Washington State Cougars: NIT Semifinal vs. Texas A&M – tv, odds, injuries, etc
Ed Stein
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PNWS presents what you need to know for Tuesday’s NIT Semifinal between the Washington State Cougars and Texas A&M Aggies.
The Washington State Cougars have done an outstanding job of turning lemons into lemonade this March. They find themselves in the NIT Semifinal for the second time in program history. Tuesday’s game against Texas A&M is a big test for the Cougs on their quest for the school’s first NCAA postseason trophy.
Who: Washington State Cougars (22-14) vs. Texas A&M Aggies (26-12)
Where: Madison Square Garden – New York City
When: Tuesday, March 29, 2022 – 6:30 PM PDT.
TV: ESPN2. Announcers: John Schriffen, Fran Fraschilla, and Myron Medcalf.
Line: Washington State +1. Over/Under: 135 (Draft Kings).
Injuries: Washington State – None. Texas A&M – Out: Marcus Williams and Jalen Johnson.
Interesting Trends:
Since a five-game losing streak that knocked them out of the NCAA Tournament, the Washington State Cougars are 8-2. However, they only covered the spread four times.
TAMU has lost only once in their last 11 games. They are also 9-2 against the spread in that span.
Don’t look for an edge in over-under. In their last 10 games, the Washington State Cougars are 4 over, 5 under, 1 push, while Texas A&M is 4 over, 6 under.
Outlook
Hats off to Kyle Smith and the Washington State Cougars. They could have easily folded after a disappointing Pac-12 season. Instead, the team picked themselves up and are one of eight teams left in the country still playing on March 29.
The Cougs ended the regular season winning four out of five games. Aside from a horrible 3:28 span in Round 2 of the Pac-12 tourney when #13 UCLA went on a 14-0 run in the first half, Washington State has played extremely well since late February.
In the last 10 games, guard Michael Flowers stepped up his production. Flowers averaged 17.1 points and 4.5 assists per game, during that span. That’s up from 13.7 and 3.0 in the previous 26. Center Efe Abogidi has also found success in March, upping his scoring by 4.0 points per game to 12.0 since the calendar changed over.
Meanwhile, the Aggies are on a big roll of late. They overcame an eight-game midseason losing streak and won 10 of their last 11 games. In the SEC Tournament, A&M knocked off #4 Auburn, and #15 Arkansas, before losing in the finals to #9 Tennessee. Quinton Jackson is the Aggies’ go-to offensive player. The Second-Team All-SEC guard leads the squad with 14.5 points per game.
What to Watch for
For those who love defense, they’ll be in for a treat. WSU held opponents to 70 or fewer points in 26 of 36 games this season. TAMU did the same in 27 of 38, including 6 straight.
The biggest factor might be on the glass. Both these teams struggle to get defensive rebounds, the Cougs ranked 238th in Division 1, and the Aggies were 317th. Whichever team does a better job limiting second-chance points will win.
Enjoy the game.