The first AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll of the 2025-2026 campaign has been released and does not feature the Texas A&M Aggies.
Entering the first season under head coach Bucky McMillan, the Maroon and White were one of four teams (South Carolina, Georgia and LSU) to receive no votes in the first AP Poll of the year. While replacing a completely depleted roster has not been easy, McMillan responded to the adversity by recruiting the No. 20 transfer portal class in college basketball since being named Texas A&M’s head coach in early April.
McMillan brings a unique style of basketball, dubbed “Bucky Ball”, which is aggressive and features a high-tempo offensive attack. To match the system that could bring plentiful success for the Aggies this year, McMillan recruited some of the top scorers in the country, like guards Pop Isaacs (Creighton) and Marcus Hill (Kansas), as well as forwards like Mackenzie Mgbako (Indiana) and Rashaun Agee (Iowa State).
With so many new faces, including a coach making his debut in a stacked Southeastern Conference, it’s understandable that the Aggies received no love in the preseason hype. If the talent gels into the system nicely in McMillan’s first season in Bryan-College Station, Texas, the 12th Man won’t have to wait too much longer for Texas A&M to be featured in the top 25 rankings.
Here is the first AP Top 25 men’s basketball poll entering the 2025-2026 season:
McMillan achieved significant success with the Samford Bulldogs, leading the program to its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2000 during his fourth season at the helm in the 2023-2024 season. He also set a school record with 29 wins during the year’s ventures, while claiming the Southern Conference regular-season title and tournament championship.
The current Aggie head coach will be asked to revitalize another squad this year, as the team had just one scholarship player when Buzz Williams left for Maryland. Texas A&M will open preseason play in an exhibition contest against Arizona State on Oct. 26, before the 2025 tip-off on Nov. 3 against Northwestern State at Reed Arena.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Is Texas A&M men’s basketball ranked in AP preseason top 25?
Reporting by Dylan Flippo, Aggies Wire / Aggies Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
