Saturday’s Lone Star Showdown between Texas and Texas A&M isn’t just another chapter in a storied rivalry - it’s a clash of emerging identities, with two first-year head coaches bringing very different blueprints to the hardwood. Sean Miller’s Longhorns are starting to find their rhythm, fresh off back-to-back wins over top-15 opponents for the first time in three years. Across the court, Bucky McMillan is bringing his high-octane “Bucky Ball” to the Forty Acres, and it’s already making waves.
McMillan’s brand of basketball is built on relentless pressure and controlled chaos - a style he honed as a high school coach in Birmingham before making the jump to college at Samford. There, he racked up 99 wins in five seasons and punched a ticket to the NCAA Tournament in 2024. Now at A&M, he’s brought that same aggressive, up-tempo philosophy to the SEC, and the results speak for themselves.
The Aggies rank 17th nationally in opponent turnover rate, and they don’t let up - whether it’s full-court pressure after a made basket or a missed shot, or switching between zone and man in the halfcourt, they’re constantly looking to disrupt. That pressure fuels a fast-paced attack: A&M sits 17th in adjusted tempo, 12th in assist rate, and 28th in three-point rate. It’s a system that thrives on chaos and depth - McMillan regularly rolls out 9 to 10 players, each bringing fresh legs and full-court energy.
“They rely on pressure - full-court pressure - and they have great depth,” Miller said Friday. “Their full-court pressure has a wearing-down effect on your team. It creates turnovers, and they do as good a job as any team we’ll face in forcing them.”
A&M’s 16.4 forced turnovers per game rank 10th nationally, and those extra possessions help power an offense that ranks 26th in effective field-goal percentage and 39th in three-point shooting at 36.9%. But while the Aggies come at you in waves, they’re not a big team.
Five of their top six in minutes played are guards, with 6'7" forward Rueben Agee the lone exception. That could create problems against Texas’ 7-footer, Matas Vokietaitis - if the Longhorns can get him the ball.
That’s easier said than done. A&M’s ball pressure makes post entries difficult, and they’ll likely double-team Vokietaitis on the catch.
But when Texas can get the ball inside, the sophomore center is a problem. He’s drawing nearly 10 fouls per game, often putting opposing frontcourts in early foul trouble and getting Texas into the bonus.
The Longhorns lead the nation in free-throw rate, thanks in large part to Vokietaitis, who’s averaging 8.6 free-throw attempts per game.
Still, there’s a tradeoff. Vokietaitis can be turnover-prone - 1.9 per game - often due to offensive fouls or losing the ball in traffic. Miller acknowledged the learning curve.
“Over time, I think we’ve been better at recognizing what a good opportunity is for him and what not a good opportunity is,” he said.
For Texas, the key is simple but critical: break the press, take care of the ball, and get into halfcourt sets where they can feed the post. If they don’t, they’ll be playing right into A&M’s hands.
Offensively, the Aggies are a bit of a paradox. Despite their tempo, they average just 12.3 fast-break points per game - middle of the pack nationally. But they’ll still force Texas to stay locked in, especially in transition defense, where identifying shooters is non-negotiable.
The biggest threat? Ruben Dominguez.
The 6'6" Spanish guard brings pro experience from over 150 games in Europe, and he’s lighting it up from deep - hitting 46.2% of his threes and making 3.6 per game, good for seventh nationally. He’s not just accurate; he’s high-volume, and he’s the focal point of A&M’s perimeter attack.
“Dominguez, just watching him shoot the basketball, it’s astonishing,” Miller said. “The level of shooter he is, how many he gets off per game, the percentage - it’s alarming. Every team has to be aware of what he can do alone.”
He’s not alone, though. Rylen Griffen, a Kansas transfer, is shooting 40% from beyond the arc, and Pop Isaacs is finding his groove in SEC play. Isaacs dropped 21 points with four threes against Auburn, then followed it up with four more in a double-overtime battle with Tennessee.
“Looking at Isaacs the last five, six games, he seems to have really settled in,” Miller said. “His performances, back-to-back-to-back, just really jump off the page.”
This matchup will test just how far Texas has come since opening conference play with two straight losses. Miller pointed to significant strides on the defensive end - better rim protection, fewer breakdowns late in the shot clock, improved transition defense, and more discipline overall.
“Our team is learning how to play at a higher level,” he said. “We were not playing especially well on the defensive end, at the level needed to win… I think there’s a lot of those areas where we’re incrementally better today than we would have been two weeks ago.”
And the numbers back that up. With those two wins over ranked opponents, Texas’ NCAA Tournament odds have jumped from under 10% to nearly 67%. But to keep that momentum rolling, they’ll need to match A&M’s energy, stay poised under pressure, and lean into their strengths - especially at home, in a rivalry game, against a team that sits just one spot ahead in overall adjusted efficiency.
This one’s not just about bragging rights. It’s a battle of styles, of systems, and of two programs trying to carve out their identity under new leadership. Buckle up.