As Texas A&M coach Bucky McMillan combed through the thousands of players in the transfer portal this spring, one name stuck out prominently: P.J. Haggerty.
Of course, the 6-foot-4 junior guard was a top target for several high-major programs. But on paper, the fit at A&M was perfect. Haggerty has been one of the best scorers in college basketball for multiple years. The Aggies had one of the nation’s most explosive offenses in their first season under McMillan, whose high-octane system — known as “Bucky Ball” — requires elite shot-creators. Haggerty also grew up in Crosby, Texas, which is just a two-hour drive from College Station.
When the portal opened in early April, A&M pounced. The program was losing all of its top guards from the 2025-26 campaign, most of whom exhausted their eligibility, and needed to make a big splash in the transfer pool to continue contending in the SEC. As Haggerty’s recruitment unfolded, McMillan realized that the fit was even better than it appeared.
“I’ve always had a chip on my shoulder,” McMillan tells Hoops HQ. “And talking to PJ, I think he’s got a chip on his shoulder, too. Like, he’s got something to prove. I like kids like that.”
McMillan has been doubted at every stop on his coaching journey, in large part because Bucky Ball is rather unconventional. The analytics-driven system combines a fast-paced, three-point-heavy offense with an aggressive fullcourt defense. “I was an AAU coach, and then when I coached JV, they said you can’t do what you do in AAU coaching organized basketball,” McMillan says. “They said the same thing when I went to varsity. Then they said the same thing when I went to the SoCon. Same deal when I went to the SEC.”
After making the leap from Samford to A&M a year ago, McMillan had to scramble to assemble his first team with the portal already heavily depleted. Still, the Aggies far exceeded expectations, finishing fourth in the SEC — nine spots higher than projected — and winning an NCAA Tournament game. Bucky Ball proved successful yet again, as A&M averaged 86.1 points per game and ranked third in defensive efficiency in conference play.
With the opportunity to prepare for this offseason, McMillan has constructed a roster that won’t be flying under the radar in 2026-27. His transfer class — headlined by Haggerty and ranked ninth in the country by 247Sports — is not only loaded with talent; it fits his system perfectly. The pieces are in place for A&M to compete for an SEC championship and make an even deeper March Madness run in Year Two of the Bucky era.
It all started with Haggerty, who, like McMillan, has been overlooked throughout his career. He was just a three-star recruit coming out of high school despite carrying Crosby to its first regional final in over four decades. As a freshman at TCU, he played a minimal role through six games before deciding to take a redshirt. He transferred down to Tulsa for his sophomore campaign and shined, earning 2023-24 AAC Rookie of the Year honors with averages of 21.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.9 steals.
From there, Haggerty jumped to Memphis, where he won 2024-25 AAC Player of the Year and was a consensus All-American, and then to Kansas State last April. In his first full season at the high-major level, he posted a career-high 23.4 points per game (fourth in Division I) but his team was a disaster, stumbling to a 12-20 record and placing 15th in the Big 12. Amid heightened scrutiny, the chip on his shoulder grew.
Only a few days after the portal opened, Haggerty, Hoops HQ’s No. 4-ranked transfer, committed to the Aggies. McMillan sold him on Bucky Ball, the opportunity to play his final season in his home state and how the program could help prepare him for the next level.
That Haggerty got on board quickly and didn’t drag his feet was critical. It allowed McMillan to build around his new superstar guard, as well as key returners such as 6-foot-9 junior forward Mackenzie Mgbako (10.4 points per game) and 6-foot-11 senior forward Zach Clemence (6.9 points per game). Mgbako, a versatile wing, missed a majority of last season after suffering a Jones fracture in his right foot.
Haggerty is more of a driver than a shooter, so he’s at his best when surrounded by perimeter threats. McMillan searched far and wide to find the optimal pairings, from the mid-major ranks to the pros. The program received a commitment from 6-foot-3 guard Bryson Warren, who has spent the past three seasons in the NBA G League. Warren appeared in 21 games for the Westchester Knicks in 2025-26, averaging 19.8 points, 5.0 assists and 3.1 rebounds while shooting 38.6 percent from behind the arc. The 21-year-old ranked third in the entire G League in three-pointers per contest (4.3), making him an ideal complement to Haggerty. A former Overtime Elite standout, Warren has never suited up in college but still needs to be cleared by the NCAA to be eligible.
A&M landed five additional transfers, including another elite shooter in 6-foot-5 junior guard Lukas Walls from Radford. Walls, who shot 45.5 percent from three in one year with the Highlanders, previously played for McMillan at Samford from 2023-25. To round out their backcourt, the Aggies signed two more dynamic playmakers in 6-foot freshman guard Jalen Reece from LSU and 6-foot-1 junior guard Tyshawn Archie from McNeese. In SEC play, Reece averaged 7.1 points and 4.7 assists, finishing third in the league with a 2.8 assist/turnover ratio. Archie thrived in his sole season with the Cowboys, earning All-Southland honors with averages of 14.3 points, 2.9 assists and 1.7 steals.
After his 2025-26 campaign was cut short due to shoulder surgery, Tennessee’s Cade Phillips, a 6-foot-9 junior forward, entered the portal and committed to the Aggies. Back when he was at Samford, McMillan was the first coach to offer Phillips a scholarship. The big man has significant SEC experience and is “a great connector,” McMillan says. The same could be said for 6-foot-8 sophomore forward Jalen Shelley from LMU, who joined A&M in late April. Shelley, whom McMillan views as a major sleeper with the potential to be “really special,” began his college career at USC. He started 25 games for LMU before being sidelined by an injury, averaging 13.7 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists.
“We’ve got a good mix of attackers, skilled players, shooters and one through four length,” McMillan says. “They’ll be tall enough and skilled enough and balance each other out.”
Another positive in McMillan’s eyes is that the roster is composed of several local products. Newcomers Haggerty, Archie and Shelley are all from Texas, as well as returnees Clemence, sophomore forward Jamie Vinson, sophomore forward Chris McDermott and freshman guard Jeremiah Green.
During the 2025 offseason, McMillan was the last Power Five coach to be hired. He wasn’t even introduced at A&M until April 7, two weeks into “Portal Madness.” This year, he had landed Haggerty by April 11 and was on his way toward constructing an SEC contender. As the days have passed, the picture McMillan painted for Haggerty amid the recruiting process has become clearer and clearer.
“I had a good talk with him about not just the vision we have for him in terms of the player, but also how he fits into what we do,” McMillan says. “Having shooters around him and playing in the open floor and playing in space and what we’re going to do. And that we’re going to win.”
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