COLLEGE STATION — On April 5, 2025, when Texas A&M basketball hired head coach Bucky McMillan, few likely expected this start to Year 1.
The Aggies (16-4, 6-1) enter the fourth week of SEC play in sole possession of first place in the conference, including a road win over Texas for the first time in 24 years. Their only conference blemish came in double-overtime on the road against then-No. 21 Tennessee. Six wins in the first seven conference games is the best start for the Aggies since 2022-23.
Much has been made of “Bucky Ball” and what it would look like in Aggieland. Now that A&M is 20 games into the system, it’s hard not to be impressed with the early returns.
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Texas A&M Aggies head coach Bucky McMillan talks to Texas A&M Aggies guard Ruben Dominguez (9) before he subs into the game during the second half of Lone Star Showdown, Jan. 17, 2026 at the Moody Center in Austin. Texas A&M won the game 74-70.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
With 14 new players on the roster and a demanding style of play, the Aggies have handled a relatively soft schedule well, ranking 40th in the all-important RPI metric.
Here are grades for each Aggies players who averages more than 10 minutes a game about midway through SEC play:
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Texas A&M basketball midseason grades
Rubén Dominguez, guard: A-
When Rubén Dominguez was signed by McMillan this offseason, the Aggies’ coach spoke about how special the 3-point shooter from Spain was. Two months into the season, it’s easy to see that talent.
Dominguez is fifth in the SEC in 3-point percentage (44.3%) and second in 3-pointers made (66). He’s leading A&M in minutes per game (25.1), is second in scoring (12.9 points per game) and is first in free-throw percentage (90.9%). The 6-foot-6 guard holds a school record with 10 3-pointers against Manhattan and has scored double-digit points 15 times this season.
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Rashaun Agee, forward: A+
The captain and the emotional leader, Rashaun Agee, has been everything A&M hoped for and more. Forward Mackenzie Mgbako was lost for the season Dec. 29, and in his absence, Agee has filled a void in the locker room and on the court.
He’s averaging 24.5 minutes per game, tallying a team-high 13.7 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. Agee is second in the conference in double-doubles with nine, behind Florida’s Rueben Chinyelu (10).
Rylan Griffen, guard: A
A key piece of McMillan’s system, Rylan Griffen ranks third on the team in minutes (24.4) and points (11.6). He’s also second in assists, dishing out 2.7 per game.
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The former Kansas and Alabama wing has elevated his game since conference play began. In seven SEC games, Griffen has reached double figures in scoring five times. The highlight came against Texas in Austin, where Griffen scored 17 second-half points to help lift the Aggies over their rival.
Defensively, the 6-foot-5 senior has proven to be exactly the type of presence Bucky Ball needs. In McMillan’s press-heavy system, Griffen is averaging a team-high 1.8 steals per game.
Marcus Hill, guard: C+
A consistent presence in the starting lineup, Marcus Hill is one of five Aggies players averaging double-digit scoring. Hill is tallying 10.1 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 21.7 minutes per game. The 6-foot-3 Illinois native has proven to be valuable on the boards for a team that lacks height and has just one active player averaging more than 3.0 rebounds per game.
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In the nonconference slate, Hill was impressive, averaging 12.4 points per game. However, his production in SEC play has dipped to 5.7 points per game, with double-digit points just once.
Pop Isaacs, guard: B+
Although he doesn’t start, A&M’s team would not be the same without Pop Isaacs. The former Creighton guard is fifth on the team in minutes, averaging 21.5 per game. He’s averaging 10.4 points, 2.6 assists and 2.2 rebounds per game.
Isaacs has admitted that coming off the bench is new to him, but as he’s grown more comfortable in his role, the Aggies have begun to flourish. He’s scored in double figures in all but one SEC game.
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Jacari Lane, guard: B-
Among A&M’s starters, Jacari Lane may not be as efficient a scorer as some of his teammates (44.3%), but the former North Alabama guard has carved out an important role for the Aggies.
Lane leads the team in assists with 3.9, while averaging 7.9 points and 2.1 rebounds in 21.3 minutes per game. He also ranks second to Dominguez at the free-throw line, shooting 85% on the year.
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Josh Holloway, guard: C+
As the only player to come to A&M from Samford with McMillan this offseason, one would’ve thought Josh Holloway‘s impact might have been bigger. The former Bulldogs’ guard is averaging 5.3 points, 2.3 assists and 1.9 rebounds in 14.1 minutes per game.
In the nonconference slate, Holloway scored in double figures five times. However, in seven conference games, he has gone scoreless in five of them. He is shooting 52% from the field and averaging one steal per game.
Ali Dibba, guard: B+
Perhaps a surprise to some, Ali Dibba has improved as the schedule stiffened.
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The 6-foot-5 senior averaged just 3.9 points in 13 nonconference games, going scoreless in five of them. Since conference play began, his role has become more defined and he has averaged 7.1 points per game, including 12 points against LSU in the SEC opener. The 6-5 wing averaged 17.2 points per game for Southern Illinois last season and has also proven to be a help on the boards, averaging more against SEC foes.
Zach Clemence, forward: C+
The lasting image of Zach Clemence came Saturday, when he scored a career-high 21 points, including seven 3-pointers, against South Carolina. But for the season as a whole, it’s been more of a mixed bag.
The former Kansas big man is averaging 13.1 minutes, with 5.3 points and 2.9 rebounds. He’s shooting 48.8% from beyond the arc, but has scored more than five points twice in the last 13 games. On a team where he’s one of the few players taller than 6-foot-8, Clemence hasn’t played more than 16 minutes in a conference game yet.
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Federiko Federiko, forward: C-
Much like Clemence, Federiko Federiko was expected to be a key piece of the puzzle for a team that lacked size. The 6-foot-11 big man is averaging 10.8 minutes per game but has yet to play more than 10 minutes or score more than two points against an SEC foe, averaging 4.7 minutes per game over the last four contests.
He is averaging 2.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 0.6 blocks per game. The most damning aspect of his standing right now is that he did not see any minutes against the Longhorns. Instead, former Texas big man Jamie Vinson was subbed in and provided a spark with four points, one rebound and one block.
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Reach Texas A&M beat reporter Tony Catalina via email at Anthony.Catalina@statesman.com.