Texas A&M basketball fell hard to Houston, but Bucky McMillan’s first season in College Station showed the Aggies are building toward a serious March breakthrough.
Texas A&M basketball didn’t get the ending it wanted, but Bucky McMillan’s first season still deserves to be viewed as a major step forward.
The Aggies were overwhelmed by Houston in the NCAA Tournament second round, but the bigger story is what McMillan accomplished in Year 1 at Texas A&M after inheriting one of the toughest roster situations in the country.
McMillan arrived in College Station last spring with almost nothing in place and had to build an entire roster through the transfer portal just to get the program on the floor.
That alone made this season unusual. Losing former Indiana forward Mackenzie Mgbako early only added to the challenge, forcing Texas A&M to lean even harder into a smaller, guard-driven identity built around perimeter shooting, pace, and relentless defensive pressure.
And somehow, it worked. Texas A&M finished 21-11 overall and 11-7 in SEC play, a strong debut under the circumstances.
The Aggies opened conference action with a 7-1 surge, weathered midseason adversity, and still stacked five Quad 1 wins to earn a No. 10 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
They backed it up with a first-round win over Saint Mary’s, forcing 18 turnovers in a 63-50 victory that reflected exactly what McMillan wanted his team to be.
Senior forward Rashaun Agee led Texas A&M in both scoring and rebounding and earned third-team All-SEC honors, giving the Aggies a dependable frontcourt piece even after Mgbako’s injury changed the roster equation.
The loss to Houston was ugly, no doubt. An 88-57 defeat is hard to spin, especially when it marked the program’s largest NCAA Tournament loss and lowest scoring output of the season. But one bad afternoon shouldn’t erase the bigger picture.
McMillan didn’t just keep Texas A&M afloat. He made the Aggies relevant right away.
That’s why his first season feels more like an A than a B+. With more frontcourt size, added length, and another proven scoring guard, Texas A&M basketball looks capable of chasing a Sweet 16 run in 2027.
Join our ROUNDTABLE community for FREE! Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members.
Download the free Roundtable App to stay even more connected!