Samford Bulldogs head coach Bucky McMillan during the first half in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Coach Bucky McMillan & Texas A&M to Face Big 12 Foe in Exhibition Play

Originally posted on Texas A&M Aggies on SI
By Noah Ruiz | Last updated Aug 11, 2025 4:43 PM ET

After a hectic and busy offseason, Texas A&M basketball will have its first bout of action in an exhibition match against Arizona State on Oct. 26 in Houston.

While most exhibition matches don't normally gain as much traction as a regular-season game, the asterisk over this competition is the opportunity for fans to see the Aggies' revamped roster for the first time.

Firm Foundations

With the departure of now-Maryland head coach Buzz Williams, A&M saw its roster dwindle until only one player remained from the 2024-2025 season, freshman forward Chris McDermott. And so with the Apr. 4 hiring of Bucky McMillan as the next head Aggie coach, piecing together a competitive roster became top priority.

A&M proceeded to hit the ground running with recruiting and advertising a new style of play that would be coming to College Station, and it didn't take long for recruits to see the vision McMillan and his staff were putting together.

McMillan managed to bring home ten transfers in the portal to play for the Aggies in the 2025-2026 season, no recruit more coveted than Indiana transfer junior F Mackenzie Mgbako. Well considered to be at least a second-round pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, Mgbako opted to wait on his NBA dreams and spend at least one more year in college at A&M.

Although offseason practices have been in full swing, the Oct. 26 exhibition match will let fans and the coaching staff alike see the new identity of Aggie basketball come to life in a low-stakes environment versus a formidable opponent in the Sun Devils.

A New Identity

A system that has long been characterized by its' defense-first, crash-the-board mentality under Williams' tenure will see a complete overhaul with McMillan's experience of carrying Group of 5 Samford to a top-20 offense in points per game last season.

Getting a live look at the new roster will allow McMillan to put together the most potent offensive combination available before the season officially begins on Dec.2 in the ACC-SEC Challenge match against Pitt. Other newcomers, such as a highly-touted senior guard Jacari Lane and freshman G Jeremiah Green, will be names to remember when it comes to finding the next star Aggie player following the departure of former All-SEC G Wade Taylor IV.

As Williams and Taylor leave big shoes to fill for the next chapter in Aggie basketball, those hungry to dive into its first pages will have to look no further than a late October matchup with a rebuilding Big 12 program.

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

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