Many folks around the Southeastern Conference were reasonably skeptical of what Texas A&M basketball could bring to the table in head coach Bucky McMillan’s inaugural season, and the question mark lingered as the offseason came nearing the opening night for the Aggies.
Now, five games into league play, the Maroon and White may have just arrived on the scene of the SEC race. For starters, the Aggies have just one loss so far in conference competition and now they have just taken down their most bitter rivals, the Texas Longhorns.
More than that, McMillan’s squad downed Texas in Austin, a feat no other A&M squad has down in over 20 years. With that in mind, let’s take a dive into the good, bad and ugly of their big-time victory.
The Good: Agee does it again
Jan 17, 2026; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies forward Rashaun Agee (12) makes a lay up against Texas Longhorns center Matas Vokietaitis (8) during the first half at Moody Center. Mandatory Credit: Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images | Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images
To get the best results, a team needs the best out of their players, which is exactly what the Aggies are getting out of their forward Rashaun Agee. His 17 points and 11 rebounds were good for his eighth double-double of the year as he has taken care of business on both facets of the game.
The Bad: Vinson’s vengeance
Jan 17, 2026; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies forward Jamie Vinson (4) makes a jump shot against Texas Longhorns center Matas Vokietaitis (8) during the first half at Moody Center. Mandatory Credit: Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images | Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images
When A&M forward Jamie Vinson arrived at Moody Center, it was safe to say that the locals in attendance were not too happy to see him return to his old home court. Perhaps the glaring reason why was because he had traded his burnt orange in for Maroon and White, and was a vistor rather than a home defender.
A sign reading “Jamie, how’s the bench?” was featured on the television broadcast, but no longer was it featured when the young man jammed a dunk over a towering seven-foot defender and helped contribute to the Aggies’ 74-70 win.
The Ugly: A&M doubters running out of ammunition
Jan 13, 2026; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Texas A&M Aggies head coach Bucky McMillan calls a timeout during overtime against the Tennessee Volunteers at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-Imagn Images | Randy Sartin-Imagn Images
A change of scenery and in some cases, a change of identity, is all a sports team needs to do to get back into the saddle. With A&M, this is very much the case, as McMillan has changed the direction of the Aggies program.
While folks had truly no idea to identify what the Aggies would be under their first-year head coach McMillan. Strangely, rather than being stuck deep in rebuild mode, the Maroon and White are tied for first place in the SEC with reigning national champion Florida.
Not only have the Aggies defeated their rivals, but are trending toward being something more.