'We want adversity' Texas A&M HC Bucky McMillan is confident ahead of his inaugural season

USA Today

7 hours ago

'We want adversity' Texas A&M HC Bucky McMillan is confident ahead of his inaugural season
New Texas A&M basketball head coach Bucky McMillan has been one of the lone bright spots for Texas A&M Athletics over the past three months, as the Buzz Williams era came to a close after six seasons, which never included a trip to the Sweet 16 despite three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances.
McMillan's fast-paced offense, energy, and consistent passion for the game have rejuvenated a program that was considered successful but had been falling short when it mattered year after year. Since taking over, McMillan has proven to be an elite recruiter from the transfer portal, landing 12 commitments, led by former Indiana star forward Mackenzie Mgbako and former Creighton standout guard Pop Issacs.
Outside of several of the 13 new additions who have yet to make it to campus for summer camp, McMillan's 2025 roster has enough talent to compete for a postseason bid this coming season. While he is looking to add two more players to fill out the 15-man roster, that shouldn't be an issue based on his recent success.
On Wednesday night, McMillan joined Texas A&M Football head coach Mike Elko in Dallas for the second consecutive Coach's Night, marking McMillan's first appearance this offseason. In stark contrast to Buzz Williams, McMillan's confidence and belief in what the basketball program can be should excite every Aggie fan come this fall.
"I do think that this place is destined to compete for championships. I want to do that here. We will compete for championships when we don't focus so much on what we're going to do and instead focus on how we're going to do it."
Texas A&M's basketball program has never advanced to the Elite Eight. While the Aggies are likely a ways away from making serious noise in the NCAA Tournament, McMillan's vision and underdog mentality align perfectly with the Aggies' fan base, as he craves adversity to keep the team on its toes throughout the season.
"We want adversity. We want that. When there is true adversity and things aren't going exactly how we want it to go, that's an opportunity for all these Aggies to come together and do something incredible."
On the court, one of the major issues that plagued the Aggies last season was a lack of offensive consistency, as well as struggles at the free-throw line. These two areas will be addressed and improved with better shooting talent and coaching that begins this summer. Good things are on the horizon, and the 2025 Aggie basketball squad will be one of the highest-scoring offenses in the SEC.
"We take free-throws, layups and threes, and we get really good at it."
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