The final game of the 2021-22 season involving a team from the SEC, Texas A&M takes on Xavier from Madison Square Garden in the 2022 NIT championship game.
Winning their fourth consecutive game, as well as their 12th across their last 14 games, Texas A&M reached the 2022 NIT championship game with a dominant 72-56 win over Washington State, a game in which the Aggies trailed only once. Bringing the Aggies record to 27-12 for the year, Texas A&M’s impressive postseason run now culminates with a chance to match their highest win total since the 2015-16 season (28-9), as well as make a statement after just missing the NCAA Tournament.
Averaging 72 PPG so far during the 2022 NIT while allowing 57.5, the Aggies had three players score in double-figures on Tuesday night in Quenton Jackson, Henry Coleman III, and Manny Obaseki, while guard Tyrece Radford also had seven points and seven rebounds. Texas A&M and head coach Buzz Williams primarily used a few other guards such as Wade Taylor IV, Hassan Diarra, Hayden Heffner, and Andre Gordon as rotational options against Washington State, each of which will likely see double-digit minutes once again.
Xavier on the other hand also won their fourth consecutive game as the Musketeers defeated St. Bonaventure 84-77 in the semifinals on Tuesday, a game in which they claimed the lead early and never trailed after the 18:08 mark in the first half. After a rough finish the regular season in Big East play, the Musketeers have also gone on an impressive postseason run in the 2022 NIT winning four straight home games, two of which came against SEC opponents in Florida and Vanderbilt.
Now sitting at 22-13 for the year, Xavier has been impressive offensively across their last four games by averaging 75.8 PPG, while allowing a combined 68.5 to opponents. Looking back at the Musketeers game against St. Bonaventure, a total of six players saw significant minutes led by the frontcourt duo of Zach Freemantle and Jack Nunge, while Adam Kunkel, Colby Jones, Nate Johnson, and Dwon Odom saw time in the backcourt.
Texas A&M vs Xavier Odds: Line, Spread, Over/Under
The line, spread, and over/under for Texas A&M vs Xavier can be found here.
Texas A&M vs Xavier 2022 NIT Championship Prediction
With two strong offensive teams, the difference maker in this matchup could come down to which team is better defensively, an area where you could certainly argue that the Aggies have the advantage. This game will certainly be close, with Texas A&M picking up some key stops late defensively to win the 2022 NIT. Prediction: Texas A&M 71, Xavier 67
What channel is the Texas A&M vs Xavier Game On?
The championship game of the 2022 NIT, Texas A&M vs Xavier will be played from Madison Square Garden in New York, NY. Played on Thursday, March 31, the game will begin at 7:00 pm ET, and will be available on ESPN.
Texas A&M vs Xavier Live Stream
A live stream of Texas A&M vs Xavier on fuboTV can be found here.