The No. 8 Nebraska Cornhuskers will take on the No. 9 Texas A&M Aggies in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The game will be held on Friday, March 22 at the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tennessee.
No. 8 Nebraska
NET: 33
KenPom Overall: 29
KenPom O: 34
KenPom D: 29
Record: 23-10
Strength of Schedule: 68
Conference: Big Ten
Conference Record: 12-8
Quad 1 Record: 4-7
Nebraska almost had their sights on the Big Ten Championship Game and a shot at their first conference title since the 1990s, but it slipped out of their hands as they blew a 15-point second-half lead to lose by 11 to Illinois. Despite the loss, Nebraska reached the NCAA Tournament as an at-large bid after earning the No. 3 seed in the Big Ten tournament. They enter as the only Power 5 team to have never won a game in March Madness.
Led by forward Rienk Mast, the Cornhuskers were strong on the boards this season, grabbing 26.8 defensive rebounds per game (13th in the nation). They kept opponents to 39.4% from the field this season, the fourth-lowest mark in the country. Keisei Tominaga leads the team in scoring with 14.8 points per game.
No. 9 Texas A&M
NET: 45
KenPom Overall: 43
KenPom O: 31
KenPom D: 56
Record: 20-14
Strength of Schedule: 19
Conference: SEC
Conference Record: 9-9
Quad 1 Record: 7-7
Texas A&M finished the regular season 18-13, with a 9-9 record in SEC play. The Aggies lost five straight games from Feb. 17 to Feb. 28, but put together a three-game win streak to finish out the year. Texas A&M used that momentum to pick up two wins in the SEC Tournament before falling to Florida in the semifinals. The Aggies made the NCAA Tournament last year, but fell to Penn State in the first round. They will look for a better result this year as an at-large bid.
Texas A&M extended offensive possessions this season due to their rebounding prowess. They were the best team in the country at coming down with offensive rebounds, increasing the efficiency of their offense. The Aggies were led by guard Wade Taylor IV who averaged 18.9 points, 3.4 rebounds and four assists per game. Taylor IV was named to the SEC All-Conference First Team.
2024 March Madness: No. 9 Texas A&M vs. No. 8 Nebraska odds
Odds from DraftKings Sportsbook
Spread: Nebraska -3, Texas A&M +3
Over/Under: 143.5
Moneyline: Nebraska -162, Texas A&M +136