Texas A&M’s 2025-2026 basketball season also serves as head coach Bucky McMillan’s inaugural campaign, which is off to a 1-0 start after defeating Northwestern State 98-68 in one of the more impressive debuts. Compared to Buzz Williams’ final season at the helm, these were the most points the Aggies scored.
Texas A&M’s opening game scoring effort was led by Spanish guard Ruben Dominguez’s 18 points and four 3-pointers, who McMillan regarded before the season as the “best shooter” he’s ever witnessed or coached. McMillan’s fast-paced offense resulted in shooting 49% from the field and 35% from beyond the arc, while the Aggies’ press defense forced 16 turnovers on the night.
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Combined with solid debuts from fellow transfer forwards Rashaun Agee (12 points), Rylan Griffen (13 points), Josh Holloway (13 points), and Jacari Lane (12 points), the depth is real. It’s important to remember that star transfer Mackenzie Mgbako is still recovering from injury and has yet to make this highly anticipated impact.
Another prized offseason addition, former Creighton guard Pop Isaacs, scored eight points and was a game-time decision, but looked healthy during his 18 minutes on the court and is poised to make an even bigger impact on Thursday night against Texas Southern.
Ahead of tonight’s matchup, ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas released his Top 68 rankings after each team’s opening season game. While Texas A&M did not receive any votes in the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll or the AP Top 25, Bilas was impressed after Monday’s win, placing the Aggies at No. 33, right above the Texas Longhorns.
“Potentially good news for an Aggies team that has gone dancing each of the past three seasons: New coach Bucky McMillan took his Samford Bulldogs to their first NCAA tournament in more than 20 years in 2024. And he has a roster filled with interesting transfer talent, including Pop Isaacs (16.3 PPG in eight games at Creighton) and Jacari Lane (17.3 PPG at North Alabama).”
How these transfer additions would blend was always a question, and likely resulted in the lack of preseason hype, but so far, this team looks like the real deal. However, Sunday’s massive nonconference matchup with Oklahoma State will further prove if Texas A&M should be taken seriously as a contender in Year 1 under Bucky McMillan.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M is No. 33 in Jay Bilas’s Top 68 college basketball rankings
