3 Takeaways From Texas A&M's March Madness Loss to Houston Cougars

The Texas A&M Aggies' first season of "Bucky Ball" with Bucky McMillan as head coach finished a bit more prematurely than they were hoping as they fell to the No. 2 Houston Cougars 88-57 in the Round of 32 in the 2026 NCAA Tournament.

McMillan and the Aggies were able to keep with the Cougars in the early stages of the game, but as the contest wore on, Houston didn't hesitate to show why they were the runners-up in last year's national championship.

The Cougars now head back home to Houston at the Toyota Center to partake in their seventh consecutive Sweet 16, and Texas A&M now focuses on their gameplan for the 2026-27 season.

Takeaways From Texas A&M's Early Dismissal

Texas A&M Aggies Houston Cougars Basketball — Houston Cougars guard Milos Uzan (7) drives to the hoop past Texas A&M Aggies guard Josh Holloway (1) during the second half of a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Paycom Center. | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

With the Aggies no longer in contention for the national title, here are a few takeaways from the contest.

Early Scoring Droughts Prove Costly

It was pretty simple, Texas A&M couldn't shoot Saturday, and Houston couldn't miss.

The Aggies went on at least two different scoring droughts early on that were both over three minutes in length, and in both of them, Houston was making them pay, putting in layups, free throws, threes, and everything else you could think of.

Texas A&M ended the game on a 3:58 drought, a testament to how rough it was for the team shooting the ball in Oklahoma City, shooting 35 percent from the field and 25 percent from beyond the arc.

"Give it away, give it away, give it away now..."

Based off all the free points the Aggies were giving the Cougars Saturday night, you would think that "Give It Away" was their favorite track from the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Early in the first half, Bucky McMillan earned a technical foul after arguing a call with the official in the game, and shortly after Ruben Dominguez was tagged with a flagrant 1 foul after running into the back of a Cougars defender, giving Houston two free throws each, and all four were made.

Overall, the Aggies turned the ball over 11 times and gave Houston nine points off of them.

Agee Kept in Check

It was a rough night on the floor for Rashaun Agee, who only came away with seven points and three rebounds, going 3-for-7 from the field and 0-for-3 from long range.

Agee did have four fouls, further testifying to the intensity of the game, but was unable to fulfill his typical star role during the contest.

And now, the Aggies have an entire offseason to further nail down the principles of "Bucky Ball."

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