Bucky McMillan was just on a heater the likes of which we've rarely seen in Texas A&M basketball recruiting. Over the past few weeks, it has seemed to fans as though whoever McMillan wanted to get out of the portal, he was bringing in and getting signed expeditiously.
These weren't just random players, either— big names like Mackenzie Mgbako, Federiko Federiko, and others were inking with the Aggies. McMillan was forming a really strong core for his first season in Aggieland, and the excitement surrounding the program was looking way, way up from when Buzz Williams departed for the Maryland Terrapins.
All that momentum was becoming infectious, and for good reason. However, the momentum took a serious hit today with some news regarding Oklahoma transfer Duke Miles, who had previously signed with the Aggies.
Texas A&M basketball left scrambling after Oklahoma transfer Duke Miles requests release from NLI
Aggie basketball fans were seriously dismayed to hear today that the former Sooner Duke Miles would not be landing in College Station as previously thought. Rather, Miles has elected to request a release from his National Letter of Intent to sign with the Aggies, meaning he will be moving on to another destination.
Duke Miles has requested release from his NLI.
— Jaxson Callaway (AT) (@AggiesToday) May 2, 2025
With a specific name still on board, I’d take this as a good sign regarding their chances. This will be Miles’ third team of the portal cycle. https://t.co/ijetBiqb9R
Miles was a replacement-level contributor at Oklahoma, but with increased minutes and an increased role in Aggieland, many fans thought he could step in and step up pretty quickly. We'll never really know if that's the case now, as he is moving along from A&M to another team.
McMillan and the Aggies are now left to find another player to supplement the spot that Miles is leaving vacant. They've been linked to Rylan Griffin, formerly of Kansas and Alabama, at guard in the portal, which would be a massive get. That one would definitely be a huge battle, but if A&M can wedge their way in on that front, it would help the Aggies forget about this loss.
For now, though, this is a bit of a bummer. McMillan has shown he can handle adversity, however, and so I'm sure he'll be able to find a backup plan without much issue.