Texas A&M gets another chance to show off the new-look roster Friday night when Northern Kentucky comes to Reed Arena.
The Aggies are coming off a sharp season opener, rolling past Alabama State 97-66 on Tuesday behind a balanced offensive effort and a defense that kept turning the screws. Five Texas A&M players finished in double figures, and the team forced 25 turnovers while piling up 13 steals. It was the kind of debut head coach Bucky McMillan had to like, especially with so many fresh faces in the mix.
PJ Haggerty set the tone with 22 points, while Jordan Pope added 17 in his Aggies debut. Jalen Shelley gave Texas A&M a big lift with 14 points and 12 rebounds, and Tyshawn Archie chipped in 11 points and eight boards. The newcomers accounted for 64 points, a strong early sign for McMillan’s revamped rotation.
Friday brings a different kind of test. Northern Kentucky arrives looking to make things uncomfortable on Texas A&M’s home floor, and the Norse have opened their season with enough offense to at least ask questions. For the Aggies, the challenge is less about scoring and more about keeping that defensive pressure consistent while the lineup continues to settle.
Here’s the game info for Friday’s matchup:
Date: Friday, November 6
Start time: 7 p.m. CT
Location: Reed Arena, College Station, Texas
TV Channel: SEC Network+
Stream: ESPN App
The game will stream on SEC Network+ and will not air on the SEC Network’s traditional television channel.
Texas A&M’s key names again start with Haggerty, who led the team with 22 points in the opener after averaging 23.4 points per game last season at Kansas State. Pope followed with 17 points and three steals in his first game for the Aggies, giving McMillan another proven scorer in the backcourt.
Shelley’s 14-point, 12-rebound night was especially notable because it marked Texas A&M’s first season-opening double-double since 2018. Archie’s debut from McNeese added more length and versatility, while Mackenzie Mgbako returns after an injury-shortened 2025-26 season and gives the Aggies another scoring option. Zach Clemence, the 6-foot-11 senior, brings frontcourt experience and perimeter shooting.
Odds were not available as of Thursday, Nov. 5.
Texas A&M’s opener showed what this group can be when the ball is moving and the pressure is on. The Aggies have more chemistry to build, but they also have enough talent to make life difficult for Northern Kentucky. If the defense keeps forcing mistakes the way it did Tuesday, Texas A&M should have the edge.
Prediction: Texas A&M 94, Northern Kentucky 76
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