Texas A&M's Bucky McMillan Wants Improvement In Key Areas Despite Dominant Win

Texas A&M started off Bucky Ball with a bang as the Aggies rolled past Northwestern State with a 98-68 victory at Reed Arena. While the Aggies were just one basket away from triple digits, Bucky McMillan gave the media some insight on what went well and what the team needs to continue to work on in practice.

"I think that we were pretty decent considering all factors," McMillan said. "First game of the year could've been worse, could've been better. But I think that the focus that we got to get to is that there was a lull in that game."

McMillan went on to explain the Aggies' drought that came in the second half where they could not get as many shots off. With the Aggies tying the most points scored in a season opener as 2018, Bucky Ball is off to a great start in College Station.

Where The Aggies Need Work

Texas A&M Pop Isaac — Oct 15, 2025; Birmingham, AL, USA; Texas A&M Aggies guard Pop Isaacs talks with the media during SEC Media Days at Grand Bohemian Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images | Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

"A lull in that game for about eight minutes if you just picked apart 40 minutes or just some kind of lull there," McMillan said about the Aggies. "We've got to get where we can play that for 40 minutes of just high intensity, high-pressure defense and offense."

Although the Aggies scored 98 points and secured McMillan his 100th collegiate win, he wants the best foot forward during all 40 minutes of the game. The Aggies were able to come out on top in field goal percentage, three-point percentage and rebounds in the game and having less turnovers than Northwestern State.

"It's just we got to get the total intensity up where it's sustained for 40 minutes, and how we're going to do it," McMillan said. "That's got to be the key. I've never had a team, though, for what it's worth, that I've coached that's had that in the first game of the year."

Another part of the game that McMillan wants to clean up is the turnovers, with the Aggies having 12 compared to Northwestern State's 16.

"We were sharing the ball really well and not turning it over," McMillan said. "I wanted 10 turnovers or less; we had 12."

With the Aggies hitting the court again on Thursday, the team has opportunities to clean up these issues in practice before Thursday evening.