3 Things Texas A&M Needs During the SEC Tournament

The SEC Tournament is finally here.

Texas A&M now knows what seed it will be for the week in Nashville, Tennessee, and the road to the championship doesn’t get any easier as each game is played.

For head coach Bucky McMilan’s program to gather a few wins and make a statement to the Selection Committee, it will need to play like it did to open conference play, when it was off to a 7-1 start before losing six of the next eight contests.

The Aggies now have everything in front of them, with the season now going into must-win mode after the teams are revealed for what teams are going to be in the NCAA Tournament. If success is going to happen and a deep run is to occur, these three areas have to be emphasized and executed.

3-pointers

Ruben Dominguez Texas A&M Aggies. — Jan 21, 2026; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies guard Ruben Dominguez (9) shoots a three point basket during the first half against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Reed Arena. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Lately, it has been more of a struggle to knock down enough shots from beyond the arc, so getting enough of these to fall for A&M is going to be key. That really goes for any program in this tournament, but it definitely applies to this ‘Bucky Ball’ team that likes to put up a shot in the first ten seconds if it can, but it doesn’t always happen.

Right now, the Aggies are shooting # percent from the field and are going 36.8 percent from three. The leading three-point shooter for the Maroon and White right now is forward Zach Clemence, but that hasn’t been the case for most of the year. It has been either guard Rylan Griffen or Ruben Dominguez, so getting production from them on the perimeter will be a massive factor in getting wins on the big stage.

Bench Points

Check in → Change the game

Off the bench, Pop Isaacs has racked up 10 double-digit scoring games in SEC play, shooting 40-percent from 3 👍#GigEm | @popisaacs2 pic.twitter.com/HhKMtS6jYA
— Texas A&M Basketball (@aggiembk) March 6, 2026

This category has been one of McMillan and Co.'s strong suits as the season has progressed. The rotation has constantly switched up, especially after losing forward Mackenzie Mgbako to injury for the rest of the season, so there has been some shuffling to see who would step up that given week.

In recent weeks, there have been many changes to the starting five due to the team's losing and cold-shooting streaks. One of the major decisions has been whether to roll with a four-guard lineup or play with two forwards.

Lately, that second option has been the one McMillan has chosen. Either way, this team is not one that simply relies on the starters to carry them to the finish line. It’s one that needs the entire 40 minutes of basketball played as physically as possible, with help from substitutions. Don’t be surprised by the substitutions. It’s been happening all season at a fast pace.

Defense

Things we heard a lot this season:
“Block by Griffen”
“Steal by Griffen”#GigEm | @GriffenRylan pic.twitter.com/lb2ZODbckt
— Texas A&M Basketball (@aggiembk) March 6, 2026

It’s always good when defense shows up in a basketball game, especially when a team is undersized. McMillan has mentioned over and over that it doesn’t take a genius to know his team is playing undersized and that his roster isn’t as big as others', but they are going to press the heck out of teams, and it has given the team several wins because of the pressure it applies.

The half-court and full-court pressure isn’t going to be the only areas the Aggies need help with. It is going to be reeling in rebounds and winning matchups. That has been a big talking point McMillan has mentioned in his postgame comments and media availability.

Over the last month, A&M has given up points it wished it hadn’t, but there have been times when being antsy has gotten the best of them, and that has to fade away on the national stage. Not drawing fouls on defense is another part of winning basketball, and avoiding letting opponents draw those easy trips to the free-throw line has at times hurt. But this roster isn’t one that's always in foul trouble, so avoiding that as well will help.