The Texas A&M Aggies are keeping year one under head coach Bucky McMillan alive after pushing forward into the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament.
The No. 10-seeded Aggies pulled off the upset, keeping themselves in the madness after winning in their first-round matchup of the NCAA Tournament, taking down the No. 7-seeded Saint Mary’s Gaels 63-50 on Tuesday night.
After the win, the Aggies now put themselves one win away from the Sweet Sixteen in year one under a new head coach, and standing in the way of that is one of the top teams in the country, with the No. 2-seeded Houston Cougars, awaiting the Aggies on Saturday afternoon. If the Aggies wish to pull off another upset, here are three ways they could secure a win.
Slow Down Kingston Flemings
Houston Cougars guard Kingston Flemings dribbles the ball during a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament. | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
The Cougars are led by star freshman guard Kingston Flemings, who not only has been one of the top first-year players in the country, but he has been one of the top overall players in the nation as he leads Houston in points, assists and steals per game.
Flemings heads into the matchup against the Aggies, averaging 16.4 points per game while shooting an efficient 48 percent from the field and 39.2 percent from three-point range, along with 5.3 assists, 4 rebounds and 1.6 steals a game.
The guard is a high-level scorer who can score in bunches, with his season high in points coming against the Texas Tech Red Raiders when Flemings scored 42 points in a loss. The Aggies will have to be well aware of Flemings anytime the ball is in his hand because he can score and score quickly.
Rashaun Agee Has to Keep Rolling
Texas A&M Aggies forward Rashaun Agee celebrates in the first half. | NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Aggies have been led by veteran Rashaun Agee all season long as the forward leads the team in scoring, averaging 14.9 points per game while shooting 49 percent from the field. Agee also leads the team in rebounding with 8.9 rebounds per game to his tally.
In his first NCAA Tournament game of his career against Saint Mary’s, the moment was not too big for Agee as he ended the game with a game-high 22 points, shooting 63.6 percent from the field, along with a game-high nine rebounds.
Just like in the game against Saint Mary’s, Agee will be playing with a slight height disadvantage, with the Cougars starting center Chris Cenac Jr. listed as six-foot-ten. However, if the Aggies are able to pull off the upset, Agee will have to be the crafty veteran and use his strength to get through the heart of the Cougars defense.
Don’t Break Tendency
Texas A&M Aggies guard Ruben Dominguez reacts during a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Paycom Center. | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
The Aggies have gotten themselves into the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament, playing the Bucky Ball style of basketball throughout the entire season, and the Aggies shouldn’t change up now.
Both teams pride themselves on the defensive side of the court, putting extreme pressure on the opposing team’s ball-handlers, looking to force turnovers and limit offensive possessions. Saturday night will likely be McMillan’s toughest coaching matchup he has faced against Houston’s Kelvin Sampson.
In what will more than likely be a grind-it-out type of game where each possession will become valuable, the Aggies should continue to play to their strengths of high-level aggression and pressure on the defensive side of the court to try to limit the Cougars’ high-level offensive players.
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