16 ALEX CARUSO CELEBRITY GOLF TOURNAMENT
Aggie Legend Gives Back To The B/CS Community. BY ROB HAVENS ‘88
18
Breakdown Of Our First Six Games With Our Favorite Shots. BY ROB HAVENS ‘88
25 ARE YOU READY FOR BUCKY BALL?
We Take A Look At Our New Men’s Basketball Team. BY ROB HAVENS ‘88
28
AARON POUNDS Q&A
We Visit With The Third Pounds’ Sibling To Play For A&M.
This has been an incredible fall so far, watching our football team put together a great season. The fourth-and-goal winning touchdown play in South Bend will be remembered for many years to come. This team has learned how to win tight games and overcome deficits. They’ve also earned victories with an explosive offense as well as a suffocating defense. We have worn down our opponents and continue to showcase the depth that the staff has put together. The defense we saw when Elko was the defensive coordinator has arrived, and the Aggies have moved up the polls into the Top 5.
There have been over 100,000 fans in Kyle Field for the last ten games. Inside this issue, we feature our football rewind, where we look back at the first six games and share some of our favorite shots.
In this issue, we also have a preview of the men’s basketball team. Our new men’s coach, Bucky McMillan, and staff have put together a team that we are excited to watch. Reed Arena will be rocking as we all get to experience our first season of Bucky Ball.
We also got to cover the Alex Caruso Celebrity Golf Tournament at Traditions Golf Course in Bryan. Please check out the story inside of our Hall of Famer giving back to BCS.
I also had the pleasure of visiting with Aggie golfer Aaron Pounds after his first individual victory this fall. Pounds is the third sibling of his family to play for A&M. Aggie Soccer’s Haley & Taylor Pounds were featured in our magazine when they donned the Maroon and White, and we were excited to meet Aaron. Check out our Q&A with Pounds inside.
Our Volleyball team has had a great season so far, and they are positioning themselves for a high seed in the upcoming postseason tournaments. Get out to Reed and check them out.
Thanks again for supporting the magazine. Be sure to patronize our corporate partners; they are the best!
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Super-talented KC Concepcion stretches out for a touchdown catch in the Utah State game. The transfer from NC State also had an 80-yard punt return for a touchdown during the Aggies 44-22 victory over Utah State.
Trinity Buchanan celebrates with her teammates after scoring the only goal in the Lone Star Showdown victory over Texas. Following a 35-yard free kick by Bella
which found Kaylee Noble at the 6-yard box, she back-heeled it to Buchanan, who threaded the needle, just inside the post, past a diving goalie.
Coach Jamie Morrison has raised the bar, and the team has responded with a great start and three top 25 wins. Currently ranked #9 and rolling with a six-game winning streak, the Aggies are ready to compete for championships.
After a tough start to conference play, the Aggies elevated their game to beat Texas and give the school its first point in the Lone Star Showdown. Trinity Buchanan, who leads the team in points (10) and goals (4), scored the gamewinner and the only goal when the Aggies defeated the Horns at Ellis Field for their first SEC win.
Two-time world champion and Aggie Hall of Famer Alex Caruso returned to Aggieland in September to host his 2nd Annual Charity Golf Tournament at Traditions Golf Course. The Alex Caruso Foundation helps kids thrive through athletic, academic, and social opportunities. Proceeds from the tournament benefitted local youth programs, including the Brazos Valley Boys and Girls Club.
Caruso has had a busy summer with his current NBA team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, who won the World Championship against the Indiana Pacers in an exciting seven-game series. He also got married to Big Brother alumni Haleigh Broucher in August.
When asked about why he began this golf tournament, Caruso answered, “Being able to give back to the youth in my community is really important. I want to be the reason kids have the chance to explore what they enjoy–passions they might want to pursue and develop. My goal is to translate my winning season on the court to a fun day on the course, all while giving back to the organizations that have always given so much to me.”
The new Aggie basketball coaching staff came out and participated to support the former Aggie basketball player, who started his basketball career as a ball boy for Texas A&M. Caruso turned heads at College Station Middle School and A&M Consolidated with his flair for the big play and his hustle on the floor before taking his talents across town to Texas A&M.
He enjoyed one of the winningest four-year spans in A&M basketball history while he was here, including an SEC Championship and a trip to the Sweet 16. Caruso was instrumental in the historic comeback win in the
BY ROB HAVENS ‘88
2016 NCAA Tournament as the Aggies fought back from a 12-point deficit with 44 seconds remaining to beat Northern Iowa in double overtime, arguably the best game in program history.
Before the golf tournament began, the mayors of Bryan and College Station declared September 9, 2025, as Alex Caruso Day. The premier event brought together athletes, celebrities, community leaders, supporters, and even the OKC mascot “Rumble the Bison” for a day of fun, golf, connection, and philanthropy. Participants even got to get their pictures taken with the Larry O’Brien trophy, which was on display thanks to the Thunder organization.
Caruso was recognized on Kyle Field on the Saturday before the event to a thunderous applause as he held the NBA Championship trophy over his head. “To be able to do it with the Larry O’Brien Trophy this year is really special.”
Caruso also stopped by Reed Arena and spoke to the new team about the importance of playing at Texas A&M. “I’m so emotionally attached to this school, this program, and the Aggies written across your chest in maroon and white.” Caruso explained, “The most important thing about being an Aggie is your willingness to sacrifice yourself for the team and for the school to be the best.”
Alex Caruso gave all he could while he was here, and now that he has moved on to bigger and better things, he is still giving back. With a grateful heart, he is helping the youth in this community just like they helped him as he was growing up. We were proud of him when he played here and even more proud to see the man he has become!
BY ROB HAVENS ‘88
Going into this season, Coach Elko was looking for more explosive plays and used the transfer portal to go out and sign the players who could help this team do that. Midway through the first quarter, former NC State receiver KC Concepcion returned a punt 80 yards for a touchdown, which was just a foreshadowing of great things to come. In the second quarter, former Mississippi State receiver Mario Craver scored the second touchdown of the season, collecting a short pass from Marcel Reed and scampering 24 yards for the score. These two players took little time to show that Elko’s work in the offseason was going to pay off. Concepcion would go on to add another touchdown for 31 yards, and Craver would catch 8 passes for 122 yards and two touchdowns. With a year under his belt and some talented tools in the receiving department, Marcel Reed would complete 22 of 34 passes for 289 yards with a career high four touchdown passes. He would also gain 39 yards on eight carries and complete passes to 11 players. EJ Smith got his first touchdown as an Aggie, bulldozing his way into the endzone from three yards out. The Aggies would win going away with a score of 42-24.
In game two, Texas A&M welcomed the Aggies from Utah State to Kyle Field. Terry Bussey put the Aggies up just four minutes into the game, when Reed threw him the perfect 34-yard pass that he caught in stride, giving A&M the early lead. Marcel would increase the lead in the second quarter as he scampered around the left side for an easy one-yard touchdown. With just over three minutes left in the half, Le’Veon Moss introduced himself to the Utah State defense by busting through the middle, stiff-arming a would-be tackler, and strolling into the endzone for his first touchdown of the season. After a year of rehab, it was amazing to see #8 back in the zone. Leading 3014 in the third quarter, Reed found KC Concepcion streaking across the back of the endzone and threw a dime for the Aggies’ fifth touchdown of the day. A few minutes later, the crowd went silent as Reed was tackled and remained on the turf. He had fallen on the ball and had the wind knocked out of him. He would leave the game and go back into the locker room. Miles O’Neill would enter the game and, early in the fourth quarter, find Mario Craver behind the secondary for a 72-yard touchdown. The final score was 44-22.
The Aggies came up short in 2024 when the Irish came to town. Notre Dame would go on to play for a national championship, and the Aggies would have this game circled in 2025. A sea of maroon-wearing fans attended the game this year with hopes of getting some revenge and launching the Aggies into the College Football Playoffs conversation. It was a tough start for the Aggies as just two minutes into the game, Tyler White’s punt was blocked and the Irish picked it up and raced into the endzone. The Aggies would answer just a few minutes later when Reed found Craver with a short touch pass that he collected and sprinted up the sideline. Notre Dame attempted to tackle him, but he spun around and raced 86 yards for the tying score. The Irish would score ten more points before Le’Veon Moss scored the first of his three touchdowns on the day. His third touchdown would give the Aggies their first lead of the game 28-24. The two teams would trade field goals in the third and fourth quarters as Randy Bond hit a 43 and a 45-yarder to knot up the game at 34 with nine minutes to play. The last five minutes of this game will be remembered for years to come. Jeremiyah Love put the Irish on top with 2:53 to play on a 12-yard run, but the holder misplayed the hold on the extra point, and the Aggies trailed 40-34. On the ensuing kickoff, Terry Bussey would weave through tacklers and race 100 yards for the apparent tying touchdown, but the Aggies were called for holding and had to start the final drive from their own 26. The Aggies marched down the field, aided by a huge catch and run by Mario Craver for 34 yards. On fourth and goal on the eleven-yard line and :19 to play, Marcel dropped back, pumped, and then released a throw to Nate Boerkircher, who fought off the hands of the defender, caught the ball, and fell into the endzone for the tying score. The Aggie faithful in the stadium went wild as the players celebrated in the end zone. Randy Bond would nail the extra point, giving the Aggies the lead. The Irish would try a little razzle-dazzle with laterals on the final play, but the defense would hold, and the Aggies would win. It was one of the greatest wins in Aggie football history.
The offense carried the team for the first three weeks of the season, but in game four, the defense played its best game of the season. After the game, Head Coach Hugh Freeze, who calls the plays, said, “It was one of the worst experiences of my coaching career offensively.” The Aggie defense was stellar, giving up only 177 total yards. The Tigers were 0-13 on third downs and 0-2 on fourth downs. The Tigers punted nine times during the game. Le’Veon Moss got the offense going for the Aggies as he rumbled up the middle, stiff-arming defenders en route to a 38-yard run to the one and then scored on a one-yard dive on the next play. Moss would rush for 139 yards on 21 carries for the game. Marcel had a solid day, completing 15 of 22 passes for 207 yards. KC Concepcion would lead all receivers with seven receptions for 113 yards. The Aggies controlled the game until the fourth quarter, when the Tigers intercepted a ball that came off of Bussey’s hands and sprinted the length of the field and set up their offense on the two-yard line. They would convert on the next play, and the Aggies faced a 13-10 game. The defense would step up, and Bond would add a 44-yard field goal to wrap up the contest 16-10.
The Aggies welcomed the Bulldogs in game five with a “Blacked Out Kyle Field!” The defense picked up right where they left off by holding State to only 219 total yards. Once again, they were stellar on third down, allowing only one first down in ten attempts. On the offensive side, the Aggies got going in the third quarter and had 479 yards of offense, including 299 yards rushing. Ruben Owens II had a breakout performance, rushing for 142 yards on 21 carries. Marcel threw for 180 yards on 13/23 with two touchdowns. He also added a touchdown on the ground. Craver led the receiving corps with 80 yards on six catches. Daymion Sanford got his first career interception and finished the game with nine tackles. Cashius Howell had three sacks in the game. KC Concepcion got the Aggies on the board with a gutsy catch and run from 36 yards out. After making the catch at the five, he fought off tackles and willed his way into the end zone. He would score again in the third on an amazing catch on top of a defender in the endzone. Mario Craver would get the final touchdown of the day for the Aggies with a seven-yard end-around run against his former team. Bond hit a 27-yard fg to make it 31-9.
The Aggies sported 1975 throwback uniforms as they took on the Gators. After a tough first drive for the Aggie defense, Marcel Reed and Mario Craver connected on a 67-yard bomb, followed by an eight-yard touchdown run by Reed to even the game at seven. The Aggies would take their first lead when Reed found freshman Jamarion Morrow for a 22-yard score. The Gators would tie it up again before Le’Veon Moss busted up the middle, stiff-armed a defender, and ran it in from 22 yards out, giving the Aggies a lead that they would never give up again. Randy Bond would add two field goals, and Ruben Owens II would score from two yards out to give the Aggies a 34-17 win. The Aggies rushed for 183 yards while the defense held the Gators to only 74. Marcel Reed completed 16 of 26 passes for 234 yards and a touchdown. He also added 37 yards on the ground with a rushing touchdown. The defense shut down the Gators for most of the game and forced four fumbles, recovering two of them. Daymion Sanford led the Aggie defense with eight tackles. The defense forced Florida to punt six times. A raucous crowd of 105,086 attended the game.
BY ROB HAVENS ‘88
The Twelfth Man is fired up to welcome Bucky McMillan and his exciting brand of basketball to Reed Arena. If you like full-court pressure defense, up and down the court action, and three pointers, then get your tickets now for Aggie basketball.
Some folks have described the Buzz Williams era of hoops in Aggieland as torturous to the fans, as the former regime used a game plan of defense and opportunity offense to win games. It was exhausting at times to watch games and hope for wins.
Bucky has promised a high-energy, up-tempo, entertaining form of basketball with lots of threes that the fans will enjoy. The media sneak peek of a practice this summer revealed lots of energy and lots of threes! Gone are the motivational speeches about life, and now this staff seems focused on X’s and O’s.
In his short time at A&M, Bucky had to assemble a staff and recruit a team from the portal to get ready for this season. Before he took the stage for his welcome celebration at Reed, Coach McMillan had already secured two assistant coaches who had been here before.
Associate Head Coach Mitch Cole has been working with Bucky for the last four years at Samford. He was an assistant under Billy Kennedy from 2011-2016.
McMillan also brought back Kyle Keller, who spent the last 9 years as the head coach at SFA. Keller also coached under BK from ‘11-’16. Assistant Coach Frank Haith has two previous stints at A&M from ‘92-’95 and ‘96-’97. He coached at Texas the last two seasons. Dave Good has served under Bucky at Samford since 2020. TJ Cleveland has a ton of SEC experience, having been an assistant at Arkansas and Missouri. He spent the last two years at Wichita State. Bucky also brought back strength & conditioning coach Darby Rich, who developed our players for eight years from 2011-2019.
The Aggies had one player who remained with the program following the departure of Buzz Williams in sophomore Chris McDermott. He played in six games off the bench last season, scoring 9 points and collecting 15 rebounds in 44 minutes.
Bucky’s first win at A&M may be when Mackenzie Mgbako decided to remove his name from NBA draft
contention and come play at Texas A&M. The talented power forward from Indiana was a five-star recruit out of high school and earned Big Ten’s Freshman of the Year in 2024, scoring nearly 800 points in just 65 games. He impressed scouts at the NBA G League Elite Camp, earning a combine invitation where he once again turned heads. He decided to withdraw from the draft and play for the Aggies. Unfortunately, he underwent surgery on a fracture in his foot and won’t return to the court until early to mid-November.
Guard Rylan Griffin returns to the floor at Reed Arena, but this time in Maroon and White, having played against the Aggies when he played for Alabama in 23-24. Last season, he played for the Kansas Jayhawks, where he hit 41 3-pointers and had 46 assists.
North Alabama point guard Jacari Lane was a twotime first-team All-Atlantic Sun Conference guard from Huntsville, Alabama. He led the Lions in scoring and assists the last two seasons.
Federiko Federiko, the 6 ‘11 center from Helsinki, Finland, played two years at Pittsburgh before going to Texas Tech. Last year, he was a key contributor off the bench, averaging 5.1 points and 4.5 rebounds a contest for a team that made it to the Elite Eight.
Adding some international flair to the roster, Bucky brought in guard Ruben Dominguez from Spain. After only being on campus for a few weeks, the word was out that this kid can fill it up from three-point land. He arrived in the States after leading his team to the FIBA Europe Cup Title.
Pop Isaacs joins A&M from Creighton, where he suffered a season-ending hip injury after only eight games. He had a couple of 25-plus point outings before the injury. He began his career at Texas Tech, where he averaged 15.9 points per game in two years.
Joining the Aggies from North Carolina State is Marcus Hill, who averaged 11.5 points and 3.9 rebounds a game with 25 starts. The shooting guard from Wadley, Alabama, played at Bowling Green before transferring to Raleigh.
Bucky earns his first battle against Texas by signing 6’11 225-pound Jamie Vinson, who played for the Horns last season. He played sparingly last year, but has already earned early praise for his play in preseason camp.
Josh Holloway joined Bucky in College Station after running point for him at Samford last season. The 6’2 guard earned the Southern Conference Sixth Man of the Year in 2024. He also earned a spot on the conference’s All-Defensive Team.
Bucky added another player from the Jayhawks in Zach Clemence. The 6’11 player had an injury-shortened season last year, but played four years in Lawrence and had success at different positions.
Filling out his trio of former Jayhawks, Bucky signed Kansas guard Noah Shelby. He was a four-star prospect out of high school and shot 33 percent from beyond the
arc during his time at Kansas.
Jeremiah Green was committed to A&M before Buzz left and decided to stay and play for Bucky. He was the No. 6 overall player in the state of Texas and had offers from all over the country.
The final roster spot was filled by Southern Illinois transfer guard Ali Dibba. He scored in double digits last season, 17.3 points per game, and is a high-energy slasher who also collected 4.8 rebounds a contest. A native of Stockholm, Sweden, he has played for Chicago State University and ACU before transferring to Southern.
The Aggies also have 6’7 forward Rashawn Agee on the squad. He received a court injunction granting him immediate eligibility on September 26th. There is still a court hearing in October, but Bucky feels confident that he will be able to play this year. Agee received praise from the coaches regarding his leadership ability for this new team that had to put things together really quickly to compete this fall.
Bucky and his staff have worked extremely hard to put together this team. He said in a preseason presser that he is proud of the results so far, and they are getting better every day. The regular season begins on November 3rd, and we can’t wait to see some Bucky Ball in Reed Arena.
WE WERE ABLE TO INTERVIEW BOTH OF YOUR SISTERS (HALEY & TAYLOR) WHEN THEY PLAYED SOCCER HERE AT A&M, SO WE WANTED TO VISIT WITH THE THIRD POUND’S SIBLING TO PLAY FOR TEXAS A&M.
That’s awesome!
WHEN DID YOU START PLAYING GOLF?
I started playing at a really young age. I mean, I played all of the sports growing up. My dad is a really good golfer, and so he got me out to the course when I was probably four or five years old. I really didn’t fall in love with golf until I was 11 or 12. I played a lot of basketball and baseball, and golf was a little bit later. I went to the Woodlands Christian Academy in the fourth grade and met some good friends who are here now, Jake Maggert and I guess Jack was a little bit later, but having friends that played golf made it a lot more fun for me and so ever since I met Jake I feel like it allowed me to go out there and have fun practicing and doing all those things.
IN SCHOOL, DID YOU PLAY MULTIPLE SPORTS?
I played basketball my freshman year. I played basketball and football in middle school, and then once I got to my sophomore year in high school, I just focused on golf. But I loved playing other sports. I’ve gotten a couple of injuries playing basketball, so I should probably stay away (laughs), but I like to play other sports.
YOU SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON THIS CAMPUS GROWING UP. TELL ME ABOUT GROWING UP AROUND AGGIELAND.
Yeah, I grew up going to all of the football games. Ever since I was born, I wanted to be an Aggie; that was always the dream, and obviously, having sisters who played soccer here, I would come up, it seemed every weekend, and I just fell in love with the school and everything that it stands for. I always dreamed about wearing maroon and white; I didn’t really know what that would look like. Getting to do it is a dream come true.
DID YOU PLAY SOCCER AT ALL?
A little bit, I remember telling my dad that it’s too girly. My sisters played it, but in other countries it’s the biggest
sport for men, but I kinda wish I had kept playing it because it’s a really fun sport and I enjoy watching it.
SO WHAT WAS THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS WITH YOU COMING TO A&M?
I definitely looked around and had good relationships with other coaches and programs, but kept an open mind. I came on with my first official visit at A&M, and I had some other visits lined up, and once I came to A&M, I realized this is where I want to be. I kinda cancelled those other visits, because this felt like home. I kinda committed on the spot. I definitely had an open mind, but this was always the place for me.
YOUR FOLKS RAISED 3 DIVISION 1 SCHOLARSHIP ATHLETES, AND THAT’S AWESOME.
Yeah (laughs)
TALK ABOUT THAT, IT’S REALLY SPECIAL. TALK ABOUT YOUR PARENTS, WHO’S THE BEST ATHLETE IN THE FAMILY?
My dad probably will not like this too much, but my mom is a great athlete. I probably got more of my athletic ability from my mom, but my dad is also a great golfer. He played at a really high level in High School. I’ve learned so much from both of them, and obviously, having sisters who played soccer, they raised us to be mentally tough. They taught us a lot of lessons growing up that I still carry with me today. They are my heroes for sure.
DO HALEY AND TAYLOR PLAY GOLF?
It’s funny because now that they are working big jobs, they get invited to go out and play, and they want to learn. I’ve seen Taylor swing, and she actually has a pretty good golf swing, but I know they want to get better, so maybe I’ll have to take them out to the driving range to get them sharpened up.
SO YOU GREW UP WATCHING THEM PLAY SOCCER AT A&M. DO THEY COME OUT TO THE GOLF COURSE AND WATCH YOU PLAY?
Yeah, a good bit. Haley lives in Arizona now, and it’s a little harder, but I think Taylor came out to the Aggie Invitational last year, and they try to when they can. They actually did come out for the National Championship last year, because I was a little closer to Arizona, so yeah, they like to come out when they can.
SO WHAT KIND OF ADVICE DID THEY GIVE YOU ABOUT BECOMING A STUDENT ATHLETE?
I mean, obviously going to class and taking care of grades, but I think to just enjoy the whole Aggie experience with building relationships and being nice to people. From the golf side, they have always taught me to play with lots of confidence, and Haley was really good at penalty kicks, and there is a lot of similarity in penalty kicks and golf shots. Believing that you are going to make that shot is something that I try to do when I play golf.
SO TELL ME, HOW IS CHRISTMAS AT THE POUNDS HOUSE WITH Y’ALL BEING SO COMPETITIVE?
Yeah, it’s very competitive. We always played games growing up, and now we go play basketball. Haley was a really good basketball player too, so no matter what we are doing, it’s always competitive and we find a way to compete in the smallest things.
SO WHAT’S IT BEEN LIKE BEING AN AGGIE? IS IT ALL YOU HOPED IT WOULD BE?
Yeah, for sure. I’ve made so many great friendships here. My teammates are like brothers to me. The coaches have been amazing and taught me so much, not just about golf but about life.
I truly feel that A&M sets you up on the right path. I still have 2 more years, so I’m trying to soak all of it up.
COMING OFF A BIG TOURNAMENT WIN, TALK ABOUT THE INDIVIDUAL WIN.
It was awesome. I mean there has always been a lot of hard work, and to see it pay off that week was really cool. There obviously has been some ups and downs so far, but to come out with a win was really good for me. It will just help me with my confidence, and going into the rest of the season, I know that I can do it at the highest level, and I’m just going to try to build off of that.
SO, AT WHAT POINT DID YOU KNOW THAT YOU COULD WIN THIS?
I mean, honestly, I felt that going into the week I put in a lot of preparation, and I felt that my game was in a good spot. Our qualifiers have been very competitive, so I felt like I was playing really good golf and just had to stay present and play one shot at a time. Once the weather kinda kicked up that second day, I felt like I had an advantage. I feel like I always play better when the conditions are not great. So I felt that if I could just stay in position and keep a good head on my shoulders, then good things could turn out.
I’m just looking forward to having a leadership role on this team. I feel like, because I’m an upperclassman, that I had a lot of guys before me, like Michael Heidelbaugh, P Chon, those guys really poured a lot into me. So now I feel like I need to do that back to some of the younger guys, so I’m just looking forward to that. You know, I think we have a very talented team, and we can go as far as we want to go, so we are definitely going to put all the work in and do what we can.
For sure, it’s always been a dream of mine to play on the PGA Tour. I’m just trying to take it one day at a time and control what I can. That is definitely the dream at the end of the day to play at the highest level.
