Former Big 12 rivals Oklahoma State and Texas A&M — teams that made major forays into the transfer portal to remake their rosters — meet Sunday in Stillwater, Okla.
Second-year Oklahoma State coach Steve Lutz brought in 12 new players, including seven Division I transfers, to add to the one starter back from a 17-18 team. The new-look Cowboys opened the season with a 95-71 home victory over Oral Roberts on Tuesday.
Texas A&M coach Bucky McMillan took it a step further in his first year after four consecutive 20-win seasons at Samford. All five starters and 13 of the 14 players who saw time in the Aggies’ 104-70 home victory over Texas Southern on Thursday are new.
“This team is way further ahead than I would’ve expected with this many new players,” said McMillan, whose Aggies (2-0) opened with a 98-68 home victory over Northwestern (La.) State on Monday.
McMillan has delivered an up-tempo, full-court-pressure style — christened Bucky Ball — to College Station, and the Aggies scored 100 points on Thursday for the first time since Dec. 27, 2021 (102-52 over Dallas Christian). Samford was eighth in the KenPom adjusted tempo ranking in 2024 and 24th last year.
“I don’t really think about 100,” McMillan said. “I don’t think about it because I’m trying to get to 120 points.”
Forward Rashaun Agee (Southern California transfer) had 16 points to lead five double-digit scorers against Texas Southern. Guard Rylan Griffen (Kansas) had 14.
Aptly named guard Vyctorius Miller scored a career-high 21 points and reserve forward Christian Coleman had 15 points and 11 rebounds in the Cowboys’ win over Oral Roberts.
Senior forward Parsa Fallah had 15 points and junior guard Jaylen Curry had 13 points and six assists. All four of Oklahoma State’s leading scorers are Division I transfers.
The Cowboys outscored Oral Roberts 45-25 in the second half, holding the visitors to 6-of-27 shooting from the floor in that span.
“We showed a glimpse of what we can be defensively,” Lutz said. “We have to be that for 40 minutes if we are going to be the type of team that can make the NCAA tournament and win some games.”
A pair of highly regarded Cowboys newcomers, guard Anthony Roy and wing Isaiah Coleman, did not play against Oral Roberts. Roy, who averaged 25.7 points in 11 games at Green Bay last season, had an undisclosed injury. Isaiah Coleman, who averaged 15.6 points at Seton Hall last year, missed the game because of a “discipline matter,” Lutz said.
–Field Level Media
