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Why the College Basketball World is All In on Texas A&M HC Bucky McMillan

From former players to respected college basketball voices, Bucky McMillan’s hiring as Buzz Williams’ successor for the Texas A&M Aggies has been met with widespread praise across the basketball world.

Diego Saenz

Mar 21, 2024; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Samford Bulldogs head coach Bucky McMillan during the second half in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament against the Kansas Jayhawks at Vivint Smart Home Arena-Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images
Mar 21, 2024; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Samford Bulldogs head coach Bucky McMillan during the second half in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament against the Kansas Jayhawks at Vivint Smart Home Arena-Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images / Rob Gray-Imagn Images
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New Texas A&M Aggies basketball coach Bucky McMillan will be officially introduced Monday at 3 p.m. at Reed Arena, where he’ll be handed the keys to the Aggies’ next era on the hardwood.

From former players to respected college basketball voices, McMillan’s hiring as Buzz Williams’ successor has been met with widespread praise across the basketball world.

Brooklyn Nets forward Trendon Watford, who played under McMillan at Mountain Brook High School in Birmingham, Alabama, is one of many voices praising the move.

Bucky McMillan
Mar 20, 2024; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Samford Bulldogs head coach Bucky McMillan during the NCAA first round practice session at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images / Rob Gray-Imagn Images

The duo captured three state championships together between 2016 and 2019 before Watford began his college career. During his 12-year tenure, McMillan led the Spartans to five state titles and earned National High School Coaches Association Coach of the Year honors in 2018.

Watford reacted to the new of McMillan's hiring on X, writing "Aggies got a good one" and "the best news I ever seen about the Aggies. Wow."

Take a look:

But the praise for McMillan extends well beyond the high school ranks or his former players. Several of college basketball’s most respected voices have also chimed in.

Kansas head coach Bill Self, who faced McMillan’s Samford squad in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament, saw firsthand what “Bucky Ball" brings to the table. The Bulldogs faced the Jayhawks down to the wire, with an extremely controversial goaltending call that ultimately gave Kansas a 93-89 win, ending Samford’s potential upset.

"It's a style that you don't have to play perfectly, but you have to play athletically and quick to create havoc, force teams to make plays at a pace that maybe they're not as accustomed to making plays," Self said. "I think he's done a fabulous job. And I also think he plays a way that will warrant continuing to get good players because people want to play like that. But he's in a far better place than I was early in my career."

Kevin Scarbinsky, a renowned sports journalist from Alabama, weighed in on Bucky’s hire in his latest vlog post:

“Texas A&M basketball wins the lottery by hiring Samford’s Bucky McMillan," Scarbinsky wrote in his vlog. “Expect the Aggies to do what the Bulldogs have done the last five years but with more size, speed, athleticism and skill. And, if you like, McMillan will explain the logic that fuels his approach in a persuasive PowerPoint presentation complete with charts, graphs and calculations that lead to one irrefutable conclusion.” 

With high praise pouring in from all corners of the basketball world, Texas A&M fans have every reason to believe that big things are on the horizon under Bucky McMillan.

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Diego Saenz
DIEGO SAENZ

Diego Saenz is a junior Sport Management student at Texas A&M University, originally from Torreón, Mexico, and raised in Cedar Park, Texas. His passion for sports, especially fútbol and football, has been evident since a very young age. In his free time, he enjoys reading, watching games, listening to podcasts, and spending time with friends.

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