Without a big dance invite, A&M gleans little from potential NIT bid

There should be two options for Texas A&M in Nashville:

Extend the basketball season there. Or end it there.

The Aggies, who enter the Southeastern Conference postseason tournament opener against Ole Miss on Thursday night, should take the approach of the mindset of March Madness or nothing.

But basketball players like to play basketball. Even in today's NIL climate in college sports, some still play for the love of the game.

A&M forward Andersson Garcia is one of them. He said the Aggies would likely accept the NIT, though that thought is tucked far back in their minds.

“We just want to play,” Garcia said. “Right now, the NIT, the (NCAA) Tournament … that's not something we think about right now. We're just thinking about Ole Miss and worrying about that. We're just trying to be good and be ready for the next game.”

Coach Buzz Williams indicated on Tuesday that if A&M did not make the NCAA field, it would be up to the players to accept the NIT. That's how it should be.

We can all have our opinions and debate the value of the NIT, but if the players want to play because they love playing, so be it.

But that doesn't change the fact that the NIT is a consolation prize which doesn't offer much consolation.

It's derisively called the “Nobody's Interested Tournament.”

The NIT doesn't even provide the once-traditional trip to New York City as an award. This year, its final four is in Indianapolis.

Sixty-eight teams compile the NCAA Tournament Field. Therefore, the NIT "champion" is laughingly looked at as finishing No. 69.

Of course, that's not exactly accurate.

There are teams relegated to the NIT which are superior to some NCAA automatic qualifiers.

Still, NIT teams are viewed as not quite ready up-and-comers or gross underachievers.

That's how Texas A&M would be perceived, which opened the season ranked No. 15 and picked second in the SEC.

Indeed, Tennessee fans taunted A&M with chants of "N-I-T, N-I-T" when the Volunteers were finishing off an 86-51 victory over A&M on Feb. 24.

Since that loss, the Aggies have been NCAA Tournament-worthy.

They lost a 70-68 heart-breaker to No. 17 South Carolina. They defeated Georgia on the road.

They toppled Mississippi State, which some have projected into the NCAA field. Then, they blew out Ole Miss, 86-60, in Oxford.

But a five-game losing streak over a two-and-half week period — which included that loss to Tennessee — leaves the Aggies March Madness hopes in jeopardy.

It doesn't matter that A&M has five Quadrant 1 victories, that the Aggies finished seventh in the treacherous SEC race, that the Aggies have beaten top-15 teams Tennessee, Iowa State and Kentucky, or that A&M lost by just four points to No. 1 Houston in Houston.

Four Quad 3 losses tainted their resume. Therefore, the Aggies need to defeat Ole Miss in a rematch on Thursday to keep their NCAA Tournament hopes alive. They may also need to beat Kentucky on Friday night.

Even that may not be enough.

Recall the Aggies reached the SEC Tournament finals in 2022 but settled for the NIT. Last year, they reached the SEC finals but were given a mere No. 7 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

History shows that A&M cannot count on help from the NCAA Tournament selection committee. So, A&M needs at least two wins — maybe three — in Nashville to feel confident about avoiding the NIT.

Kelii Horvath, TexAgs

Texas A&M is 5-3 in the SEC Tournament under Buzz Williams, including two straight trips to the finals. 

That's not to imply that the NIT lacks merit.

It's a great opportunity for a young team to gain postseason experience and continue to grow.

That was the case for the Aggies two seasons ago.

But this isn't a young A&M team.

The Aggie roster is dominated by third and fourth-year players. Tyrece Radford is even in his fifth season.

Hopefully, the Aggies can play their way into the NCAA Tournament. Maybe their recent experience in the SEC Tournament will help them make another long run in Nashville.

One victory there may be sufficient to get into the NCAA field. Two would probably do it. Three would guarantee it.

But if not, the NIT beckons.

For a team that had such high expectations, there is little value in playing in it.

Other than having fun playing basketball, of course.