The Good, Bad and Ugly of Texas A&M's Win over Mississippi State

When head coach Bucky McMillan first began his tenure as the new boss of Texas A&M basketball, many obvious questions hung around the program as the first season of "Bucky Ball" was set to arrive in College Station.

It's safe to say now, however, that many of those questions have been answered a third of the way through Southeastern Conference play, as the Aggies have gotten off to a red-hot start to league competition with five wins and only one close loss in double overtime versus Tennessee.

The Aggies have since rebounded from their lone conference loss, physically dominating their rivals the Texas Longhorns and rocked Mississippi State in a fashion that had it's good, bad and ugly moments.

The Good: Rashaun Agee's big night

Texas A&M Aggies forward Rashaun Agee (12) prepares to shoot a free throw during the first half against the Texas Longhorns at Moody Center. | Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images

While forward Rashaun Agee's path to suiting up with the Maroon and White was a grueling process with court dates and staying in shape, it has truly paid off as the USC transfer leads the Aggies in points per game and rebounds per game.

The victory over Mississippi State was no exception, as Agee had his A&M-best 23 points while picking up 10 boards. His dominance embodied the fight the Aggies had all night, as Agee had his ninth double-double of the season, which is second in the SEC.

The Bad: Mississippi State loses the turnover battle...badly

Mississippi State turned over the ball 13 times to Texas A&M's three — Jan 21, 2026; College Station, Texas, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs forward Brandon Walker (4) looks to pass the ball as Texas A&M Aggies forward Rashaun Agee (12) defends during the second half at Reed Arena. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

McMillan has put an emphasis on taking the ball away from opponents, as the Bucky Ball style of play demands physicality both on offense and defense. Therefore, the Aggies got right to it, nabbing the ball 13 times away from the Bulldogs.

However, more impressive than that was the fact that the Maroon and White lost possession just three times through 40 minutes, a testament to the ball security and physically-outmatched Bulldogs who were winded trying to catch up to their maroon-clad SEC rivals.

The Ugly: One minute of doom puts the Bulldogs in the doghouse

Texas A&M guard Rylan Griffen's 15-point night was second only to forward Rashaun Agee team-leading 23. — Jan 21, 2026; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies guard Rylan Griffen (3) dribbles the ball during the first half against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Reed Arena. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

In basketball, all it takes is barely cracking the floodgates to get the water flowing uncontrollably, which is exactly what happened to the unsuspecting Bulldogs late in the first half. The Aggies maintained a slim 25-21 advantage when three back-to-back-to-back three pointers and a steal dropped Mississippi State deep in a 34-23 hole and forced it to call a timeout.

From that point onward, the Bulldogs did not get within real striking distance of the Aggies, and the home crowd was rewarded with another successful SEC Reed Arena defense.