The A&M men’s basketball team is seeded seventh for the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament and will play 10-seed Providence on Friday. The game will be played in Charlotte, North Carolina with tipoff slated for 11:15 a.m. CT. 
A&M enters the tournament after a 68-66 loss to Alabama in the first round of the SEC Tournament. The Aggies wrapped up SEC play with a .500 record (9-9). 
The maroon and white have never played Providence on the hardwood, and junior Tyler Davis says he doesn’t know much about the Friars. 
“I’ve seen them play a couple times but as far as scouting and stuff I don’t know anything,” Davis said. “I’m excited to get to know them and get a game in.” 
A&M head coach Billy Kennedy says that he believes the two teams play similarly.
“I believe we play similar brands of basketball. We’re both defensive-oriented, rebounding, both of us like to play that way and I expect it to be a war.
The Friars enter the game after falling to Villanova in the Big East Championship game Saturday night. Providence knocked off the West Region’s No. 1 seed, Xavier. 
The meeting will mark the second time the Aggies have made the NCAA Tournament under head coach Billy Kennedy, the first being in 2016. The current corps members of the Aggies were underclassmen in 2016, and thus believe their experience will better prepare them for the Big Dance this time around. 
“My freshman year i didn’t know what to expect,” A&M junior guard Admon Gilder said. “This coming weekend practice is going to be great for us. Hopefully, we can go out and compete at a high level.”
The winner of the game will face the North Carolina/Lipscomb winner on Sunday, with a trip to the West Regional in Los Angeles on the line.