5 Things Texas A&M Fans Need to Know About Saint Mary's

• Polar Opposites: The Aggies and the Gaels play two completely different styles of basketball. The Gaels are a top-10 defense and are bottom-60 in game tempo and bottom-40 in depth. Conversely, the Aggies are top-10 on offense, top 30 in game tempo, and top-20 in depth. Due to the tempo the Gaels play at, it could cause problems for McMillan's offense, so making each possession matter will be key in this matchup.

• Going to the Line: The Gaels are the best teams in the country at free throws, ranking number one in free-throw make percentage at 81.1 percent. They are a lethal team at the line, and when possessions are already limited due to their pace on offense, giving them free throws could be a difference maker in the game, especially as the Aggies rank 320th in the country in personal fouls per game.

• Forced Inside: For the Aggies on defense, though, they won't have to worry as much about defending beyond the three-point line, as the Gaels don't particularly take deep shots. They rank 259th in three-point attempts per game with 20.7, and 150th in three-pointers made per game with eight.

• Rim Protectors: The Gaels are extremely efficient at rebounding, ranking 13th in the country in total rebounds per game with 40, while limiting their opponents to only 29.1 a game, which places them fifth. They get it done offensively and defensively as well, placing top-12 in rebound percentage for both sides of the ball.

• Slow, Not Stingy Defense: Despite their play style being slower and limiting the amount of possessions their opponents get, they don't force turnovers at a high rate. They average 5.5 steals and 10.1 turnovers per game, ranking 299th and 300th, respectively.

The Aggies will look to win their opening round matchup of the NCAA Tournament against the Gaels on Thursday, March 19, at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, at 6:35 p.m. CT