Nov 19, 2024; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Samford Bulldogs head coach Bucky McMillan sends in a play during the first half against the Michigan State Spartans at Jack Breslin Student Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Dale Young-Imagn Images Dale Young-Imagn Images

Bucky McMillan Makes Bold Promises to the 12th Man

Originally posted on Texas A&M Aggies on SI
By Diego Saenz | Last updated Apr 9, 2025 9:00 AM ET

Bucky McMillan was officially introduced as the Texas A&M Men’s basketball coach on April 7th at Reed Arena with approximately 500 fans in attendance.

During the event, McMillan touched on several topics, with his plans for the team's style of play standing out and capturing the attention of the 12th Man.

“Our goal is to be one of the top-scoring teams in the country and at some point, we will certainly lead the country in scoring,” McMillan said before the Aggie faithful erupted in applause. “We play full-court defense. We run. We pressure. We shoot a lot of threes. And we're going to attack the whole game. And the students, you're going to love it. You're going to love it.

While these bold statements might raise eyebrows, it’s important to note that Bucky McMillan is no stranger to big-time transitions.

In 2020, McMillan was given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to leave his successful high school coaching career to become an NCAA Division 1 head coach at Samford University.

Bucky made this leap with ease, transitioning smoothly from his time at Mountain Brook High School, where he built a powerhouse program, winning five state championships in 12 years. Bringing his signature "BuckyBall" style to the collegiate ranks, McMillan transformed a struggling Samford team, leading them to four consecutive 20-win seasons, two SoCon regular-season championships, one SoCon tournament title, and their first NCAA tournament appearance since 2000.

In 2024, Samford boasted the 14th-best scoring offense in the nation, ranked 7th in 3-pointers made, 11th in 3-point attempts, and 27th in assists.

If you take these numbers and compare them to Buzz William’s offensive style of play, it will feel like drinking a cold glass of water after hours of thirst.

While Buzz's offense led the nation and had a historic season in offensive rebounding, other offensive departments struggled. A&M ranked fourth worst in scoring offense, posted the lowest field goal percentage, had the second worst three-point shooting, and recorded the fewest assists per game in the SEC.

With just one player currently on the roster and the transfer portal closing on April 22nd, Bucky McMillan and his staff will be racing against the clock to put together an SEC-caliber team.

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

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