Penn State basketball will play its first-round NCAA Tournament game with Texas A&M Thursday will tip-off at 9:55 on TBS in Des Moines, Iowa.
It will be 10th-seeded Penn State’s first NCAA Tournament game since 2011, and Texas A&M’s first since 2018.
Both schools played on Selection Sunday in their conference championship games and fell to eventual No. 1 seeds.
Penn State’s valiant comeback effort fell shot against Purdue and the team lost the Big Ten Championship game, 67-65. A&M lost to Alabama, 82-63. Despite the losses, both teams enter the tournament with momentum on their side. Penn State has won eight of its last 10 games dating back to the regular season, and A&M has won 11 of 13.
This will be the third straight time Penn State has made it to the NCAA Tournament as a 10 seed. Penn State was a 10-seed in 2011, when it fell to No. 7 Temple on a last-second shot by Juan Fernandez. It was a No. 7 in 2001 when it beat Kentucky in the first round and then did the same against second-seeded North Carolina in the second round before falling to No. 11 Temple in the Sweet 16.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.The only time Penn State’s made the tournament since it’s been in the Big 10 and hasn’t been a No. 7 seed was in 1996, when it was a No. 5. That year’s team was upset by coach Nolan Richardson and No. 12 Arkansas in the first round.
Penn State-Texas A&M basketball will be the last of four first-round games in Des Moines.
Also in Des Moines, No. 1 Kansas will take on No. 16 Howard at 2 ET, No. 9 Illinois will take on No. 8 Arkansas at 4:30 and No. 2 Texas will take on No. 15 Colgate at 7:25. If Penn State wins, it will likely play Texas Saturday. Overall, Penn State in this region fans would probably rather the game start sooner, but they’ll take anything after a 12 year layoff.
