🏀Texas A&M being the “most slept-on” team in an extremely deep SEC:
🏀 Jon Rothstein’s Bold Prediction
College basketball reporter Jon Rothstein projects Texas A&M to finish 10th in the SEC standings for the 2025–26 season. He highlights their new fast-paced “Bucky Ball” system under coach Bucky McMillan and credits their portal additions—Pop Issacs, Mackenzie Mgbako, Rylan Griffen, Marcus Hill, and Ruben Dominguez—for potential surprises this season .
Rothstein’s full top‑4 picks: #1 Florida, followed by Arkansas, Kentucky, and Auburn—leaving A&M overlooked in his 10th‑place slot .
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Context: SEC’s Growing Strength
The SEC continues to deepen. A record-breaking 14 teams made the NCAA Tournament recently, surpassing Big East’s mark of 11 from 2011 . A&M being ranked as low as 10th underscores just how loaded with talent and potential the conference really is.
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Why “Most Slept-On” Might Be Fair
New leadership and system: McMillan’s “Bucky Ball” could inject pace and unpredictability.
High-impact transfers: Their portal haul adds depth and skill across positions.
Depth of competition: Being cast as a middle-of-the-pack team in a historically strong SEC amplifies the sleep-on tag.
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🔥 Video Breakdown
Here’s a breakdown of SEC preseason predictions featuring Texas A&M:
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Bottom Line
Texas A&M could be a dark horse in the SEC next season. With fresh coaching, energetic playstyle, and a loaded transfer class, they’re primed to overachieve—while Rothstein’s projection might be the perfect setup for them to flip the script.
