Texas A&M Stars Are Leading Them In March Madness

Anytime a coach begins rebuilding a program in his first year, it’s very difficult to make the NCAA Tournament, but head coach Bucky McMillan made the right choices when constructing the roster.

It’s not easy when other programs have a head start, which put the Maroon and White at a disadvantage, but he has proven to be a home run hire with a great ability to scout players and bring out the potential they haven’t yet shown in their careers.

That’s been obvious when McMillan and Co. brought in 14 of the 15 players that are allowed to be listed on the roster, and picking up forward Rashaun Agee and guard Rylan Griffen has been one of the many successes that the Aggies have seen this year in a new era of basketball.

Now, they’ll both be participating in the NCAA Tournament and know that their school will be announced on Selection Sunday to participate in the most anticipated tournament of all sports.

Aggies Looking Forward to the Big Dance

For an athlete who has gone through plenty of adversity throughout his college career and is going into his last season, it was rocky to start out because he had to go to court to fight for his eligibility, but he overcame the challenges and has worked his way to achieve ALL-SEC accolades.

The Chicago native has been the leading rebounder and scorer for a majority of the 2025-26 campaign and has helped lead his offense to be the No. 8 scoring offense in the nation. Agee has been remarkable working through traffic and has recently earned his 12th double-double of the season, tying the single-season record against LSU. During that game, it was the sixth time he reached the 20-point mark and the 15th time he has reeled in double-digit rebounds.

“This is a kid that played junior college basketball,” Agee said. “Played mid-major basketball. He had worked himself into being an incredible basketball player. His endurance isn’t the best. He’s just a heavyweight boxer, and he gives you everything he’s got. To do what he’s doing at his size, the way he rebounds the ball, and as many double-doubles as he has had, it’s incredible. It’s been a long journey for him, but he’s where he needs to be.”

The 6-foot-7 senior with his 8.8 rebounds and 6.2 defensive rebounds is good for second in the league, and he has also recorded 274 boards, which is second-most among SEC players and ranks seventh on Texas A&M’s single-season list. That goes along with what else he has done on the floor, registering 14.7 points per game on the season, shooting 48.1 percent from the floor.

“He’s just a soldier,” McMillan said. “He’s not gonna back down from anybody. He’s a leader.”

Another elite star who received high praise was Griffen, who has been one of the Aggies' best three-point shooters over the course of the season. The transfer from Kansas has not only been ferocious on the offensive side of the ball, but on the defensive side of the ball, where ‘Bucky Ball’ has been on display from the half-court and full-court pressure, where he has shown off his quick decisions and hands.

“The way he has played the last couple of games has been as good as anyone in the league,” McMillan said. “He’s got to bring that in this tournament.”

When Griffen tallies double figures, he’s brought a ton of momentum and confidence to his team, which has played much better, posting a 12-3 record when that happens.

“Rylan’s very important,” McMillan said. “I think Rylan’s mindset has been the mindset he needs to have. You hear the Conor McGregor line ‘not take part of the game, go take over the game’ and I think his mindset has to be ‘I’m here to take this thing over.’”

That’s how valuable he views Agee and Griffen playing in his fast-paced system, and he knows they’ll need a big presence down the stretch to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.