Texas A&M basketball, for whatever else you can say about them over the last few years, is a program that has rarely been in the thick of things for the top recruits in the nation. In a state that produces a high level of basketball talent, it has been something of an embarrassment how seldom the Ags have been in on that talent coming out of high school.
There have been some legitimate stars who have come through College Station, of course. DeAndre Jordan was a huge name and five star who was a one-and-done in Aggieland. Even recently, Manny Obaseki was a guy who was highly regarded coming out of high school.
But the fact remains that, under Buzz Williams, the Aggies were not exactly a recruiting power. With the resources of a school like Texas A&M, that should never be the case— and it looks like new coach Bucky McMillan is set to remedy that.
Bucky McMillan gets Aggies in mix for five-star Texas talent Shelton Henderson after Duke decommitment
Texas A&M basketball made the final five recently for Shelton Henderson, an elite-level player out of the Lone Star State who recently backed off of a pledge to the Duke Blue Devils.
Aggies in the Top 5 for elite 5-star prospect Shelton Henderson out of Bellaire, TX pic.twitter.com/ynYtfMvYWE
— DuragAT🚬💨 (@DuragAT) April 19, 2025
Considering that the Ags are up against blue bloods like Kentucky and North Carolina, and given that Miami is a name a lot of people like in this recruitment as well, it will be a tough pull to bring Henderson into the fold. However, this is exactly the type of recruitment that the Aggies would never have been in on under the previous regime.
McMillan taking some big swings here early in his tenure as he attempts to reconstruct the roster is an encouraging sign. He's showing that the Aggies will no longer be passive in recruiting their home state— that they're ready to play ball in the big leagues. The hard-nosed, tough mentality that the previous coaching staff brought to the table was enough to win a lot of games, but without the requisite talent, challenging for a national title was a big ask.
Things look to be changing quickly under McMillan in a positive way. The excitement for the new head coach's tenure continues to grow with each passing day.