Feb 18, 2026; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies head coach Bucky McMillan reacts during the second half against the Ole Miss Rebels at Reed Arena. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

3 Ways Texas A&M Aggies Can Beat Saint Mary's Gaels

Originally posted on Texas A&M Aggies on SI
By Noah Ruiz | Last updated Mar 18, 2026 3:30 PM ET

March Madness is finally here, and for Texas A&M basketball, it means four straight trips to the Big Dance despite losing its entire staff and essentially its entire roster the prior offseason. Head coach Bucky McMillan has turned a ragtag bunch of transfers into the tied-fourth-best team in the Southeastern Conference, and will now face Saint Mary's in the first round.

However, making it to the NCAA Tournament is one thing, but taking home at least a first-round victory is another. The Aggies will have their hands full with a well-rounded Gaels squad, one that has made its presence known from the charity line and lost only five times so far this season.

Despite this, the Maroon and White will have weaknesses to exploit, and following a tight and organized game plan may be the difference between moving on to the Round of 32 or heading home as quickly as arriving. Let's take a look at a handful of ways the Aggies can get the job done.

Up-tempo offense

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For some, speed is life. For others, it's just for show. In the case of the Aggies, it may be the one thing that separates them from a loss to the Gaels. While Saint Mary's has withstood a strong test of a schedule, it ranks in the bottom 80 as far as tempo in college basketball.

A slow-moving machine can only last so long against an A&M squad defined by its ability to grab fast-break points and to use its lack of size to its advantage. If the Maroon and White can outpace their adversaries and tire them out, the time to strike will be all 40 minutes of the contest.

Play deep, win big

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One of the signature pieces of McMillan's game plan has always been playing deep in the roster and emptying the bench when need be. Fresh reserve players operating at the same level as starters have paid dividends for the Aggies, with forward Zach Clemence being a perfect example of a bench player making a massive impact with multiple 20-point games.

If A&M is to win in the first round, it will have to tire out Saint Mary's in its tempo, but by withstanding a test of depth and a war of attrition.

Live the underdog mentality

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While perhaps slightly overused in some cases, for the Aggies, there is no understating the sheer chance that they have been granted by a miracle. As the last power conference hire, McMillan has transformed a program littered with question marks into a tournament team, which is more than many other schools can say with a full offseason and with a returning coach.

With that said, A&M can buy into the mentality that it "really shouldn't even be there", and use that as an all-hands-on-deck approach and to give everything it has in what might be the last college basketball game for many of its star players, including star forward Rashaun Agee.

This article first appeared on Texas A&M Aggies on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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