Why Texas A&M Basketball Is A Top Team In SEC

Every season, there seems to be a different team that many have under the radar that wasn’t anticipated to be trending in the right direction so fast, but that is exactly what Texas A&M has done this season.

Wins against LSU, Oklahoma, Auburn, and Texas have put A&M in a prime position at 4-1 to establish early dominance against other schools trying to catch up and cling to a top-four seed going into the SEC Tournament.

If it wasn't for the athletics department making the decision to bring in coach Bucky McMillan, the Aggies might not be where they are now, but here they are competing their hearts out every single day, showing that there is an identity for this team with a coach who constantly believes in them, no matter the highs or lows.

Sometimes it takes a few years for coaches to change the culture, but in Aggieland, the culture is already being shaped into one of the great environments that players want to play in. Every single player in that locker room wants to go to war for each other, and it has shown on the court with a 14-4 record.

"When it's player-led in the locker room, when they want it just as bad as the coaches do, that's when you can be pretty good and that's what its got to," McMillan said.

Solid Coaching

Bring the noise 🔊

🏀 vs Mississippi State | Wednesday 8 PM
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👕 Rock Reed Shirt Giveaway: Available on the concourse at each entry of Reed for the first 5,500 fans thanks to @OpportuneLLP #GigEm | #BuckyBall pic.twitter.com/UOCtCK3rxN
— Texas A&M Basketball (@aggiembk) January 19, 2026

It wasn’t long ago that McMillan was coaching down in Alabama at Samford, bringing that program to the NCAA Tournament with one goal in mind. Cutting down the nets. That’s exactly the goal that he had when he accepted the job in Aggieland and brought guys in.

Every coach has a different experience in recruiting, and for McMillan, his was slightly different after being hired late, with a large number of collegiate athletes already hitting the transfer portal and selecting where they wanted to play basketball next. There wasn't much for him to work with, with only one player from the previous season who wanted to play for the Aggies.

Nothing stopped McMillan from quickly formulating his next steps to building a coaching staff he trusted to get A&M to the next level and bring in players who wanted to give their all. Those players that McMillan & Co. recruited have respected and bought into the “Bucky Ball” style of basketball he wants them to play with, which is a fast-paced style.

Week in and week out, you can tell how much McMillan has poured his heart and soul into his team, and no matter how good or bad at times the product on the court has looked, he has consistently kept a positive perspective about what he’s seeing, staying straightforward and honest about what he’s seeing. That’s the mindset an Aggie coach needs, and it’s made the team better.

"I just think our group is a confident group right now," McMillan said. "They expect to win and they are really dialed in."

Player Pickups

So long to the orange & the white 👋🔥 pic.twitter.com/3GmInjuAfS
— Texas A&M Basketball (@aggiembk) January 18, 2026

Convincing players to come play in the Maroon and White has worked out great for McMillan, as he has developed men who are constantly showing why they are a talked-about offense that many teams shouldn't want to play against after what has transpired in three weeks of SEC play.

As a unit, A&M is No. 4 in bench points per game, No. 6 in assists per game, No. 8 in three pointers per game, and has a scoring offense. Not every program can say it's top 10 in all those categories, but the Aggies' roster can.

"The biggest deal to play for us and the way that we want to play, you have to be really tough," McMillan said.

The guard play has been fantastic for A&M, with sophomore Ruben Dominguez leading the team in points and one of the best in the country and league at making 3-pointers. Senior Rylan Griffen has also been one of the huge additions A&M needed for consistency, as he is second on the team in assists and minutes per game.

As for the forward and captain of the group, Rashaun Agee has been clutch inside, where he has racked up several points in the paint and attacked the glass, despite the team playing a majority of the time undersized. He is the leading rebounder for the Aggies and continues to have multiple double-double games.

"He brings a joy to the game," McMillan said. "I thought he was the perfect fit for us."

Offensively, A&M is shooting 48 percent from the field, 37 percent from behind the arc, and 73.4 percent from the free-throw line. That’s all without one of their best players, Mackenzie Mgbako, who is out for the remainder of the season.

Team chemistry continues to grow, as none of these players had played together before the season started. It certainly doesn’t look like that, but there is a reason the Maroon and White are currently first in the SEC and continue to succeed.