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EspañolTexas A&M (19-10, 9-7 SEC) is still in contention for a spot in the NCAA Tournament despite losing back-to-back games against Arkansas on the road and the Texas Longhorns at home, needing to win at least two more games to have a shot at earning an at-large bid. However, hosting Kentucky on Wednesday night and facing LSU on the road to end the regular season is no easy task.
One thing is clear: Indiana transfer forward Mackenzie Mgbako will not see the court this season after breaking a bone in football just a handful of games through non-conference play. However, first-year head coach Bucky McMillan is highly optimistic that the former McDonald's All-American is progressing well during his rehab and is set to return for the 2026-2027 season.
Late last month, McMillan stated that Mgbako was slowly but surely making his way back to the court and should be back in full capacity this summer, hinting that the junior should be back with the program next season.
"He's doing well. He's doing everything he's supposed to do and should be back this summer. I hate that fans didn't get to see how he was playing this summer. He looked like a first rounder."
Still, this wasn't exactly clear, but during Monday's pregame press conference, McMillan provided another update for the star forward, noting that, if Mgbako were to test the NBA waters again, the timing does not lineup with his rehab and availability.
“He’s done for the year, but he’s doing well. He just started his rehab. He’s still with us. We could’ve really used him on the court this time of year. He’s a winner. He can come back next season.”
If this comes to fruition, Texas A&M's is set to lose Rashaun Agee, Rylan Griffen, Jacari Lane, Ali Dibba and Federiko Federiko to exipired eligibility, while reserve guard Pop Isaacs and senior forward Zach Clemence are on pace to return, combined with forward Jamie Vinson, guard Josh Holloway, and, pending paperwork, senior guard Marcus Hill could also return next season.
If Mackenzie Mgbako returns, Texas A&M's future lineup, which will likely include several new transfer additions, will be borderline elite on paper.
Texas A&M coach Bucky McMillan gave an update on Mackenzie Mgbako (foot) and sounded confident he will return to college next year: “He’s not going to go to the NBA unless he was healthy enough to perform well in workouts where his draft status would be where he wanted it to be.” pic.twitter.com/nMlE3Vd7Uh
— Carter Karels (@CarterKarels) March 2, 2026
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M F Mackenzie Mgbako on track to return next season