Texas A&M finished the 2025-2026 regular season 21-11 and tied for fourth in the SEC standings. First-year coach Bucky McMillan deserves his flowers for inheriting a roster that had just one player after former head coach Buzz Williams took almost everyone else with him to Maryland.
By ending the regular season with back-to-back wins over Kentucky and LSU, the Aggies earned their spot in the NCAA Tournament. They were on the 9- or 10-seed line in every major analyst’s predictions over the last two weeks. For those familiar with the preferable seed lines, double-digit seeds provide most teams, barring late-season struggles, a much better path from a matchup perspective.
However, Texas A&M’s lack of size has been an issue all season. The loss of Indiana transfer forward Mackenzie Mgbako created a massive hole in the starting rotation, leading to McMillan having to play small ball. Senior forward Rashaun Agee, who stands at 6 feet, 7 inches has played the five spot throughout the season.
While Agee’s elite ball skills as a big man, combined with the roster’s shooting depth, led to an average of over 90 points per game, Texas A&M’s 11 losses were almost exclusively to bigger teams. On Sunday, Texas A&M was named the 10-seed and scheduled to face seventh-seeded St. Mary’s on Thursday. On paper, the Gaels are the 13th largest team in the country.
This size has led to efficient rebounding. St. Mary’s ranks 14th in total rebounds, 15th in rebounding percentage and 4th in offensive rebounds allowed. Combined with a 38% 3-point percentage, the Gaels are highly efficient at the free-throw line, averaging 80% as a team.
Texas A&M ranks 203rd in average height but 11th in average pace, meaning playing fast and forcing turnovers will be the key to victory. Still, this will also take an elite shooting performance, which was not the case during Thursday’s blowout loss to Oklahoma in the SEC Tournament.
Rashaun Agee recorded his school-record 13th double-double against the Sooners, but getting him the ball early should not be the focus. It has proven unsuccessful against bigger opponents. Instead, Agee playing inside out and finding open shooters early in the game, while playing fast, should lead to positive results.
Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.
This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M’s March Madness path begins with size mismatch vs St. Mary’s
Reporting by Cameron Ohnysty, Aggies Wire / Aggies Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
