team's upcoming clash with Nebraska in the NCAA tournament, drawing comparisons to Purdue's playing style. 

The second-year Aggies coach praised the Huskers' talent at every position, highlighting their size, shooting ability, and rebounding prowess. 

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"It's who's right in front of us because if you don't take care of who's in front of you," said Taylor. "Then you don't get to anything else that you're thinking about or projecting." 

Taylor also expressed genuine excitement about making it to the tournament, describing the team's emotions as "genuine excitement... on a different level." 

Taylor also stressed the importance of concentrating solely on the current opponent. 

Reflecting on her team's readiness, Taylor praised their performance at the SEC tournament, noting how they seemed to have found their rhythm with the return of key players. 

She mentioned Janai Barker and Endyia Rogers' contributions and their significance as they entered the tournament for the first time. 

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Taylor also highlighted the benefits of the additional break between competitions, mentioning how it allowed her team to work on specific aspects of their game and ensure they were physically and mentally prepared.

"We came back with great Energy, great legs," Taylor said. "Great mindset."

Tip0off against the Cornhuskers is set for 9:30 pm.