Texas A&M's 2026-2027 college basketball season will serve as coach Bucky McMillan's second year at the helm after leading the Aggies to the NCAA Tournament last season. After officially beginning preseason practice last week, McMillan and his revamped roster, now including seven transfer portal additions, are ready to once again prove that they belong among the top SEC programs.
One of the program's new additions, Loyola Marymount transfer forward Jalen Shelley, is expected to make a significant impact and earn a starting five job after averaging 13.7 points and 6.6 rebounds last season, while shooting an impressive 45.7% from the floor. Shelley's 3-point shooting, hitting just 28.7% of his attempts last season, is an area that should improve
under McMillan's guidance.
A former wide receiver, Shelley's 6'9" frame was meant for basketball, but playing football gives the Little Elm (TX) native a better perspective of how physical and relentless Bucky McMillan's press defense can be, especially with the right personnel. Combined with returning forwards Mackenzie Mgbako, Zach Clemence and Jamie Vinson, Texas A&M isn't lacking size in the frontcourt.
This week, Jalen Shelley and Zach Clemence spoke to local media about their offseason progress, and Shelley compared McMillan's defense to the Minnesota Vikings' aggressive scheme under defensive coordinator Brian Flores.
“It reminds me of the Vikings defense. They blitz a lot, go after the quarterback, they come at you. We press, we try to come at you, wear teams down, and just keep going and going.”
Last season, Texas A&M's defense recorded 260 steals and 103 blocked shots, and finished 54th nationally in adjusted defense. With more size and NBA-level talent, Mackenzie Mgbako staying healthy remains the key to the Aggies' chances of making it back to the NCAA Tournament.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Transfer forward compares Texas A&M's scheme to an elite NFL defense
