The Texas A&M Aggies did not receive a single vote in college basketball’s preseason AP Poll. Their exclusion was understandable. Buzz Williams’ departure for Maryland left a bare cupboard for Bucky McMillan, whose only holdover from 2024-25 was reserve forward Chris McDermott. But the first-year power conference head coach didn’t rebuild; he reloaded.
McMillan, the chef behind “Bucky Ball,” hit the transfer portal hard. He plucked players from every possible location for his roster. His 3 leading scorers — Rashaun Agee (USC), Rylen Griffin (Kansas), Marcus Hill (NC State) — weren’t even in the SEC last season. His fourth-best healthy scorer, Ruben Dominguez, was in Spain. Once they arrived in the College Station pot, McMillan cooked up a team that started 17-4 (and was leading the SEC for a chunk of the year) before finishing 21-11 (11-7 SEC). In the end, his Aggies earned the No. 10 seed in the East region.
This debut campaign for McMillan, merely by making the Big Dance, has been a success. That, plus Williams’ Terrapins winding up 17th in the Big Ten standings, gives Texas A&M an undeniable victory in its breakup. Whether the school can win an NCAA Tournament game for the third consecutive season, though, remains to be seen.
Here’s how far Saturday Down South predicts Texas A&M will advance in the 2026 NCAA Tournament:
Round 1: No. 7 Saint Mary’s (in Oklahoma City)
Record: 27-5 (16-2 WCC); KenPom: +23.07 (24th); Net Rank: 22nd
Best Wins: Gonzaga, Santa Clara, Northern Iowa, Virginia Tech; Worst Loss: Boise State
The Gaels, unlike their soon-to-be former conference rival Zags, aren’t regarded as a high-major cosplaying as a mid-major in a non-Power 5 conference. However, maybe they should be given that level of respect. Head coach Randy Bennett has led Saint Mary’s to 5 consecutive NCAA Tournaments, and has snagged no worse than a No. 7 seed in any of those appearances. The Gaels have also not finished with fewer than 20 wins in a season (COVID year exception) since 2006-07.
Saint Mary’s has 3 players — Paulius Murauskas, Mikey Lewis and Joshua Dent — that average at least 13 points per game. Each member of that trio earned first-team West Coast Conference honors. Murauskas (6-foot-8), Andrew McKeever (7-foot-1) and Harry Wessels (7-foot-1) anchor the Gaels on the interior and help pull down 40.3 rebounds per contest, tied with Duke for 11th-most in the nation.
On paper, Saint Mary’s should own the glass in this matchup. According to KenPom, the Gaels’ defense allows opponents to grab only 24% of their misses, the fourth-best mark in the country. Their 37.4% offensive rebound rate ranks 15th-best. Texas A&M sits a respectable 116th with its own offensive rebounding percentage (32.3%), but 284th in opponents’ offensive rebound rate (32.5%). If the Aggies can’t keep the Gaels off the boards — Saint Mary’s has the nation’s fourth-best rebounding margin — or can’t avoid fouling them when trying, they will gobble up points at the free throw line with their best-in-the-sport free throw percentage (80.5%).
The Gaels have better offensive and defensive metrics than the Aggies. They also have the size advantage on the inside and shoot the ball better from 3-point range. Texas A&M’s proximity to home and ability to avoid/create turnovers will give the Aggies a chance to advance. But Saint Mary’s is the better team.
PREDICTION: Saint Mary’s 75, Texas A&M 69
