Knee deep in the thick of the Southeastern Conference regular-season title race, Texas A&M men’s basketball has been surging since the start of league play. From 10 double-double performances out of graduate student forward Rashaun Agee, to the growing synergy between head coach Bucky McMillan’s squad, the Aggies are clicking as they seek their fourth straight NCAA Tournament bid.
But before it looks too far ahead, A&M finds itself in a full-length episode of “The Crocodile Hunter,” where Agee and his Aggies will be wrestling big game as they play host to No. 17 Florida on Saturday, Feb. 7, and Missouri on Wednesday, Feb. 11.
Trophy hunt
After winning the national championship last season, the Gators got off to a rocky start, as back-to-back losses against then-No. 4 Duke and then-No. 5 UConn dropped Florida to a measly 6-4 record on Dec. 9, 2025. But like swamps in the Sunshine State, caution should always be exercised — even with no perceived danger — for a reptilian threat could be lurking just below the water’s surface.
Since then, Florida has charged back into the hunt for a spot in the Big Dance, winning 10 of its last 12 matchups and putting up a 7-2 record in the SEC. Junior F Thomas Haugh has been paramount in the Gators’ midseason revival, leading them with 17.6 points per game. He adds a respectable 6.4 rebounds per game as well, but few have been as effective as junior center Rueben Chinyelu and junior F Alex Condon.
The upperclassmen stars have created one of the country’s top board-crashing duos, averaging 11.3 and 8.1 rebounds per game, respectively. The former’s total is first in the SEC and fourth in the nation, while the latter is ranked third in the conference. However, sandwiched between the two Gators is Agee, who averaged nine rebounds per game, prior to the game against Alabama on Feb. 4.
The Maroon and White will need the best out of the man McMillan calls “Grandpa,” but he is not the only Aggie who has been dealing damage around the court. Another man with a nickname — though perhaps more intimidating — is sophomore guard Rubén Dominguez, the one that A&M faithful know as the “Spanish Sniper.”
Not even Hernán Cortés could have conquered Aggieland the way Dominguez has in just a few short months, breaking A&M’s program record for 3-pointers in a single game with 10 in just his sixth contest with the Maroon and White. Now 21 games in, Dominguez has the second-most treys in the conference with 68 and is second out of the Aggies with 12.9 points per game.
But even with an old man and a conquistador, A&M will still need all hands on deck to send Florida back to the swamp with its tail tucked between its legs, especially with sophomore G Boogie Fland at the ready.
The Arkansas transfer has fit in perfectly with his new squad, leading the Gators in assists per game with 3.9 as he circulates the flow of traffic for their offense. But defense is where Florida shines, leading the SEC in rebounds per game with 46 and ranking in the top five for points allowed per game and blocks.
With all that in mind, the Aggies will need to play true to their full-court press and uptempo identity to rattle the Gators, as Florida will be prepared to show the nation why it is still capable of competing for a championship.
Tiger-taming trifecta?
Sometimes, new regimes push the same agendas. While McMillan is certainly not promoting former head coach Buzz Williams’ style of play, especially since the Aggies are averaging almost 20 points more per game under McMillan than under the now-Maryland boss, there is something that remains: the goal to render all the Tigers of the SEC to mere housecats.
A season ago, Williams’ final A&M squad bested Auburn, LSU and Missouri, with the midweek matchup versus the latter opening the door for McMillan’s rookie crew to replicate the same feat. Chomping with the same bite force as the Gators, the Tigers will be baring their teeth, hungry for an upset like the one they pulled off against the reigning national champions back on Jan. 3.
Senior G Mark Mitchell has been the do-it-all machine for Missouri, leading the Tigers in both points and rebounds per game with 17.5 and 5.5, respectively. But Mitchell is not the only X-factor in Columbia, Missouri, as graduate student Gs Jacob Crews and Jayden Stone average north of 10 points per game.
While Missouri maintains a slight height advantage, A&M has grown accustomed to taking on taller opponents and has delivered results even when the starting five are off the court. The Aggies’ 91.8 points per game are ranked third in the country, as are their 38.3 bench points per game, with each individual ready to do their part.
The spotlight plays no favorites for the Maroon and White, with fifth-year G Ali Dibba’s 15-point performance against Georgia and graduate student F Zach Clemence’s seven 3-pointers against South Carolina serving as testaments to what Bucky Ball can do.
With a win over Missouri, A&M would not only secure another critical SEC victory, but also extend its streak over the Tigers to six straight games. McMillan has had the luxury of entering into the Maroon and White’s rivalries on the winning side, but as the season draws closer to its end, each game is its own uphill battle.
Tearing through the conference is no easy task, especially with a rookie SEC head coach, but perhaps A&M has finally found the winning formula to capture its first regular-season championship since 2016. Even so, McMillan has his Aggies playing one game at a time, and it’s been good enough to stay atop the conference standings.
