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"Super excited, man': Texas A&M senior forward details his return
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- "Super excited, man': Texas A&M senior forward details his return
Texas A&M's 2026-2027 season is less than a week away, as second-year coach Bucky McMillan and the Aggies will host Alabama State on Tuesday, November 3, hoping to get off to a great start in non-conference play. On Thursday, McMillan and several players spoke to the media, including senior forward Mackenzie Mgbako, who is fully healthy after missing all but seven non-conference games last season.
Combined with transfer shooting guard PJ Haggerty, Texas A&M's chances of making it back to the NCAA Tournament and making a deep run after falling to Houston in the Round of 32 will depend on both Mgbako staying healthy and Haggerty, who is one of the best slashing guards in the country and looks like a perfect fit in McMillan's fast-paced scheme.
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For the second time this offseason, Mackenize Mgbako said he's excited that his previous health issues are no longer a lingering problem heading into the regular season, and that his accelerated conditioning this summer, combined with more muscle, should help him absorb blows in the paint, especially once SEC play begins.
"Super excited, man. Super excited. You know how it goes, man. That first game, energy is up, amped up. (Gotta) keep that (up) through the tenure of the season. So, yeah, man. I'm really blessed to be back in this position."
With Haggerty, six other key transfer portal additions, and forwards Zach Clemence and Jamie Vinson returning, Texas A&M's roster is as talented as it's been in over a decade, especially with former Texas transfer Jordan Pople slated to lead the way at point guard.
"I mean, we're really talented team. We work hard. You know, we try to play together. We try to play fast. We like to shoot the ball, so I feel like anything else, we're just a high-energy level team. We play together. We got a lot of veterans, a lot of older players who understand the game. Just leading with that kind of mentality is probably what's gonna separate us."
Leading by example, Mackenzie Mgbako has been through it all since transferring from Indiana before the 2025-2026 season, and playing with consistent speed and physicality on defense will lead to a fast-paced offense, providing the former McDonald's All-American plenty of scoring opportunities.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: "Super excited, man': Texas A&M senior forward details his return
