9:35 pm
March 29

Men’s NIT: #4 Washington State v. #1 Texas A&M

Who will WIN this matchup?

#4 Washington State Cougars (22-14)

#1 Texas A&M Aggies (26-12)

 

Current odds:

Washington State Cougars: (+107)

Texas A&M Aggies: (-128)

 

• The line for this game is Texas A&M by 1.5 points.

• Texas A&M’s late-season run, one that nearly lifted the Aggies into the NCAA Tournament and now has it in the NIT semifinals against Washington State, has been defined by defense. The Aggies’ latest challenge will come Tuesday night in New York City when they face the guy who kicked Klay Thompson out of the Cougars’ record book.

• Texas A&M will have to contain Cougars star Michael Flowers, whose 27 points in Wednesday night’s 77-58 win at BYU included the 3-pointer that wiped out Thompson’s single-season school record of 98. Flowers’ record-setting 3-pointer actually became a four-point play that helped Washington State (22-14) pull away for its third double-figure win of the tourney. He comes into Madison Square Garden with 100 3-pointers for the season.

• Washington State committed just six turnovers, one shy of its season low, and improved to 8-2 in games where it’s held the opponent under 60 points. Flowers leads the team in scoring at 14.4 ppg and assists with 3.4.

• Meanwhile, Texas A&M (26-12) enters off a 67-52 drilling of Wake Forest on Wednesday night in College Station, Texas. The Aggies held the Demon Deacons to 15 first-half points while getting 12 points each from Wade Taylor IV and Quenton Jackson in a balanced attack.

• Virginia Tech transfer Tyrece Radford added 10 points and eight rebounds for the Aggies, who won for the 10th time in 11 games. Seven of those wins have been double-digit victories.

• This will be just the programs’ third meeting and their first since Nov. 20, 2012.

4/10
Confidence
StreakSmarter Pick
#1 Texas A&M Aggies
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