aggieswire
The wait for Aggie basketball is over. Texas A&M men's basketball opens its 2026-27 season against Alabama State on Tuesday night at Reed Arena in College Station, Texas.
Head coach Bucky McMillan enters his second year at the helm after guiding the Aggies to the second round of the NCAA Tournament and a fourth-place finish in the SEC in his debut season. His fast-paced, high-volume shooting system ranked among the nation's top 15 in scoring offense (86.1 points), assists (18.1), 3-pointers (10.8) and bench points (35.6).
Despite losing key production from last year's team, including standout forward Rashaun Agee, McMillan reloaded through the transfer portal, securing the No. 15 class in college basketball. The haul is headlined by Kansas State transfer guard PJ Haggerty, the nation's leading returning scorer. Haggerty is joined in the backcourt by Jalen Reece (LSU), Lukas Walls (Radford) and Jordan Pope (Texas), all of whom have the potential to be prolific scorers in their first seasons with the Aggies. McMillan also retained graduate forward Zach Clemence and former McDonald's All-American Mackenzie Mgbako, who will serve as integral leaders for this year's squad.
Tuesday night's opener marks the first-ever meeting between the two programs. Alabama State is one of three SWAC opponents Texas A&M will face this season.
Key Analysis
While the Aggies have considerable roster turnover to manage and showed areas for improvement in an exhibition loss to SMU, they hold a significant advantage in offensive talent, particularly with Haggerty leading the backcourt. Alabama State enters with a new head coach and its own adjustments to make. Playing at Reed Arena against an Aggies team eager to establish its identity will be a difficult opening assignment. Texas A&M should control the pace and create enough scoring opportunities to begin McMillan's second season with a comfortable victory.
Prediction: Texas A&M 91, Alabama State 68
Key Players
- PJ Haggerty (G): Averaged 23.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists at Kansas State last season. Scored 28 points in the exhibition against SMU.
- Jordan Pope (G): Transferred from Texas after averaging 13.1 points per game last season. Added 15 points against SMU.
- Mackenzie Mgbako (F): Returns after an injury-shortened 2025-26 season. Averaged 10.4 points and 4.9 rebounds in seven appearances.
- Tyshawn Archie (G): Transfer from McNeese who averaged 14.3 points per game last season.
- Cade Phillips (F): Veteran frontcourt addition from Tennessee who brings SEC experience.
- Zach Clemence (F): The 6-foot-11 senior returns after averaging 6.9 points and 3.2 rebounds last season. He provides experience and perimeter shooting.
Game Information
Date: Tuesday, November 3
Start time: 7 p.m. CT
Location: Reed Arena, College Station, Texas
TV Channel: SEC Network+
Stream: ESPN App
Texas A&M vs. Alabama State will stream on SEC Network+ as the Aggies open the 2026-27 college basketball season. The game will not air on the SEC Network's traditional television channel.
Originally reported by aggieswire.