Ben Raab

The goal for the Yale men’s basketball team (22–7, 13–1 Ivy) in the NCAA Tournament is the same as it has been all season long — to beat whoever they play. However, the latest challenge will be arguably the Elis toughest all season, as they square off with the No. 4 seeded Texas A&M Aggies (22–10, 11–7 SEC).

The SEC opponent is far from the Ivy League that Yale dominated en route to regular season and tournament championships, so let’s take a look at how Texas A&M plays and how the Bulldogs can match up with them.

Offensive Rebounding

The thing that stands out the most when scouting the Aggies is their prowess on the offensive glass. Texas A&M leads the nation in offensive rebounding, pulling down 42 percent of their missed shots and leading to second possessions. 

Averaging 16.19 offensive rebounds per game, the Aggies have four players with 70 or more this season, showing how much of a team effort offensive rebounding is for the team. 

One interesting part to note on this point though is the lack of a towering big man for the Aggies, something typical of most Power 5 teams. In fact, the tallest player in the Texas A&M starting lineup is forward Henry Coleman III who only checks in at 6’8”. Beyond that, 6’9” Pharrel Payne averages 19.8 minutes a game but is the tallest player head coach Buzz Williams is likely to insert into the game.

This will leave Yale center Samson Aletan ’27 as the tallest player on the court any time he checks in at 6’10” and he’ll be crucial on the boards for the Bulldogs. 

Shooting Woes

Balancing out those impressive offensive rebounding numbers is the fact that Texas A&M gives itself plenty of opportunities to practice that. The Aggies shoot only 41.64 percent from the field, a number that ranks No. 322 in the nation. 

The numbers are similarly grim for the Aggies from three, as they rank 316th in the country at 31 percent. Star point guard Wade Taylor IV is the team’s biggest threat from deep, shooting 33 percent from three on the season and leading the team in makes. 

For comparison, Yale’s starting lineup features four players shooting over 37 percent from three and the team ranks 9th in the nation in three point percentage at 38.5 percent.

Getting to the Line

While A&M struggles shooting from the floor, they also spend much of their games at the free throw line. The Aggies rank 11th in the country averaging 25 free throw attempts a game, making more than 17 a game. 

A byproduct of their strong rebounding and aggressive driving on offense, the Aggies frequently put their opponents in foul trouble and earn chances to score free points. 

The Gig ’Em Gameplan

For the Aggies, don’t expect any of this to change as they enter the NCAA Tournament. Taylor IV will drive the offense, setting up both himself and his teammates on the offensive end. While the shooting may not be sharp, Texas A&M will rely on second-chance points after crashing the boards and looking for contact to get to the free throw line. Defensively, the Aggies will be active and look to challenge Yale all over the floor. 

As of Wednesday night, ESPN Analytics gives Texas A&M a 78.2 percent chance of winning.