Texas A&M Basketball: Ranking 2019-20 non-conference opponents

Texas A&M Basketball: Ranking Aggies 2019-20 non-conference opponents

By TJ Miller | Aug 1, 2019

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 14: Head coach Buzz Williams of the Virginia Tech Hokies reacts against the Florida State Seminoles during their game in the quarterfinal round of the 2019 Men's ACC Basketball Tournament at Spectrum Center on March 14, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

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PHILADELPHIA, PA – MARCH 11: The Harvard Crimson huddles during the first half of the Men’s Ivy League Championship Tournament at The Palestra on March 11, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Corey Perrine/Getty Images) /

8. Texas Southern (Dec. 30)

2018-19 record: 24-14

Texas Southern has a reputation for having one of the most challenging non-conference schedules in the nation. And for the most part, it seems to be working. Former LSU head coach Johnny Jones seemed like a decent fit in year one and this one won’t be a walk in the park. The Tigers were able to knock off Oregon last season and will hope to sniff out another upset in this end of 2019 game. With that said, Texas Southern loses a trio of seniors that accounted for almost 50% of its scoring last year. Johnny Jones could build this squad up but don’t expect Texas Southern to look better than last season.

7. Harvard (Nov. 28)

2018-19 record: 19-12

This will be the quarterfinal game in the Orlando Invitational. It’s fair to say a non-conference schedule is pretty darn tough if Harvard is coming in at number seven. Harvard will be the preseason favorite in the Ivy League and has tons of talent. Bryce Aiken will be joined by a now healthy Seth Townes to create a dynamic duo. The Crimson also return several other key contributors and could even make a case as an at-large contender in 2019-20. This won’t be an easy one.

6. Oregon State (Dec. 21)

2018-19 record: 18-13

The Beavers make the return journey to Texas A&M to conclude the home and home series. Last season’s contest was a close one and this year both teams look pretty evenly matched. Tres Tinkle and Ethan Thompson both flirted with the NBA draft before opting to return to Oregon State. This should put the Beavers right in the mix even with a Pac 12 that should be much better than last year’s. Even so, Texas A&M needs to win this game as it only gets more difficult from here.

5. Oklahoma State (Jan. 25)

2018-19 record: 12-20

This game will be a part of the Big 12 vs SEC challenge. By the time this game takes place in late January, the Aggies will be in thick of brutal SEC play. So the fact they get to play Oklahoma State at home in Reed Arena should help a lot. OSU’s top three scorers were all juniors last season meaning this will be a determined group in 2019-20. The Big 12 is a tough league to predict but this one should be a resume booster for the Aggies if they can pick up the W.