Bucky McMillan Challenges Texas A&M Following Loss to Florida

Texas A&M head coach Bucky McMillan challenged his team’s resolve and resilience after a loss to the defending-champion Florida Gators.

Texas A&M Aggies head coach Bucky McMillan calls a timeout during overtime against the Tennessee Volunteers at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center. | Randy Sartin-Imagn Images

After running hot in January, the Texas A&M Aggies have cooled off in February with new challenges. Their 10–1 stretch was disrupted by consecutive losses to Alabama and Florida, the Aggies’ first back-to-back losses under head coach Bucky McMillan.

Some post-game sparks flew after the final buzzer, but Texas A&M’s performance on the hardwood left much to be desired, especially after a 10-minute shooting slump put the Aggies in an early hole. McMillan challenged his team, asking them to prove themselves in the face of adversity and to show who they are as a program.

Bucky McMillan Pushing Aggies To ‘Act Like Champions’

Texas A&M Aggies guard Rubén Dominguez (9) dribbles the ball during the second half against the Florida Gators at Reed Arena. | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

McMillan knows how to win. While he has not won an NCAA title, he won three 7A and two 6A basketball championships at Mountain Brook High School in Alabama and won the Southern Conference Tournament in 2024 with Samford. He had a 333–74 record at the high school level and a 116–58 record as a college basketball head coach.

As important as knowing how to win, though, is knowing how to lose — and how to respond to a loss. While losing control of the SEC lead stung, McMillan challenged his team, saying that champions are forged before they win titles.

“I told our team, ‘Champions act like champions before they're ever champions.’ … Not just when it's going good,” McMillan said to Andrew Monaco on The Aggie Basketball Hour on Monday, Feb. 9. “It's been going good, but how do we respond? Hey, when you do have a bad night, do you dismantle? Do you stay together? Are we on to the next one?”

Looking ahead, McMillan is preparing his team for a home battle with the Missouri Tigers, a team that beat Florida in January. He said the Aggies have played good basketball and need to find a way to rebound after a tough loss to the Gators.

“We got a chance to come in here and continue to pursue a championship in this league by acting like champions,“ McMillan said.

Texas A&M Aggies guard Jacari Lane (5) defends as Florida Gators guard Xaivian Lee (1) controls the ball during the second half at Reed Arena. | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Champions are created not just in wins but in losses. While the winning streak inspired the team, an opportunity to reflect on where they can improve could be the difference in the postseason. Texas A&M is fighting for a spot in the NCAA Tournament, and McMillan does not want his team to lose sight of that by getting hung up on the losses.

“We're all heading in the right direction,” McMillan said. ”We can't allow bumps in the road to divide us, to separate us. We got to keep plugging along, knowing where the endgame's going to be and be what we are as Aggies: Humble people that going to keep working.”

The Aggies have earned the respect of their peers in McMillan’s first season in College Station, Texas. To McMillan, this was evident in the loss to Florida, given the Gators' reaction to the win. After a rocky start to the season, Florida took control of the SEC lead.

“… People were asking me because Florida was very excited about their win the other night. They were pumped up about that. That tells me we're doing things right,” McMillan said. “But if they're amped up and feel the need to really, ‘Hey man, that was a big one for us … that was huge’ … that means that, hey, that was a big one for us.”

Texas A&M Aggies guard Rylan Griffen (3) drives against Florida Gators center Rueben Chinyelu (9) during the second half at Reed Arena. | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

McMillan will be watching how his team responds on Wednesday, Feb. 11, against Missouri after the devastating 86–67 loss against Florida. Several important games lie ahead for the Aggies — including road trips to Vanderbilt and Arkansas, a home test with Kentucky and a rematch with Texas.

Texas A&M has postseason aspirations, including competing for an SEC regular season title, tournament championship and a March Madness appearance. It is important not to lose the forest for the trees, to learn from mistakes and recalibrate for the challenges ahead.