Since the moment he received the call from athletic director Trev Alberts, Texas A&M men’s basketball head coach Bucky McMillan immediately stepped in and began crafting a roster with the knowledge and skill set for an exciting year of basketball in College Station.
It took trials, tribulations and everything in between to earn the opportunity to coach in the Southeastern Conference, but he is now donning the Maroon and White of Texas A&M with aspirations of bringing championships to Aggieland this season.
Before the season tips off in mere months, McMillan joined “The Field of 68” to talk about the transition from being the head coach for the Samford Bulldogs to coaching the Aggies, and what people can expect out of “Bucky Ball” during his first season at the helm.
“We’re trying to score as many points as possible,” McMillan said. “Last year, we were 13th in the country in scoring. The year before that, we were fifth in the country. Hopefully, we’ll be No. 1 in the country this year.”
The statistics ranking within the top 25 teams in the country during his last two seasons coaching at Samford are a testament to the high-paced and three-point shooting frequency that McMillan’s style of offense produces on the court.
During the 2024-2025 campaign, the Bulldogs led the SoCon in scoring, fast break points (14.2 points per game), steals (9.9 per game), turnovers forced, turnover margin (3.2 per game), offensive rebounds (13.1 per game) and bench scoring (28.5 points per game). The program also ranked in the top 10 in three-pointers attempted and made.
For “Bucky Ball” to be successful, attacking in all facets of the game will be integral for the Aggies to be confident and assertive on the floor.
“Many coaches don’t think you can pick up on the other side of half court and play full court defense,” McMillan said. “We dang sure know we can. We want to be an A+ in all four phases of basketball.”
The style of basketball McMillan is instilling in the Texas A&M program causes issues for opponents. His goal with this type of demeanor on the court is to force opponents to play at his team’s pace.
“If you can create more possessions than your opponent, you can win. We’re going to force the tempo,” McMillan said. “We’ll have some turnovers but we’re going to turn you over also. So you have to win the turnover battle and the rebound battle.”
For a system like this to be effective, it also takes the right players who fit the mold and believe in what McMillan is trying to accomplish in College Station. That is why the Aggies hit the transfer portal hard in the offseason by signing 10 transfers, seven of which ranked as four-star prospects according to 247 Sports Recruiting Rankings.
One of the names on that list is former Indiana forward Mackenzie Mgbako, who officially withdrew his name from the 2025 NBA Draft to play his sophomore season at Texas A&M. The former five-star prospect and McDonald’s All-American was named the Big 10 Freshman of the Year in 2024 and has almost scored 800 total points in 65 games played during his collegiate career so far.
That type of scoring is exactly what the doctor ordered. Guys like Mgbako and electric Creighton transfer Pop Isaacs, who committed to the Aggies in May after initially committing to Houston, are ideal fits for McMillan’s offensive attack.
Securing a top 20 transfer class in mere months after being hired was no small feat, especially in the day and age of NIL (name, image and likeness). When Alberts announced McMillan as the new head coach of the program on April 5, the time for recruiting began.
“I was laughing when Coach Cal took the Arkansas job last year and said he met with the team and there was no team. But I wasn’t laughing this year. 81 of the top 100 portal players were already signed. We were the last Power 5 job to be hired,” McMillan said.
As he gears up to face a daunting schedule filled with competitive SEC foes for the first time in his coaching career, McMillan is laser-focused on bringing the program back to the top of the mountain.
He believes in his players, coaching staff and the entirety of Texas A&M athletics. In the interview with “The Field of 68” on Wednesday, McMillan gave his thoughts on the state of all Aggie athletic programs and what they can do moving forward.
“I think Texas A&M can win championships in any sport here,” McMillan said. “We’ve got a great administration. I believe in the vision of Trev Alberts our athletic director. In this day and age, you can’t win without a passionate fanbase and resources.”
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M head coach shares vision for winning culture built on Aggie identity
Reporting by Dylan Flippo, Aggies Wire / Aggies Wire
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