Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso was part of the notorious Texas A&M comeback in the second round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament, when the Aggies rallied from 12 points down with 44 seconds left in regulation to defeat Northern Iowa, 92-88, in double overtime.
Ten years after that legendary comeback, Caruso is back watching the Aggies in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Texas A&M is ranked No. 10 in the South Region and faced No. 7 seed Saint Mary’s at Paycom Center, the same venue where the comeback took place, then called Chesapeake Energy Arena.
Alex Caruso Weighs In on Texas A&M’s 2026 NCAA Tournament Seeding
Seeing Texas A&M selected for the 2026 NCAA Tournament and playing in the first round reminded Caruso of what happened a decade ago. However, he expressed disappointment with the selection committee’s seeding of the Aggies, calling the No. 10 seed “terribly off.”
“No way selection committee watched all these teams play this year.. seeding feels terribly off already 🤷♂️,” Caruso tweeted.
No way selection committee watched all these teams play this year.. seeding feels terribly off already 🤷♂️
— Alex Caruso (@ACFresh21) March 19, 2026
Bucky McMillan’s Texas A&M entered the NCAA Tournament with a 21-11 record. The Aggies finished sixth in the SEC regular season at 11-7 but were eliminated early in the SEC Tournament by lower-seeded Oklahoma, 83-63.
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The Aggies ranked No. 44 in the NET Rankings, with a 14-4 record at home, 6-5 on the road, and 1-2 in neutral-site games. They were 5-8 against Quadrant 1 opponents, 4-3 against Quadrant 2 teams, and a combined 12-0 against Quadrant 3 and 4 opponents.
According to Ken Pomeroy, Texas A&M is ranked No. 40 with an overall net rating of +18.58. The Aggies have an offensive rating of 119.7, placing 49th nationally, while their defense is ranked No. 42 with a 101.1 rating.
Their first-round opponent, Saint Mary’s, is ranked No. 22 in the NET rankings with a 16-0 home record. The Gaels also went 11-5 on the road, at neutral sites, and non-Division I locations combined. They are No. 23 in KenPom with a plus-23.12 net rating, based on a 120.3 offensive rating and a 97.2 defensive rating.
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Caruso may have had a point about his team’s lower seed, as Saint Mary’s is 1-4 against Quadrant 1 teams but ranked higher than the Aggies. Still, the Gaels compensated elsewhere, going 8-1 against Quadrant 2, 10-0 against Quadrant 3, and 7-0 against Quadrant 4 opponents.
Texas A&M used its lower seed as motivation against Saint Mary’s, winning 63-50 to advance to the second round. The game took place on the eve of the anniversary of the comeback.
Ten years ago, Caruso scored 25 points in the double-overtime win over Northern Iowa and helped the Aggies reach the Sweet 16, where they lost to Buddy Hield’s Oklahoma, 77-63. The 6-foot-5 guard vividly remembers that game, and fans often ask him about it.
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“We were staring death in the face,” Caruso said. “I usually watch it a couple times a year. It always pops up around this time.”
The Texas A&M legend played 137 games for the Aggies across four seasons and was a defensive specialist in College Station. He averaged 8.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 2.0 steals.
