The Texas A&M basketball team enters rivalry weekend looking to reset after a grueling double‑overtime loss to Tennessee. It was a tough shooting night across the board, and the Aggies will aim to get back on track Saturday when they travel to Austin to face the Texas Longhorns.

For head coach Bucky McMillan, it marks his first experience in the Lone Star Showdown — and an opportunity to do something no A&M coach has accomplished since 2001: win in Austin. He understands exactly what this rivalry means to Aggies everywhere, but he’s also pushing his team to stay grounded and avoid getting swept up in the noise.

” …our players got to block out all the noise and just know that our success going to in this game is going to be on their ability to focus on the things that equate to winning basketball”

It’s not about minimizing the rivalry, McMillan emphasized, but recognizing the bigger picture. The SEC grind is long, and every conference game carries weight. That perspective has been reinforced by A&M’s 3–1 start in league play — a stretch that has boosted the team’s confidence despite the close calls.

“it’s been great and that’s why I say we can get caught up like a game slips away here or there where you’re right there to win it. But there’s also a lot of games on the flipside of that that we executed and won,”

A win on Saturday would move the Aggies to 4–1 in SEC play, a meaningful early‑season marker that could pay dividends later in the year. For McMillan, the message remains simple: play their style, trust their habits, and let the chips fall where they may.

Below, you can watch the full press conference with Coach Bucky.

Texas A&M will face the Texas Longhorns in Austin at the Moody Center on Saturday, January 17, at 5 p.m. CT. The matchup will air on ESPN.

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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Watch: A&M coach Bucky McMillan previews road matchup against Texas