Bucky McMillan Credits This Lineup Change for Texas A&M's Win vs. Kentucky

On Tuesday night, the Texas A&M Aggies reached the 20-win mark with a massive 96-85 victory over the Kentucky Wildcats.

Not only did the Aggies help their odds to make an NCAA Tournament appearance, but the program's elite offense may be returning to form.

A big reason for Texas A&M's offensive resurgence was Bucky McMillan's decision to shake up the starting five for the Aggies. Instead of going with his usual starting lineup, the Texas A&M head coach turned to a different group in hopes of sending a message. Marcus Hill was the only usual starter on the floor for the Aggies at tipoff.

Interesting lineup for the Aggies starting five today. I guess Bucky McMillan wanted to switch it up. pic.twitter.com/or4NT4V0L9
— Kolton Becker (@kolton_becker) March 4, 2026

McMillan's gamble on motivating his players seems to have paid off. By making it clear that no spot in the rotation is guaranteed, Texas A&M responded with an offensive attack that it consistently showed at the beginning of the season.

The Aggies scored above 90 points for the first time since Jan. 31, while shooting 46 percent from the three-point line.

McMillan Praises Texas A&M's Backcourt Performance

Texas A&M guard Ruben Dominguez — Nov 21, 2025; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies guard Ruben Dominguez (9) reacts during the second half against the Manhattan Jaspers at Reed Arena. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

In his postgame press conference, McMillan highlighted the elite play from Texas A&M's guards in the win over Kentucky. He also attributed their performances to the change to the starting rotation as well. Rubén Dominguez and Rylan Griffen, both players that didn't start against Kentucky, were extremely productive for the Aggies on Tuesday night.

Dominguez was especially efficient, scoring 17 points while shooting 6-for-11 from the floor and 5-for-8 from beyond the arc. Griffen was even better as a scorer, finishing with 21 points on 7-of-12 shooting and knocking down four of his eight attempts from the three-point line.

After giving his thoughts on the game itself, McMillan was asked about why he chose to start Federiko Federiko, Zach Clemence, Marcus Hill, Pop Isaacs, and Ali Dibba in a big game against Kentucky.

"Because that five had beat the other five in practice the other day," McMillan said. "This time of year, it is what it is we've got to play well, but we got to keep getting better. We didn't have a great February, we've had a great season in my opinion, but we're going to play the players that are playing the best and if one group is beating the other team's group, then nobody's job is safe here."

"We've got enough talent out there that we can figure it out," McMillan added.

After elaborating on the starting lineup change, McMillan then spoke on why the challenge was directed more specifically at Texas A&M's guards. As previously mentioned, his challenge seems to have worked based on the performances of Dominguez, Griffen, and Isaacs.

"I wanted them mad at me to play with a little more fire...and they did it," McMillan said. "If I can make them made at me more often, I'm gonna keep doing it."

McMillan was then asked about Griffen's performance, most notably in the second half against Kentucky. The senior from Dallas, TX, seemed to just get better as the game went on, recording eight points in the first half and 13 points in the second half.

"He played aggressive, he played like he had something to prove, he played not to just be out there and stay on the floor, but be an impact on the game," McMillan said. "Rylan has been a role-player at a lot of the places he's been...We brought him here to be a real player."

"He's got to understand that he's a key guard for us," the head coach added. "He's got to be a real player at all times. If he misses some shots, and he gets off 12 shots, sometimes he's going to miss them, but I'd rather live with him getting off 12 shots than getting off three."

That's quite the praise from the Aggies' head coach, but it also reinforces just how important Griffen is for Texas A&M's offense. If he and other guards continue playing with confidence, the Aggies can contend with anybody in the country.