In the modern era of collegiate basketball, stats are significant to the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee and to the program fighting every day to build its resume.

For the Texas A&M basketball program, conference play is going to be here in a matter of time. In the first week of January, SEC play officially starts, which means that every win, every point, and how every shooter is doing, matters.

So far, this Aggies offense has been one of the best Aggieland has seen in years, with five games in which they have scored over 100 points, a feat the program has hardly been accustomed to.

Without the leadership of Bucky McMillan, who inherited a program with only one player remaining on the roster, he basically started from scratch and built a roster to play at a fast-paced tempo known as Bucky Ball.

Picking up a ton of transfers from big-branded programs was one of the best strategies McMillan used, as well as going overseas to shoot a ton of threes and get to work in the paint. On average, A&M is posting 95 points per game to go along with 38.6 rebounds, 22.2 assists, and 9.5 steals.

The Ags are also shooting 48.8 percent from the field and 38.4 percent from three, along with a 75.2 percent success rate from the free-throw line, which speaks to the high volume of shooters on the team.

Depth

There are eight players on the A&M team averaging 15 or more minutes, which speaks to the coaching staff rotating players as the best way to approach running the offense and defense. Five players average above 10 points, seven players are shooting 50 percent or better from the field, and nine players are shooting.

That’s called playing team basketball.

“When we’re subbing, and we can lean on the other team a little bit, they’re not going to be as fresh to guard us,” McMillan said.

Even when the Aggies dealt with injuries and illnesses to start the first two months, they have figured out how to work around the craziness of the first year under a new coach who is still learning each day.

With one of the best three-point shooters, Ruben Dominguez, who set the school record for most 3-pointers made by an Aggie, along with two forwards, Rashaun Agee and Mackenzie Mgbako, dominating the glass, the team has presented problems for opponents.

Guard play has also been a major reason the offense has produced nine wins. Guards such as Marcus Hill, Rylan Griffen, Josh Holloway, and Pop Isaacs have been fantastic in the constant rotation and know that their coach is right when he says it’s going to be a different player’s night every outing.

“We’ve gotten better,” McMillan said. “That’s for sure.”