Bucky McMillan Credits 'Attacking' Basketball in Recent Success

When former head coach Buzz Williams left Texas A&M basketball to become the new boss of Maryland, fans and onlookers alike watched in awe as almost the entirety of the Aggie program dissolved in a matter of days.

From transfers, graduates, and an evaporated coaching staff, the only thing that remained of Williams' tenure in College Station was forward Chris McDermott, the only player and/or coach who decided to stick it out with the Maroon and White.

Furthermore, when head coach Bucky McMillan came to town, many had no clue as to how the season would pan out with a ragtag roster. Yet here the Aggies are, with just one Southeastern Conference loss, and their style of play is what their head coach is attributing their success to and it starts with playing attacking basketball.

A New Identity in Aggieland

Texas A&M's Rubén Dominguez has been among the best three-point shooters in the SE — Nov 25, 2025; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies guard Ruben Dominguez (9) shoots a three point basket during the first half against the Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils at Reed Arena. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

When Williams was in charge of the A&M program, it was safe to say that the shooting was not under the same microscope as rebounding was in his system. For years, the Aggies were among the top offensive rebounding squads in the nation, but unfortunately, the scoring did not normally come with it.

Flashforward to the 2025-2026 season, where A&M is averaging north of 90 points per game and has recorded multiple 100-point+ games after going multiple seasons without a single instance of hitting that threshold. However, the SEC is known for it's toughness and McMillan understands clearly heading into his fifth game in league play.

"We focus on the fact that every game means a great deal, and we have to focus and block out all the noise," McMillan said. "Our success in this game [against Texas] is going to be on being able to focus on the things that equate to winning basketball."

Despite the rivalry aspect that will surely factor into the matchup with the Longhorns, McMillan still keeps it clear to his players that each game needs to be approached with the same intensity and that each game matters in its own right to getting to where they want to be by the end of the regular season.

"It comes with knowing you can lose any game, you could lose at Tennessee, you could lose at Auburn so let's go play to win," McMillan said. "And if you come out on the wrong side of it, we're going to line it up and go out and play attacking basketball and win or lose we'll shake their hands and get right after the next one."