Texas A&M and Purdue both had impressive first round wins, although the Utah State team the Aggies beat is probably much better than the Siena club Purdue conquered. Take A&M.
The Purdue Boilermakers had a surprisingly easy time with Siena in the first round without Robbie Hummel, but his absence should be more obvious today as the competition stiffens when the Boilermakers take on the Texas A&M Aggies.
The Aggies also had an easy time in the first round vs. what we thought was a very good Utah State team, and they are currently on a nice roll, going 10-3 in their last 13 games inside the formidable Big 12 Conference. Sure, Kansas was shocked yesterday, but Kansas State and Baylor advanced to the Sweet 16, and Missouri is atoll alive as of now.
Looking specifically at the Aggies, they are ranked 15 in the country in the Pomeroy Ratings, ranking 36 in offensive efficiency at an excellent 1.125 points per possession and an even better 21 in defensive efficiency with a PPP of .892. It is also worth noting that the three losses by A&M in their last 13 games came vs. Kansas twice and vs. Baylor, and the shocking Kansas result yesterday notwithstanding, we feel that those teams are better than a Hummel-less Purdue.
Purdue will quickly realize that it is not Siena they are facing today, and if they play as sloppy in the first half today as they did against the Saints, do not expect them to come back with the same ease. The Boilers have been held in the 40s in two of the six games they have played since Hummel went down, including an embarrassing 69-42 loss in the Big Ten Championship Game vs. a Minnesota team that did not look good in a loss to Xavier on Friday.
When you add in the fact that the Aggies schedule is ranked as the fifth toughest in the country thanks to the toughness of the Big 12, they become an even more obvious choice here.
Free Pick: Texas A&M -1½ (-110)