Friday vs. Manhattan might be the night Mgbako makes his A&M debut
Might Friday be the night?
Will Mackenzie Mgbako finally make his long-awaited Texas A&M debut?
It's a strong possibility as the Aggies (3-2) host Manhattan (3-2) on Friday night at Reed Arena in a non-conference college basketball matchup. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. CT.
“Y'all are going to see a big different in our team with Mackenzie when he comes back,” A&M head coach Bucky McMillan told TexAgs Live on Monday. “You got remember that we've got one guy on the draft board, and that's Mackenzie, and he hasn't gotten to play yet.
“He's going to come back here, probably get some minutes on Friday.”
Mgbako — a 6-foot-9, 225-pound forward originally hailing from Franklin, New Jersey — was McMillan's prized portal addition in April.
The 2024 Big Ten Rookie of the Year in 2024 averaged 12.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game as a sophomore at Indiana in 2024-25.
Hype and excitement surrounding his prospects in Maroon & White truly started when he spurned an NBA Draft Combine invite after averaging 20.5 points at the G League Elite camp in May.
“I look forward to playing in coach McMillan's system, doing whatever is asked of me to help our team win, play in the NCAA Tournament and go deep into March,” Mgbako said over the summer.
However, a foot injury has put him on the shelf and kept him out of A&M's first five games. Without him, the Aggies are off to an up-and-down start after falling to a pair of Big 12 teams by double-digits and nearly stumbling at home vs. Montana on Tuesday.
That path to March is certainly murkier than it was in May, as A&M's shortcomings have been both on offense and defense.
The Aggies aren't shooting the 3-pointer at a satisfactory percentage.
Mgbako should help with that.
They're also lacking a strong defensive presence in the half-court.
Again, Mgbako should help with that.
“He's not going to be in midseason form, but you're going to get to see some different things with our rotations,” McMillan said. “I think our team's going to take another big step forward, particularly when he's in that lineup.”
Of course, when he does make his return, it's reasonable to expect Mgbako to be on limited minutes as McMillan & Co. ease him back into game shape.
Regardless, the Aggies should beat Manhattan, which is fresh off a trip to Hawaii for three games in Honolulu.
Under third-year head coach John Gallagher, the Jaspers have already lost to USC (114-83) and Hawaii (86-56). Given the talent disparity, Friday's score should be similar.
With or without Mgbako, a lopsided Aggie victory would make Friday night alright.
