The book on NMSU next year, should Troy Gillenwater return.....Take him out of the game offensively and he will not be a factor. Gillenwater played good defense on Thursday, but he and the Aggies weren't interested in defense against what was a hungrier Boise State team I thought.
I asked Boise State point guard LaShard Anderson if he felt like the Aggies quit and he said,
“Before the (second) half started, we felt like they were going to come out hard so we just wanted to keep up the energy level and continue to play hard,” Anderson said. “At a point, I felt like they kind of got frustrated with each other. They are a good team and they come back from games a lot so we did our best to stop that from happening.”
There you have it.....from the opponent's mouth.
I'll have more later today.
14 comments:
Losing to Boise is the best thing that could have happened to the Aggies. Now it's time to fire Menzies and get a real coach.
RT
My biggest issue was the lack of imagination on menzies part. The announcers kept highlighting how boise kept reeling in the aggies with four guys and isolating a one on one match up which they then exploited. Yet gillenwater had two, three, guys on him and we can't draw up a play to take advantage of that? It was a very poor in game adjustment by menzies
CA
NMSU hoops is in a bad place. The team is .500, and we can't beat our rivals. There clearly is a significant drop-off in talent compared to when MM got here. The PAC looks embarrassingly empty when our games are televised. McKines will make this team better next year, but I don't see him making that much difference. Without Gordo, who is not a very good D1 player but was easily our best outside shooter, where will the outside scoring come from? Even in a weak WAC, there is little to be optimistic about. Glad I was smart enough to do Super Bowl in Vegas instead of the WAC tourney.
-Aggie Glare
Its interesting to note that this was Menzies fourth season and so far one post season appearance. Thats 25%. If we use that reasoning then we can project that if he stays another four years that the team will only make postseason play 2/8 years.
Gillenwater would be a fool to not come back. I dont believe that he has a shot in hell to make it anywhere close to the NBA right now. He simply does not have the mindset for it.
I think its also interesting how people all over are really stepping up their comparisons to Reggie based on court results. I saw a lot of this earlier in the season on this blog but now I see it in a lot more places. Yes the Aggies had a bad season and the first losing one since 04-05 but what people fail to remember is that this was also a season without any off court issues. There was no failing of classes, no run ins with the law, no baby mama drama. The team steered clear of all those distractions and managed to do well in the classrooms. Unfortunately that didnt equal court success and well behaved, smart foreign players dont put fans in the stands. It seems to me like our fan base wants the team to be successful no matter how they manage to win. If that wasnt the case people wouldnt be calling for Reggies return or for the placing of Neil on a pedestal.
I think before we really talk about firing Menzies we need to look ahead into the future. To me the biggest thing to look at is the future of the WAC. This league is weak already and I cant imagine what will happen when the exodus begins. I believe that it will take a few years for the league to consolidate itself and in that time the top two teams should be USU and NMSU. Should be.
CA
Lost 5 of last 7, below .500 record, got blown out in conference tourney by 18 pts. Does anyone still think they are an NCAA tournament caliber team? WAKE UP PEOPLE! Need to bring in some 4 & 5 star recruits, not these project players who get exposed game after game. Lets recruit in Chi, Det, Phi and Cali. Canada? are you kidding me! It will only get worse before it can get better.
What I'd wish for the team before next playing season:
Wendell – Stronger feet
Kabongo – The three point shot
Troy - A big, brass pair
Menzies – Play calling ability
Rahman – Hands
Chili – Hops
West – Playing time
The team – A summer at a school specializing on defense
Here's to 8 months of getting better. I can't wait till next November.
GO AGGIES!!!!
nice, I got on here and was expecting a group of haters, but was delighted to find supporters and interesting comments.
Yea, rough year, but no wrong doings. We can live with this....cu people (read you people, that is) in the fall.
Alan
We are a joke. The regents, Boston and everyone else should watch the HBO documentary on UNLV as what its like to create a winning program.
Bring in someone with the charisma, and the commitment to bringing back the credibility we deserve.
Whats the worst thing that happens? We go 500 and miss the post season? oh wait, been there...
And seriously people, don't write back stupid crap like "but there were no off-courst issues, no arrests, blah blah." At least if we are on NCAA probation there's a reason to suck...
Embarrassed
Jason, how much longer before they finally move on from Menzies? I sit courtside and it's obvious that he is not a great coach and the players just don't respond to him.
This team has had talent the last few years and I believe results could have been much better. I know he took them to the dance last season, but far too often this team crumbles in crunch time.
I believe they will make a move but only after his contract is up. NMSU cannot afford to buy-out another coach. What is your take?
124 teams were selected for three tournaments, and where are the Aggies?...sitting at home, saying "we got next". This team reminds me of a circus!
C'mon CA...your view of a successful year is no drama. Give me a break. Athletes can succeed in the classroom, live law abiding lives, and still be competetive on the court. Menzies is fostering the first two, but doesn't have a clue on how to coach a game. So now, we have some fine young men on our team, which is definitely an admirable goal. But I'm afraid our "coach" has forgotten that these athletes are on the court to win games. And if Boston is as smart as he thinks he is, some major changes need to be made if he doesn't want to put the athletic program further in the red with fewer season ticket holders and dismal attendance. Maybe he can invest some money and train Menzies to show some passion. His lack of fire has definitely beaten down his players' energy.
I never said that the lack of wins compared with the lack of stories outside the court was a successful season. Yeah we didnt do well this season at all, but would you rather have had players failing and getting in trouble at Taos to go with that as well? Making a bad season a horrible one? Its a welcomed change that we only have to worry about on the court issues and not have to read on the morning paper that another Aggie player was arrested.
I also think that as much as we talk about it and defend the position, Menzies wont get fired this season. We simply dont have the money to pay him to leave and then bring someone else in. I am surprised that Boston let Spence go after the NIT and 3 straight conference championship games. Menzies has better tools than Spence did but I dont think Boston is willing to sacrifice more money simply for getting another coach that can guide the team to the NCAA next year because I think that we are heading there with Menzies anyway. Menzies might be a very questionable coach but there is no denying that NMSU should be one of the favorites next year with Wen back and a bench that actually got good minutes this year. Wen, LaRoche, Gillenwater, Kabongo and Chili/Rhaman with a bench of West, Chili/Rhaman, Watson, Dixon and another guard should be a good team even if Menzies fails to live up to expectations again. The WAC simply will let this team have the opportunity because it wont get any stronger next year
CA
CA, you assume that all the players will be returning next year or will be eligible to play in the fall. That's a lot of assumptions.
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