Texas A&M basketball is soon set to take on its 2026-27 opponents, and when it squares off against all of these SEC teams, it will be a challenge.
It will be a fascinating season, as it is now in Year 2 of head coach Bucky McMillan. All of these SEC schools he faces have historically had fantastic coaches that have recruited high-caliber stars that can shoot at an elite level.
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What will be intriguing to watch is how the roster responds after each matchup, because there are no cupcake games, and McMillan has gone on record saying the conference is one of the best in the nation, stacked with talent. His team will see these schools and has to find a way to come out on top to stay in contention for March Madness. Here are the three toughest tests.
Crimson Tide
Alabama basketball coach Nate Oats speaks at a press conference prior to the Final Four at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on April 4, 2024. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
This will be a year Alabama sees talent return, which will be huge for head coach Nate Oats, who has had consistent success since coming from Buffalo. He gets back Amari Alle, London Jemison, and Keitenn Bristow. Another name that people may recognize is Aden Holloway, along with Collins Onyejika and Preston Murphy Jr.
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The program reached the NCAA Tournament last year and lost one of its best players, Labaron Philon, to the NBA Draft. A&M still has to figure out how it is going to stick to the pace it likes to play at, as this team will be like the ones Oats has had in the past, which are fast-paced. It should be a game of tempo, with plenty of three-balls taken and finishing with a high score. It could also come down to how A&M does in the rebound battle and to getting the forwards involved, like Cade Phillips, Zach Clemence, and Mackenzie Mgbako.
Volunteers
This is going to be one of those games that goes back and forth, with some of pace and tempo, maybe even defense. Head coach Rick Barnes has a track record of consistently fielding teams that compete and make the NCAA Tournament. His newly constructed roster looks very different, but a few faces are returning. He gets to face a familiar face in Phillips, who chose to hit the transfer portal and play for McMillan, so there will be more fuel in this one to get the win.
Tennessee has forward DeWayne Brown and and guard Troy Henderson returning in an attempt to cut down the nets. Several other pieces are players Barnes has on his side that were recruited and are transfer portal additions. A few names to watch include Wake Forest transfer Juke Harris, Notre Dame transfer Jalen Haralson and VCU transfer Terrence Hill. No matter who takes the floor, his defensive mind will try to give the A&M players headaches with the on-ball pressure.
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This was one of the best teams in the SEC last season, and with what head coach John Calipari has done to produce NBA players, there are likely to be more stars featured in this matchup.
Right now, Calipari has Billy Richmond and Jeremiah Wilkinson paired with Isaiah Sealy and Paulo Semedo. Also on the team are the five-star forward Miikka Muurinen and a consensus National Player of the Year, Jordan Smith Jr. The list of talent goes on.
It is shaping up to be a battle both inside and on the perimeter, as there are multiple areas to watch. It is going to be a dribble-drive attack facing an offense that is heavily reliant on three-point shooting. Both coaches like to constantly rotate their players off the bench and know that every game in the SEC is going to be vital to staying in the race for a better seed, which could very well factor into the conference and NCAA Tournament seeding. Buckle up for plenty of sharpshooters showcased in this one.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/tamu as Here Is Toughest Schools Texas A&M Will Face At Home On 2026-27 Basketball Schedule.
