​Texas A&M exceeded expectations in Bucky McMillan’s first season, but the Aggies will enter the year with something to prove.CBS Sports projected Texas A&M to finish tenth in its SEC preseason media poll. The placement follows the Aggies’ fourth-place finish in the conference last season and their advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.McMillan led A&M to a 22-11 record and an 11-7 conference mark while immediately proving his fast-paced offense could work in the SEC. The Aggies finished among the nation’s top 15 in scoring, assists, made 3-pointers and bench points.A&M added 10 newcomers, led by Kansas State transfer PJ Haggerty, who averaged 23.4 points last season. Texas transfer Jordan Pope could give the Aggies another experienced scorer and shooter after averaging 13.1 points, but his eligibility remains tied to ongoing litigation involving the NCAA.Mackenzie Mgbako and Zach Clemence headline the returning group. Mgbako averaged 10.4 points before an injury ended his season, while Clemence averaged 6.9 points and shot 40% from the 3-point line. Both give McMillan proven scoring options who already understand his system.Jamie Vinson, Chris McDermott and Jeremiah Green also return with experience in McMillan’s system. That continuity should help a roster that will once again rely heavily on transfers.A ninth-place prediction shows how deep the SEC is expected to be, but it also gives A&M another opportunity to outperform preseason expectations. With Haggerty leading the offense and Mgbako back in the lineup, the Aggies have enough talent to finish higher than CBS projects.Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Jarrett Johnson on X: @whosnextsports1.This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Where did Texas A&M land in the 2026 SEC preseason rankings?