Vanderbilt, Ezra Manjon hit crazy buzzer-beater to stun Texas A&M

The biggest theme in college basketball this season has been teams struggling to win on the road during conference play. No matter how well or poorly a team is playing, coming out alive in the opposition’s building has seemed near impossible. Just ask Buzz Williams and Texas A&M about Tuesday’s game in Nashville against Vanderbilt.

Texas A&M went into the season as one of the favorites to win the SEC. And while the Aggies have underperformed at times, getting back on track against Vanderbilt had to be the goal. Unfortunately, the Commodores had other ideas and pulled off the upset.

Ezra Manjon played the hero role and found a perfect swish from around the free-throw line. He lost his initial shot attempt but was able to regather and get the shot off. The Vanderbilt bench rushed onto the court to celebrate with Manjon, giving them their second win in SEC play this season.

You can check out the full moment from Manjon and Vanderbilt here.

VANDY UPSETS A&M AT THE BUZZER 🤯 pic.twitter.com/TisR9L7T0F

— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) February 14, 2024

Vanderbilt previously only had one win in conference play, coming against winless Missouri. Jerry Stackhouse has publicly voiced his frustration but taking down a quality opponent like Texas A&M has to feel pretty good.

Doing so in dramatic fashion only intensifies the emotions and makes the celebration with your team that much better.

Texas A&M still has work to do from NCAA Tournament standpoint

When Texas A&M took down Tennessee on Saturday, Williams had to feel good about where his team stood from an NCAA Tournament standpoint. An improved nonconference helped the Aggies and some key wins in SEC play firmly projected them to be in the field of 68.

However, taking a loss such as Vanderbilt can hurt the resume and there will need to be some work put in down the stretch.

Alabama is next up on the schedule, traveling to Tuscaloosa. A rematch against Tennessee is on there as well for Feb. 24 in Knoxville. Two huge Quad 1 opportunities to get back in the good graces. South Carolina in College Station is another chance to impress.

If Texas A&M does eventually find itself on the bubble, some key games will be part of the closing portion of the year. Ole Miss and Mississippi State are expected to be fighting for their respective NCAA Tournament lives. Those two matchups could wind up being quite important ahead of the SEC Tournament in Nashville.