Joe Lunardi outlines Texas A&M's path to NCAA Tournament

Texas A&M has found itself as Joe Lunardi’s first team out of the NCAA Tournament amid its four-game losing streak.

On Monday, the ESPN bracketologist explained that the Aggies are going to need a big boost during the final stretch of their regular season heading into the conference tournament.

“Right now they are struggling to find a win,” Lunardi told Seth Greenberg during the halftime show between West Virginia and Kansas State. “You have four-straight losses after the stomping of Tennessee in College Station. If you take a look at it, it doesn’t get any easier down the stretch. And still now — five Quad 1 wins, which you would think would be a lock — but if you lose out, those five go away real quick when it comes to the eye test.

“I think A&M is going to need to go at least 2-2 down the stretch here and avoid complete cratering in the SEC tournament.”

After routing the Vols 85-69, Texas A&M has suffered a buzzer-beating defeat on the road against Vanderbilt, lost by 25 points to Alabama and couldn’t catch up to Arkansas down the stretch before Tennessee earned its win back by defeating the Aggies 86-51 this past Saturday.

Still, wins over conference opponents like Tennessee, Florida and Kentucky all bode well for the Aggies’ resume.

To Lunardi’s point, winning at least two of last next four games before the end of the regular season is doable — but is certainly easier said than done. The Aggies will battle No. 18 South Carolina on Wednesday in College Station up next. On paper, it’s the toughest matchup they have left on the schedule.

After that, Texas A&M is on the road for two of its final three games, including road trips to Georgia on March 2 and Ole Miss during the season finale on March 9. They’ll take on Mississippi State at home on March 6, which is another chance to add a Quad 1 victory to their resume.

At three games back and seventh place in the conference overall, it’s unlikely the Aggies will have a double bye in the SEC Tournament. That might not be the worst thing for them, though, as it provides them another opportunity to build their argument to the NCAA Tournament committee.

Whether Texas A&M can secure its spot in the big dance remains to be seen, but that final push begins on Wednesday against the Gamecocks. Opening tip is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET live on the SEC Network.