Texas A&M Aggies head coach Bucky McMillan
Texas A&M Aggies head coach Bucky McMillan speaks during the SEC Basketball Tipoff at Grand Bohemian Hotel Mountain Brook. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect · IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Texas A&M Aggies men's basketball team started the 2026-27 season off with a win Wednesday night, taking care of business against Alabama State in a 97-66 victory.

The expectation is that the Aggies won't face their first true test until Nov. 12 against Oklahoma State, but as East Texas A&M showed earlier this week in a stunning win over Oklahoma, no high-major program is safe from a potential upset.

This needs to be at the front of Texas A&M's minds ahead of Friday night's matchup against Northern Kentucky, a team that is off to a 2-0 start. The Aggies are the best team on NKU's schedule this year, and the opportunity for a massive upset means the Norse will likely be laying it all on the line in a game that could define their season.

Northern Kentucky Has Elite Scorer on Its Offense

Northern Kentucky University
NKU head coach Darrin Horn, white shirt, huddles up with his Norse after practice. Northern Kentucky University men's basketball practice, Oct. 27, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect · USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

NKU showed what its capable of with an overlooked 84-76 upset win over UTEP in the season opener. Though the Miners are a new member of the Mountain West, a win for the Horizon League against one of the top mid-major conferences in college basketball is impressive.

But even more impressive was the individual performance from Northern Kentucky forward Noah Pagotto, who will need to be at the top of Texas A&M's scouting report on Friday night at Reed Arena.

In Northern Kentucky's 102-94 win over South Dakota on Wednesday, Pagotto finished with 30 points on 11 of 15 shooting. He's already gotten to the foul line 22 times through the first two games this season, proving he can find different ways to do damage on the scoreboard.

The Norse showed they've got an efficient offense capable of giving Texas A&M headaches if the Aggies take the matchup for granted. Of course, Texas A&M's C- game is still good enough to beat Northern Kentucky considering how talented Bucky McMillan's roster is, but it's best not to test fate.

Defending Pagotto like a star-level player and treating Northern Kentucky like a team on Texas A&M's schedule will lead to a blowout win for the Aggies. Sleep-walking into the game means giving the Norse an advantage they'll be looking for.

It might seem silly to hammer that point home, but upsets do happen, and that's what makes college basketball so special. Unfortunately for a fellow SEC team like the Sooners, they were on the embarrassing end of that stick.

Texas A&M will avoid a similar result if it enters the game with a championship-level mindset.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/tamu as Texas A&M Basketball Faces a Surprising Offensive Threat Friday Night.

Source: Yahoo Sports