Texas A&M Receives Positive Offseason Injury Update For 2 Players

Texas A&M head coach Bucky McMillan gave a positive update on two players, including an offseason surgery and a season-ending injury.

Texas A&M Aggies forward Zach Clemence looks to pass the ball during the second half against the Texas Longhorns at Reed Arena. | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

The Texas A&M basketball team will have a new look this season. Eleven players recorded at least one start for the Aggies in 2025, and only three will return for the 2026–27 season — two of whom were dealing with injuries to begin the offseason.

Big man Mackenzie Mgbako, who transferred from Indiana, missed the start of the season due to a foot injury. He tried to return, starting seven games, but he suffered a season-ending setback. During the postseason, forward Zach Clemence dealt with his own foot injury.

Both Clemence and Mgbako are returning to Aggieland with opportunities to start. As the summer progresses, both are nearing returns to the hardwood for a reloaded Texas A&M roster.

Bucky McMillan Gives Updates on Zach Clemence, Mackenzie Mgbako

Texas A&M Aggies forward Zach Clemence looks on during the second half against the Florida Gators at Reed Arena. | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Clemence and Mgbako’s return was big for the Aggies — literally. One of the biggest issues last season was a lack of size, and the big men will help a Texas A&M team that lost a lot of talent to the portal and expiring eligibility.

Texas A&M head coach Bucky McMillan gave an update to the media about the forwards’ injuries, saying both were near a return. “[Clemence] just had that surgery after the season. He'll be back here, like, early July. And Mackenzie's pretty close; he'll be back here in July as well,” McMillan said on June 23.

McMillan said that Mgbako has been working out but is not yet cleared for contact. Mgbako is returning from a Jones fracture he suffered last offseason that held him out of the first five games. After a short return, he suffered a setback.

Meanwhile, Clemence’s injury came during the most instrumental stretch of his season. The former Kansas forward started four games, three of which came in March. He averaged 14.5 minutes per game during non-conference play but played 24.2 minutes per game during the Aggies’ final 10 games.

Texas A&M player Mackenzie Mgbako talks to reporters at SEC Media Day in the Grand Bohemian Hotel. | Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Clemence really started to carve a role late in the year, something that could carry over into his redshirt senior season. He scored 29 points on 14 shots against Arkansas on Feb. 28 and had 12 rebounds against LSU in the regular-season closer.

McMillan expressed his confidence in his lineup once his big men return. The Aggies’ head coach implements a game plan that utilizes deep rotations. A rotation with Clemence and Mgbako, as well as returning big Jamie Vinson, could be enough without a reliable, true center, unless freshman Josh Irving is ready.

“We still don't have Mackenzie out there, and we still don't have Zach out there, so you put those out there, and you look like you can find 10 good players,” McMillan said. “… You've got to have everybody buying into playing hard and unselfish. We certainly have enough talent to play 10 guys, and so that's up to them.”

As the veterans on the roster, Clemence and Mgabko will be able to help contribute to the team’s buy-in as the Aggies pursue their fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.

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