Get ready, college hoops fans, because the Texas A&M men’s basketball program is about to kick off its 2026-27 season at Reed Arena in just a few weeks, and Coach Bucky McMillan just fired off some absolute rockets at SEC Basketball Tipoff ’27 in Birmingham, Alabama. After leading his squad to the NCAA Tournament Round of 32 in his first year, McMillan is not holding back, telling everyone that this season’s SEC is going to be straight-up wild.
New Blood, New Attack
Dude, McMillan and the Aggies are not messing around. They brought in seven transfers, and let’s talk about the biggest name: former Kansas State guard PJ Haggerty, who was dropping nearly 24 points per game last season. Twenty-four points! That’s a serious scorer right there. He’s not alone either, with Jalen Reece from LSU, Tyshawn Archie from McNeese, Lukas Walls from Samford and Radford, and Jordan Pope from Texas rounding out a stacked guard position. Then you’ve got Jalen Shelley from Loyola Marymount and Cade Phillips from Tennessee ready to bang inside at forward. McMillan said it best himself: “I thought last year’s group was able to play how we wanted to play, but we didn’t have a lot of slashing and we were the smallest power four team in the country. We have more attackers. The later the season goes, it becomes a players game, and you have to have players who can create advantages, and we have that plus positional size.” That’s a coach who knows exactly what his team was missing and went out and got it. Plus, returning vets like Mackenzie Mgbako, Rylan Griffen, Zach Clemence, and Jamie Vinson are expected to take big steps, which is huge for leadership and continuity.
The SEC Gauntlet and a Special Player
If you thought the SEC was tough before, McMillan just put the league on notice. He flat-out said, “This year this league is about to be the best it’s ever been. It will be right below the NBA. Every night will be a battle.” Talk about high stakes! This isn’t just coach-speak; it’s a declaration. He also had some serious praise for one of his returning stars, Mackenzie Mgbako. McMillan thinks Mgbako is “really going to be a great player in this league if he stays healthy. He’s stronger, can shoot it, leading us in rebounds. He’s a special player and a special dude.” That kind of endorsement from your coach means everything, and it sounds like Mgbako is poised for a monster year. McMillan even shared some cool memories from last season’s run, shouting out the Auburn win and the NCAA Tournament victory against Saint Mary’s. Those are the kinds of wins that build a program’s identity.
Building Blocks: Staff, Leadership, and Cold Hard Math
McMillan is also super confident in his coaching staff, calling them “awesome” and highlighting their “awesome staff chemistry.” When you have guys like TJ Cleveland, Frank Haith (a former National Coach of the Year!), and Kyle Keller, you know you’ve got a brain trust that’s aligned and ready for anything. Replacing Rashaun Agee’s physicality, size, and especially his leadership is going to be a challenge, as McMillan noted, but he believes they have players capable of stepping up. And, of course, a modern coach always looks at the numbers. McMillan made it clear: “Math don’t lie. It really helps your players when you can lay it down in front of them.” You gotta love a coach who embraces analytics to give his guys every edge. This team is ready to compete, man. The season tips off in just a few weeks at Reed Arena, and with McMillan’s vision and all these new attackers, it’s going to be an absolute battle every single night in the best league in the country.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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