COLLEGE STATION, Texas (Interstat) — Alabama State will begin its men’s NCAA Division I basketball season on the road Tuesday against Texas A&M at Reed Arena in College Station, Texas. Both teams enter the matchup at 0-0. The Hornets are the visiting team, while the Aggies will play at home. The game is an early-season nonconference contest and serves as an opening test for both programs.

Alabama State most recently fell to Alcorn State 77-65. Texas A&M most recently lost at Houston 88-57. The Hornets will look to establish early rhythm against an Aggies team that will also be opening its season. The game is the first of a busy stretch for both programs, and each team will use the matchup to evaluate rotation combinations and early-season form.

After facing Texas A&M, Alabama State is scheduled to host Georgia Gwinnett and Oklahoma Panhandle State before beginning a road swing that includes games at San Jose State, UC Davis, Fresno State and California. The Hornets will play four consecutive road games during that stretch before returning home to face Arkansas-Monticello. Alabama State then has road matchups at Oklahoma, TCU and Auburn. The early schedule gives the Hornets several opportunities to test their rotation against programs from different conferences and regions.

Texas A&M’s upcoming schedule includes a home game against Northern Kentucky, followed by home contests against Louisiana-Monroe, Oklahoma State and Southeastern Louisiana. The Aggies are also scheduled to visit TCU before playing Xavier and Marquette in Nassau, The Bahamas. Later home games include Stanford, Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Florida State, with the Florida State matchup set for Houston. Those contests will give the Aggies an early look at their depth and lineup combinations before conference play.

Reed Arena will host the matchup, with Alabama State making the trip as the visitor and Texas A&M playing in front of its home crowd. The Hornets’ trip to College Station is one of several road tests on their early slate, while the Aggies open a stretch of home games. The Aggies will look to use that home stretch to build consistency. The Hornets, meanwhile, face a challenging travel schedule in the weeks ahead. The Hornets and Aggies are both seeking a strong start to the season, and the game offers an early measuring point for each team’s rotation and defensive progress. The matchup gives both programs an opportunity to set a tone before their respective nonconference schedules continue.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a final score of Texas A&M 91, Alabama State 80.