Texas A&M aims to silence critics amid a low preseason SEC ranking

Texas A&M aims to silence critics amid a low preseason SEC ranking Texas A&M basketball coach Bucky McMillan enters his first full offseason with plenty of momentum after leading the Aggies to the NCAA Tournament during his inaugural season, but after building his first roster entirely from the transfer portal, the Aggies were set to lose star forward Rashaun Agee and guard Rylan Griffen, combined with several reserve transfers.

Looking to spend the necessary funds to land top talent from the portal to pair with returning forwards Mackenzie Mgbako, Jamie Vinson, and Zach Clemence, McMillan and his staff hit the jackpot after securing Kansas State transfer shooting guard PJ Haggerty, who averaged nearly 24 points per game last season, which led to six more commitments to fill out what looks like the most talented roster in Texas A&M history.

However, not every college basketball analyst feels that Texas A&M is on pace to match its top 7 finish in the SEC standings last season, as The Field of 68 analyst Jeff Goodman placed the Aggies 11th in his preseason SEC standings, below the likes of Missouri, Ole Miss, and LSU.

Even though nearly every SEC program, including those listed, also added talent from the transfer portal, Bucky McMillan has proven his coaching chops after losing Mackenzie Mgbako after seven non-conference games, resulting in a significant lack of size, forcing the Aggies to play small ball, which obviously led to Texas A&M making the NCAA Tournament.

Entering the 2026-2027 season with a deeper backcourt, PJ Haggerty and fellow transfer guards Tyshawn Archie, Jalen Reece, and Lukas Walls are more than enough to run McMillan's fast-paced style, while the addition of Tennessee transfer forward Caden Phillips and a productive small forward adds collective physicality and more size.

Lastly, if former NBA G-League guard Bryson Warren is deemed eligible to play, Texas A&M shouldn't be anywhere near the bottom of any preseason SEC standings.

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