Texas A&M kept rolling Sunday with a 108-67 win over UL Monroe, and the box score told the story of a team with plenty of answers. The Aggies moved to 3-0 behind 22 points from transfer guard PJ Haggerty and 19 from fellow transfer guard Jordan Pope, while second-year coach Bucky McMillan spread the floor across 16 players and got useful minutes from just about everybody.
The depth showed up everywhere. Blue-chip freshmen Neiko Mundey and Josh Irving chipped in eight points apiece, and McMillan leaned into the kind of rotation that can matter later in the season. Texas A&M also forced more than 24 turnovers and put up 54 points in both halves, a sign the pressure kept coming from start to finish.
There were still a few rough edges. The Aggies shot 52% overall but just 29% from 3-point range, though that kind of perimeter number shouldn’t be a season-long concern. Free throws were a different story in a good way: Texas A&M went 23-for-29 after that area had been an issue in the first two games.
Tyshawn Archie was another bright spot. The McNeese transfer added 12 points off the bench and delivered his second dunk in two games, once again flashing the athleticism that has made him look like a real sixth-man option for this team.
Tennessee transfer forward Cade Phillips, meanwhile, suffered a knee injury and will undergo imaging tests on his right knee Tuesday. It could be worse, but the expectation is that he will not play Thursday against Oklahoma State.
After the game, McMillan, Haggerty and Archie all addressed the win and what’s next.
McMillan said the expanded rotation was part of the plan.
"It’s good to play a lot of guys in the game. We wanted to space out the minutes.
We want to build the depth of our team, you go through the season with injuries and sicknesses so you want to build the depth. It was good to see Josh Irving and Neiko Mundey get double digit minutes and make the most of it.
We forced more than 24 turnovers and scored 54 points in both halves, so that was good to see. Now we’ve got to get ready for Oklahoma State."
He also said the team’s energy level wasn’t quite where it was in the previous game.
"I didn’t think our effort was as good as it was last game. I practiced them last night and ran some guys for not blocking out, so we’ve got to get our legs together. But we’re trending in the right direction."
On Archie’s dunk, McMillan added:
"I’ve seen him have some surprising dunks in practice. I told him if he tried to do that on me, that would be suicide for him.
McMillan had high praise for Pope as well.
"I told Frank Haith to find me five players like him for next season. He’s got a mental toughness, IQ, and skill that makes him so much fun to coach. I trust him more than any player i’ve coached in such a short time."
Looking ahead to Oklahoma State, McMillan said:
"What we’re doing so far should translate better. We should be ready to go."
Archie said the team is still sharpening the details.
"We’re trying to play the right way. knowing when to make the one more pass and shoot it, it’s stuff we work on every day in practice."
Haggerty, who has already played with Archie at Tulsa, said the dunk wasn’t a surprise to him.
"He’s been doing that. We played together at Tulsa, so i’ve been seeing it, it’s nothing new to me."
And on the bigger picture, Haggerty said the group is focused inward as the schedule stiffens.
"Coach Bucky preaches to us that it’s not about them, it’s about us. We’re getting used to each other, paying attention to details, and it will prepare us for the games we’re about to play against Oklahoma State and TCU."
As for Archie’s dunk, Haggerty summed it up in one line:
"We’ve got some dogs, you know what I’m saying."
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