10 Thoughts on Aggie basketball heading into 2026-27

Texas A&M’s 2026-27 basketball campaign kicks off Tuesday night, and Coach Bucky McMillan’s team is very different than Version 1.0. Is it Better?

1. The Aggies are picked again to be in the bottom half of the SEC (ninth). And, again, they’ll likely beat it. I don’t think observers realize the level of scoring potential this team brings to the table, even if Rylan Griffen isn’t back (he’s currently ineligible as he awaits a second temporary restraining order restoring his eligibility).

2. A&M didn’t have anyone like PJ Haggerty last year. Rashuan Agee became the top scoring threat kind of by default, because he had the ability to make his own shot. Haggerty is a scoring machine. He put up 28 points in the exhibition against SMU and can shoot from distance while also having the ability to beat just about anyone off the dribble.

3. The Aggies have more size this year. They just need to get more out of that size. Jamie Vinson, Josh Irving, Zach Clemence, Mackenzie Mgbako and Cade Phillips can all play in the low post defensively in this scheme. Clemence and Mgbako can make center a stretch-5 with their shooting ability. But playing in the post and winning there is something we’ll have to see to believe.

4. The combination of Haggerty, Mgbako and Jordan Pope could be the best trio of scorers A&M has had on a roster in a very, very long time. Pope, a late pickup in the portal, averaged 13.1 points per game last year at Texas while shooting 40% from the field and better than 37% from 3-point range.

5. The most overlooked player on the roster may be forward Jalen Shelley, who came over from Loyola Marymount. He averaged 13.7 PPG last year at LMU and pulled down 6.6 rebounds a game. Haggerty’s a more physical kind of player who likes to attack the basket, and he’s really impressed people around the program during the offseason.

6. One area where the Aggies need to figure things out is at point guard. LSU transfer Jalen Reece is the only true point on the roster, so Shelley (who also averaged 2.7 APG last season) may get work as a distributor as well. Former McNeese guard Tyshawn Archie may also get some work there, and so could Haggerty, who led the team with four assists against SMU.

7. The non-conference schedule isn’t as tough as it could be. They get a rematch with Oklahoma State, who smacked them early last season 85-63, next week. But the Cowboys ended up not making the tournament. For the SEC/ACC challenge, the Aggies drew…Stanford. The three toughies come in a row: a road trip to TCU, then neutral site games against Xavier and Marquette in the Battle 4 Atlantis in The Bahamas. If the Aggies don’t have at least 11 or 12 wins coming out of the non-conference schedule, there’s a problem.

8. The conference slate could start off tougher, as they open at home against Auburn, then play at Mizzou and South Carolina. Auburn was picked to come in 10th in the conference while Missouri was picked to come in eighth. Then it’s Arkansas and LSU — Arkansas is going to be really good, while LSU has most of its pro roster eligible (for now). They play at Florida, but have Tennessee and Alabama at home. It’s not a fun SEC schedule, but no SEC schedule ever is.

9. The mystery man on this team is guard Neiko Mundey. Mundey was one of Bucky’s first big recruits and sat out last year as he reclassified and came in a year earlier than originally planned. But he didn’t play against SMU at all. Now, they need someone to take Griffen’s minutes — at least temporarily. Are we going to see what the high school hype was about, or nah?

10. I think this team has more talent than last year’s team and should be better. But they need to shoot the 3 better than they did against SMU and need someone who’s going to bring the toughness like Rashaun Agee did last year. That’s probably going to be Cade Phillips, who came over from Tennessee and was promptly awarded the 12. If you come in the paint, you’d better pay for it, and Phillips seems like the kind of guy who can set the mood.

Physicality? WHere’d it go?

One thing that I noticed, and was frustrated by, was Coach Mike Elko’s comment at his press conference today that he saw some improved physicality against Alabama. Two things immediately came to mind: one, where did he see (what side of the ball) and what happened to the physical nature of the team was saw the first two years of his tenure.

The pickups the Aggies had from the portal, for the most part, were nails the first two years. Ar’maj Reed-Adams was the final piece to the puzzle of one of the nation’s best offensive lines, and he and Chase Bisontis took pride in grinding opponents up. Trey Zuhn didn’t mind pushing people around either. They had a mindset that they didn’t talk about, but showed — they bullied opponents.

This year, they’re talking about it and not showing it.

On defense, Nic Scourton and Cashius Howell were on missions to beat offensive tackles. Albert Regis and Tyler Onyedim took the idea of holding up at the point of attack personally. You hit, they hit you back. In the case of Shemar Turner at Ole Miss, a little too obviously and a lot too low.

Defensively, I think we’re starting to see an improvement. They shut down Alabama’s running game and got a little pressure, but South Carolina is a different beast. They’ll have to tackle hard and tackle smart — if Elko and company have one thing to do this week, it’s remind their defenders to hit low and wrap up.

Even though the Aggies are 30th in total defense nationally and the losses have largely not been their fault, we’re still not seeing that fire, that physical nature up front. It’s more obvious on the offensive side of the ball, but the Aggies still aren’t getting off the field in third and short. The physicality is still lacking. Being at the bottom in tackles for loss and sacks after being one of the best last year doesn’t help make their case for being tough.

I don’t know how you make a team tough in the middle of the season. In fact, I don’t think you can. This is a multi-month mindset that has to be rebuilt. It’s probably going to have to start with better evaluations in the portal and get the mindset going in the weight room. They’re in shape — the Aggies have one of the fewest numbers of injuries in the conference. But they’re not shoving opponents around like they should, or like they said they would. That’s just another disappointment in a season filled with them.

Our sponsor

Owned by two Texas Aggie lettermen, Crystal Creek Partners specializes in commercial and residential real estate properties in the College Station area. Their properties are all custom newer construction in prime locations, including homes in The Estates of College Station and Commercial Spaces in South College Station’s Tower Point and Tower Center. If you’re looking for a single-family home for 4 students or flexible space for your growing business, reach out to Crystal Creek Partners to learn more. Crystal Creek Partners is looking to expand their property portfolio in the College Station area to include additional student rentals and VRBO properties. If you are interested in selling a property, we’d love to talk.

Doug Brown, an owner in Crystal Creek Partners, is also an acclaimed real estate agent with Compass Realty specializing in The Woodlands, Tomball, Magnolia, and Montgomery markets. He is also well versed in the Bryan/College Station market if you are looking to find the perfect game day second home or investment property.For more information, Email doug@tammyhendricksteam.