"A&M has risen from the ashes almost overnight": Fans react as former Indiana standout Mackenzie Mgbako commits to SEC program

On Tuesday, former Indiana forward Mackenzie Mgbako announced he will be withdrawing his name from the 2025 NBA draft and will transfer to Texas A&M. As a sophomore in Bloomington, Mgbako averaged 12.2 points and 4.6 rebounds last season.

The New Jersey native declared for the draft earlier this month and even participated in the NBA Draft Combine and G League Elite Camp after transferring to the Aggies in April. ESPN currently has him listed as the No. 58 overall prospect in the upcoming draft.

A Reddit user posted about Mgbako's withdrawal news on the r/CollegeBasketball subreddit, prompting a plethora of reactions from fans.

Mackenzie Mgbako to withdraw from 2025 NBA Draft, play at Texas A&M byu/yakovgolyadkin inCollegeBasketball

Here are some of them:

"I honestly thought he would stay in the draft. He definitely increased his stock after the g league elite camp and combine. Excited to watch him at A&M," one fan wrote.

Comment byu/yakovgolyadkin from discussion inCollegeBasketball

"A&M has risen from the ashes almost overnight. Very impressive. I'm looking forward to seeing the aggies play actual basketball for once next season," another said.

Comment byu/yakovgolyadkin from discussion inCollegeBasketball

"TAMU should actually be pretty good. Surprisingly quality set of transfer they brought in," a fan added.

"think he has a big season at Texas A&M. Buckyball should fit his skillset perfectly," one comment read.

"Damn I remember when he was supposed to play for Duke," a user said.

"Hey we might be decent," one more chimed in.

Mackenzie Mgbako returns to college, aiming for first-round pick status next year

Although ESPN projected Mackenzie Mgbako to be a late pick in this year’s NBA draft, most other outlets did not have him drafted at all. As a result, there was no guarantee he would have heard his name called in the two-round event in June.

Mgbako will now look to improve his draft stock as a junior with the Aggies.

"I decided to withdraw to focus on becoming a lock first-round pick next year," Mgbako told ESPN. "I am committed to making the improvements to my game based upon feedback from NBA teams.

"I look forward to building off of my experience at the combine and team workouts and translating that into a full season's worth of basketball at Texas A&M."

Mackenzie Mgbako said he looks forward to playing for new coach Bucky McMillan, who was hired last month after Buzz Williams left for Maryland. He aims to lead the Aggies to the SEC title and also make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament. They lost to the Michigan Wolverines in the second round last season.