Coach Bucky McMillan leads ten newcomers, including scoring sensation PJ Haggerty, to the Bahamas for three exhibition games designed to mold a revamped roster into SEC contenders.
The Texas A&M men's basketball team will get an early opportunity to build chemistry ahead of the 2026-27 regular season.
On Thursday, the Aggies announced they will travel to the Bahamas from Aug. 2-6 to compete in the 2026 Baha Mar Hoops Summer League, where they'll play three exhibition games against international competition before the regular season begins.
Texas A&M will open the event against the University of Victoria on Aug. 3 before taking on Toros del Valle, a professional team from Colombia, on Aug. 4. The Aggies will conclude the trip against Carleton University on Aug. 5. All three games will be played at the Baha Mar Convention, Arts and Entertainment Center in Nassau.
While the contests won't count toward the team's regular-season record ... they arrive at an ideal time for a program undergoing significant roster turnover.
Texas A&M added 10 newcomers this offseason, including one of the nation's most accomplished scorers in Kansas State transfer PJ Haggerty.
After averaging 23.4 points per game last season — the fourth-highest mark in Division I and the best among returning players entering 2026-27 — Haggerty headlines a group McMillan will be tasked with quickly molding into a contender in the SEC.
Head coach Bucky McMillan believes the Bahamas trip will help accelerate that process.
"In this era of college athletics with increasing roster turnover, it is critical for programs to maximize opportunities to connect on and off the court," McMillan said, courtesy of Texas A&M athletics. "The Baha Mar Hoops Summer League is a tremendous offseason opportunity for programs to foster this cohesiveness. This event provides more practice time, game experience and off the court team activities that could not be done elsewhere. We are greatly looking forward to getting to the Bahamas in August and participating in the Baha Mar Hoops Summer League."
The Aggies are also expected to welcome back Mackenzie Mgbako, who averaged 10.4 points over seven games before suffering a season-ending Jones fracture in his right foot last year, and Zach Clemence, who contributed 6.9 points and 3.2 rebounds per contest during McMillan's first season in College Station.
The trip also marks the beginning of a new era for offseason scheduling across college basketball.
Under updated NCAA legislation, programs are now allowed to take an international tour each year, up from one foreign trip every four academic years.
For Texas A&M, the rule change comes at an ideal time.
Rather than waiting until November for its new-look roster to gain meaningful experience together, the Aggies will have three live-game opportunities to establish chemistry and begin laying the foundation for what they hope is another NCAA Tournament season.
