Mar 3, 2026; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies head coach Bucky McMillan looks on during the second half against the Kentucky Wildcats at Reed Arena. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Texas A&M Basketball in Position for Rare Feat in McMillan's Debut Season

Originally posted on Texas A&M Aggies on SI
By Noah Ruiz | Last updated Mar 12, 2026 5:00 PM ET

Inheriting a dud program can spell certain doom for a first-year head coach, especially when its toward the end of the hiring cycle. For Texas A&M basketball, it was this case and more, as the Aggies had just one returning player to their name and had zero coaching staff when head coach Bucky McMillan took over.

Now at the end of the regular season, McMillan has blown all expectations out of the water, winning over 20 games and 11 Southeastern Conference contests in his debut, and the Maroon and White are squarely in the driver's seat to clinch an NCAA Tournament berth.

Two of those 11 SEC victories were Oklahoma, where A&M got the better of its old Big 12 rival on both the road and at home, and after their victory yesterday, the Sooners will face the Aggies presumably for the third and final time in the SEC Tournament, giving the latter the opportunity to defeat a single opponent three times for the first time since the 2022-2023 season.

Not so Sooner

Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

While the Aggies were initially picked to fix at the lower end of the SEC ranks, McMillan has proven his style of basketball could and can be transferable to the biggest stage in one of the most competitive conferences in the nation, namely through the leadership and on-court heroics engineered by his inaugural crew including star forward Rashaun Agee.

Before the former Samford coach was calling the shots in College Station, now-Marlyand boss Buzz Williams was in charge, and in the 2022 season, his Aggies managed to sweep the Arkansas Razorbacks and add an extra win in the postseason in the SEC Tournament.

Fast forward just about three years and some change later, McMillan could do the same thing for his Aggies against the Sooners. Despite a costly losing streak in the heart of conference play, the Maroon and White righted their ship at the end of the season, and got the wins they needed to all but lock themselves in the Big Dance.

Oklahoma, however, is not so lucky and is still clawing for its chance to make the tournament. A nine-game skid for the Sooners nearly derailed their entire fate, but with a five-game winning streak including a Wednesday tournament win over South Carolina, head coach Porter Moser will not be taking kindly to the Aggies' wishes of adding an extended sweeping victory over his surging squad.

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

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