Tick tock

The men’s college basketball transfer portal closes tonight at 10:59 p.m. central time, so the opportunity for players to enter the portal is dwindling. Even though there have been some rumors suggesting forward Mackenzie Mgbako may enter the portal, he has yet to do so with less than seven hours remaining.

All three of A&M’s committed transfers are signed

Texas A&M has signed all three of its transfer portal commits. The first to sign, and the headliner, is former Kansas State guard PJ Haggerty. Haggerty was one of the most prolific scorers in the nation, averaging 23.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists while shooting 48.9% from the field. Haggerty, who will be on his fifth team in five years, was an honorable mention All-American last year at K-State.

Former Tennessee forward Cade Phillips signed next after his commitment at the end of last week. The 6-foot-9, 221-pound rising senior played in 10 games last year for the Volunteers, starting nine before a shoulder injury ended his season. A strong defender and tenacious offensive rebounder, Phillips averaged 3.8 points and 4 rebounds in his 10 games last season.

One of Bucky McMillan’s former Samford players has officially rejoined his former coach after a season at Radford. Guard Lukas Walls started 26 of 32 games with the Highlanders, averaging 7.9 points and 2.5 rebounds per game. His forte is 3-point shooting, averaging 45.5% from beyond the arc in 2025-26.

Hill peaces out without waiver in hand

Guard Marcus Hill, who was one of Texas A&M’s top scorers in 2025-26, has decided to enter the transfer portal after stating his intention to return shortly after the Aggies’ loss to Houston in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Hill, who is still awaiting a waiver to be eligible in 2026-27, averaged 10.3 points and 3.1 rebounds last season. He shot 48.3% from the field last season, but just 23.8% from 3-point range. He scored more than 20 points twice, including a season-high 25 against SMU in December. But Hill’s play tailed off considerably, failing to score in double digits in the final five games, capped by a shutout against the Cougars.

Could the Aggies actually go…pretty big?

The addition of Cade Phillips gives the Aggies the ability to do a few different things in 2026-27. For a team that lacked (and still lacks) size, A&M could put a pretty tall front court out on the floor next season.

Phillips was a power forward at Tennessee and will likely stay there, but he could play center if Bucky McMillan needs him to. But McMillan can also put Mackenzie Mgbako and Zach Clemence out on the floor with Phillips and have three players no shorter than 6-foot-9 — including a pair that can score from the outside, which could significantly stretch out a defense.

Current roster makeup

Forwards:

Mgbako

Clemence

Phillips

Jamie Vinson

Chris McDermott

Josh Lucas

Guards:

PJ Haggerty

Lukas Walls

Neiko Mundey

Jeremiah Green

There are a total of 15 roster spots available, and A&M currently has 10 players. They have five spots left to work with.