24. Texas A&M
The Aggies were unexpectedly caught up in the whirlwind of the coaching carousel when Buzz Williams departed College Station for Maryland. Following a successful season that included 5th place in a talented SEC, Texas A&M isn’t jumping into a rebuild under new head coach Bucky McMillan, even with an almost entirely new lineup. This program will unquestionably miss Wade Taylor IV, Zhuric Phelps, and Pharrel Payne, but there are new pieces to watch out for in the SEC.
With nearly a dozen transfer additions, there’s certainly a sea of expectations for these new Aggies, but a few names really float to the top. Mackenzie Mgbako becomes an anchor in the frontcourt after his work at Indiana in recent seasons while Pop Isaacs dropped into this program’s lap from Creighton through Houston and just might be the most explosive player for the Aggies. McMillan will expect big things from other additions like Rylan Griffen and Jacari Lane as well.
Isaacs was a late addition and his presence elevates this into a Top 25 team once again. If he can get back fully healthy like he was at Texas Tech, then his impact on the court could propel the Aggies into the NCAA Tournament and perhaps even further than the second round like last season. Any time a team has this many moving pieces there is reason for concern and hesitance and a lot falls on how McMillan handles the transition of coaching in the SEC after recent success in the SoCon.