Texas A&M just completely wiped away their horrible mistakes from their Oklahoma loss from a week ago.
A mix of forcing turnovers from the press and Rueben Dominguez shooting lights out from downtown became the difference in the win. St. Mary's. A&M forced a season-high 18 turnovers against the Gaels, a very disciplined team that takes care of the basketball.
But one story is what Rashaun Agee said after the game. It shows that a shadow of the Buzz Williams philosophy might have been on the minds of the Aggies, even though only Chris McDermott was the only remaining player from the Williams era.
Bucky McMillan's Aggies showed the same toughness as a Buzz Williams team
Texas A&M forward Rashaun Agee on matching the physicality of a taller team like St. Mary's: "Every game you should come out ready to hit somebody before they hit you. You have to set a standard."
— TexAgs (@TexAgs) March 20, 2026
Buzz was known for his philosophy of tough defense, paint scoring, and rebounding. The paint scoring started to get a little outdated, and it showed in the Round of 32 loss to Michigan last season.
Rueben Dominguez added 11 points and looked like he was scorching from downtown. That wouldn't have happened under the Buzz era, but the Aggies added a mix of outside shooting and tough defense from the press.
It wasn't as ugly as a Buzz win, but it was just as physical, with the Aggies looking comfortable with hitting outside shots.
Last season, fans expected a first-round win, but the Aggies were no doubt the underdogs in this one. St. Mary's is a disciplined team that can knock down shots and rebound at a good rate. Texas A&M completely took that away, largely thanks to Agee.
Agee finished with 22 points and nine rebounds. Those are the kind of games he needs for the Aggies to continue in the tournament. The Aggies are a next-man mentality team, so if Agee is off his game, people are going to have to step up.