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DENVER — Texas A&M men's basketball will open the 2025 NCAA tournament against a fundamentally sound team with a high-level scorer.
The Aggies (22-10) are the No. 4 seed and will play No. 13 Yale (22-7) on Thursday (7:25 p.m. CT, TNT) in Denver, Colorado. The Bulldogs won the Ivy League in 2025.
"They're a really good team. I watched a little bit of them today, but I think when we stick to us and don’t worry too much about the opponent, I think that’s when we’re at our best," Aggies forward Henry Coleman III said of the Bulldogs following A&M's watch party Sunday.
Yale is in the NCAA tournament for a second consecutive season under coach James Jones. This is the Bulldogs' fifth NCAA tournament appearance in the last 10 years, making it to the second round twice out of the four previous opportunities.
Here's what to know about the Texas A&M vs. Yale matchup:
Day: Thursday
Start time: 7:25 p.m.
Location: Ball Arena in Denver
TV channel: TNT, TBS
Livestream: Fubo, ESPN+, SEC+
The Aggies are known for being scrappy on the glass and enter Thursday's matchup facing a team with a similar identity. A&M is third in the SEC in combined rebounds per game (41.2) and first in offensive rebounds (16.2) while limiting opponents to 32.0 rebounds a game (second in SEC).
Conversely, Yale has had similar success this season, leading the Ivy League in combined team rebounds (38.7) and offensive rebounds (11.1) while also leading the conference in combined opponent rebounds (31.5 per game).
The Bulldogs feature four players who average more than 5.0 rebounds a game. They are led around the rim by junior forward Nick Townsend, who is grabbing 7.2 per game.
Yale is a fundamental team that rarely makes mistakes. The Bulldogs lead the Ivy League in assist/turnover ratio (1.64) and are second in the conference in turnover margin (1.34). However, you can't tell the story of the Bulldogs this season without mentioning guard John Pouladkidas.
The senior from Naperville, Ill. leads the conference in points (19.2), is fourth in 3-point field goal percentage (40.9%) and first in free-throw percentage (89%). Pouladkidas was a second-team All-Ivy selection in 2023 and has started all 88 games for the Bulldogs over the last three seasons.
Pouladkidas has scored 12 or more points in three straight seasons while also shooting over 40% beyond the arc in the same stretch.
Texas A&M 75-65.
All the respect in the world for a scrappy Yale team, but if A&M loses in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to a 13-seed, the year could only be described as a failure. The Aggies are too talented and have played too well for much of the year to envision a first-round collapse. Buzz's bunch gets the job done over the Bulldogs to advance to the round of 32.
Reach Texas A&M beat reporter Tony Catalina via email at [email protected]. Follow the American-Statesman on Facebook and X for more. Your subscription makes work like this possible. Access all of our best content with this tremendous offer.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: March Madness prediction: Texas A&M vs Yale preview, how to watch
Continue reading...
The Aggies (22-10) are the No. 4 seed and will play No. 13 Yale (22-7) on Thursday (7:25 p.m. CT, TNT) in Denver, Colorado. The Bulldogs won the Ivy League in 2025.
"They're a really good team. I watched a little bit of them today, but I think when we stick to us and don’t worry too much about the opponent, I think that’s when we’re at our best," Aggies forward Henry Coleman III said of the Bulldogs following A&M's watch party Sunday.
Yale is in the NCAA tournament for a second consecutive season under coach James Jones. This is the Bulldogs' fifth NCAA tournament appearance in the last 10 years, making it to the second round twice out of the four previous opportunities.
Here's what to know about the Texas A&M vs. Yale matchup:
Texas A&M vs Yale time
Day: Thursday
Start time: 7:25 p.m.
Location: Ball Arena in Denver
How to watch Texas A&M vs Yale
TV channel: TNT, TBS
Livestream: Fubo, ESPN+, SEC+
Round 1 will be a battle on the boards for A&M
The Aggies are known for being scrappy on the glass and enter Thursday's matchup facing a team with a similar identity. A&M is third in the SEC in combined rebounds per game (41.2) and first in offensive rebounds (16.2) while limiting opponents to 32.0 rebounds a game (second in SEC).
Conversely, Yale has had similar success this season, leading the Ivy League in combined team rebounds (38.7) and offensive rebounds (11.1) while also leading the conference in combined opponent rebounds (31.5 per game).
The Bulldogs feature four players who average more than 5.0 rebounds a game. They are led around the rim by junior forward Nick Townsend, who is grabbing 7.2 per game.
It all starts with John Pouladkidas for the Bulldogs
Yale is a fundamental team that rarely makes mistakes. The Bulldogs lead the Ivy League in assist/turnover ratio (1.64) and are second in the conference in turnover margin (1.34). However, you can't tell the story of the Bulldogs this season without mentioning guard John Pouladkidas.
The senior from Naperville, Ill. leads the conference in points (19.2), is fourth in 3-point field goal percentage (40.9%) and first in free-throw percentage (89%). Pouladkidas was a second-team All-Ivy selection in 2023 and has started all 88 games for the Bulldogs over the last three seasons.
Pouladkidas has scored 12 or more points in three straight seasons while also shooting over 40% beyond the arc in the same stretch.
Texas A&M vs Yale basketball prediction: March Madness first round
Texas A&M 75-65.
All the respect in the world for a scrappy Yale team, but if A&M loses in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to a 13-seed, the year could only be described as a failure. The Aggies are too talented and have played too well for much of the year to envision a first-round collapse. Buzz's bunch gets the job done over the Bulldogs to advance to the round of 32.
Reach Texas A&M beat reporter Tony Catalina via email at [email protected]. Follow the American-Statesman on Facebook and X for more. Your subscription makes work like this possible. Access all of our best content with this tremendous offer.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: March Madness prediction: Texas A&M vs Yale preview, how to watch
Continue reading...
