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USA Today
14 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Everything Texas A&M HC Bucky McMillan said during his first Coach's Night appearance
Everything Texas A&M HC Bucky McMillan said during his first Coach's Night appearance Heading into his first season at the helm for the Texas A&M men's basketball program, head coach Bucky McMillan previewed the season ahead in his first appearance at the Dallas A&M Club for Coach's Night on Wednesday. McMillan was hired as the Aggies' new head coach on April 4 on a five-year deal worth $16 million. Before he arrived in Bryan-College Station, Texas, he led the Samford Bulldogs to the school's first NCAA Tournament since 2000, while also racking up three Southern Conference Coach of the Year awards during his tenure. The opportunity to coach at the highest level against the best competition is something that every coach clamors for, and that is exactly what McMillan will be granted when he steps on the court for the first Southeastern Conference matchup in January. Here is everything McMillan had to say when discussing the upcoming season and his experiences so far in Aggieland. How has it been having the opportunity to visit with the Dallas Aggies Club and the Texas A&M community across the state of Texas? "It's great. You can feel the passion from all of these fans and it's great, the people in College Station and now here in Dallas, and all across all the Aggies have such passion," McMillan said. How is McMillan's relationship with Texas A&M's head football coach Mike Elko? "(Mike Elko) has been great, showing me the ropes since I've been here. I'm a football fan. I'm a big, big football fan, so I appreciate you, Coach," McMillan said. What is the importance of adding Spanish guard Rubén Domínguez and what does he bring to the table? "What he brings is three-point shooting from the time he steps on the floor," McMillan said. "He can shoot it from half-court, he's one of the best shooters in the world. What's going on with international game right now, with the way college basketball is with NIL (name, image and likeness) opportunties, is that a lot of the players that would have played professionally overseas are now coming acorss the pond. We want the good ones who can make threes to come to Texas A&M. He's one of those guys." How plug-and-play ready is Domínguez going from playing overseas to the SEC? "He's played against elite competition, professional basketball. He knows how to play, (which) I think is just as important as his skill set," McMillan said. "When you get to this level, a lot of it is your mental ability to process things quickly. If you played professionally, you're able to process faster. That's what he brings. He'll probably have an adjustment to make with the physicallity and the defense that's in the SEC, but I like what he's about and I like his skill set." How have summer workouts progressed for the Aggies? "We just want to get better. We got a lot of guys out. We got three that won't be here until later in the summer, so we don't have 10 yet. We're not playing a lot of five-on-five," McMillan said. "We're just trying to get the players acclamated to our pace of play and the skill set it takes to play at that pace and the volume of three-point shooting is obviously something we've been working on to make sure our guys understand how we like to space the floor and the skillset neccessary to be able to do that. How does the House settlement impact college hoops? "Across college basketball and football, this may be the highest group of athletes in terms of their financial compensation that will ever happen," McMillan said. "The House settlement hasn't come into play yet, NIL opportunties (and) collective opportunties. I think it may come down to earth a little bit next year, but it'll be across the SEC with that $2.73 (million)." How much more comfortable are you now, compared to when you first got hired? "It's a lot more relaxing becuase you actually get to work with players. If you can't work, it's hard to have confidence in the group you have. Now, we're finally getting players there so we can work and build the confidence within the team we're going to need to have to play in the best college basketball league in the country," McMillan said. What does it mean to be able to visit with Aggie fans and see the support from the Maroon and White faithful? "This is incredible. This is the value of athletics, when you think about it. There are not a lot of opportunties and things in life that can tie this many people together," McMillan said. "It's phenomenal because we have something that links us together. We're all Aggies here, and we get to support each other." What are the goals heading into the 2025-2026 campaign? "I expect to win every game that we're going to play. That's the pressure we put on ourselves," McMillan said. What does the future of the program look like moving forward? "There is no reason that A&M can't compete at the highest of the high level with all of the resources that the Aggies have provided," McMillan said. How will this team handle potential obstacles and challenges ahead during this year's campaign? "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," McMillan said. How did it feel coming to Texas A&M and what's the experience in College Station been like so far? "Trev Alberts, who is not here tonight, I have to thank him for this great opportunity to be your basketball coach," McMillan said. "Everything has been great since we've been here. I have loved College Station. It has been phenomenal. I certainly feel the passion for the fans." What can fans expect from "Bucky Ball"? "My job is to bring you a product and a program that you all can be so proud of because they play so hard, so unselfish and have such a swagger when they step on that floor," McMillan said. "We want to play a style of basketball that's successful and that you enjoy watching. We want to bring both to you: We want to bring a winning culture that you all deserve, and we want to have an entertaining style that you can all enjoy." What kind of aspects will this program be built on moving forward? "Our basketball program is pretty much built on this: We've got to get great personnel. We've got to get great recruits. We've got to get great coaches, and we've got to get great supporters. No one is going to outdo the support of the Aggies. That much I know." What is the focus of this team and what are the expectations heading into this year? "We try to narrow the focus to a driver, a pitching wedge and a putter. That's our plan. We're going to keep it simple analytically, and hopefully, we can be one of the highest scoring teams in the country this year," McMillan said. "We take free-throws, layups and threes, and we get really good at it." How has the recruiting process been at Texas A&M this offseason? "There are not too many places that you could be, that at that time of year, that you could have that kind of support," McMillan said. "We brought 12 players on recruiting visits, and all 12 committed. That says a lot about Texas A&M." What is the vision for the program's future? "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," McMillan said. "I'm looking forward to building something truly special here with everyone here." Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Dylan on X: @dylanmflippo.
USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
'We want adversity' Texas A&M HC Bucky McMillan is confident ahead of his inaugural season
'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." Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
'There is a genuine energy around the program': Texas A&M head coach previews season
Before he leads the Texas A&M football program on the gridiron this fall, second-year head coach Mike Elko appeared at the Fort Worth Stockyards to talk ball on Coach's Night with the Fort Worth A&M Club on Tuesday night. Elko led the Aggies to a record of 8-5 (5-3 in SEC) in his first season in Bryan-College Station, Texas, which marks the first eight-win season for the program since 2021. The 2024 campaign had a fair share of good moments, but some aspects need improvement this season if Texas A&M wants the 12-team College Football Playoff. "We're really proud of the foundation that we've laid in the first year here for what Texas A&M football is and where it's going." The South Brunswick, N.J., native recruited tremendously in the offseason by bringing in top-rated athletes like former NC State wideout KC Concepcion, who is projected to make an immediate impact for the Aggies this season. During his appearance at Coach's Night, Elko expressed his thoughts on the junior wide receiver and what he brings to the table for the offense this season, according to TexAgs. Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle "KC Concepcion has been exceptional... He could be a captain," Elko said. "He has been unbelivable with his work ethic, his commitment to doing things the way we want to do them. He has been a role model for our younger guys." With targets like Concepcion, Mississippi State transfer Mario Craver Jr., Terry Bussey, Izaiah Williams and Ashton Bethel-Roman to throw to, it also takes a quarterback who can be accurate and find ways to get the ball to those targets. Texas A&M has just that with dual-threat sophomore quarterback Marcel Reed, who has stepped up as a leader and continued to strengthen his game during the offseason. "Marcel (Reed) has been great," Elko said at Coach's Night on Tuesday. "I don't think anybody really appreciates the development that Marcel made because a lot of his development happened at the end of the year when we didn't get the results we wanted. We have to finish those games and get the results, but if you're looking for signs of growth from the quarterback, those signs were there. We think we've got a really, really good quarterback this year." When competing in the Southeastern Conference, it is integral to protect your gunslinger. It all starts up front for the Aggies this season, as the veteran group prepares to anchor the Texas A&M offense this season. Elko had high praise for the group when talking with the Fort Worth A&M Club on Tuesday night. "The roster starts with the offensive line, and any time you can talk about the roster starting with the offensive line, you feel pretty good about what you can accomplish," Elko said. "We return our top seven linemen. We're really excited about the veteran experience we have with that group ." Along with an experienced offensive line, a talented wide receiving corps, and Reed at the helm, the running back room is just as dangerous. Ranked as one of the best groups in the SEC heading into 2025, the projected starter Le'Veon Moss is set to have an explosive season. Moss suffered an injury last season that sidelined him from November until the end of last year's campaign. However, he seems to be recovering well and is undoubtedly chomping at the bit to get back on the field this fall. "It's great to have Le'Veon Moss back and heathy. He looks awesome," Elko said. "He has done an unbelivable job of rehab to get himself to in position where he's running full-speed right now." The defensive unit for the Aggies needed major rebuilding after losing Shemar Stewart, Shemart Turner and Nic Scourton to the 2025 NFL Draft. Players like senior Cashius Howell will play key roles in filling the holes on that side of the ball. "When you lose a first-rounder and two second-rounders, it's not easy," Elko said. "I think Cashius Howell is the first guy that jumps out to you. I think Cashius is going to be an elite player." Elko is leading the program in the right direction, both on the field and in recruiting. Texas A&M landed a huge commitment on Tuesday, as running back KJ Edwards, who ranks as the No. 2 player at the position in the country, bumped the Aggies to No. 2 in 247 Sports' recruiting rankings. Earning one of the top recruiting classes in the country so far for 2026 is a testament to the work Elko and the company are doing to build the program back to its winning ways. More than that, they are building a welcoming environment with everyone focused on getting better. "The feeling when you're around our team and around our players, they genuinely enjoy being in the building. They genuinely enjoy going to workout," Elko said. "There is a genuine energy around the program, and that's something recruits feel. There is a process of getting the program into a position where you can consistently win. We feel like all those indicators are pointing in the right direction." The Texas A&M football program will begin this year's campaign on August 30 against UTSA. Kickoff from Kyle Field is set for 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN. Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Dylan on X: @dylanmflippo.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Everything Texas A&M HC Mike Elko said during Wednesday's Houston Coach's Night
Texas A&M's 2025 football season is getting closer by the day, as the Aggies will kick off the new campaign against UTSA in Kyle Field on Saturday, August 31. This offseason, second-year head coach Mike Elko has made the media rounds, and is currently finishing out the annual Coach's Night circuit, which continued on Wednesday night in Houston. Expectations remain high for an Aggie roster filled with talent and experience at every level, and while half of the fan base is still skeptical of the team's progress, Elko is supremely confident that his team is on the right track, as he continued to praise several offensive and defensive leaders, including starting quarterback Marcel Reed and junior linebacker Taurean York. Advertisement Littered with locker room leadership, it's the play on the field that matters most, so it's fair for the skeptics to continue shouting internally, or externally that offseason quotes are "meaningless" despite Elko's authenticity and honesty compared to former head coach Jimbo Fisher. As the countdown to the 2025 season continues to tick down, here is everything Mike Elko had to say during Wednesday's Houston Coach's Night. Mike Elko on Texas A&M's improvement on defense before taking over as the defensive play-caller. "Everybody keeps asking me that - yes, we will be better on defense." Mike Elko compared Texas A&M's 2025 O-line to the memorable 2020 offensive line. "I think that is what we have this year." Mike Elko on how freshman DE Marco Jones will balance playing football and baseball. "down-the-road conversation," but Jones participated in some of the baseball scrimmages before the season and will be "pretty much exclusively football" this fall. Mike Elko briefly reflects on his first season with the program When I look back on everything that has been done in our first year at Texas A&M, it was a foundational year. That's how I would describe it." "We felt the first thing we had to do as a staff was establish a culture. We wanted to build a program that resembles this great university." Mike Elko on how he views Texas A&M's football future "Where this program is going? It's pointed to the sky. We talk about the indicators that show success. Retention is a big part of it… We are proud of keeping all of our coaches and 16 starters." Mike Elko on the 2025 roster's veteran leadership "We have 23 kids on our roster who will play their last year of college football. We are an older roster." Mike Elko on the team's offensive strengths in the trenches "If you think back to the core of the 2020 football team, the offensive line is where it all started. We bring back all four tailbacks. That is not something you see all the time." Mike Elko provided an update that RB Le'Veon Moss "got some work in" on Monday. Mike Elko is well acquainted with new WR KC Concepcion, who he faced during his two-year coaching career at Duke. "I played against him his freshman year when I was at Duke. He has been a really mature kid. He has that captain make-up." "Mario Craver came from Mississippi State. If you ask our corners, he is the toughest one they covered last year." Mike Elko's confidence in QB Marcel Reed continued on Wednesday. "We are really excited about him. He can make plays with his arm and his feet." "I think you will see him take a really, really big step forward." Mike Elko on LB Scooby Williams playing through his meniscus tear during the entire 2024 season. "Scooby Williams tore his meniscus on the first drive of the first game last year. It was the same play Dalton Brooks got ejected. You didn't see the best of Scooby." Mike Elko on his fiery postgame comments after Texas A&M's bowl game loss to USC. "We didn't meet my or our standard for what defense should look like. Part of that is Year 1. Part of that is the Tyreek Chappell injury, so we had to play more zone. Part of it is coaching it and the players doing it." Mike Elko on if NIL has changed his coaching methods "Not at all. I made a decision when this started that I wasn't going to coach differently. We have established a standard for how you should act and behave." Mike Elko (asked by a fan in the audience) on playing Texas this year on Black Friday. "I will say this. Our team is very excited for that Friday night across the state. We will leave it at that." Mike Elko on the state of Texas A&M recruiting. "We are still very committed to bringing in a large high school class every year, around 24 to 26 guys. We still go through the recruiting process the way we always have." Mike Elko on what he believes will take Texas A&M to the "next level." "It's NFL talent. The amount of talent you have will be measured by the number of draft picks you have. The last seven to eight years, it's not comparative. For us to get where we want to go, that has to happen." Mike Elko with the quote of the night to end Wednesday's event. "I think this is really important. Our goal is to build the best program we are capable of being… When we do that, it won't matter who we play or who is in the SEC. No one will be able to stop us." Advertisement Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty. This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Everything Texas A&M HC Mike Elko said during Houston Coach's Night
USA Today
05-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Everything Texas A&M HC Mike Elko said during Wednesday's Houston Coach's Night
Everything Texas A&M HC Mike Elko said during Wednesday's Houston Coach's Night Texas A&M's 2025 football season is getting closer by the day, as the Aggies will kick off the new campaign against UTSA in Kyle Field on Saturday, August 31. This offseason, second-year head coach Mike Elko has made the media rounds, and is currently finishing out the annual Coach's Night circuit, which continued on Wednesday night in Houston. Expectations remain high for an Aggie roster filled with talent and experience at every level, and while half of the fan base is still skeptical of the team's progress, Elko is supremely confident that his team is on the right track, as he continued to praise several offensive and defensive leaders, including starting quarterback Marcel Reed and junior linebacker Taurean York. Littered with locker room leadership, it's the play on the field that matters most, so it's fair for the skeptics to continue shouting internally, or externally that offseason quotes are "meaningless" despite Elko's authenticity and honesty compared to former head coach Jimbo Fisher. As the countdown to the 2025 season continues to tick down, here is everything Mike Elko had to say during Wednesday's Houston Coach's Night. Mike Elko on Texas A&M's improvement on defense before taking over as the defensive play-caller. "Everybody keeps asking me that - yes, we will be better on defense." Mike Elko compared Texas A&M's 2025 O-line to the memorable 2020 offensive line. "I think that is what we have this year." Mike Elko on how freshman DE Marco Jones will balance playing football and baseball. "down-the-road conversation," but Jones participated in some of the baseball scrimmages before the season and will be "pretty much exclusively football" this fall. Mike Elko briefly reflects on his first season with the program When I look back on everything that has been done in our first year at Texas A&M, it was a foundational year. That's how I would describe it." "We felt the first thing we had to do as a staff was establish a culture. We wanted to build a program that resembles this great university." Mike Elko on how he views Texas A&M's football future "Where this program is going? It's pointed to the sky. We talk about the indicators that show success. Retention is a big part of it… We are proud of keeping all of our coaches and 16 starters." Mike Elko on the 2025 roster's veteran leadership "We have 23 kids on our roster who will play their last year of college football. We are an older roster." Mike Elko on the team's offensive strengths in the trenches "If you think back to the core of the 2020 football team, the offensive line is where it all started. We bring back all four tailbacks. That is not something you see all the time." Mike Elko provided an update that RB Le'Veon Moss "got some work in" on Monday. Mike Elko is well acquainted with new WR KC Concepcion, who he faced during his two-year coaching career at Duke. "I played against him his freshman year when I was at Duke. He has been a really mature kid. He has that captain make-up." "Mario Craver came from Mississippi State. If you ask our corners, he is the toughest one they covered last year." Mike Elko's confidence in QB Marcel Reed continued on Wednesday. "We are really excited about him. He can make plays with his arm and his feet." "I think you will see him take a really, really big step forward." Mike Elko on LB Scooby Williams playing through his meniscus tear during the entire 2024 season. "Scooby Williams tore his meniscus on the first drive of the first game last year. It was the same play Dalton Brooks got ejected. You didn't see the best of Scooby." Mike Elko on his fiery postgame comments after Texas A&M's bowl game loss to USC. "We didn't meet my or our standard for what defense should look like. Part of that is Year 1. Part of that is the Tyreek Chappell injury, so we had to play more zone. Part of it is coaching it and the players doing it." Mike Elko on if NIL has changed his coaching methods "Not at all. I made a decision when this started that I wasn't going to coach differently. We have established a standard for how you should act and behave." Mike Elko (asked by a fan in the audience) on playing Texas this year on Black Friday. "I will say this. Our team is very excited for that Friday night across the state. We will leave it at that." Mike Elko on the state of Texas A&M recruiting. "We are still very committed to bringing in a large high school class every year, around 24 to 26 guys. We still go through the recruiting process the way we always have." Mike Elko on what he believes will take Texas A&M to the "next level." "It's NFL talent. The amount of talent you have will be measured by the number of draft picks you have. The last seven to eight years, it's not comparative. For us to get where we want to go, that has to happen." Mike Elko with the quote of the night to end Wednesday's event. "I think this is really important. Our goal is to build the best program we are capable of being… When we do that, it won't matter who we play or who is in the SEC. No one will be able to stop us." Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.
