Basketball Diaries

Playing for second?

2012-01-26T23:30:00.000-07:00

I talked about this in my last post. There is still a lot of basketball to be played, but Marvin Menzies even acknowledged Nevada as the best team they've played so far in the WAC after Thursday's 68-60 loss at the Pan American Center.

"It would have been great to win this game and we have a lot of games in front of us but we need a little help now from somebody else," Menzies said.

Nevada won its 14th straight game and looks the part of a WAC Championship team. NMSU, after another slow start, trailing by 14 at halftime, not so much. Nevada is now 6-0 in WAC play with road wins at 4-2 NMSU, 3-3 Utah State and 4-2 Idaho. Nevada also beat Hawaii at home.

"We didn't play like a championship team at all," Menzies said. "A lack of execution, a lack of urgency to start the game defensively. Offensively, just out of sync. Wouldn't execute what we drew up out of timeouts. Didn't adhere to the scouting report. All of those things add up to a loss."

For the second straight game, NMSU rallied in the second half to make the final score look closer than the game really was.

"I just don't have a good feeling about how we are playing that first half," Menzies said. "We have to come out with better execution, especially after timeouts. It's frustrating. We have good kids, we have talent. Just have to get them to understand that if you want to be efficient you have to play together and play within the system and play harder on both sides of the ball."

Nevada led by 18 with 708 to play. The Aggies made it a game with full court pressure, begging the question why not do it for longer stretches. Easy answer....no depth with the departure of Christian Kabongo and the season ending injury to Terrel de Rouen.

"Wendell fouls out, Hernst was subbing in and out. It's a double edged sword. Losing Terrel really hurt. But that is what it is. We have to be able to string together games strategically without having to play 10 or 11 guys and still get it done. We can spot pressure in places. It's either that or get these guys in much better shape and go back to what we were doing in the beginning."

A lack of depth in the backcourt takes away from creating transition baskets for the Aggies, which they need. NMSU was 5-22 from 3-point range and Hernst Laroche made four of them. We knew that NMSU wasn't a 3-point shooting team, but when they fall behind, that weakness is exploited even more.

"You can praise them for their effort and comeback but that song is getting old," Menzies said. "We have to start the games off with some urgency both offensively and defensively in terms of execution. Until we do that, we are going to be in an uphill battle every game. We have to rebound quickly and get ready for Fresno State."

Time will tell what lineup changes are coming. Bandja Sy doesn't seem like he's earned more playing time. He took some bad shots, reached in transition to lead to an open 3 from Story and finished 2-9 from the field. Remi Barry was 0-3 in five minutes, all from 3-point range.

"We have to do something to start the games with more urgency, especially when you are saying what they do and then you lay off guys and they go 6-for-9 (from 3-point range) in the first half," Menzies said. "you can tell them where to go and what spots to be in , but at the end of the day, you have to come out with a little more younger."

Pure speculation at this point but something I wouldn't mind seeing the Aggies play with is going small from the start with McKines, Watson, Sy, Mullings and Laroche. Fresno State doesn't have a lot of size so it would be a good game to start out with considering that's essentially the lineup that got the Aggies back into the Hawaii game.

Other postgame comments
Hernst Laroche: "We are trying to get a win next game. It's unfortunate that we lost but we are trying to get wins. We are looking ahead for Fresno. There is nothing we can do, it's past. We lost."

"they got Burton going, they got Malik going. They had some easy things down low too. ... They don't shoot college 3s, they shoot NBA 3s so it opened up the zone more."

Marvin Menzies:
"A lot of times, they just outplayed us. That's a big time team. There is a half of me that is just pissed off. The other half, I have to give them credit. Deonte Burton is a pro. He's a NBA player. We have to get a better strategy on how we are going to guard him next time. He hit some that was so deep, it was like, 'Are you serious?'"

"They challenged us to shoot the ball and we didn't do that well. ... I think we let them get going. Their first few shots they made were very unchallenged. We woke up and started to challenge them. We did a very good job in the second half because that was all we talked about at halftime. But that was all we talked about before the game too."

"We have to bounce back. We have to put these games behind us and look at the positives. We have to shake it up to get a better offensive execution. I don't know what it means right now. I have to watch film."

"They are the best team we have faced to this point for sure. We lost by eight but they are really good. They have a lot of tools in their first six guys that can get things done, both from deep and inside. It was disappointing but I'm optimistic we will play better."

Keys to NMSU vs. Nevada

2012-01-26T14:55:00.000-07:00

Slow Burton: Nevada point guard Deonte Burton has averaged 25 points per game in five true road games this year. He was the key for the Aggies last year defensively and they held him to 5-of-20 shooting in the Aggies two wins over Nevada last year. Obviously Burton has improved in his second year, and it's hard to take the ball away from a point guard, but I wouldn't mind seeing the Aggies double him in certain situations tonight, even late in the game if it's close. I'm not sure Evans and Czyz want the ball in their hands when the game is on the line, but I know Burton does.

Wen must win: There are probably two power forwards in the WAC who are skilled enough offensively to get McKines in foul trouble. Hawaii's Thomas and Nevada's Olek Czyz. Against Hawaii, McKines doesn't have to guard Thomas. I'm not sure if the Aggies have many options other than McKines to guard Czyz in man to man. Tyrone Watson could, but that would put McKines on a wing player. I think McKines needs to reach his averages while Czyz is held below his 11 and 6 averages or get Czyz in foul trouble.

Come out ready: NMSU showed against Hawaii that they are capable of coming back, so that was good to see. But they need the home crowd tonight and playing from behind big would make that difficult. NMSU can come back, but the Aggies are much more effective in close games because they get out in transition and get to the foul line.

Evans as a X factor: Malik Story can't loose for 3s like Zane Johnson did. Most of his 3s come in transition or spotting up off the drive or inside out touches. Nevada doesn't run stuff like Hawaii, USU or Idaho. But Story is a good shooter and will knock some down. The Aggies can't let Jerry Evans hurt them. Evans is the overlooked piece to the Nevada puzzle. Evans is shooting 55 percent from 3 in WAC play but is only 0-2 from long range in the last two games since going 5-6 from 3 against San Jose. The SJSU game showed what he's capable of, but the Aggies need to make sure he stays around hjis 6 ppg average.

Is Thursday a must win??

2012-01-25T14:50:00.000-07:00

I think the term 'must win' is thrown around too loosely these days.

Aggies senior Wendell McKines shined a lot of light on what these games mean to players on Tuesday. I asked him about the magnitude of Thursday's WAC game against Nevada and he said that players could drive themselves crazy if they thought about what winning this game but losing that game means.

"At the end of the day, we have to play basketball," McKines said. "As long as we approach the game with a sense of urgency, executing and do what we do, we should be fine. It's just basketball at the end of the day."

In terms of winning the WAC regular season title, winning Thursday is important from a theoretical perspective. Mathematically the Aggies could lose on Thursday and still be alive. But if you consider then that Nevada would then have road wins at Utah State, NMSU and Idaho with only Hawaii remaining, Nevada would be in the driver's seat.

I wrote entering the season that reaching some sort of postseason is important to this team. Preferably the NCAA, but the winner of the regular season gets invited to the NIT.

So is it a must win or not? Who knows, but at this point, it is for first place against an obvious contender.

"At this stage of the game, the records tell the story," NMSU coach Marvin Menzies said. "It's a game for first place in the WAC. I don't think there is much motivation going into that. As a coaching staff, we are going to tell them what they need to hear, but it's on the floor. This is why you play the game, to be in a position to be the best at any juncture."

McKines is facing Nevada's Olek Czyz for the first time. McKines plays at both ends of the court regardless of the matchup, but the Aggies can often put him a weaker player. Nevada relies so heavily on four players, that there is really not many power forwards in the WAC that can make McKines work on the defensive end and potentially get him into foul trouble. People get excited about individual matchups, but players look at it differently.

"I respect his game," McKines said. "He can finish around the basket. He's really versatile, athletic and he has a motor. I'm looking forward for not only playing him, but the challenge of playing Nevada as a team. Every game is a challenge, not only him but every team and every player. My approach doesn't change in how I approach the game and how I want to play. Once we get the scouting report, I'm going to study him and study the whole team and see where we go from there. ... As players, our approach to the game doesn't change. We follow the scout, how our coaches believe how we should execute to win the game. How we attack the game is not going to change."

This is last time McKines, Hernst Laroche and Hamidu Rahman play against Nevada in the Pan American Center, and it's the first game of the second semester where the students will be in attendance.

"I don't think the fans realize what type of role they can play. When we are tired, and don't want to make that box out on that particular play, that energy they bring can keep us in it," McKines siad. "For us to have a nice showing, it would be huge to get that experience to do that together. There is nothing like the student section, that young energy all over the opposing team. We need a good showing from the students because we all do it together. We all have classes, we eat at the cafeteria and we are all eating top ramen noodles. .... I was looking at the schedule and we only have nine more games in conference and 11 total. We just have to take it one day at a time and stay consistent and approach every game like it's my last. We all had goals coming in and that clock is ticking now. You can't take a day off and hopefully it's going to turn out good."

Outside of Czyz and Dario Hunt there isn't much in terms of depth for Nevada's front court. Nevada doesn't have depth anywhere (They only have three players who average more than 10 mpg off the bench) but especially in the frontcourt, which so happens to be the Aggies' deepest position.

"Getting to the bench could be an advantage or not," Menzies said. "With teams that have some talent sitting there on the bench, it doesn't mean they can't give you quality minutes. You have to be prepared for those top seven guys. I don't think that should be your scouting strategy. You have to beat their best and prepare for their best."

It's no secret though, even for Nevada coach David Carter, who tells his players not to take silly fouls.

"It's important for them not to get in foul trouble," Carter said. "At least with a silly reach in foul or over the back. I tell them that you aren't going to stop the other guy every time. Just make them work for it."

NMSU has done a good job defending the 3, but Nevada has the third best 3-point shooter Malik Story, Deonte Burton and Jerry Evans, all shooting 36 percent or better. Story is shooting 49 percent.

"Once they get going deep, I don't care what you do," Menzies said. "HOpefully the mistakes we made against (Hawaii's Zane Johnson, who hit 7 3s vs the Aggies) we can work on and do a better job against them, not just Malik, but Jerry and Burton. We just have to be ready to cover their guys personnel specific. We have a job cut out for us with the talent they have."

Story was not as dependable last year. He shot 38 percent last year, still decent, but Carter said his shot selection has improved.

"Last year he took a lot of shots out of the offense and tough shots," Carter said. "This year, he is just taking better shots."

Trending.....

2012-01-23T19:26:00.000-07:00

Aggies
Upward — 3-point defense —Teams are shooting 34 percent against the Aggies from 3-point range. WAC teams are holding teams to 33.9 percent. I realize that Hawaii's Zane Johnson just went nuts against the Aggies, making seven of Hawaii's nine 3s for a 52 percent night. But that was the highest percentage, by far, since the Lobos shot 50 percent against them. That includes games against good 3 point shooting teams such as La Tech (17 percent) Utah State (18 percent) and Idaho (33 percent)

Hamidu Rahman —Rahman has been good this season after recovering from injury. But he's stepped up in WAC play on the offensive end, increasing from 10 points to 14 ppg. Rahman's 63.4 percent field goal percentage is 19th in the country. The biggest knock on him is his free throw shooting, where he is a 49% shooter. He's improved to 58.3 percent in the WAC.

Hernst Laroche —Laroche needed to be a bigger threat offensively this year and he has been, slightly, increasing from 11.5 to 12.1 ppg this year. In WAC play, he's at 14.4 ppg with nearly three steals per game. Laroche seems to have become more comfortable behind the arc as the season has progressed. He's shooting 43 percent for the season, but is a 50 percent shooter in conference play. Actually wouldn't mind seeing him more aggressive from long range if the game calls for it. Would also like to see more assists from the senior, who sits at 3.5 per game, sixth in the WAC.

Downward
— Turnovers — The Aggies only had 12 against Hawaii, but they worst in the league with 14.6 turnovers per game. Part of it is due to the pace the Aggies play I'm sure. They had 18 against Idaho, 20 against La Tech, and 17 against San Jose. So in three of their five WAC games, they have averaged 18.3. I think they will be so much more effective in the 12-15 per game category.

WAC
Upward
— Rebounders in the WAC — We all know about Wendell McKines, but I think there are more good rebounders in the WAC this year than in recent years. McKines is 16th nationally with 10.5 rebounds per game and he plays for a NMSU team that ranks sixth in the country but he is one of four WAC players in the Top 66. Hawaii Vander Joaquim's 9.7 rpg is 26th, Nevada's Dario Hunt's 8.9 rpg is 45th. San Jose State's Will Carter is 66th with 8.4 rebounds per game and Idaho's Kyle Barone checks in at No. 101.

— Louisiana Tech —La. Tech is a scrappy little team. The Bulldogs picked up their first two WAC teams, both on the road, over the weekend led by WAC pLayer of the week Raheem Appleby's 28, La Tech beat an undermanned Hawaii team and then Appleby scored 19 against San Jose State. All three of the Bulldogs losses (NMSU, USU and Idaho) were by 10 points or less. The Bulldogs have Fresno at home on Thursday with a chance to get to .500, and Nevada on Saturday.

Downward
— San Jose State — I don't want to pile on here. I'll just state the obvious that SJSU is the only winless team in the WAC, which is rated the No. 14 RPI in the country. The Spartans rank last in the WAC in scoring defense (73.1), Field goal percentage (38), seventh in field goal defense (44) and rebounding margin

Aggies show fight, but win streak ends

2012-01-22T01:10:00.000-07:00

Big picture, NMSU's 91-87 loss at Hawaii isn't the end of the world and they will still be in first place in the WAC with a win at home over Nevada on Thursday. The Aggies' small lineup and pressure got them back into the game but they dug too big a hole for themselves.

Hawaii played with more urgency at home on Saturday, keeping slim hopes for a conference title alive while ending New Mexico State’s six-game losing streak.

Hawaii held off a late NMSU rally for a 91-87 victory in Hawaii on Saturday to hand the Aggies their first conference loss of the season, falling behind unbeaten Nevada into second place in the Western Athletic Conference.

NMSU fell to 14-6 on the year and 4-1 in the WAC while Hawaii improved to 3-2 in conference play.

After missing Hawaii’s loss to Louisiana Tech with the flu, Hawaii senior Zane Johnson put the Warriors on his shoulders.

Johnson finished with 29 points on 10-of-17 shooting and 7-for-13 from 3-point range. Trailing by 10 at halftime, the Aggies closed to within six early in the second half but Johnson drained a triple. He put Hawaii up with another 3 off an inbounds pass from the top of the key to open a 63-46 lead with 14:24 to play. Hawaii led by as many as 19 with under 11 minutes left to play.

Also returning to the lineup for Hawaii was point guard Jeremiah Ostrowski, who returned after missing Thursday’s game with a staph infection to finish with nine points, eight assists and four steals.

NMSU closed to within four on a Bandja Sy 3-pointer that climbed over the rim with 26.1 seconds left. NMSU went small and turned up the pressure, clawing back into the game with an 18-8 flurry in the last 2:49.

Sy led the Aggies with 17 points to go with 10 rebounds as NMSU had 19 offensive rebounds and finished 40.7 percent from the floor. Senior center Hamidu Rahman finished with 16 points, Wendell McKines had 14 points and nine rebounds, Hernst Laroche scored 13 points and Daniel Mullings scored 12 points. Tyrone Watson finished with nine points and led the Aggies with five of the team’s season-high 18 assists.

Hawaii shot 46 percent from the floor and 9-for-17 (52.9 percent) from 3-point range.

Despite two fouls to Hawaii center Vander Joaquim in the first half, the Warriors led 44-34 at halftime thanks to 18 first half points from Johnson.

NMSU trailed 23-11 after a 16-1 Hawaii run. The Aggies closed to within one on a Sy dunk, but Hawaii outscored NMSU 8-0 to end the half and push the lead back to double digits.

Johnson was 4-for-7 from 3-point range in the first half as Hawaii shot 39.5 percent from the field in the first half.

After a slow start, NMSU got into the paint and finished the first half shooting 34 percent from the floor. Without Joaquim in the post, Rahman scored 12 points in the first half and Sy scored seven of his 11 points in the first half. Not only did NMSU get Joaquim into early foul trouble, but backup center Davis Rozitis fouled out in the first half with nine points, five rebounds and three blocks.

Quick note

2012-01-21T15:41:00.000-07:00

Former NMSU guard Christian Kabongo has landed at Southern Mississippi I believe. Southern Miss makes a return trip to Las Cruces next year during the non-conference, but it will likely be in the first semester, meaning CK will not yet be eligible to face his former teammates.

A road sweep would be nice, not neccessary

2012-01-19T11:24:00.000-07:00

If NMSU wants to compete for WAC champion, the Aggies must best San Jose State tonight. They can, however, afford to lose at Hawaii on Saturday. Which is a distinct possibility, but as long as the Aggies split with Hawaii, Nevada and utah State, they will be right there. Easier said than done, as Hawaii is a good team and other than Nevada, the only team in the WAC with size that matches up with the Aggies. Josten Thomas will make McKines work on both ends and VJ is a tough post scorer who also defends. NMSU certainly has size at center, but VJ is probably the best center in the league right now.

Another big player for Hawaii is Zane Johnson, who is a knock down shooter. I think with the Aggies guards and wings this year, players like Johnson, who need space to get their shot off, will find it difficult against the length, strength and quickness of guys like Daniel Mullings and Bandja Sy. Mullings did an excellent job coming off screens all weekend against Utah State and Idaho, and did a nice job of shutting down Preston Medlin, who I think is a similar player to Johnson.

Notice how I'm completely looking past tonight's San Jose game? It's a luxury the Aggies don't have.

One thing that would be nice for the Aggies though is to blow out the Spartans, allowing key players to get rest, bench players to get experience and allow for some confidence heading into Saturday.

One player who could benefit from a blowout is Renaldo Dixon, who rejoined the team this week.

Marvin Menzies on Dixon, grades and injuries

"Injury wise we are good. Renaldo is back after going through missing some practices and some games and trying to sort some things out, we sat and had a long talk so he's back with us practicing and will make the trip. we are happy to see that things are well with him. Grades are fine. I'm not expecting any surprises. I spoke with him over the weekend. He's always been in a good place, he just had some things he needed to work through. They guys are happy to have him back. It will be a positive injection for sure in the way of depth, in the way of practice. He's got to earn his stripes again so to speak. He just has to get back in sync. He's not under punishment but we are playing well right now. You want to make sure you keep moving in a forward direction and have him compliment what we are doing right now."

On the possibility of sweeping this road trip and setting up a matchup of two unbeatens next week vs. Nevada
"It would be very beneficial to get this sweep on the road. We've got talent to do it its just a matter of going out and doing it. It wouldn't be the end of the world if we dropped one either. You can't win them all until you win the next one."

Wendell McKines on his trip to the Bay Area
"If you count just random people thats been following me since high school, I would say this trip at least 100. San Jose is always interesting trip. Off the court people asking for tickets and random things. On the court, it's just business as usual trying to get the win."

McKines on the challeges of this road trip
"Its pretty interesting for me. We usually are coming from Hawaii going to the Bay or going to the Bay and then going to Hawaii. I always look forward to it. It's definatley more difficult playing at San Jose then playing at Hawaii. I would prefer to play at Hawaii first and then fly into San Jose. just from a travel standpoint, I want to get there two or three days earlier, get acclimated to their time zone and then play the game opposed to playing at san jose and then the next moring leaving to play saturday."

"We've been through changes throughout the year. This is a time we are having fun playing with each other and finding an identity within ourselves. Its just a matter of consistecy at this point and not having any losses."

On avoiding looking past this weekend to Nevada
"The Nevada game doesnt hold as much weight if we dont win at San Jose and if we dont win at Hawaii. We can definatley look ahead and look forward to it if things pan out that way."

Idaho postgame ramblings

2012-01-14T23:06:00.003-07:00

You don't think of Idaho as a quality basketball program, but the Aggies 80-68 victory over Idaho on Saturday was NMSU's best conference victory of the season. Yes, even better than the Utah State win on Thursday.

Idaho is a good team, with tough guards that are more versatile than Utah State's pairing of Pane and Medlin. They have skilled post players and have multiple players who can shoot the 3. Their 1-2-2 zone is also hard to score against.

But NMSU held the Vandals to 33 percent shooting from 3-point range, outrebounded the Vandals and shot 70 percent from the foul line, getting to the line 32 times.

Postgame comments from Tyrone Watson, Hernst Laroche and Marvin Menzies

Tyrone Watson:

On veteran leadership: "Being here a couple years now, we are much more experienced and know how to handle certain adversity. Conference games mean that much more. We knew it was going to be a tough game even though we beat Utah State by 20. We weren't coming in thinking we were going to beat Idaho by 20. We were thinking they were going to give us a run for our money. We had poor execution in the first half with turnovers and we lacked in rebounding. We came together as a unit and we talked about our mistakes. We came out and gave a better effort in the second half."

On three seniors: "I've been playing with Hernst for three years now so I want him to leave on a good note, I want him to leave positive and I want to get one more ring with him before he leaves. Me and Bandja are the only seniors, we are going to take on big roles next year so we are just learning a lot from these three this year."

On free throws: "We don't shoot free throws good overall as a team so we knew that was a staple and that they were going to foul. They were staying in the zone the whole game so we had to attack. They fouled and we had to make free throws."

On defense in the second half: "We didn't really change anything. Just more of an urgency type thing. We need to understand who did what more and when to do certain things. We had our matchups correct in the second half and we kind of knew their plays and what they liked to do so we took them out of that in the second half."

On the team's physicality at all positions: "We have physical guys and we use that to our advantage. The other teams have advantages too. They have quick guys so they have me running all over the place. I have to run around with all the little guys. We are versatile and we are comfortable with guarding the wings and the perimeter. It helps us as a team because we can guard multiple positions with multiple guys."

Hernst Laroche:

On shooting: "I just have the confidence. I'm in the gym with Tony Delk and (paul Weir). I just have confidence so when I come here and step on the line, I know I can make it."

On closing the game out: "We have veteran players, Tyrone, Wen and Hamidu. We know how to close out games. We just had to slow down the game because they were doing a good job in that zone. They played a similar style (as Utah State) We just had to have two guys on top and one guy running, just trying to move the zone out and try to go inside. The zone is designed for us to shoot but we are trying to go inside, trying to get fouls."

On Tyrone Watson's big three point play: "They denied me and I just went and screened him and I have confidence in Tyrone. He went in and did what he was supposed to do."

Defense in second half: "Just more talking. We had some mental errors in the first half but we corrected it."

Marvin Menzies:

"At the end of the day, in the WAC, it's about winning and losing and tonight we got the 'W'. It wasn't as pretty as we would have liked but at the end of the day, it's about winning. When you get to conference, it doesn't matter who you are playing, you have to get the 'W' to be able to reach your goal of competing for a WAC championship, WAC Tournament championship. Those are all goals still in front of us. We took a step towards it. We have to make sure we stay on target. ... We have a lot to clean up. We went from six turnovers to 18 turnovers. Were they unforced? I know there were some. did they bait us into some of those passes with their sagging 1-2-2? Probably. You have to give the Vandals some credit for turning us over 18 times as well. I think they took us off our pace a little bit with the 3/4 court. We should have been more aggressive attacking it."

On Idaho's future in the WAC and the Idaho program, which Menzies is now 9-1 against:

"They got a split this trip so I think they are in the upper echelon in my mind. They have to protect the house. They lost to Nevada at home and that's the one that is going to beat a lot of people. they have to go steal a couple on the road. ... It has been dominance, but let's face it, the honest answer is resources. Regional things factor into it but I don't know if they have the history and tradition that we have and our resources I think are better than theirs. All of that plays into matchups and a series with teams."

On seniors: "We were really good in the second half with free throw shooting. I told them to step to the line and concentrate. You guys are at home, relax and do what we do in practice."

On defense: "I thought we did a much better job in the second half of getting out to their 3-point shooters. In the first half, they were 4-10 but three of them were against underneath out of bounds in the zone. I wanted to change defense based on need and we needed to."

Idaho thread

2012-01-14T16:05:00.000-07:00

NMSU should beat Idaho tonight.

Three things to look for:
Battle in the paint, 3-point defense, letdown??

I don't know why, but Kyle Barone is one of my favorite players in the WAC. I might have to let that go if NMSU's centers can shut him down. Barone is one of three Idaho big guys who are more skilled I would say than anyone on Utah State other than Reed. They are good at clogging the paint and blocking or altering shots on the defensive end.

through two WAC games, NMSU opponents are shooting 17 percent from 3-point range. Idaho is the seventh best 3-point shooting team in the country but NMSU's guards and wing players are likely longer and more athletic than most Idaho has faced to this point.

You always worry about a letdown. NMSU is coming off a big victory over Utah State. Reasons I doubt a NMSU letdown are veteran players for the Aggies, too much length and quickness for Idaho's guards to get loose and the fact that Idaho is coming on an overtime game in Ruston on Thursday so you would think home court could work to the Aggies' favor.

End of an era?

2012-01-13T03:01:00.000-07:00

Maybe it's too early to write off Utah State for good. But one thing is certain. Unless the top teams in the WAC finish around .500, Utah State's 80-60 loss at New Mexico State likely ended their chance for a fifth straight conference championship. Utah State lost just its third WAC game in its last 33 conference game. USU is now 1-2 in league play while Nevada (3-0) NMSU (2-0) Hawaii (2-0) remain unbeaten.

I think Utah State will improve, but check this quote out from Shawn Harrison's game story, where Kyisean Reed said of NMSU "showboating" after a Wendell McKines 3 when the game was all but over.

"If that doesn't bother anyone on this team, then I don't know who we are," Reed said of the showboating. "It's something to remember when they come to our house."

What Reed should remember instead is A. scoring just six points in the second half...ahem, B. The USU interior players getting dunked on, allowing 14 offensive rebounds and a 52-14 NMSU advantage in the paint. This was a beat down. I don't think it's going to be like that when the teams play again in Logan, but like I've written before, this is a different Utah State team. The interior players outside of Reed are not that skilled. NMSU has long, quick guards that can take away Pane and Medlin (3-10), leaving a bunch of players left to take big shots when none of them want to. USU was 3-16 from 3-pt range, NMSU committed a season low six turnovers with 14 assists. The 14 offensive rebounds helped create 11 more shot opportunites than Utah State. Other stats that stood out, USU was 7-17 from the foul line in the second half after going a perfect 10-10 in the first half. conversely, the Aggies were 3-9 from the line in the first half and 14-20 from the line in the second half. NMSU committed a total of 37 turnovers in their previous two games. NMSU had a season low six turnovers on Thursday with 14 assists on 30 made field goals.

Wendell McKines:
On Daniel Mullings "The sky is the limit for this man right here. He has a motor, all out energy. He's the best I've ever seen at attacking the rack and he crashes the glass, he's relentless on defense, he's very athletic. Wow, I'm impressed. I'm just glad I have the best seat in the house."

On closing it out: "There was a stretch in the second half where it could have gone either way. We just stayed within our system and played hard on our home floor."

On turnovers: "Not only against Utah State, but we know that if we take care of the ball and rebound on both ends of the floor, we can play with anybody. ... We emphasize it in practice, playing with each other and we executed it."

On four game win streak: "Getting our momentum at the right time and Utah State, beating them I guess is just the icing on the cake. No matter who we play, we always have to stay within ourselves."

Second half offense: "With them double teaming the post, it made easy lanes for our guards to penetrate. It was good to see."

On NMSU interior players; "At this point in time, it's just all about consistency. As long as we play hard and play within ourselves, I feel as though the sky is the limit. We create lanes and open shots for our guards, as long as we play with each other, sky is the limit for this team."

Daniel Mullings:
"Our size is a big plus for us. Adding the experience we have with some of our seniors, it helps other players like me coming in as a freshman and sophomores. It helps us settle down and play within ourselves and continue to dominate, which we did tonight."

On turnovers: "I think it was just priding up. In practice, it was brought up a lot by the coaches and we brought it up amongst ourselves. We just decided that we are going to change starting with this game and take care of the ball."

Second half offense: "We knew they couldn't defend us one on one on ball or off ball so we took it in. They double teamed the post."

On guards defending Pane and Medlin: "We knew coming into the game, Pane likes to get into the paint , push it in transition. We said that he's not getting into the paint anymore, take him out of his game a little bit, have him shooting more jumpers than he wanted to. We did a good job getting out on Medlin and the other shooters. I think we did well as a collective unit."

Marvin Menzies
"I think we took a step, key is to keep taking steps forward. Win or lose, you want to play as a team, play together and play well."

On turnovers: "The treadmill is an amazing tool when used properly. It was a focus obviously to take care of the ball. The guys were punished severely in practice when they turned the ball over. I think they got the message. Just a matter of concentrating and making it an emphasis."

On zone: "I didn't expect to stay in it as long as we did but when they weren't hitting the 3, it was obviously valuable for us. ... They were only 2-for-6 at the half. It was something that kind of made us go to it a little bit. ... We got comfortable with what they were running against it. Even their 3s, we were challenging every shot and that's how you bring a percentage down. I was happy with the way our guys executed the defensive game plan. This team is a lot better than how they played tonight. It was one of those games where once we got ahold of the lead and got a nice solid lead, we were able to make solid decisions down the stretch."

"They are a different team at home. Nevada jumped on them early and got a lead. You have to execute down the stretch if you do get a lead. We won the battle tonight. ... You have to look at what teams did prior to you that were successful."

On Idaho's win over La. Tech: "A lot of similar things we will see. La. Tech was shooting the lights out and was really climbing into them. Idaho just kept plugging away much like Utah State and were able to get back into the game. We have another tough test."

On Idaho's bigs: "They are a little more athletic. They are a different type of big. They can run and are more versatile. You have to be cautious in your driving and penetration."

Hungry Utah State team coming here Thursday

2012-01-12T02:09:00.000-07:00

First of all on Renaldo Dixon, Menzies had this to say on Tuesday,
"He's trying to make some decisions on a personal note. As soon as I have some information that I can share, I will share it. Right now, it's status quo as things have unfolded the last few games."

It sounds like to me both sides are trying to figure out the next step. Sounds like Dixon initially fell in line with his friend CK, but he's obviously not released yet. Menzies said he hopes Dixon will still be in an Aggies uniform.

My keys to Thursday's Utah State game:
Rebounding, pound USU inside and limit turnovers

Two NMSU players who can have an impact for the Aggies are Hamidu Rahman and Wendell McKines. First with McKines, there is no reason why he can't improve on his ppg in WAC play. Few teams have a four that can hold him. Utah State could in jc transfer Kyisean Reed, who I'm looking forward to seeing in person. But he's still getting used to Division I basketball and McKines is a fifth year senior.

Rahman has returned to form it seems. He's shooting 64 percent and averaging 9 and 7. The last two games, Rahman has played well but hasn't had much chance to be involved because the Aggies played undersized teams. Utah State has some size in Morgan Grim and Jordan Stone off the bench and the UtAgs want to play at a slower pace. I think Rahman can have a big game.

Stew Morrill: "(Rahman) is so big and they throw it to him a lot"

In Nevada's victory at Utah State, the Wolf Pack outrebounded USU by 10 with 13 offensive rebounds. The Aggies are the No. 6 rebounding team in the country. NMSU averages 14 offensive reboundes per game.

Stew Morrill: "Wendell averages over 10 rebounds per game so you have to put a body on him. It becomes a lot harder if you rotate or they penetrate or if you're doubling the post. We basically have to try to gang rebound."

Utah State doesn't turn the ball over. They average 12 TOs per game. NMSU averages 17 per game. The Aggies had 20 turnovers against Louisiana Tech. Although La. Tech wants to play at a faster pace, NMSU turnovers kept La Tech in the game.

"If we limit those, it makes the game a lot easier for us," freshman guard Daniel Mullings said. "Our turnovers really kept them in the game. If we limit them, we will be good."

It's easier said than done, but the Aggies will try to get the ball out of the hands of senior point guard Brockeith Pane. Moreso than past USU teams, the point guard is even more important since there are new players around Pane. It will be interesting to see who Mullings guards, either Pane or sophomore shooting guard Preston Medlin.

"From what I'm hearing from teammates and staff, they have been ruling the WAC," Mullings said. "This will be a good test for us and we are just looking forward to the game. One thing I know about them is they set a lot of screens so we have to be ready for that. We have to come in with that mindset to see screens and talk to get through screens."

Medlin redshirted last year and is averaging 15 ppg and shooting 49 percent from 3 pt range.

"We had three seniors on the wing. Preston had quite a bit of potential but those kids were seniors coming off a championship and were going to get a lot of the shots," Morrill said. "It was a good move to redshirt him. He had a tough game at Corpus Christi but since then has emerged as a guy who thinks he can play and he's right. He's good at passing the ball and makes a lot of plays for his teammates. He's slight of build but more athletic than you might think."

Even though there are new players at USU, Morrill has a system in place that is obviously successful.

"We knew what Tai Wesley and Pooh Williams did and we were comfortable with those guys playing them year in and year out," Aggies coach Marvin Menzies said. "I think as you get new players they are going to be there for awhile, you have to adjust to them. The way Utah State plays, their system is as important in understanding because of the consistency that Stew has."

Morrill said that USU coaches have primarily been studying film from the Aggies last three games after the departure of Christian Kabongo.

"Mullings has come in as a starter and looks very capable," Morrill said. "He's athletic and he's doing some good things. Kabongo was taking a lot of shots and it seems like there are more shots to go around."

Lastly, Utah State enters the game a bit desperate. They lost to Nevada at home and Thursday's game is the first of four road games for them. Lose another game could end hopes of a league title. Lose two certainly will.

A home game is important for NMSU and getting off to a good start is important.

"The advantage of playing at home is only as strong as your crowd," Menzies said. "We do need to get the support in here because there is no use of playing at home if you're playing in an empty gym. If we get that, I think that's a big part of giving us potential success."

CORRECTION: Aggies WILL have another transfer on campus

2012-01-09T13:14:00.002-07:00

With reports that Pitt transfer Khem Birch is leaning toward UNLV, the Aggies WILL have another transfer, Virginia's James Johnson is on campus for a visit. Johnson played in high school in California, but is originally from Canada.

Will be here tonight, but he is not on campus as I originally stated. That is all.

Halfway home: Aggies have been solid in season’s first half

2012-01-08T21:34:00.000-07:00

New Mexico State basketball fans have the right to expect a conference championship every two or three years.

Yet there is a section of folks who are letting one loss diminish what has otherwise been a respectable first half to the 2011-12 season.

NMSU is 11-5 at the midway point of the season.

The Aggies didn’t win their 11th game last year until Jan. 27 in their eighth conference game. Their win over Boise State evened their record at 11-11 and NMSU went on to finish 16-17.

The Aggies open the second half on Thursday in their Western Athletic Conference home opener against Utah State.

Talking around prior to the season, knocks on the Aggies under fifth-year head coach Marvin Menzies harped on a losing record against rivals New Mexico and UTEP, undisciplined play on the court and personnel issues off of it.

Legitimate concerns to be sure.

Midseason departures of players isn’t uncommon in college basketball. At NMSU, it seems to be common and any type of distraction off the court takes away from precious momentum and fan support this time of year.

It was Christian Kabongo this year — a player who showed glimpses of promise on the court but who never seemed in sync with the style of play Menzies was hoping for. Kabongo ultimately decided to part ways with NMSU and sophomore Renaldo Dixon’s status with the team is still unclear at this point.

On the court, the Aggies are moving the ball again, dishing off 14 assists in their 83-73 victory at Louisiana Tech on Saturday.

Regarding rivalry games, the Aggies won their first two, but lost a game they should have won at UTEP and got blown out at home by the Lobos.

Entering any season, going 2-2 against the rivalry schools is a successful year according to some. Menzies had never split with UTEP and UNM prior to this year, but the way they lost to the Lobos — getting dissected, outplayed and outexecuted, left a sour taste in Aggieland.

Next is the disciplined play of the team. This year’s team opened the season looking like a defensive juggernaut and the Aggies still play solid man-to-man defense while just mixing in the zone that bored people to tears in the past and led to easy baskets for opponents.

The Aggies know their strengths and have played to them, taking advantage of their size to get to the free throw line a NCAA high 566 times and pull down 37.9 rebounds per game — seventh in the nation.

Without senior Wendell McKines in the lineup last year, the Aggies certainly could not be described as a team that played hard every night.

This group plays hard, although the lack of a true shooter is sometimes hard to watch on offense.

The Aggies are hardly a sure bet to win the WAC this year and perhaps that’s what frustrates people so much.

But if programs are judged on wins and losses, this year’s team has 11 wins, six road wins, a realistic chance for 20 wins and no bad losses.

The fact that the team started 4-0 and beat the Lobos at the Pit set expectations sky high when the real Aggies probably land somewhere in the middle.

Which is certainly good enough to win the WAC

NMSU wins WAC opener at La. Tech

2012-01-07T20:40:00.000-07:00

Was it pretty? no. But NMSU picked up its 11th win of the year and sixth road win with a 83-73 victory at Louisiana Tech. I think the Aggies can win the WAC with seven regular players, but not if players foul out. Watson and Nephawe each fouled out on Saturday and Rahman played with four. Turnovers were up to 20 tonight as well and the Bulldogs had 20 offensive rebounds. But NMSU went inside, played to their strengths of size and defense and pulled out the win.

New Mexico State improved to 7-0 in Western Athletic Conference openers.

The Aggies improved to 11-5 overall and 1-0 in the WAC this season with an 83-73 victory at Louisiana Tech on Saturday.

“This was the ugliest win all season but the most rewarding because it was a conference win and it was on the road,” said Aggies coach Marvin Menzies, who improved to 5-0 in conference openers. “We had 20 turnovers and were outrebounded by two and we won. We really shot the ball well and executed well offensively.”

NMSU started the second half 9-for-9 from the field, pushing a six-point halftime lead to 61-46 with 14:36 to play.

“It’s all about sharing the ball and taking the right shot,” said NMSU senior Wendell McKines, who recorded his ninth double-double with 25 points on 9-for-13 shooting and 14 rebounds. “We all enjoy playing with each other.”

The Bulldogs answered with an 8-0 run thanks to five straight NMSU turnovers as the Aggies finished the game with 20 turnovers. But eight points was as close as the Bulldogs would get in the second half.

NMSU was a scorching 69.6 percent from the field in the second half, finishing the game 57.1 percent from the floor.

The Aggies had 14 assists on 32 made field goals and had four players in double figures.

“It was just a matter of sharing the ball and executing,” McKines said. “We had one of our highest assist games of the year.”

NMSU senior guard Hernst Laroche and junior wing Tyrone Watson each scored 14 points and senior center Hamidu Rahman had 11 points and six rebounds. Daniel Mullings had eight points, 10 rebounds, three assists, one steal and three blocks.

Louisiana Tech finished 34.7 percent from the field. The Bulldogs (0-1 WAC) had 19 more field goal attempts than the Aggies, grabbing 20 offensive rebounds and outrebounding NMSU 44-42.

But the Aggies were too efficient on the offensive end, scoring 44 points in the paint and shooting 16-for-26 from the foul line.

McKines scored 14 points in the second half and Laroche hit a jumper from the foul line at the buzzer.

“Coach told us that they are a good shooting team and we wanted to challenge all shots, not just the 3-point line,” McKines said.

The Aggies shot 48.5 percent in the first half for a 40-34 lead at the break.

“If you want to win on the road, coach tells us we have to win by 10 and that’s what we did,” McKines said. “Getting off to a good start made us feel comfortable quicker.”

Louisiana Tech shot just 32.4 percent but the Bulldogs’ full court pressure forced 10 Aggies turnovers in the first half.

“It threw us off because we hadn’t been pressured like that in a game so far this year,” McKInes said. “We bounced back and handled it better in the second half.”

NMSU plays host to Utah State at home on Thursday.

“(Winning their WAC opener) is critical and it’s how we want to go about things all year,” McKInes said. “It was a good confidence booster.”

La Tech quotes

2012-01-06T15:44:00.000-07:00

Wendell McKines on the Aggies' success on the road this year and what it means to being successful in WAC play. Of course, the Aggies open WAC play on the road on Saturday against La. Tech, a team that is unbeaten at home, as was Cal-St. Bakersfield.

"It's a good sign because that was an undefeated team at home. When you play on the road, you aren't necessarily playing talent for talent or size for size. You are playing how their chemistry and their environment how they play. It was their first home loss. That's a testament to where we are heading. It's a momentum boost for us and a positive note going into the WAC."

One last note regarding McKines, I asked him about the turnover and resulting foul that put Bakersfield on the line with a chance to hand the Aggies the loss since there wasn't video available. He said he turned the ball over as he attempted to go around the back to get past the guard just over mid court. Since it was a smaller player, McKines said he should have just ran past him rather than crossing him over.

Daniel Mullings on what he's capable of moving forward after a 21-point game at Bakersfield
"I knew coming in that I would have to step it up. Hernst and Wen were a little slow getting into the game so I had to pick it up. ... It starts with offensive rebounding, giving ourselves more chances to score and moving the ball and playing more inside out because we have advantages with our bigs."

Marvin Menzies
On WAC outlook. There have been more marquee wins it seems this year, but there could have been more.
"We had a couple marquee games that I wish the conference would have done a little better job. Close game against Mississippi State (Utah State) or our game vs. Arizona. Those really help the conference overall. When you get close but you don't win them, it's frustrating. ... In relation to the past, yeah, but we were right there on a few others that could have set us up a few notches in relation to the national conference standings. We got a few, but now it's time to see who is the best of the best."

La Tech is a guard oriented team that can shoot if they get hot. Bakersfield was similar, providing tough matchups for the NMSU big guys. The Aggies went to a zone and rode it out. They could do the same thing against La. Tech for spells at least

Since the backcourt is diminished from a numbers standpoint after Kabongo left, point guard Hernst Laroche needs a backup, and he also has to be careful not to get into foul trouble. Freshman walk on DJ Lewis did a good job last week, but counting on him in the second half in a league game probably isn't ideal.

"We are going to roll with what we have. We just have manage the game a little differently. ... (Laroche) just has to play smart. You can't play on your heels and play passive because you anticipate playing the whole game. You have to be aggressive but you just have to be smart and can't gamble where maybe before he had a little luxury to shoot the gap and go for a few more steals."

Khem Birch visit

2012-01-05T15:38:00.000-07:00

Pittsburgh transfer Khem Birch arrived in Las Cruces late Wednesday and will leave town on Friday for a visit at UNLV.

"I'm going to make a decision either Saturday or Sunday after the UNLV visit," said Birch, a former McDonalds All-American.

Birch committed to Pitt and has since visited Florida before coming to Las Cruces. While a Mountain West school, UNLV can hardly be described as a mid-major. The line between high-major and low-major has become less clear in modern college basketball.

"The advantages are probably developing at a mid-major," Birch said. "At a mid-major, coaches develop the players more. As a high-major coaches, they want to win so development is not as heavy. A lot of the high-majors have players leave and mid-majors have their players stay so it's basically even."

NMSU has an obvious connection to Canadian players and Birch is familiar with senior point guard Hernst Laroche and redshirt Sim Bhullar.

"Me and Hernst played AAU together four years ago and me and Sim played on Team Canada together," he said. "Me and Sim are really close because we are both the same age."

Should Birch land at NMSU, he would be most talented recruit to put an Aggies uniform on since Herb Pope.

"I like the program," he said. "They develop players. They like to do individuals a lot. I like that. It's kind of different from the East Coast but I like it. It (East vs. West) kind of factors into it a little because I'm more used to the East Coast. But I feel like I can gel with the West Coast. I'm not worried about where I'm going. I just want to be happy and be comfortable."

WAC revisions

2012-01-04T15:21:00.000-07:00

With WAC play starting Thursday, I'm going to take an opportunity here to call a re-do. Nothing crazy, but I present a revised WAC Poll and first team all WAC after the non-conference has been completed.

My initial Predicted order of finish
1. Nevada
2. NMSU
3. Utah State
4. Hawaii
5. Idaho
6. San Jose State
7. Fresno State
8. Louisiana Tech

Initial All WAC
McKines, NMSU
Hunt, Nevada
Burton, Nevada
Story, Nevada
Johnson, Hawaii

Revised Poll - Predicted record
1. Nevada - 11-3 (Only team in the league without a head scratching loss. Sweeping Hawaii gives them title)
2. Utah State - 11-3 (Emergence of Medlin and Reed give USU three go-to players)
3. NMSU 10-4 (Style of play will lend itself to many close games, hard to say they will win all of them)
4. Hawaii 10-4 (Talented team, but I think they will drop some road games.)
5. Idaho 8-6 (Idaho will steal games and will be tough in the tournament)
6. Fresno State 4-10
7. La. Tech 3-11
8. San Jose State 3-11

Revised First-team
McKines, NMSU
Burton, Nevada
Hunt, Nevada
Story, Nevada
Medlin, Utah State

WAC primer

2012-01-03T01:45:00.002-07:00

Nevada (10-3 107 RPI, 218 SOS)

Coach: David Carter

Best win: Washington (83 RPI) Bad loss: None

Last year’s WAC: 8-8, WAC quarters

Key stats: Nevada has offensive weapons at virtually every position, but the Wolf Pack are holding their opponents to 40.4 percent shooting and a league-low 63 points per game.

Key players: Sophomore point guard Deonte Burton is ninth in the WAC with 14 points, second with 4.6 assists per game and has improved from long range, shooting 38 percent from 3-point range; Junior guard Malik Story was feast or famine last year. Not so this year. He’s hit 50 percent of his 3s this year.

Outlook: Burton, Story, center Dario Hunt and forward Olek Czyz are all capable of winning a game on a given night. The four players account for 49 of the team’s 68 points per game. Without much of a bench to speak of, how far can the Wolf Pack go?

New Mexico State (10-5 96 RPI, 109 SOS)

Coach: Marvin Menzies

Best win: (@ New Mexico (50 RPI) Bad loss: @UTEP (185 RPI)

Last year’s WAC: 9-7, WAC semis

Key stats: Eighth in NCAA at 38.1 rebounds per game, 20th in NCAA in rebounding percentage, grabbing 57.6 percent of available rebounds; NMSU scores 51 percent of its points on 2-point makes and 30 percent from foul line, where they are ranked first with 540 in free throws attempted and 363 makes from the line.

Key players: Wendell McKines leads the WAC and is 13th in NCAA with 10.5 rebounds per game to go with 18.4 points per game (2nd in WAC); Senior point guard Hernst Laroche is averaging 11.3 points, 3.6 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game.

Outlook: The Aggies will lean heavily on McKines, Laroche and senior center Hamidu Rahman from here on out. NMSU is at its best when the game is fast paced and they are focused defensively. Offensive rebounding and free throw shooting will keep the Aggies in most games in conference play.

Hawaii (9-6 259 RPI, 297 SOS)

Coach: Gib Arnold

Best win: Xavier (58 RPI) Bad loss: Auburn (194 RPI), @Pepperdine (222 RPI), @Pacific (255 RPI)

Last year’s WAC: 8-8, WAC first round

Key stats: The Warriors are an efficient offensive team. Hawaii has four players who average in double figures and they average 73.5 points per game. They do it in just 61.4 possessions per 40 minutes.

Key players: Senior guard Zane Johnson is fifth in the WAC with 15.1 points per game and shoots the 3 at 35 percent; Junior center Vander Joaquim is 12th in the WAC in scoring with 12.1 points per game and second in rebounding at 9.2 boards per game.

Outlook: Hawaii has one of the WAC’s best non-conference victories, defeating Xavier at the Warriors’ tournament. They also played No. 17 UNLV tough, losing 74-69. Hawaii certainly has enough talent to win the league but they were 3-5 away from home in WAC play last year and started league play 0-5 with essentially the same core group. Travel is always a factor for Hawaii.

Utah State (8-6 150 RPI, 208 SOS)

Coach: Stew Morrill

Best win: BYU (64 RPI), Kent State (84 RPI) Bad loss: @ Pacific (255 RPI), Texas A&M Corpus Christi (314 RPI)

Last year’s WAC: 15-1, WAC champion

Key stats: Utah State is holding teams to 39.4 percent shooting from the field, which is 46th in the country. The UtAgs are 22nd in America in 3-point percentage at 39.7 percent while defending the 3 just as effectively. USU opponents are shooting 30.6 percent from long range, which ranks 60th nationally.

Key players: Senior point guard Brockeith Pane is seventh in the WAC with 3.5 assists per game to go with 11.1 points per game; Sophomore guard Preston Medlin leads Utah State with 14.4 points per game and is shooting 50 percent from the floor. He’s also ninth in the WAC with 3.3 assists per game; At 6-foot-6, junior forward Kyisean Reed is an intriguing player, who seems to have replaced the injured Brady Jardine’s workload with 10 points, including a 27-point performance against Kent State.

Outlook: The defending champs are at it again. USU has won 4-of-5 including a two-point road loss to No. 15 Mississippi State. Utah State seems to be doing it with defense, holding teams to 63 points per game. Pane may be the most experienced player after the loss of Brady Jardine, but Medlin has taken advantage of playing time. Medlin is fourth in the WAC at 48.5 percent from 3-point range.

Louisiana Tech (8-7 236 RPI, 309 SOS)

Coach: Michael White

Best win: Northwestern State (166 RPI) Bad loss: Portland State (221 RPI), Southern Methodist (251 RPI), Southeastern Louisiana (293 RPI)

Last year’s WAC: 2-12

Key stats: Although they score just 68 points per game, the Bulldogs have five players with 29 or more attempts who shoot 33 percent or better from 3-point range.

Key players: Freshman guard Raheem Appleby is 14th in the WAC with 11.8 points per game and is a 42.9 percent shooter from 3-point range; Senior guard Trevor Gaskins and sophomore guard Cordarius Johnson are the only other players in double figures at 10 points each.

Outlook: Louisiana Tech is guard heavy and young. Junior guard Brandon Gibson was the Bulldogs best projected player returning, but Appleby, freshman Kenneth Smith, sophomore Johnson all play more than Gibson.

Idaho (7-7 237 RPI, 293 SOS)

Coach: Don Verlin

Best win: @Oregon State (135 RPI) Bad loss: Montana (168 RPI)

Last year’s WAC: 9-7, WAC quarters

Key stats: Idaho is 11th in the nation in field goal percentage at 49.6 percent and eighth in the country in 3-point shooting at 42.4 percent.

Key players: Senior guard Deremy Geiger leads the Vandals in scoring with 13.1 points per game and he’s fifth in the WAC in 3-point shooting at 45.3 percent; Junior center Kyle Barone is fourth in the WAC with 8.2 rebounds, third in field goal percentage at 56.8 percent to go with 12.5 points per game.

Outlook: Idaho enters conference play losers of three straight games — all by three points or less. The Vandals are very balanced, both offensively and defensively. Gieger has improved and Barone is a skilled center around the basket. Having four 3-point shooters at 30 percent or better will keep the Vandals in most games. It’s just a matter of pulling out the close ones.

Fresno State (7-8 142 RPI 89 SOS)

Coach: Rodney Terry

Best win: Boise State (132 RPI) Bad loss: Texas-San Antonio (160 RPI)

Last year’s WAC: 7-9, WAC first round

Key stats: Despite boasting the WAC’s top scorer in sophomore guard Kevin Olekaibe, Fresno State averages a league low 66.7 points per game and opponents are shooting a WAC best 45 percent against the Bulldogs. The Bulldogs only average 60.9 possessions per 40 minutes, also a WAC low.

Key players: Olekaibe has the green light. He leads the Bulldogs and the WAC with 18.7 points per game, 3s made (45) and attempted (128). Olekaibe is involved in 31.5 percent of the Bulldogs’ plays when he’s on the floor, also a WAC high.

Outlook: New Mexico transfer Jonathan Willis is the only other Fresno State player to average in double figures and point guard Steven Shepp is one of two seniors on a young team that seems to still be a work in progress.

San Jose State (6-8 287 RPI, 324 SOS)

Coach: George Nessman

Best win: Texas-San Antonio (160 RPI) Bad loss: Montana State (317 RPI)

Last year’s WAC: 5-11, WAC semis

Key stats: San Jose State gives up a league worst 71 points per game. The Spartans are fourth in the league in scoring at 69 points per game despite shooting a league low 39 percent from the field. They are also last in the WAC in rebounding margin as the Spartans are outrebounded by 4.4 rebounds per game.

Key players: Sophomore guard Keith Shamburger is fourth in the WAC in scoring with 15.4 points per game and he leads the league with 5.1 assists per game; Junior guard James Kinney is third in the league in scoring with 16.7 points per game.

Outlook: With Shamburger and Kinney in the backcourt with senior forward Will Carter (9.9 points and 7.4 rebounds), it’s hard to understand how the Spartans haven’t been competitive in the non-conference. The team relies on jump shots and 3s (121 made 3s leads the WAC) and hasn’t defended well enough up to this point.

Watson sinks Bakersfield

2012-01-02T22:44:00.002-07:00

New Mexico State erased a three-point deficit with 2:32 remaining on Monday to defeat California-Bakersfield 73-72 on two Tyrone Watson free throws with 0.9 seconds left to play.

Trailing by one with 2.4 seconds left, Watson grabbed a rebound off a missed Issiah Grayson free throw, turned and was fouled by Donald Johnson.

“When he was at the line, I was just hoping that he would miss so we could at least push the ball, but (Grayson) missed and (Johnson) hit me across the face,” Watson said. “Basically at the free throw line, I was just trying to keep my composure and not the adrenaline and the crowd get to me. The first one was scary because it hit the back rim and got a great bounce. The second one hit front rim and bounced in.”

NMSU improved to 10-5, matching the school's most non-conference wins entering Western Athletic Conference play.
It’s only fitting the game was decided at the foul line. NMSU was 35-for-44 (79.5 percent) from the foul line. It made up for a 7-for-22 effort from the floor in the second half.
One of those field goals was a Bandja Sy 3-pointer that put the Aggies up 71-69 with 1:11 to play. But Grayson hit a jumper with 11 seconds left to tie the game. NMSU senior forward Wendell McKines turned the ball over with five seconds left and then fouled Grayson, who made his first free throw.

Freshman guard Daniel Mullings had a breakout game on Monday, scoring a career-high 21 points on 5-for-12 shooting with five rebounds, three steals and a block to lead New Mexico State to lead the Aggies to their 10th win of the season entering Western Athletic Conference play this weekend at Louisiana Tech. McKines had 12 points and seven rebounds and Sy and Watson each scored nine points.

NMSU shot 57.9 percent from the floor and 14-for-18 from the foul line in the first half, but the game was tied at 36-36 at halftime after 10 NMSU turnovers helped Bakersfield shoot 17 more shots.

With McKines and Laroche picking up two fouls each in the first half, the NMSU bench scored 10 first-half points. Freshman walk-on DJ Lewis made his first appearance as an Aggie, scoring a lay up to give NMSU a 28-27 lead with 2:48 left in the first half.

Bakersfield nailed 4-of-11 3s in the first half, opening the game with three consecutive triples. The Roadrunners scored eight straight points to lead 17-6.

Mullings scored 11 of the Aggies’ first 15 points for and had 13 first-half points. Mullings outscored Bakersfield 9-0 to pull the Aggies to within 17-15.
The game was significant in that key players battled foul trouble and with only nine players dressed, the Aggies still found a way to win.

"It's a momentum boost because we lost two guys and that puts more pressure on everyone," Watson said. "I think we have done a good job coping with it."

Why Khem Birch could pick the Aggies

2012-01-02T12:36:00.000-07:00

Pitt transfer Khem Birch has apparently received his release to a handful of schools including New Mexico State. Birch is scheduled to visit NMSU on Wednesday and Thursday and UNLV on Friday.

Birch will be coming to Las Cruces after a visit to Florida. Obviously NMSU is up against some heavy hitters but the Aggies obviously have just a strong as chance of landing the former McDonalds All American. Number one is Ags assistant Paul Weir. Weir has a long standing relationship with Birch dating back to when he was recruiting NMSU senior point guard Hernst Laroche. Laroche and Birch played in the same AAU program with Brookwood Elite for a period of time. Birch is apparently also friends with 7-5 redshirt Sim Bhullar.

Birch would likely play right now at NMSU if he were here. He would certainly log major minutes at both post positions once he becomes eligible in the second semester as Bhullar, BJ West and Chili Nephawe and potentially Renaldo Dixon are slated as the options at the four and five next year.

Moving forward

2011-12-31T21:36:00.000-07:00

There was certainly plenty of speculation after NMSU sophomores Renaldo Dixon and Christian Kabongo weren't part of Saturday's 81-65 victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff. The school's official stance at this point is this:

“It was a personal coach’s decision,” Aggies head coach Marvin Menzies said during his post game radio interview. “We’re going to assess it going forward and that’s where we were tonight.”

I think it leaves it open to speculation at that point. There is a sense that the team will be better off without Kabongo. I tend to agree, at least from an offensive standpoint and chemistry wise. I also think the Aggies have players capable of stepping up. The Aggies had 13 assists on 26 makes on Saturday and played primarily through McKines, who was open early and often at the high post against a zone and left to make a pass to either wing, dump it down low or make a move on his own. I asked McKines in an earlier conversation if the team was working on things to get him the ball in spots on the floor where he wanted it.

After telling me that it's a better question for the head coach, McKines said, "I've noticed some plays where I can be successful but everything is still within the system. Whenever coach feels the need to call a particular set or play, he is going to do it. He's been doing a great job so far. It's our best preseason record we've had since I've been here. We are just looking to improve on everything."

Two things CK does well were defend and get to the foul line, where he is the best shooter at 82 percent. He is good at getting to the paint, but he has a team high 46 turnovers on the year. He is a big part of the offense in terms of touching the ball 28 percent of the plays while he's on the floor. McKines is second at 27 percent and Hamidu Rahman is third at 20 percent.

I think a key player here moving forward regardless of Kabongo is Hernst Laroche. Laroche is involved in 17 percent of the team's play when he's on the court and he's on the court a lot. Laroche showed flashes of what he's capable of on Saturday. Laroche had 15 points, 7 rebounds and fours assists with one turnover. He was 5-8 from the floor and seemed more aggressive getting to the basket.

"I'm a senior and it's my last year," Laroche said. "I know how it feels. I just take it a game at a time."

Daniel Mullings backed up Laroche at the point although Laroche played 35 minutes. Mullings was 3-10 but he hit both of his 3s for the Aggies, who were 7-16 from long range after 1-14 against UNM. Mullings had 11 points, one asst, three turnovers, two blocks and a steal.

"He did a good job," Laroche said. "He ran the team and got us into our offense. I think he is learning the position so that's good."

Aggies commentary

2011-12-29T15:12:00.000-07:00

My column following NMSU's 89-69 loss to UNM. Yes, 89-69 is my final answer. The unofficial stats and the Pan Am scoreboard said 89-69. The official stats said 89-67. NMSU later changed the score back to 89-69. The official stats took away a field goal from Aggies guard Christian Kabongo. Kabongo was officially 3-for-15 for eight points.

Is this Aggies team the 4-0 club that started the season or the team that has gone 4-5 since?

New Mexico State basketball fans showed up in droves to see for themselves on Wednesday night. They left shaking their heads, badgering their own players from the stands and questioning the head coach.

Was Wednesday’s 89-69 home loss to New Mexico an aberration or the product of an off night? It’s starting to appear as if the Aggies’ 4-0 start is the aberration.

“Every season is a journey,” New Mexico State senior Wendell McKines said. “We are just in a little bump in the road right now. We are looking forward to playing our best basketball in March and we still have a ways to go. We will be fine.”

Of course, McKines is right.

It is a long season and there is plenty of time for the Aggies to revert back to the defensive-oriented team that beat the Lobos at the Pit and nearly beat Arizona at home.

It needs to happen soon.

The Aggies open Western Athletic Conference on Jan. 7, 2012 at Louisiana Tech, home against Utah State (Jan. 12) and Idaho (Jan. 14) and at San Jose State (Jan. 19) and at Hawaii on Jan. 21.

At first, I thought the Aggies could open WAC play 4-1 at worst with a possible loss at Hawaii.

After what I saw on Wednesday and in a Dec. 11 loss at UTEP, I’m not so sure.

UTEP bolted out to an early lead in a 73-69 victory in El Paso.

UNM did the same, leading virtually wire-to-wire and ending the game early with superior ball movement, defense, and a deft shooting touch that the Aggies are not capable of at this point.

The Lobos could have won by 40. Making 12 3-pointers certainly helped their cause, but the Lobos ran circles around the Aggies with simple pick-and-roll basketball that led to wide open looks from all over the court.

It was stark contrast to the Aggies’ pressure on and off the ball in their 62-53 victory in Albuquerque that seems like a lifetime ago now.

“The defense of the ball screen wasn’t bad, it was the rotations off the ball, which we went over, and over, and over,” Aggies head coach Marvin Menzies said. “Yet we still did not execute it very well.”

NMSU had 17 assists in Albuquerque. The Aggies’ had eight on 22 makes on Wednesday.

“We were bad on both sides of the ball and when you play like that against a good team, you don’t have a chance,” Menzies said. “Against a very good team, you have to bring your ‘A’ game and we brought our ‘C’ game.”

With a shortened WAC schedule this year after Boise State’s departure, NMSU simply can’t afford to let games get away from them either early or in the final result.

The Aggies have historically lost a conference road game they shouldn’t somewhere along the line. With Nevada, Utah State and Hawaii playing well, sweeping all three also seems unlikely.

NMSU can still achieve its goals come WAC time.

But if the last two games against legitimate competition are any indication, don’t book your NCAA Tournament tickets just yet.

Jason Groves can be reached at (575) 541-5459. Follow him on Twitter @jpgroves.

UNM thoughts and postgame comments

2011-12-29T02:15:00.000-07:00

It seems like I've seen this over and over the past four plus years. The Aggies have a big game at home. A game that seems like they can win, and they blow it. It's not even always the Lobos. The fact is that with a shortened WAC schedule, NMSU can't afford to not show up on a night and explain it away by saying that more important things are ahead. One bad loss in conference play and the top seed is gone. Drop two games to teams they should probably beat and they could easily be looking at a No. 4 seed.

UNM could have won by 40. And they are right, conference play matters most. But NMSU fans will not be happy after Wednesday's result and I think they have more right than ever. They actually showed up, filled the Pan Am to near its current capacity and had nothing to cheer for for most of the game as UNM took the lead for good less than eight minutes in.

NMSU fell to 2-2 against rivals on the season. Normally a respectable result. But after the way they lost on Wednesday, 89-67, it's hard to take anything positive from this game. The last two games where the Aggies played a decent team, they were taken out of the game immediately. On Wednesday, we saw what happens if NMSU can't battle back or play the in-your-face defense they did early on. Against UTEP, I thought it was the players. NMSU's lack of improvement from the first game vs. the Lobos until now was evident on Wednesday and that has to be on the head coach. You have to figure UNM would shoot the ball better and I figured they would make some shots, but 12 3s was remarkable.

3-point makes were probably the difference and Wendell McKines and Hamidu Rahman were very good. UNM's guards outscored NMSU guards 53-20. ... UNM had 19 assists on 30 makes, NMSU had 8 assists on 22 makes. ... Everything else was even, except the 3s. The game proved that NMSU, although they have been good in the second half, is not a good come from behind team. They just aren't built that way this year. 1-14 from 3s and 8-31 from the field in the first half are difficult for this group to recover from. It can get bad in a hurry and it got away from them on Wednesday.

Steve Alford
"This was a barometer game for us. I'm really proud of my team. We have gone 6-1 away from home. You do that in non conference and you have done good things. Our team has gotten better. It's something we are proud of. ... Our ceiling has been big because we had not shot it particularly well. Offensively we are just now starting to get into rhythm. We had 19 assists on 30 goals so we are sharing the ball. We are competing hard but now we are starting to make some 3-point shots. ... We have really guarded, and I think that was the thing tonight."

On ball screens (I've written here that the NMSU centers don't do a good job against ball screens and the Lobos went at them a lot. It put pressure on the rest of the defense. It led to wide open shots, which the Lobos knocked down.)
"That's always been a big part of what we do. Sometimes we have been big-big. Now we are more of a pick and roll team and the guys have gotten more familiar with that and that part of our offense has really improved since the first time we played."

On the Aggies
"This is a very good team and they aren't going to lose a lot of games at home. I think Arizona was the only other team to beat them in here. For us to lead almost start to finish says a lot about where our team has come from."

Going inside
"In the first game, we didn't finish anything inside. In this game, we really finished well. When Drew plays the way he did tonight, we are a much better basketball team. The other guys fed off that."

Shooting
"From the first time we played, our drive and kick game has got better. I didn't like our spacing in the first game. the guys have really worked hard at finding daylight. That's easier for the guy that is driving to see. I think that part of our offense has really gotten better and now we are taking open 3s instead of tough 3s. Now we are getting really good looks."

Wendell McKines
On the Lobos
"They attacked us. They had much more energy than last time and a lot more urgency and they shot the ball. Wow. That's the best 3-point shooting I've seen in the Pan Am since I've been here."

State of the Aggies after loss
"At the end of the day, this is what we do. We are not going to lose our confidence. If we lose our confidence, we may as well not suit up. Every season is a journey. We are just in a little bump in the road right now. We are looking forward to playing our best basketball in March and we still have a ways to go. We will be fine."

On the Lobos shooting
"Just have to think about the next play. You can't let it get you down. If that's in your head, them making three points is not only three points, but it's your points the next play down. You have to keep playing. You just have to give them credit for making their shots and try to defend the 3-pointer better."

On the Lobos and Aggies since the first meeting
"They seemed a lot more crisp. They seemed like they are playing more within themselves. It seemed like everybody knows their roles on the team. They looked like what they were predicted to be at the top of the Mountain West. You have to give them all the credit. ... They shot the 3-point ball very well in the first half and it dug us in a hole that was very tough to get out of. Hats off to New Mexico. As far as us, we have to go back to the drawing board and get back to what we do. We can't let this get us down. On to the next one. This is a long season. We can't let one loss dictate the rest of the season."

Marvin Menzies
"I'm glad the rivalry games are over. That's for sure. The Lobos shot the lights out tonight. It was one of those things where we had no answer for the 3 ball. We go 1 for 14, they go 12 for 24 and thats pretty much the story of the game. There are things that we did well and things they did well but at the end of the day, that was the point differential that was the story of the game. 21 points is far too much to climb when you have that type of a team."

"At the end of the day, we beat them there, they clobbered us here. It's frustrating to have such a good crowd and not being able to perform better is what is probably the most frustrating thing. I don't think we will shoot that bad again from the 3 point line but it came at a very inopportune time."

"If you can shoot the 3 ball, then coming back is always a possibility. When we shoot it like we did tonight, it's not a possibility. We had guys air balling 3s tonight. That's just a matter of getting in the gym, getting more reps. Having a higher level of concentration. Not being frustrated when things don't go our way."

On defending ball screens
"The defense of the ball screen wasn't bad, it was the rotations off the ball, which we went over, and over, and over. Yet we still did not execute it very well. That one was baffling. I have to look at the film on that."

"Players have to play. I feel like we knew who we were facing. They have improved and we haven't improved as much as they have. They shot the ball much better than we did.
we didn't play very well offensively down there but I thought we took them out of some things and I thought we did some things well defensively to help us get over the top but unfortunatly, we didn't do either tonight. We were bad on both sides of the ball and when you play like that against a good team, you don't have a chance. ... Against a very good team, you have to bring your A game and we brought our C game."

UNM game thread/prediction

2011-12-27T21:57:00.001-07:00

Hopefully you can post your pregame predictions and thoughts and postgame reaction here.

First of all, I picked NMSU to enter WAC play at 12-3 so a win over the Lobos is big for me as well as the Aggies as they have likely wins vs. Pine Bluff and at Bakersfield to go to 11-4 with wins in all three.

However, I, nor most people I'm willing to bet, had NMSU beating the Lobos at The Pit, making a sweep of the Lobos seem possible.

I'm going with the Aggies to win a 69-63 game on Wednesday at the Pan Am.

I'm sure the Lobos have improved since they lost to the Aggies in the second game of the season. The Aggies have shown signs of improving the past three games despite playing inferior competition. But who have the Lobos played? People are concerned about NMSU, but their three game losing streak came to Southern MIss (10-2 and No. 3 RPI), Arizona (10-4, 53 RPI) and UTEP, a team that I thought was originally a bad loss but since has beaten Clemson and Auburn (two bottom teams in great leagues) while hanging with Kansas State in Hawaii over the weekend. Simply stated, NMSU is the best team the Lobos have played and they lost to them.......at The Pit.

I know that it's not likely that NMSU will hold UNM to 28 percent shooting again. But I also know that Wendell McKines,, Hernst Laroche and Christian Kabongo won't be held to 0-for-14 from the field again like they did in the first half in Albuquerque. McKines was getting easy looks too and could have had 30. He finished with 14 and 9.

I think that assists are a big stat for the Aggies against the Lobos. NMSU had 17 assists in the first two games. Wendell McKines found Bandja Sy cutting along the baseline vs. the Lobos zone from the high post, the ball was moving and NMSU was getting good shots.

In addition to the story lines I wrote about in my last blog entry, I think Hamidu Rahman and the Aggies bench have to be productive because position for position, I think the two teams are extremely even. Yet Rahman had a good game against Arizona against and undersized center (13 and 8 6-12 shooting) and he also seemed engaged in the Aggies recent games against smaller players who aren't skilled. Bandja Sy has scored 21 points in the last two games and will have to check senior Phillip McDonald on the other end — Remember his block of McDonald and three-point play to ice the game in Albuquerque.

Two things stick out to me from the first game. It was ugly. I described it as a street fight. That's how the Aggies want it and playing at home, they should be able to dictate more of their style. The second thing was the possessions the Lobos had the ball in crucial situations, nobody wanted to shoot. Nobody wanted that big shot. Maybe they have defined their roles or maybe they were just shocked that an Aggies team was capable of playing that kind of defense. But at home. Rested. Confident. I have the Aggies on Wednesday.

Storylines/keys to Lobos game

2011-12-27T17:02:00.005-07:00

Prediction coming later this evening

3-1 or 2-2 in rivalry games

Entering every season, earning a split against rivals New Mexico and UTEP is a respectable result.

This Aggies group seemed different though.

A win at the Pit for the first time in nine years and a blowout win over UTEP at home made a season sweep of the four games seem realistic.

After all, it happened to the Aggies last year.

A recent three-game losing streak — including a 73-69 loss at UTEP — has taken the luster off a 4-0 start to the season.

A win Wednesday would match the four-game win streak the Aggies had to the start the season and doing it at home would restore casual fans’ excitement in the team just in time for conference play, which is truly what matters most to the team’s postseason hopes.

By the time the season ends, UNM could be the best team the Aggies face all year. The Lobos are currently riding an eight-game win streak and stand at 10-2.

The season looked bleak for UTEP early on, but the Miners picked up wins over lower tier teams from the ACC and SEC over the weekend.

The truth is that the Aggies and their fans shouldn’t be disappointed with a split against UTEP and UNM on the year.

But both groups recognized that this year was to be different.

It still can be.

Will the real Aggies please stand up

Wednesday’s game should provide an indication of how good the Aggies are going to be for the rest of the season.

The Aggies are well rested, relatively healthy and playing at home against a good team. They will be up for this game.

The Aggies can’t afford a slow start against the Lobos even if they have been pulling away from teams in the second half. Although the Aggies have won three straight, they haven’t shown the sustained defensive effort for 40 minutes that limited New Mexico to 28 percent shooting (4-for-21 in the second half) in the first meeting.

Is this NMSU team the team that shot 28 percent in the first half or the team that shot 60 percent in the second half and outscored the Lobos 36-22 in the second half to pull out the program’s biggest win since the 2010 Western Athletic Conference Tournament title game?

Williams and Lobos on a roll

UNM has won eight straight and nine of its last 10.

Sophomore guard Tony Snell is the Lobos best scorer at 13.3 points per game and senior forward Drew Gordon may be their best player. An argument could be made for sophomore point guard Kendall Williams as the team’s most important player.

Williams was 0-for-9 from the field with five turnovers against the Aggies in Albuquerque. He has since had 17 points in a win over Washington State, 19 points in a win over Missouri State and 16 in a win over Oklahoma State.

While the Lobos are among the best teams on the Aggies’ schedule, the same could also be said for the Lobos. UNM’s loss to the Aggies is the Lobos’ only game against a team with a Top 100 RPI ranking. By comparison, three of the Aggies’ four losses are to teams in the top 100, including twice to Southern Mississippi, ranked No. 3.

Board battles

Wednesday’s game features two of the Top 20 individual rebounders in the country.

Aggies senior Wendell McKines is tied for 18th in the nation with 10.1 rebounds per game and UNM’s Gordon is tied at 13th with 10.5 per game. McKines has set back-to-back career highs this year with 16 and 17 respectively in the Aggies’ last two games. Gordon’s season includes a 20-rebound performance against Oklahoma State.

The Aggies have the edge in team rebounding. NMSU is 17th nationally with 37.2 rebounds per game. They are also 26th in rebounding percentage, meaning the Aggies pull down 57.3 percent of rebounds. UNM is 40th at 56.2 percent.

The teams were even at 38-38 on the boards in Albuquerque. Rebounding will likely play a bigger factor Wednesday.

Take care and share

The Aggies are at their best when the ball is moving, especially when the Lobos drop back and play zone as they showed at times in the first meeting.

NMSU had 17 assists in the first game and averaged 15.2 assists per game through the first six games. The Aggies have dropped to 10.7 assists per game the past six games and currently average 12.9 assists per game. UNM is 15th nationally with 17.2 assists per game. The Lobos also lead the country in assist to basket ratio, meaning the Lobos have assists on 70.6 percent of their made field goals. By comparison, 52 percent of the Aggies’ made field goals are assisted.

Although turnovers have crept upward for the Aggies recently, both teams do a good job creating turnovers while keeping their turnovers down. NMSU commits 15.4 turnovers per game while forcing 16 per game. The Lobos commit 14.7 turnovers per game and force 16.5.

Stepping aside

2011-12-20T19:33:00.000-07:00

This will be my last blog entry until Dec. 26 although I will still be approving reader comments. Heading home for the holidays for the first time in two years.

In the meantime, follow @TeddyFeinberg on Twitter for game updates from Wednesday's game vs. McNeese State. Here is Monday's El Paso Times story from UTEP's win at home against McNeese State. There is this near the end of the story on McNeese State's guards.

"The Cowboys have a pair of good players in 6-foot-4 senior Patrick Richard (16.4 points a game and he has scored 1,183 points in his career coming into Monday night) and 6-3 junior Jeremie Mitchell (13.0 points a game and over 20 twice already this season). Richard, blanketed most of the night by Washburn, had just 12 points and scored five of those late. Mitchell finished with just three points."

Facing quality guards and big guards is a good thing for the Aggies, especially if suspended guard Christian Kabongo returns to the lineup Wednesday, a day after he was reinstated and allowed to practice for the first time on Tuesday after missing the past two games.

McNeese presents a more realistic chance to see if the Aggies are starting to regain their swagger from a 4-0 start that included a win at UNM. It sounds like McNeese played zone against UTEP so the Aggies will likely see a healthy dose of it as well. On the flip side, NMSU did well in their zone against Southern and McNeese isn't a great shooting team either so the Aggies could also work that into their defensive game plan Wednesday but we will see. The more defenses the Aggies can throw at a team, the better.

I asked Wendell McKines if the Aggies can build back to the defensive performance we saw at The Pit. We all know that's how this team is going to win games. Defend, rebound.

"We just have to emphasize it more," McKines said. "The whole season is a marathon. I feel as though we showed flashes against Southern of that same type of defensive effort. We just have to be consistent. Everybody knows that has to be the makeup of our team if we want to go as far as we can. It's all about practice and executing on the floor."

One sign that the Aggies were learning from their previous mistakes was the 51-29 margin on the boards against Southern. I know that Southern is not to the class of UNM or Southern or UTEP (other teams that have hung with the Aggies on the boards), but they reminded me of a lower tier WAC front line in terms of size and athletic ability.

Turnovers seem to be creeping upward though for the Aggies.
NMSU had 17 against Western and 22 against Southern. Is it just a result of giving young players minutes? Were the Aggies 9 assists on 31 makes a product of poor ball movement or just the fact that NMSU had 40 points in the paint, 15 offensive rebounds that led to 23 second chance points?

I guess we will see when the level of competition continues to increase building up to UNM and WAC play.

Lastly, it was good to see Bandja Sy play well from an offensive standpoint against Southern. Sy was 2-16 from 3-point range in the previous six games entering Southern. Sy was 3-4 from the field on Monday and 2-3 from long range. He also had three boards. I still think that Watson is a more polished player, a player who coaches trust more, but Sy was a factor early in the season. Hopefully he returns to form, giving the Aggies a big lift off the bench and next year as well.

Another Canadian stud?

2011-12-20T12:31:00.001-07:00

Pitt transfer and former Mcdonalds All American Khem Berch is rumored to be considering NMSU.

With Sim Bhullar already on campus, this web site lists Berch and Bhullar as the top 2 2011 Canadian center prospects. Missouri and apparently Kentucky are also two places that would take Berch, who was a starter at Pitt.

Aggies working way back

2011-12-18T21:29:00.000-07:00

Athletes are confident by nature. It's what makes them so fun to watch.

Tyrone Watson touched on it briefly in my last blog entry, but I think the Aggies had their confidence shaken a bit after losing three straight.

Aggie fans should hope that the team's victory at UNM, which was clearly their best overall game of the season so far, wasn't the peak of their season. In that game, NMSU was all over the Lobos defensively, holding UNM to 28 percent shooting ... at home.

"There was a lot of emotion and adrenaline (at UNM)," NMSU coach Marvin Menzies said. "The key is to get repetitions in practice. They have experienced what it feels like now and that's good. We have gone back to emphasizing defense, defensive transition and rebounding."

It's good for the Aggies that they have inferior opponents to work on what they need to before the Lobos come to town on Dec. 28.

Tonight's opponent, Southern, is 3-8 and coming off a 30-point loss at UTEP on Saturday. Wednesday's opponent, McNeese st. plays at UTEP on Monday.

Yawn..... Southern is next

2011-12-14T22:41:00.000-07:00

I suppose coaches can get something out of Wednesday's 92-65 victory over Division II Western New Mexico.

I know everyone thinks Remi Barry will be a superstar, but I was looking forward to seeing Terrel de Rouen and Daniel Mullings play extended minutes.

Mullings got his first career start, scored nine points on 3-8 shooting, 1-4 from 3 pt range with two rebounds, two assists and a steal in 27 minutes. de Rouen played 21 minutes, scored six points on 2-3 shooting with four rebounds and did a good job pushing the pace when he was in there. Even with Christian Kabongo returning, I believe de Rouen would be the better option as the back up point guard behind Laroche. There were times that Laroche played off the ball as well and he got some good looks, hitting 2-3 from 3 point range.

Daniel Mullings:

"It just meant that I had to be ready to bring my defensive presence sooner. It's a different attitude because you have to bring your energy from the tip of the game. ... It was good just to get a win. We had a couple losses straight so it was just good to get back on the winning side."

"They (Barry and de Rouen) were looking forward to getting more minutes and knew coming in they would be able to get a lot of minutes in this game. I thought they were ready."

"I'll be ready if I get to start."

Marvin Menzies:

"It was a challenging game to stay engaged because of the obvious talent difference. It was good to go against somebody else and get a chance to execute those things for some of the new guys. .. We wanted to just mix things up (regarding the starting lineup) get some different looks from different guys in different positions. I liked the way we got an opportunity to play some guys in different spots for extended periods."

"Terrel showed some comfort tonight. He has been able to get in a few games but I thought he was much more vocal. Point guard wasn't his position in high school so we are educating him in that spot. He is very talented offensively. It's good to have a guard that can knock down shots and get to the paint and do those things when things break down. Remi, it was the first real game on the schedule that he got a chance to play in. I thought he did well. He gave us a lot of energy. He knocked down a nice 3 there and then knocked down his free throws."

––––––––––––––––

I'm looking for Hamidu Rahman to get as many minutes as he can handle with Chili Nephawe and Renaldo Dixon splitting the rest at the center spot.

Rahman is a senior. He's healthy and Nephawe simply has not improved. Rahman came into Wednesday averaging 7.6 pts and 6.4 boards per game, but he's only playing 22 minutes a game. If he's fit enough to do so, he needs to get back to the beast that he was his sophomore season when he averaged 10 and 8 in 26 minutes per game. Nephawe hasn't done enough to pass him and Rahman has done it before.

"Down the line, I think so but you never know. It's who is playing well."

————————————

The Aggies have another big game on Monday against Southern.

"It feels good to have some home games coming up," said Tyrone Watson on Tuesday. "We played nine games and only two at home."

Watson had started the past 42 games at NMSU before coming off the bench on Wednesday.

The big test during this five=game home stand will be Dec. 28 vs. UNM.

"We have already addressed that," Watson said. "UNM is the big picture but we can't look past anyone because we have done that before and it came back to bite us. If we take care of business we will be high on confidence vs. UNM."

CK suspended indefinately

2011-12-13T19:16:00.000-07:00

NMSU announced tonight that Christian Kabongo has been suspended indefinitely from the men's basketball team. CK is an emotional player but Sunday's events at UTEP kind of forced the school and the coach to do something.

I was expecting a benching or something of that nature and was somewhat surprised by the suspension, but it is what it is and I think the Aggies have players capable of filling the void.

"In the interim, I think guys will both have more opportunities and some who haven't had opportunities will have some. That's the advantage of having depth is being able to go to different guys," Marvin Menzies said.

The two likely candidates to fill in for Kabongo, at least in the starting lineup are Bandja Sy, who was a starter for early parts of last year and who needs some sort of spark to get him going offensively. Freshman Daniel Mullings is a high energy guard, but probably not polished enough offensively to start. I also think freshman Terrel de Rouen should play more. Menzies said on the coaches show that he expects Remi Barry to play tomorrow or at least in the upcoming games.

Ugly loss, bad loss (UTEP 73, NMSU 69)

2011-12-11T23:30:00.000-07:00

Rivalry game aside, this was a bad loss to a bad one-win UTEP team — the Aggies first such loss of the season, but third straight loss nonetheless.

UTEP didn't exactly win this game. In fact, the Miners tried to help the Aggies out down the stretch, yet they still outscored NMSU 10-4 in the last 345. In a previous blog post, I believed the Wendell McKines wasn't getting enough touches late in close games the past two games. It was the other way around tonight. McKines didn't shoot in the first half and he was 1-7 in the second half for a season low 4 points as the Aggies were 1-7 from the floor down the stretch with McKines going 0-4. That, along with UTEP outrebounding NMSU 39-39 were two stats that stand out from this one after the Aggies outrebounded the Miners (minus Gabe McCulley, who killed the Aggies again for 18-13-7 ast.) by 20 in Cruces.

"They played with more energy and they executed down the stretch," McKines said. "They just executed down the stretch and we didn't. ... They had a game plan. We had a stretch where we could have put the game away and we didn't. They fed off that and made their run."

Yet the Aggies still had a chance to win the game, up by five with seven minutes left, and to tie the game, down by 3 McKines missed an open triple from the wing. At one point postgame, McKines said perhaps not being in rhythm all night threw him off.

But later, he said this, "That was a wide open look. No excuses, I should have made that shot."

McKines was frustrated, but the Aggies hung around with role players playing well. Hernst Laroche played well with a season high 16 and I liked the Aggies running the ball through him and using Christian Kabongo as a second ball handling option, but in the end, the Aggies fell short in a third straight close game.

Postgame comments:
Hernst Laroche:
"We had some turnovers, the boards, all of that was a breakdown. ... It (the box and 1) caught us off guard, they were making shots. McCulley was making 3s. we had difficulty getting the ball to Wen. They came out strong."

"It's a tough one because we had it. We have a bunch of seniors and juniors who have already played in those kind of situations. We just let the lead go down. Ya, it hurts."

"They were making shots. We weren't. We knew it was going to be a battle. It's there house and we weren't going to quit."

Wendell McKines:
"They keyed in on me specifically and we didn't make the proper adjustments. We made the adjustments in the second half. Every coach is going to have a game plan coming in. We had a chance to put them away and we didn't."

"I haven't seen that (a box-and-1) in college. It caught me off guard. In the first half, I waiting for us to make the proper adjustments but we didn't do that until the second half. I had to sacrifice my scoring in this game for us to compete. ... Just making me a part of the offense a little bit but stuff like that happens. We expected me to get hedged and boxed out really tough but not necessarily a box and 1. It kind of caught us off guard but as a team, we had a chance to put them away. Anything I was doing individually, it didn't really matter. I tried to get involved a little bit at the end of the second half, but after not touching it the whole game, I was out of rhythm."

"This is where being a student of the game plays a part. I have to watch film and talk to the coaches and see where I can make proper adjustments to still be a part of the offense if that's what is needed to win the game."

"We are a well rounded team. We have a lot of talent from the starters to our depth. I wasn't surprised. Tyrone stepped up, Bandja stepped up. We have players to step up. It's just about the little things. Defense played a part as well. We wouldn't have lost the game if we would have stopped them more. At the end of the day, we can make up all the excuses in the world. We just didn't execute down the stretch."

Tim Floyd:
"Streeter is probably our best chaser and we wanted to limit (McKines) his catches and touches as much as we could. We thought he had the feet to do it. We knew they would take him to the post and we knew he would have back side help when they did. We thought we could limit all of his perimeter catches early and we were hoping they would keep him on the perimeter and keep him off the offensive glass. ... Based on what happened in the Cincinnati/Xavier game, it was going to be a closely called game and we wanted to start box and 1 thinking we wouldn't foul as much. That didn't work out. They lived at the line."

"They are going to beat themselves up on the foul line and we really should as well. They make some free throws and it's a different basketball game."

Marvin Menzies
"We practice to make 3s. We don't always make them at this high of rate but we took what was given to us. We were able to get some wide open shots there."

"We got what we wanted. If they would have fouled, they would have fouled. We got the look we wanted. We were actually going for a quick two. If that wasn't there and they did a good job clogging it up. CK threw it out. We got a good look at it but it was just short."

Disturbing Kabongo gesture adds to loss

2011-12-11T19:43:00.000-07:00

Following is an email myself and the rest of the Aggies staff received from a UTEP fan following the game.

Offended.

Twice that I witnessed during the game tonight after making a shot; Mr. Kabongo Sophomore Guard for NMSU OBVIASLY grabbed his penis through his shorts and stocked it multiple times wale extending his pelvis toward the student section and sections B & C in the Haskins Center. I cannot tell you how offensive this was to my wife and several people in my seating area. I know my wife felt she needed to leave the seating area for a few minutes to compose herself. She went up to the concourse where she found other women and children recovering from what can be described as a sexual assault without exaggeration.

I would like to know what if anything The Athletic Departments of the University’s and the Coaching staff at NMSU feel is appropriate for this type of vulgar behavior.

3-0 vs. Rivals......Give McKines the ball

2011-12-10T23:25:00.000-07:00

The Aggies should move to 3-0 vs. UNM/UTEP this year with a win over UTEP on Sunday. If so, it would be NMSU's first sweep of the Miners since 2006 and Marvin Menzies would improve to 6-13 in rivalry games.

The Aggies have some time to work on themselves with five straight home games following Sunday's game. The only test during that stretch should be the UNM game on Dec. 28.

Something to watch for from here on out is how teams play Wendell McKines. McKines' improvement across the board has been fun to watch. He's still the double-double player we expected to see, but he's also shooting 44 percent from the floor and knocking down a career best 41.9 percent of his 3s and 69 percent of his free throws. Unfortunately for the Aggies the past two games in particular, I'm not the only one that has noticed.

"They are trying to jam me up and daring us to shoot it," McKines said. "We just have to get in the gym and try to make adjustments."

Against Southern Miss last week, McKines' last field goal attempt was a made 3 with 12 minutes to go as the Aggies were trying to make a comeback. Against Arizona, McKines scored five straight points to pull the Aggie to within five with 4:45 left in the game but he didn't shoot again. McKines also didn't have an assist or turnover during those stretches, which tells me that he wasn't touching the ball as much as he needs to close out games.

The Aggies offense went through Christian Kabongo the last five minutes of both games. (CK is currently fourth in WAC in usage percentage, — An estimate of the percentage of team plays used by a player while on the floor — CK is involved in 29 percent of the possessions while he's on the floor, although that has to be much higher down the stretch. Wendell is right behind him at 28.6 percent. For comparison, San Jose State's Adrian Oliver was 35 percent last year and Troy Gillenwater was 32 percent last year. Jahmar Young was was 28 percent his final year.

I give the Aggies credit for making these games close, but the Aggies won't win these games if their best player doesn't have the ball in his hands.

"Teams are denying him the ball but also really keying on him rebounding the ball," Menzies said. "He is getting hit first now. He just needs to be more aware and he has to adjust and we have to adjust.

"It's new for him but he's still getting his points but now he just has to go and get it more. It's the progress you hope to see for seniors expected to be marked men."

It's easier for teams to take away a "post player" then a guard. But it's not even scoring. McKines doesn't need much space to get him the ball. The Aggies need to get him open . He's probably the second best passer on the team.

The fact that McKines is not a guard means that other players simply have to be more productive and more consistent in critical situations.

I doubt we will get to dissect how the Aggies close a close game on Sunday but here are a couple things to consider.

The Aggies made a season-best nine 3-pointers in the first game. If nine is a benchmark, it's hard to see this team counting on that as they are shooting 32 percent from long range on the season.

NMSU will win this game doing what has worked for them all year and what worked for them the first time out against UTEP. The Aggies are superior in the paint and superior in talent from top to bottom. The fact that UTEP is returning their best player in Gabe McCulley shouldn't matter as I don't think McCulley would find minutes in an Aggies uniform and that Washburn is probably the lone Division I player of any note on this UTEP roster moving forward.

Last post on Remi Barry

2011-12-05T15:31:00.000-07:00

This will be the last time I talk about Remi Barry until he actually plays. He can not redshirt. He has already sat out a year, so barring an injury related medical redshirt, he has four years to play. If he never sees the court, it would be a wasted year and he would have just three years. Personally, I don't see that happening. People can think he is the next big thing and that the Aggies would have beaten Arizona with him playing. Or, you can side with the coaches simply not thinking he's ready. He hasn't played basketball for two years, he hasn't practiced with the team for a week while they were on the road and the last two games have been competitive contests. With a week of practice this week and some winnable games at home, I would expect to see him get onto the court sooner than later.

Swept by Southern Miss

2011-12-04T17:25:00.000-07:00

New Mexico State lost its second straight game and its second game of the season to Southern Mississippi, this time 74-66.

Three things I would like to see the Aggies work on with this week off they have. NMSU hasn't had a real practice in nearly two weeks, as they are either traveling or getting ready for an upcoming opponent. I hope they get some shots up, I hope they figure out how to rebound against undersized teams and I hope they work on their zone defense, because I do think it will come in handy at some point during games this season but it didn't look very good against Southern Miss on Sunday.

I think the turnovers will come down from 19. They only had six in the second half.

I was more concerned about the disturbing trend they have the last couple games with sharing the ball. Seven assists with 26 made field goals and 19 turnovers. Christian Kabongo had five turnovers and three assists and Hernst Laroche had four turnovers with one assist. The Aggies had nine assists on 28 baskets against ARizona while the Wildcats had 19 assists.

To me the player that is hard to figure is Kabongo, What do you think? It's hard to argue the results. His ability to get to the foul line and into the paint kept the Aggies in their last two games, but once he has the ball, the ball stops moving. It seems like the paint gets crowded because the Aggies don't have shooters and it takes away the threat of a post player making a move because by the time they get the ball, there is no space. It just seems like it's easier for teams to defend. Just an observation. Here is what Menzies said.

"When we don't score off that initial push, I think we need to get more reversals of the ball. At the same time, it was a tightly officiated game that made it a little more difficult to get any rhythm going."

I asked Menzies why the Aggies struggled with an undersized Southern Miss team on the boards. Southern Miss is the only team to outrebound the Aggies and they've done it twice.

"They are a tough matchup for out fives," said Menzies, referring to NMSU centers Hamidu Rahman and Chili Nephawe. "They are really athletic and hard nosed and it just created problems for Chili and Hamidu. They were really jamming up Wendell and keying on him all night."

"They were just fresher and had more bounce. They just outplayed us. Rebounding didn't hurt us as much in the first half as it did in the second half."

–————————————————————————————————————————————————

Southern Mississippi defeated NMSU 74-66 on Sunday in Mississippi to drop the Aggies to 5-3 on the season. Southern Miss also defeated NMSU 80-72 in the Great Alaska Shootout.

Southern Miss used the same formula to beat the Aggies, outrebounding NMSU 42-33 with 20 offensive rebounds for 21 second-chance points and 11 more field goal attempts. The Eagles also converted on 21-of-30 free throw attempts and scored 20 points off 19 NMSU turnovers.

“They were just fresher and had more bounce,” Aggies coach Marvin Menzies said. “They just outplayed us.”

New Mexico State trailed the entire afternoon. Southern MIss led by as many as 19 and led by 18 in the second half.

The Aggies finished the game shooting 50 percent from the floor, closing to within eight twice in the second half.

The first time was midway through the second half to close the Aggies to 56-47, but the Aggies committed turnovers on four straight possessions and Southern Miss pushed the lead back to 18.

NMSU responded with a 10-0 run to make it 65-57 with 5:42 to play. Christian Kabongo made it a seven-point game at 69-62 with 1:02 left but the Aggies’ inability to rebound robbed the Aggies of valuable possession down the stretch.

Kabongo led the Aggies with 21 points and six rebounds, shooting 6-for-17 from the floor.

NMSU attempted just 14 free throws, while Southern Miss was 21-for-30 from the foul line.

Kabongo was 7-for-10 at the foul line, Hernst Laroche had 12 points and Wendell McKines became the 28th player to score 1,000 points at NMSU with 15 points on Sunday.

Southern Miss took a 13-2 lead early as the Aggies didn’t make a field goal until a Kabongo lay up with 14:47 left in the first half. Southern Miss led by as many as 19 with a 13-2 run that put USM up 33-14 with 5:25 left in the first half.

The Aggies closed to within nine on a Daniel Mullings jumper with 1:19 but Page and the Eagles pushed the lead back to 40-26 with a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

Southern Miss scored 15 points off 13 Aggies turnovers in the first half and scored nine second-chance points after grabbing eight offensive rebounds in the first half.

“The thing that shot us in the foot were the turnovers,” Menzies said. “We had 13 in the first half and it’s tough to fight out of that big hole like that.”

Southern Miss a quality win?

2011-12-03T21:07:00.000-07:00

Based on the remaining schedule it would be.

A New Mexico State win on Sunday is necessary because, except for a potential BracketBuster game against a mystery opponent, there aren't that many opportunities for quality RPI wins from here on out. Although it's still very early to consider RPI rankings Southern Miss is ranked No. 17. As it stands right now, again, very early, Only California Bakersfield is an upcoming opponent ranked in the Top 100 at No. 52. New Mexico should move up throughout the season from its current rank of 168 and potentially Nevada could increase from 162, but the WAC will likely drag both NMSU and Nevada down later in the season with Utah State, Idaho, San Jose and Hawaii all ranked 189 or higher.

But I expect the Aggies to take care of business. Southern Miss may have had some time off since the Great Alaska Shootout, but I doubt it helped their players grow. Southern Miss was the only team to outrebound NMSU thus far and although they play hard, I don't think the Aggies will let that happen again against a team that is undersized compared to NMSU. Southern Miss also isn't known for shooting the 3. One player, Page, has taken 49 attempts and the second most attempts on the team is 18. Those two things (outrebounding NMSU and shooting 7-14 from 3-pt range) will be hard for Southern Miss to replicate I think.

Not to mention the fact that Southern Miss simply beat NMSU. Watching that game, I got the sense that NMSU felt like they could turn it on down the stretch but Southern Miss was able to hold them off with some big offensive rebounds. I think NMSU will start much better on Sunday and come back for a well deserved week off before going to UTEP.

Noteworthy, Wendell McKines is two points shy of becoming the 28th player at NMSU to reach 1000 points. He's also fourth on the rebounding list at 828 as he attempts to become just the second player at the school to score 1000 points and collect 1000 rebounds. After his 28 point performance against Arizona, I also expect McKines to win his second WAC Player of the Week nod but perhaps Deonte Burton's latest outburst will spoil that. We shall see.

Arizona loss

2011-11-29T23:44:00.001-07:00

"It's a missed opportunity," Aggies senior forward Wendell McKines said. "We missed a moment. Just thinking about the feeling we would have had if we would have won this game. To Know that we arent going to feel that way, it's tough."

The Aggies were right there. They did everything that has worked for them up to this point to give them a chance to win against a Pac 12 team (rebound — Held a 41-38 edge with 19 offensive rebounds. Get to the foul line — Shot 16 for 23 (69.6 percent), limit turnovers (NMSU 9, Arizona 11).

But as good as the Aggies were rebounding the ball all night, and as much as players refuse to use fatigue as a factor, the Aggies nearly came back late in the second half after a 14-2 Arizona run, but couldn't secure a rebound off a missed front end with 29 seconds left down three.

"That's a free throw rebound. It's four against two. Somebody doesn't pinch hard as they should have and it could be the difference in the game. We would have had the ball down three. That's an excellent opportunity to come down and score and get a quick bucket and then who knows.

"I felt like our guys were mentally ready to play," Menzies said. "I don't know about physically. We got a little fatigued there and maybe weren't able to execute at the highest level down the stretch, especially offensively.

"I have to go back and look at the film. I thought we had a couple guys get to the basket and they missed shots or had contact. It's just disappointing to play that hard and not win. We made a lot of mental errors with defensive rotations.

The result was a 83-79 loss, the Aggies' first at home before heading back out to play two more road games.

Wendell McKines was great, finishing with a career-high 28 points, shooting 10 for 18 from the field and 4-7 from 3 point range. Wendell didn't force anything and had the kind of night at home where I thought he could have had at the Pit when he missed shots in the first half he normally makes. The Aggies went cold during the Arizona run, and I can't remember Wendell getting many touches during the run.

"They just made their run. They executed," McKines said. "They are a team full of vets. They just beat us."

Late in the game, the Aggies looked to McKInes and Christian Kabongo.

Arizona had 19 assists on 30 field goals. NMSU had nine assists on 28 field goals, but it's hard to fault the Aggies for looking to Kabongo. He was 7-11 at the foul line and scored five straight points (three on an And 1 and two from the foul line) to get the Aggies to within three.

"(Kabongo) penetrated very well and he's been shooting it fantastic from the free throw line."

NMSU pounded the ball inside with centers Hamidu Rahman and Tshilidzi, especially when Jesse Perry was guarding them. Rahman had 13 and 8 and Nephawe had 6 and 9. Perry was tough though, finishing with 15 and 12 as someone had to step in for Solomon Hill as he battled foul trouble.

"They did a great job," Menzies said. "We really challenged the bigs tongiht. Hamidu shot 50 percent from the field and did a great job with eight boards. Chili had nine boards. Thats what those two have to do every night. We wanted to attack them inside and the guys did a good job finding them. We have to get them more shots depending on the situation."

At times in the first half especially, Nick Johnson beat the Aggies back in transition badly and as a result the Wildcats shot 60 percent in the first half.

NMSU also struggled finding shooters when Arizona guards got into the paint or played pick and roll. Arizona hit the most 3s in a game since hitting 14 against St. Johns.

"Our defensive transition was very weak tonight," Menzies said. "We have done a much better job at that in the past. We were so aggressive offensively going to the glass that we didn't turn around and run with them."

McKines said that there were no excuses, but Menzies let on that in certain situations, fatigue, mental or otherwise, played a factor.

Especially on the offensive rebound on the free throw and the Aggies' 3 point shooting (4-21)

"We had a few really good looks where first look was the best and we passed on it. We were trying to make the extra pass and look for an open shot but the ones that we had off initial penetration were pretty open. 4-21 is not acceptable and not going to win a lot of games at home shooting that percentage."

NMSU vs. Arizona

2011-11-28T18:30:00.000-07:00

First I wanted to address what everyone seems to be talking about. NMSU freshman Remi Barry will be available from here on out for the Aggies. I know that most people think he's the next big thing. Maybe he is, but it won't show this year. He finds himself in a good situation with the somewhat surprising play of Bandja Sy and the steady play of Tyrone Watson. He would have to be pretty special to steal minutes from those two guys right off the bat. But it's good that he can work his way into the lineup and by conference time, perhaps he will provide yet another weapon off the bench.

"I'm happy for him that he has put all of that behind him," Marvin Menzies said. "It's a great opportunity for him, whether or not he plays (Tuesday) or not. Having experienced guys in front of him who are playing well is good for him."

Some interesting Sean Miller comments follow, but first Miller said that we won't see freshman center Sidiki Johnson, who is now focused on academics after returning from suspension.

Miller said that junior wing Kevin Parrom is currently a shade of his former self after coming back from injury. Miller said the Wildcats haven't had consistent play from the center position, which should sound familiar for Aggies fans. Miller wants to play 9 or 10 players, so confidence level of bench players is something to keep an eye on, especially since it seems like freshman guard Josiah Turner is starting to work himself back into good graces. I think that guard play is interesting to watch on Tuesday and is probably Arizona's strength. Kyle Fogg is a a big (6-3) senior guard and Nick Johnson has averaged 10 per game and shoots 43 percent from 3 as a freshman and Jordan Mays has started five of the six games and senior Brendon Lavender is the team's best shooter but has only played 8 minutes per game so far.

One thing is for certain. Miller will not start the same lineup as he did in a 61-57 home loss to San Diego State last week. Miller said that the combination of Jesse Perry, Solomon Hill, Kyryl Natyazko, Mayes and Fogg will start against at Arizona.

Miller on the Aggies
"I think they are a terrific offensive rebounding team and the best offensive rebounding team we have faced so far. They play with tremendous depth and energy defensively. Energy and taking care of the ball is important. I think it's going to be a great challenge and I think they are a team that will be in the postseason."

I think the Wildcats will be fine. But they have players who are trying to figure out roles early on.
"Derrick Williams plays for the Minnesota Timberwolves now. Tuesday is going to be a really hard game for us."

I asked Miller, whose teams have been known for playing man to man, how he approaches playing teams like the Aggies, who aren't a great shooting team.
"Everybody thinks that playing zone solves the problem against a team that doesn't shoot well. One thing the zone exposes is second shots. It backfires if you are giving up high quality second shots."

Miller said his team isn't on par with his past teams defensively at this point.
"We have always gotten better year by year on the defensive end. We're not very good in any of those areas right now."

Here are two additional things that I'm watching on Tuesday.

Key matchup

Wendell McKines vs. Solomon Hill

Arizona coach Sean Miller believes Aggies power forward Wendell McKines could start for a Pac-12 team, including his own.

But McKines is an Aggie and his numbers reflect the 6-foot-6 Hill.

Hill leads the Wildcats with 12 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. McKines leads the Aggies with 17 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. Both players are capable of hitting the perimeter shot but don’t rely on it as McKines is shooting 37 percent from 3-point range and Hill is a 25 percent shooter.

Key to watch

Rebounding

NMSU is outrebounding its opposition by 8.3 boards per game. The Aggies are tied for 14th nationally with 16 offensive rebounds per game. McKines is pulling down 3.5 offensive rebounds per game.

“I think they are a terrific offensive rebounding team,” Miller said. “They are the best that we have faced yet.”

Arizona part 1

2011-11-28T14:29:00.002-07:00

Here are some early thoughts on Tuesday's game. I'll have more later on today.

It’s the perfect recipe for an upset.

A high major team figuring out how to replace a lottery pick, playing a senior-laden mid-major on the road early in the season.

“You have to go out and play the games,” Aggies coach Marvin Menzies said. “They are more talented I think than people give them credit for. They are an upper echelon team in the country and we have to play our best basketball.”

The last time New Mexico State beat a team from a “Power Six Conference” was against Colorado at home in 2002.

If there was ever a chance to add to that total, it could be Tuesday against a young, but talented Arizona club coming off a loss at home to San Diego State on Nov. 23.

Arizona will only get better as the season goes along under third-year coach Sean Miller, but Miller expects a stiff challenge against a 5-1 Aggies team that starts three seniors, a junior and a sophomore.

“Since I was at Xavier, I don’t really look at mid-majors as a factor,” said Miller, whose team is 4-2 this season. “There is so much parity in college basketball now. Just look at the teams who are winning championships in the early tournaments. That’s because there are a lot of good players and good teams.”

Manufacturing points

The Aggies lead the nation in free throws made (170), attempted (249), makes per game (28.3) and attempts per game (41.5).

“We are aggressive and physical,” Aggies senior point guard Hernst Laroche said. “That’s our reputation and (officials) have to call it. If they don’t call it one time, we are going to go back the next time. We have to keep working because we know we are going to get open shots. The more free throws we get, the better it is for us. We have to keep practicing so that we step to the line with confidence.”

Aggies sophomore guard Christian Kabongo is fourth nationally with 46 attempts this season. Kabongo is making them too, shooting 92 percent after a 34-for-35 stretch in three games at the Great Alaska Shootout. The Aggies were 85-for-131 (65 percent) in Alaska from the foul line and they are shooting 68 percent from the line for the season.

“Our team goal is to be above 72 or 73 percent,” Menzies said. “We are not too far off. We are taking so many of them that the percentage is probably more significant so the we want to be above 70 percent.”

For the 100th time

Tuesday will be the 100th meeting between New Mexico State and Arizona but the first game in Las Cruces since 1971 — a game won by the Aggies 89-73.

Tuesday’s game marks the end of a home-and-home series with the Wildcats. Arizona defeated NMSU in Tucson last year as lottery pick Derrick Williams’24 and 14 outgunned Troy Gillenwater’s 25 points.

The Wildcats own a 59-40 advantage in the series. The Aggies have lost the last three games to Arizona, all on the road — in 1999, 2006 and last year.

It could be awhile before the Aggies and Wildcats meet again.

“Non-conference scheduling is different now than it was 10 years ago,” Miller said. “Scheduling is done a year or two in advance and we have moved in a different direction, but we know it is an incredible environment versus an excellent team.”

Long, somewhat happy plane ride home

2011-11-26T22:25:00.001-07:00

NMSU is 5-1 after picking up two wins in the Great Alaska Shootout. I guess there is some good news in that the Aggies get a chance to avenge what was a weird loss to Southern Miss later this season.

But for now, the Aggies return home after three games in three days to play a well rested Arizona team coming off a home loss to San Diego State. NMSU leaves Alaska at 150 a.m. Alaska time. They return home around 1230 pm on Sunday and have one day to prepare for a 7 p.m., game on Tuesday against Arizona.

"I like it (the schedule)," Hernst Laroche said. "I like playing more games so you can get in that groove. We have seniors so it shouldn't be a problem. We should be able to get ready for it."

NMSU was 85-131 (64.9 percent) from the foul line in three games in Alaska, setting a Great Alaska Shootout record for both free throws made and attempted. That's 28 makes and 44 attempts per game.

Christian Kabongo made his first 30 free throw attempts at the tournament and was 11 of 12 in Saturday's 81-71 win over Southern Miss.

Obviously the Aggies are putting pressure on officials to make calls.

"We are aggressive and physical. That's our reputation and they have to call it. If they don't call it one time, we are going to go back the next time," Laroche said. "We have to keep working because we know we are going to get open shots. The more free throws we get, the better it is for us. We have to keep practicing so that we step to the line with confidence."

A possible reason for first setback

2011-11-26T01:08:00.000-07:00

NMSU is not a perfect team by any means, but the Aggies are certainly the most athletic and talented team in Alaska this week.

Saturday's 80-72 loss to Southern Miss wasn't a bad loss, but it was a loss that shouldn't have happened.

I'm sure the Aggies aren't looking for excuses. But you have to think that playing five of six games away from home to start the season can take its toll on a team. How else could you explain getting outrebounded 38-26 with 13 offensive rebounds against a smaller team? Last year, you would expect that but it doesn't fit with how this team has been playing. NMSU continued to get to the foul line, but a night after shooting 70 percent from the line, the Aggies were 68 percent from the foul line (30-44) but only 15-26 (57 percent) in the second half.

We knew the Aggies weren't the best shooting team. What's starting to show for me though is not the 3-point miss because the Aggies aren't shooting an unrealistic amount of attempts. But they are missing 10 footers, and what's more, they are good shots, open shots. It could make scoring get more and more difficult as the season goes on if they can't knock down the occasional jumper.

NMSU has some home games coming up after the Alaska trip. Coming back at 5-1 is nothing to be ashamed of considering all but one were played outside of the Pan Am.

Success in Alaska

2011-11-23T15:54:00.000-07:00

The Aggies beat Tenn. Chattanooga 75-65, Oregon 86-75 and Illinois 95-94 to win the 1992-93 Alaska Shootout.

The competition there wont be that stiff this time around, but there is still some good competition the Aggies can get out of it. Here is a blog entry from prior to the season on the schedule.

I think the Aggies are the best team in Alaska. I expect them to play Central Michigan, Southern Miss and either Murray State or San Francisco.

It's very early in the game, but NMSU is currently ranked No. 28 on RealTimeRPI. (Cleveland st. is No. 1.

Central Michigan is 2-1 with a 67-57 win at Pepperdine on Monday and a 2OT loss to Charlotte.
Southern Miss is No. 3 at 1-1 with a loss at Denver (RPI No. 2, 59-52) and a win at Colorado State (RPI 56. 79-58). Will be interesting to see this clash of styles since it looks like Southern Miss wants to slow things down like UTEP did.

Murray State (109 RPI) has wins over Morgan State and UAB (62-55) this year. San Fran is No. 133 with a loss to North Dakota State and four straight wins over Northern Arizona, Lafayette, San Jose State and Seattle, all schools 188 or above.

Behind the scenes of the Aggies' run-and-gun start

2011-11-23T15:33:00.000-07:00

Ever wonder how the Aggies have seemed to outlast teams and pull away from them in the second half so far this season? Do you think they can sustain it for an entire season?

I asked the man tasked with getting the Aggies in condition for an up tempo style driven by defense, former Aggie player and second year strength and conditioning coach Trei Steward a few questions.

Did you do anything differently?
Steward: Coach came to me with some concerns about last year's conditioning. Me being a first-year strength and conditioning coach there were a lot of things that I changed. I knew we had to get better in certain areas, one being able to get up and down the court. ... Coach put it on me and said, 'Hey Trei, we have to get this done.' I put it back on the players if this is the kind of style you want to play this year and they did it. ... I think we are below average right now in my eyes but we are playing well. If we continue to build it, we can make defense a staple for this team for years to come."

SUMMER
"We put in some new drills with a lot of resistance training for quick sprints, but we went old school too and did a lot of suicides and 30 second on and 30 second off drills to get them ready for games. You aren't going to be in basketball shape before you are playing. Simulating basketball in conditioning drills is tough. We weren't allowed to touch a basketball but I can still work on defensive conditioning because we don't need a basketball. We can still tell how you are supposed to slide and cut people off."

Steward said that there was above average participation for summer workouts
"Even guys who aren't playing minutes now were here. Something that clicked I think was losing last year in the tournament didn't sit well with them. Defense was always the key for this year's team. They knew that they aren't going to have that scoring punch all the time so we have to do it with our defense. In order to play defense, you have to be well conditioned and able to move side to side."

PRESEASON
"When they got back for school, we did testing to see where they were at and then just went at it three days a week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Sometimes we went four or five days with certain guys like Chili and Hamidu trying to get those big guys to run more. They still aren't where we want them to be but nobody is. That's OK. I want them to peak in February to be the type of team that can outlast teams."

REGULAR SEASON
"I felt like going into the season last year, we were decent but we didn't keep up with it in practice like we should have. This year there is more emphasis that if we want to be this kind of team, we are going to have to run more in practice."

Ags No. 22

2011-11-21T22:51:00.000-07:00

At least according to this AP Top 25 voter.

"22. New Mexico State cracks the poll here after winning at New Mexico and beating UTEP. A nice road win, winning at the Pit. Next: C. Michigan on Thurs. in the Great Alaska Shootout."

The Aggies haven't received votes since the 2007-08 preseason poll and they ended the previous season receiving votes in the final poll.

Marvin Menzies said after the UTEP game that if his team went to Alaska and went 3-0, perhaps they would receive votes. It happened earlier.

"I'm happy to see that one person was listening," Menzies said. "It's just one of those benchmarks along the way that you would like to achieve. Hopefully we can get more people on board."

Menzies said that Oñate grad Terrel de Rouen could get some minutes on this Alaska trip. He also revealed that he likely won't play Eric Weary in hopes that he can redshirt Weary. Remi Barry is not on the trip as the team left Monday, but Menzies said he would join the team if the suspension is dropped from six games to four or five.

Two down, two to go

2011-11-19T23:55:00.000-07:00

Tim Floyd lost to NMSU for the first time at UTEP.

Said Floyd, "That's a really good Aggie team. Their speed, their quickness, their athleticism I thought was just superior. It reminded me of a Memphis team we played a year ago. They were tremendous on the offensive class. Their second and third and multiple efforts on the glass were the key to the game."

Pretty decent praise for the Aggies, who are now 2-0 vs. UTEP and UNM after going 0-4 in these games last year.

But apparently beating UTEP holds a special place for Aggies coach Marvin Menzies.

"Anytime you can beat UTEP, it feels a little bit better than beating any other school. Its a great rivalry and I respect it a lot."

Then Menzies added this, referring to Wendell McKines' Twitter posts a couple weeks ago and UTEP's trending topic entitled #under10wen.

"I don't think they held him under 10 did they? No, 23 and 13 so that didn't happen. I was glad to see Wen keep his head and play great basketball."

McKines was efficient, shooting 5 for 13 from the field and 12 for 15 from the foul line for a career high 23 points. He registered his 29th career double double with 13 rebounds for his second double double effort in three games this season.

McKines had 7 of the Aggies' 21 offensive rebounds as the Aggies had 22 second chance points. Two of those offensive rebounds came on two different free throw misses while the Aggies were trying to put the game away.

NMSU was 71.8 percent from the foul line (28-39) after entering the game shooting 60 percent. Getting to the free throw seems to be part of the Aggies' offense. NMSU is averaging 39 attempts per game. If they can shoot at least 65 percent from the line, that's 25 points per game. Hernst Laroche was 9 of 10 at the line and Chili Nephawe was 6-for-7, all in the last 5 minutes.

It was good to see the Aggies handle an inferior team at home. UTEP frankly isn't very good offensively. They shot 45 percent for the game but were 3 of 13 from long range and you could tell they wanted the game in the 60s but when the Aggies opened the second half 7-0, UTEP couldn't keep up.

Is it strange to anyone else that NMSU hasn't been 3-0 since 2003-04? They've been in the tournament a couple times during that span, but this team is different. It's not lost on Menzies, whose team has a realistic opportunity to run the table in the Alaska tournament next week. If so, the Aggies would be 6-0, something that hasn't happened since 1969-70 when Lou Henson started the season 8-0. The Aggies started 5-0 in 1990-91 and 4-0 in 2003-04.

"If we can go to Alaska and have success out there, I really think we will be on track for maybe even some Top 25 votes, which hasn't happened in some time."

Quote time:
Marvin Menzies
"Hamidu struggled a little bit tonight (0 points, 8 rebounds) and he was frustrated with the speed of play."

Saturday was the first time in three games NMSU led at the half. UTEP slowed the game down early but couldn't keep it going.
"Our guys are not front runners but they are competitors. When they don't have everything going their way, sometimes they can get a little distracted on a possession or two. We are 3-0 and we have loads of improvement in front of us. I'm so excited about the potential of this team. They say its a scary word but not with this crew. We are going to realize some dreams. We are going to shock some people and have a season to be remembered."

Chili Nephawe picked up another technical, but he didn't foul out for the first time this season.
"He's a firey passionate guy."

Wendell McKines, on the new Pan Am floor
"I like it. We are undefeated on it."

Tim Floyd
"We didn't guard the 3 point line. We had a hard time staying between them and the basket with their drives. A lot of that was just not being back on defense so we are late to play and reach and stab. They just whipped us."

"We came out at the start of the second half and didn't show the poise we showed in the first half."

Floyd said that the Miners spread the floor hoping to go by Aggies defenders. It was just like the Lobos, where Snell tried to drive. It seems that it will take some time for the Aggies to prove to people that they can guard the ball and play good help defense.

"It wasn't an offense to delay the game. It was to take advantage of what we thought we could do."

COMMENTARY: Aggies win ugly, win big

2011-11-17T16:27:00.000-07:00

It was not pretty.

Just how the Aggies like it.

My snapshot memories from New Mexico State’s 62-53 victory over New Mexico at The Pit on Wednesday aren’t highlight dunks, blocked shots, or both teams making big shots.

Although this game also included that.

Plays that stand out to me include Daniel Mullings diving into Lobos fans courtside for a loose ball.

Or center Hamidu Rahman walking away with his hands in the air to avoid escalating a situation after he was tackled by Demetrius Walker. Rahman made 1-of-2 free throws on the intentional foul and Wendell McKines converted a three-point play on the extra possession to put the Aggies up for good with 8:57 to play.

Or Christian Kabongo, who stood in to draw a charge on Tony Snell with 2:52 to play with four fouls.

How about Hernst Laroche, who was buried beneath three Lobos going to the hole with 54 seconds left. Laroche made both free throws to put NMSU up four.

Finally, Bandja Sy blocking Phillip McDonald’s 3-point attempt with 23 seconds left and then converting a three-point play two seconds later on the other end to ice the win and snap a seven-game skid to the Lobos.

Statistically, the Aggies won at The Pit for the first time since 2002 despite every player on the roster having an off night.

McKines, Laroche and Kabongo were a combined 0-for-14 from the floor in the first half. Laroche had an uncharacteristic seven turnovers. Rahman was 8-for-16 from the free throw line and NMSU was 21-for-38 (55.3 percent) from the foul line for the game.

But it was even worse for the Lobos and you have to credit the Aggies for that.

UNM shot 28 percent (14-for-50) from the floor for their worst shooting percentage under Steve Alford.

The fact is that in just two games, NMSU has proven it can adapt to its environment. The Aggies scored 89 points to open the season and 62 in the second game.

The common theme in both games was speeding the game up, defending full court for 40 minutes and making it look sloppy but making plays in crucial situations.

It’s not pretty but it’s working for them and it seems to be a signature for this team.

I’m a Denver Broncos fan but not a believer in quarterback Tim Tebow. But after two straight road wins, I would rather my team win ugly than lose.

NMSU is 2-0 for the second straight year. A home win at UTEP on Saturday would be the Aggies first 3-0 start since they went 4-0 in 2003-04.

And that is beautiful for Aggies fans.

Jason Groves can be reached at (575) 541-5459. Follow him on Twitter @jpgroves

Looking forward

2011-11-17T16:13:00.000-07:00

I don't expect a NMSU letdown on Saturday against UTEP. I think the experience of this group doesn't let the team lay an egg in their home opener.

Plus there is this fact.

NMSU went 2-0 last year. The Aggies werent two games over .500 again until conference play. They were never three games over .500.

UTEP is down and I still think we haven't seen the Aggies get going offensively.

finally, NMSU hasn't started 3-0 since a 4-0 start in 2003-04. All signs point to an Aggies win on Saturday.

Thoughts on UNM

2011-11-17T16:07:00.000-07:00

Wednesday's 62-53 victory at New Mexico has the potential to be a program defining victory for Marvin Menzies.

NMSU's WAC title run two years ago included a win over Nevada in Reno. Since that game was a tournament game, I would probably put it ahead of Wednesday night. But it's close for the emotional factor. UNM had seven straight wins over the Aggies, Marvin Menzies was 1-7 against Steve Alford and the Aggies hadn't won at The Pit since 2002.

Even late in the game when they were trailing, the Lobos seemed stunned the Aggies were playing them close at their own place — something that hasn't happened the past four years. Tony Snelling was dribbling the ball like he was the playground, looking for an opening as if he couldn't believe the Aggies were playing them straight up and knowing that a drive to the paint wouldn't be easy.

Alford isn't known for playing zone defense, but even he dared the Aggies to shoot. Look, we know the Aggies aren't a shooting team, but you don't have to be to beat a zone. In the first half, Aggies players connected twice that I can remember on high low passes to a player cutting along the baseline. The NMSU guards can get into the paint on penetration against a zone and the Aggies have done a good job on the offensive boards with 11 against a physical Lobos team and scoring 17 points off 21 UNM turnovers.

Here are two things I learned about the Lobos moving toward their rematch at the Pan American Center Dec. 28. Tony Snell is really good (5-for-11, 3-6 3s, 18 points including big 3s that tied the game at 40-40 and put the Lobos up 44-42) and Drew Gordon isn't that great. Both UNM starters in the frontcourt were hampered by foul trouble, but Gordon didn't show too much skill around the basket or the ability to score from inside. Going into the game, I thought the front courts between the teams was a wash. After seeing the teams in person for the first time, I give the Aggies a clear advantage there and maybe move a slight edge to the Lobos guards because I don't think the Lobos will shoot as poorly again and Kendall Williams will not go 0-for-9.

Moving along to postgame comments from players and Marvin Menzies.

Wendell McKines is the difference to me. The guy was 0-7 in the first half, but he came out confident in the second half to get the Aggies even at 31 all. He was 5-for-7 in the second half. He hit a big 3 against the zone as well and remained the same player on the boards with nine rebounds. But just as important was his leadership. He pulled Chili Nephawe out of the group in the first half after a Nephawe technical that I still don't understand. Was it taunting or was if for defending his teammates in the scrum? In the second half, McKines ran from in front of the Lobos bench across the court to stop Watson from getting a potential tech after disputing a potential turnover.

"We just had to stay poised. This is a rivalry game so naturally we are going to play outside of ourselves but we have to stay in balance to not get techs from the refs. We had to stay emotionally stable. When I see guys, they trust me and know that they probably need to chill. We know we don't need a technical to hurt the team."

McKines on the win

"It's a really big victory for us, the city of Las Cruces and New Mexico State. It was for you Las Cruces"

McKines on facing UTEP on Saturday

"This roster is full of experience and we know we have to get ready for UTEP. We are going to enjoy this tonight."

McKines on being down just five at halftime

"I still felt like we had the momentum and we were playing at our pace and playing great defense. We missed free throws and weren't finishing things we normally finish. That happens on the road. Our main focus was staying consistent on the defensive end."

Bandja Sy has been a key player after two games for the Aggies. I think that is due to the fact that he got a lot of playing time last year but also that coming off the bench is his true role, along with Daniel Mullings.

"I don't really mind. I just try to do my best when I'm on the court and bring energy and make some plays. That's what coaches ask me to do."

Marvin Menzies on where Wednesday's win stacks up

"I'm still kind of soaking it in and getting ready for UTEP. It's a huge win for us. There is no question. When you can steal a win and steal it at The Pit from such a great program, it makes you feel good and re-affirms that we are doing things the right way."

The Aggies have now won a game in the 80s and one in the 60s. I think this team's true ability is somewhere in between. But it was a good sign when you play in the same league as Utah State.

"I'm glad we won but it's not the way we want to play. I want to get up and down and keep pressure on a team. We want to get runouts and steals and open court scoring. What Steve did by turning it into a half court game was to their advantage but we had some seniors and some guys who made big plays down the stretch."

On hanging around after the Lobos 15-1 run late in the first half to still trail by just five.

"I dont think they worried about the score as much as that they didn't defend the way they should have. I knew we would get scores. I didn't know how they would come. Bandja Sy had a great game. It was a team win"

On facing zone against Alford, a primarily man-to-man coach

"If we didn't play well against it, we knew they would ride it. He wants to play like we play in terms of playing man to man. Tonight I thought that the zone gave us some problems and slowed the game down. We weren't very efficient against it but we did get some offensive rebounds against it and executed against it when we needed to down the stretch."

On the difference between the UNM and UTEP rivalry

"I think there is a little more hatred in the UTEP rivalry and the UNM one has more history. I'm fully aware that we have four games every year that have nothing to do with the rest of the season."

UNM/NMSU thread

2011-11-16T14:05:00.000-07:00

Hopefully fans can post your thoughts on the game here.

I'll start.

First of all, I had the Aggies splitting with the Lobos this year and I'm sticking to that. But after watching the Aggies play this week and thinking more about this game, I wouldn't be surprised to see NMSU pull one out. I think it's going to be a tight game anyway, but it's hard for anyone to go to UNM and come out with a win.

I think that the Lobos backcourt has a slight edge and I think the two front courts are a wash. In last year's loss at UNM, the Lobos outrebounded NMSU 48-31 with 18 offensive rebounds despite 17 rebounds from Hamidu Rahman. Rahman, Chili Nephawe, Wendell McKines and others have to hold their own with Hardeman, Gordon and Bairstow.

I think the Aggies will do a better job taking care of the ball, namely Christian Kabongo. In addition to the potential Gordon/McKines matchup, I'm looking forward to seeing when Kabongo and Kendall Williams get matched up on each other.

I have a final score of UNM 75, NMSU 70

What do you think?

McKines and Watson and Justin Hawkins talk about rivalry week

2011-11-15T16:01:00.000-07:00

NMSU is in a unique scheduling situation, having to play a home and home every year with two schools that are normally pretty good. It can be a good thing or a bad thing for the team and the coaches, especially if they get off to a bad start like the current 3-13 trend or get swept by one or either school like the Aggies did last year. Coming off an 0-4 outing against New Mexico and UTEP last year, I think the Aggies players know in the back of their mind that these particular games mean more to NMSU fans and students than most games.

It will be interesting to see how the Aggies handle this week with a game at The Pit on Wednesday against a team they haven't beaten in seven tries, and then on Saturday against UTEP at home.

NMSU junior Tyrone Watson:

"After what happened last year, it's kind of offensive for the guys now in the lockerroom that we haven't won there. They've (UNM) been winning, basically every game we've seen them. Now I know a little bit about the history of it. These games are meaningful and I think everybody in the lockerroom is aware of that."

"This is going to be one of the most exciting weeks of the season just because it's back to back rivalries and UTEP got us here last time. All of the rivalry games are meaningful but this week in particular is a big week for the Aggies so I'm looking forward to it."

On The Pit

"It's one of the greatest atmospheres in college basketball, just to be there with the history it has. It's something to be a part of. Since I've been here, we haven't won there so this one is very meaningful."

NMSU senior Wendell McKines:

"This game (Wednesday) is all about heart and who is the best team in New Mexico. It's a challenge."

On the Aggies' 0-4 mark vs. UNM and UTEP last year.

"It's not an option. Whatever it takes to win, we just have to do it. Whatever sacrifices we have to make, we have to do it."

I also got some email feedback from former Aggie standout Justin Hawkins. Hawkins played in big time rivalries at Utah against BYU and he never won at the Pit at either Utah or NMSU

"There isnt much difference between the BYU/Utah rivalry and NMSU/UTEP/UNM rivalry. When I was at Utah BYU and Utah had been tournament teams every year for the past 15 years and they where producing pros. Either guys going to the NBA or guys playing at a high level overseas. BYU's arena is incredible it seats like 22,000 so of coarse it is loud and crazy in there. The schools are also 30 mins apart so that makes the rivalry crazy too.

"The NMSU/UNM/UTEP rivalries are basically the same. The cities are close like with when we play UTEP and with UNM we been battling them for who is the more domminant team in the state the last couple years. Unfortunatly I haven't been able to actually go to any of those games in the last 4 years but when i was playing the intensity was amazing. UTEP was always a physical team so the games would be really physical and UNM is very skilled and run a great system so the team who can impose their will normally wins.

"The biggest thing that makes rivalry games is the fans though. The fans want to come out and support a team that they feel like has a chance to win every night based of the simple fact that they play hard every night. I think that this years team has all the pieces to sweep UTEP and UNM this year. They have all the physical tools and that have coaches that are going to work very hard to make sure that the team is prepared. I also know that everyone in the NMSU locker room coaches, players, managers, have heart and they are determined to go out and give 100% every night."

————

I also asked Daniel Mullings, Watson and McKines about Friday's opener at UNC.

Mullings: Overall we played well. At the beginning we had a couple bumps. It was my first college game and it was good to get one under my belt. At first I had jitters but playing with my teammates and bringing energy on defense got me going."

Mullings had an unbelievable dunk off a steal in transition, showing both his leaping ability and defensive prowess.

"I think that it got us going. It brought us together and got us going as a collective unit."

Watson:

"We just were getting at them. As coach said, the last 10 minutes they would crack and sure enough they did."

McKines:

McKines had 18 and 10 at UNC, but he only scored 3 points in the second half. I asked him if he noticed anything differently in the second half as far as the offensive end was concerned.

"We are more of a balanced team. the first half, I was scoring a bit more and in the second half, other guys stepped up. It really doesn't matter as long as I come out with the victory. It was obvious that their scouting report was that no matter who is guarding me, when the shot goes up put a body on me."

McKines on junior Bandja Sy, who hit some big 3s in the second half

"Bandja works on those shots. His work ethic has increased throughout his college career. It's good to finally see him stepping up and playing more of a role."

UNM game is personal for Wendell McKines

2011-11-14T23:38:00.000-07:00

I was looking forward to the NMSU/UNM matchup to see Lobos UCLA transfer Drew Gordon play against Aggies senior Wendell McKines.

It turns out, I wasn't the only one.

"I've known Drew since I was 15 years old," McKines said. "He's from San Jose and I'm from Oakland. I've known him, hung out with him. He's a friend of mine so this is definatly personal and definately bragging rights. I'm looking forward to the challenge."

Gordon didn't play against the Aggies last year as he waited to be cleared and McKines was injured.

Both players are double-double machines, who can keep possessions alive on the offensive glass. The question is will we see them play against each other? The UNM front line consists of 6-9 Gordon, 6-9 Aussie Cameron Bairstow and 6-8 AJ Hardeman. Wendell laughed at me when I asked who is going to check Gordon. I had to try. My guess would be to match Wendell up on Hardeman, hopefully saving McKines from getting into foul trouble. That leaves Hamidu Rahman and Chili Nephawe to deal with Gordon.

"I'm welcome to any challenge and I'm sure Hamidu is too," McKines said. "What it all comes down to in defensive effort and it's about rotations and the team aspects of defense. If one person is able to beat us, we are in trouble for the rest of the year."

I don't think Gordon is going to dazzle offensively. He's a hard worker but if his agility poses a problem for NMSU centers, I think sophomore Renaldo Dixon could step in and hopefully be ready to contribute, especially if the game turns into a track meet.

"When you play away, more than likely, you will play at their pace," McKines said. "You have seen us play at Utah State two years ago. We adapt to any situation and can come out victorious."

The Aggies obviously missed McKines last year. It's a different vibe around them this year and it's hard to imagine them going 0-4 against UNM and UTEP this year.

"It's not an option. Whatever it takes to win, we just have to do it. Whatever sacrifices we have to make, we have to do it."

—————

I spoke with former coach Lou Henson about the rivalry and McKines.

On McKines
"I think he's as good a rebounder as I've ever seen. I don't think I've ever seen a player his size go to the boards like he does."

On UNM
"I think we have a good enough team and I think they can be beaten up there. The Pit will be full. With all of the Big 10 schools that I coached against, they have the same kind of atmosphere at New Mexico. It's a good series and I looked at it just like a conference game. It's important to the fans to do well against those guys, just like it is in football. It's important to be competitive and win some games."

Aggies grind it out

2011-11-12T22:55:00.000-07:00

NMSU was clearly the better team in Saturday's 89-75 victory at Northern Colorado. Their depth (eight players played at least 15 minutes) and size (outrebounded UNC 41-27 with 13 offensive rebounds) simply wore down the Bears. NMSU outscored UNC 31-19 in the last 11:28, shooting a ridiculous 60.7 percent from the floor in the second half.

As someone who watches the Aggies on a regular basis, I must say that it took me about a half to get accustomed to seeing them play straight man-to-man, often for the length of the floor. There were a few times where transition was lax, but forcing 20 turnovers with seven steals (three from Daniel Mullings) is pretty good.

UNC was really bothered by the Aggies' length. At one point, I think McKines was at the top of the full court pressure with Watson and either Sy or Laroche near midcourt. That's pretty tough to see over or dribble through.

If the Aggies cut their turnovers in half, they pull away faster. Christian Kabongo had a tough night in some respects. He led the Aggies with 20 points, was 50 percent from the floor and 10-13 from the foul line, but eight turnovers is concerning for a guy the Aggies will lean on.

I kind of had a feeling that the Bears couldn't sustain their 6 of 9 3 point effort of the first half. UNC was 2-11 from 3 in the second half. GAME OVER.

NMSU was more talented and they should have won. What I liked is that they played solid long enough to prove they had more class than UNC and then pulled away.

They scored in transition and off TOs, but I think they will see a lot of zone this year and will eventually need to win games in the half court. Banda Sy could provide an answer there, but I'm waiting to see if tonight's 13 second half points and 3-4 shooting from 3 will carry over all season. I think the Aggies are a 3-point shooting by committee team, which makes them harder to prepare for. It was Sy's night tonight though, that 3 he hit after UNC made it a four point game with 6 minutes left was a dagger.

NMSU appeals Barry suspension

2011-11-11T21:21:00.001-07:00

NMSU freshman Remi Barry will not play on Saturday.

NMSU is appealing a six-game suspension due to Barry’s amateurism status. The suspension stems from Barry receiving benefits unrelated to NMSU staff prior to his arrival in Las Cruces.

The six-game suspension was cut from 12 games to six games. NMSU hopes the suspension is dropped to three or four games and officials hope to receive word prior to the team’s trip to Alaska Nov. 24-26. If the suspension is not reduced, Barry would be eligible to play in the Aggies’ Nov. 29 game against Arizona at the Pan American Center.

Opening thoughts

2011-11-09T16:29:00.000-07:00

Here is the story on the Aggies entering the season that is going to be in Thursday's Sun-News. Getting off to a good start is important I think. I also believe it's possible, not only with the schedule but also the fact that NMSU's principle players are finally all on the court entering a season. I don't think that has happened yet under Menzies due to injuries, NCAA, academics or some combination. I'll write more about UNC specifically tomorrow.

Last year for three Aggies

While the return of senior forward Wendell McKines is a major key to the Aggies success and has garnered most of the headlines, Saturday’s game also marks the return of senior center Hamidu Rahman and point guard Hernst Laroche’s 100th consecutive start.

Rahman’s last appearance for the Aggies was for 10 minutes in a 58-54 loss at home to Utah State on March 2. Rahman was limited to 23 games with a torn calf muscle that plagued him all year. Rahman has been a productive player at NMSU. He enters his senior season tied for No. 4 on the career list for blocked shots with 98.

Laroche has been a steady hand at NMSU. He enters his senior season second behind Jonathan Gibson in games played. Gibson leads the list with 131. Laroche is also No. 6 in minutes played with 3,209. Eric Channing is first with 3,783. Laroche could also push for the school record in assists with a productive senior year. Laroche is currently 176 assists behind career leader Sam Crawford, who had 592 assists.

McKines enters the season No. 6 in rebounds with 761. It’s not likely McKines will surpass Sam Lacey’s 1,265 but the senior will likely join Lacey as the only two players at NMSU to record 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds.

Super sophs

It’s typical to see the most dramatic improvement from a player’s freshman to sophomore season.

Jonathan Gibson, Jahmar Young, Wendell McKines, Troy Gillenwater, Gordo Castillo and Hamidu Rahman are all players who enjoyed individual success in their second year under head coach Marvin Menzies.

The Aggies hope the trend repeats itself with sophomore guard Christian Kabongo and center Tshilidzi Nephawe this year.

Both players showed promise as freshmen, but each encountered their fair share of growing pains. Nephawe showed a deft shooting touch for a big man, shooting 48 percent from the floor and 76 percent from the foul line. But at 6-foot-10, he averaged just 4.4 rebounds per game in 18.2 minutes of action. Kabongo showed a knack for getting into the paint as a freshman, starting 14 games with 82 assists but his 82 turnovers and 19 percent 3-point shooting jump out as weaknesses he has addressed. Kabongo seemed more confident in his first appearance as a sophomore with 18 points, six rebounds, seven assists and zero turnovers in an exhibition game victory over Eastern New Mexico.

The Aggies would be pleased if Nephawe remains productive offensively while upping his rebounds and Kabongo continues to create opportunities for himself and his teammates while taking better care of the ball.

Off to the races

For numerous reasons, the Aggies haven’t been able to get off to a good start the past four years.

NMSU opens this year on the road at Northern Colorado on Saturday, followed by a Nov. 16 game at rival New Mexico.

Some Aggie teams have been able to recover, some haven’t.

NMSU is 26-32 in November and December the past four years. The Aggies are 4-23 in road games during that time.

NMSU is 2-2 in season openers under head coach Marvin Menzies, beating Louisiana on the road to open last year.

This is the first year that Menzies has had his projected team entering the season opener, making it possible to navigate the early portion of the schedule with a quality record.

Run-and-gun

Eleven Aggies played at least 12 minutes in NMSU’s exhibition game.

While that may not repeat itself, NMSU will ideally play at least 10 players to succeed in a high-pressure, up-tempo style that seems to benefit their personnel this year.

A four-guard rotation of Laroche, Kabongo and freshmen Terrel de Rouen and Daniel Mullings will push the pace. McKines, Tyrone Watson, Bandja Sy and Renaldo Dixon are athletic wings and Hamidu Rahman and Nephawe have to be solid at the center position.

Fuel to UTEP rivalry

2011-11-04T16:35:00.000-06:00

Here is some pieces from a story I wrote on a little Twitter war sparked by Wendell McKines after Eastern New Mexico beat UTEP on Thursday night.

"“#UTEP fans betta go hide in Juarez wen #NMSU slide through they just list to a team we beat by 50 .. That’s disgusting if you ask me”

Later, McKines posted, “#UTEP is a disgrace to the southwest .. They should all go to Juarez and hold up signs that say we hate mexican food”

New Mexico State athletics director McKinley Boston said the school does not have a specific policy regarding athletes and social networking sites.

“I’ve never really taken a position on what they choose to do unless it involves alcohol or drugs,” Boston said. “(McKines) is a senior. He’s a thoughtful person. We don’t have a policy to address his words unless it’s in a derogatory nature. Unfortunately it gives fodder to UTEP, but it’s not a big deal to me.”

UTEP fans have noticed.

In response, UTEP fans started a trending topic called #under10wen on Twitter.

Aggies coach Marvin Menzies declined comment as the Aggies prepare for their season opener on Nov. 12 at Northern Colorado.

“Coach would rather not have Wendell give bulletin board material but he’s a very confident player and I don’t see it as any more,” Boston said.

Sim Bhullar and another preseason ranking

2011-11-03T16:59:00.000-06:00

The NCAA denied an eligibility waiver on 7-5 freshman center Sim Bhullar. The school appealed the decision and it was denied. As a non-qualifier, this means that Bhullar will not be able to play until next year. From what I've read and talking to his sister when he came here, that was the plan anyway, but if NMSU was able to get him cleared, it would have been a bonus.

Apparently the NCAA is evaluating the amateurism of Remi Barry. Barry played in the Aggies' exhibition game on Wednesday, but could miss early games this season.

The 2012 Pomeroy preseason rankings are listed here. Pomeroy ranks the Aggies No. 128 overall. The WAC is ranked No. 13. NMSU is the third ranked WAC team behind Utah State (49) and Nevada (78). Pomery projects Utah State finishing 11-3 in the WAC, Nevada going 10-4 and NMSU finishing 8-6 in league play. Pomeroy had the WAC ranked No. 14 in his final rankings from last year.

Notes from exhibition win

2011-11-02T22:33:00.000-06:00

I talked to a lot of people in the offseason. an overwhelming impression I got from fans and people who follow the Aggies closely: If they play hard and beat their rival games at home, people will show up.

That's why I wrote about the need to beat UNM and UTEP at the Pan Am this year. I don't think that's going to be easy, but it's necessary.

The other part is effort. People don't like watching the Aggies play a 2-3 zone, loaf back in transition and shoot 3s. To that end, I was encouraged by what I saw in NMSU's 115-64 win over Eastern New Mexico on Wednesday.

I counted four drawn offensive fouls in the first half before I stopped paying attention to every play so I could work. Other numbers that show you a heavy work ethic: 22 offensive rebounds, nine steals, nine blocks, 23 assists and 25 second chance points, all 11 players played at least 12 minutes and the bench scored 51 points.

Perhaps because they were offensive oriented in the past, Christian Kabongo's ability to guard people and Hernst Laroche's ability to guard people last year got lost. Not the case this year. Add freshman Daniel Mullings (13 points, three assists, four steals, two blocks) and hopefully Terrel de Rouen, and the Aggies have perimeter people who are high energy and fun to watch even if they aren't great offensive scorers or shooters.

Here are some left over postgame quotes.

Christian Kabongo
On guards responsibility playing man to man: "If you are on the wing guarding a guard, you are trying to force him baseline. If you are guarding him in the middle, we don't anyone to go body to body with us because it really affects us when they go to the middle and basically not let anyone in the paint."

On playing hard: "I think we feed off our energy but it's always a bonus when you feed off the crowd's energy. It's always good to hear people cheering."

CK was able to get to the paint last year, perhaps it was his biggest strength. Against a D2 team, he did it at will.

"It's still a strength. I think I have a shot, but we still have more to prove. This is just an exhibition. As the season goes on, it will show."

On Daniel Mullings
"He's like oxygen. He's everywhere. You beat him, you think he's not there and he's the one getting the block. He is like the energizer bunny."

On if the Aggies can play this way all year:
"We have guards who can guard full court and guards who can push. Wendell can bring it up, Bandja can bring it up. We have been conditioning more. It was the hardest conditioning ever. A lot of people came back early. It was a whole lot of running."

Wendell McKines
On the hustle stats: "Those are things we take pride in. those are things we practice. Those are things we get after each other on. It's onlyright that we show them in the game. I think that is going to be our image."

On Mullings: "He is going to be good. He has a lot of energy, plays hard defense, he's long and athletic. He is going to be good. He is good. And he's only going to get better."

On man-to-man: "We have a lot of pride and we like to man up. We take responsibility for our man and helping our teammate and making our rotations."

Marvin Menzies
Defense: "We have a little bit more in the arsenal but that's the way we would like to play."

On offensive rebounds: "It's an emphasis. We want to try to create those second chance looks. It's one of those things we want to try to create scoring opportunities using our length."

Numbers game

2011-11-01T17:21:00.000-06:00

One thing that stands out to me about the men's team is the number of big bodies. While the Aggies were certainly hurt by injuries last year, it's a number's game.

Hamidu Rahman, Chili Nephawe, BJ West, Renaldo Dixon, Wendell McKines, Tyrone Watson, Bandja Sy.

Those are all players who will play either the power forward or center position this year. That's assuming that Sim Bhullar isn't cleared and moved into the rotation.

I asked Marvin Menzies about the likelihood of using a redshirt year on someone. Obviously the exhibition game and practices leading up to the Nov. 12 opener at Northern Colorado can still play a big factor.

"You have to get through the exhibition game and the next few days and then sit down with guys and get a feel for who would want to," Menzies said. "Right now, all of them are looking forward to having a spot. I don't know right now about the 12 who will travel."

I believe that Renaldo Dixon was supposed to redshirt last year. He played a role at times last year and I'm excited about him as a sophomore, but I think a redshirt season could be beneficial to him. You can probably say the exact same thing about BJ West.

"You don't want to redshirt guys who could have helped you," Menzies said. "All of the pieces decide what is best for them but you have to factor in what is going to give you the best chance to win all season long."

What I'm looking for from Wednesday exhibition vs. Eastern

2011-11-01T17:09:00.000-06:00

I wrote a story for the paper talking about the Aggies wanting to play together this year. Normally I think that's a cliche or coach speak, but I think this particular NMSU has to truly play together in order to win. By playing together in this case, I think means sharing the ball on offense (because NMSU doesn't have the type of scorers they've had in the past) and showing that they can play man-to-man defense as a team for a sustained period of time, something that takes more than just physical ability.

"We want to try to create an aggressive defensive style," Ags head coach Marvin Menzies said.

Menzies said the Aggies hope to play more man-to-man this year, but even if they end up playing zone again, they need to be active on that end of the floors, creating turnovers and easy scoring chances.

So I want to see a decent number of assists and multiple players getting in the scoring column. I know that Wendell McKines, Christian Kabongo and Hernst Laroche will get the bulk of shots but there are three or four additional players that I want to see in the scoring column.

Defensively, I would like to see some turnovers and a low shooting percentage. To me, those numbers would indicate that the Aggies are pressuring teams like they say they want to. The rebounding number will likely be skewed in NMSU's favor against a Division II team. NMSU outrebounded Eastern NM 55-20 last year and rebounding was a team weakness through the year.

Individually, I want to see if Hamidu Rahman has recovered from injury to the point where he can have a quality senior year. Sophomores CK and Chili need to improve from the first to the second year.

I'm kind of excited about the potential lineup of Hernst Laroche, Christian Kabongo, Daniel Mullings, Wendell McKines and either center. I don't know if I like it as a starting lineup because I think Tyrone Watson is a proven player and Mullings isn't enough of a shooter to surpass him, but that lineup is a high flying lineup with the potential to drive guards crazy.

One thing we will not see, as of Monday at least, is freshman Terrel de Rouen (ankle) or (likely) Sim Bhullar. Bhullar's waiver to the NCAA was denied last week so he's not able to practice. NMSU submitted an appeal for his initial eligibility. That could be determined later this week.

NMSU scrimmage

2011-10-22T13:41:00.000-06:00

In case you forgot, or don't follow me on Twitter, NMSU had a closed scrimmage on Saturday against Utah Valley University, formally Utah Valley State. The Aggies have done this against Texas Tech the past two years. Here is Utah Valley's webpage. They didn't have an updated roster but their leading scorer Isiah Williams is back as a senior i belive after scoring 17 ppg last year. They were 19-11 and 11-1 in the Great West

Benson from Tuesday's WAC call

2011-10-18T15:46:00.002-06:00

Probably the most intriguing piece to Tuesday's WAC call, regarding this year's WAC Tournament.

WAC Commissioner Karl Benson announced that the 2011-12 WAC Tournament will revert back to a traditional format after the loss of Boise State.

Last year’s tournament at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas was the first time the tournament rewarded the top-two seeds with a bye into the semifinal round.

“It’s in the best interest to revert to a traditional 8-team bracket with four quarterfinal games,” Benson said. “This will be a one-year consideration and will re-evaluate it when we become a 10-team league (in 2012-13).”

Benson said the women’s quarterfinals will be played on Wednesday and the men’s quarterfinals will be played on Thursday.

Benson said he hopes to determine the site for the 2012-13 tournament sometime before this year’s tournament.

Obviously, the WAC wants to remain in Las Vegas.

Last year’s format certainly affected attendance at the Orleans Arena. The arena was virtually empty until the Utah State fanbase arrived for the semifinals.

The format change rewarded teams for a good regular season.

“We made the decision to go to Las Vegas the year previous to accommodate the long time wishes of coaches (for a neutral site),” Benson said. “A year later, coaches came back with a new format. At the time, I wish I could have said that you can’t have both. It was a lesson learned. Going back to this format gives us the best possible chance to make Las Vegas successful so we can return to the site.”

Boyd de-commits

2011-10-18T13:36:00.002-06:00

Guess those early verbals don't mean much. Too bad. NMSU was excited about him. Hopefully he still shows up.

http://www.arizonapreps.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1280481

WAC ballots

2011-10-18T12:27:00.000-06:00

Western Athletic Conference preseason ballots

Men’s basketball

Coaches poll

Team 1st place points

1. Nevada 5 46

2. NMSU 41

3. Utah St. 3 38

4. Hawaii 32

5. Idaho 24

6. Fresno State 18

7. San Jose St. 14

8. La. Tech 11

Media

1. Utah State 13 174

2. Nevada 5 162

3. NMSU 3 150

4. Hawaii 3 126

5. Idaho 89

6. San Jose St. 66

7. Fresno St. 59

8. La. Tech 38

Women’s basketball

Coaches

1. La. Tech 5 47

2. Utah St. 2 40

3. Fresno St. 1 36

4. Nevada 33

5. Hawaii 22

6. NMSU 18

7. Idaho 17

8. San Jose St. 11

Media

1. La Tech 13 144

2. Fresno St. 3 129

3. Utah St. 3 126

4. Nevada 80

5. Hawaii 72

6. NMSU 59

7. Idaho 52

8. San Jose St. 22

Preseason All-WAC

Men’s basketball

Coaches

POY — Nevada sophomore Deonte Burton

First team

Deonte Burton, Nevada

Vander Joaquim, Hawaii

Zane Johnson, Hawaii

Wendell McKines, New Mexico State

Brockeith Pane, Utah State

Second team

Kyle Barone, Idaho

Dario Hunt, Nevada

Hernst Laroche, New Mexico State

Brady Jardine, Utah State

Malik Story, Nevada

Media

POY — Brockeith Pane, Utah State

Newcomer of the Year — Shaquille Stokes, Hawaii

First team

Deonte Burton, Nevada

Dario Hunt, Nevada

Zane Johnson, Hawaii

Wendell McKines, New Mexico State

Brockeith Pane, Utah State

Women’s basketball

Coaches

POY — Ashlee Brown, Utah State

First team

Jasmine Bendolph, La. Tech

Ashlee Brown, Utah State

Whitney Jones, La. Tech

Rosie Moult, Fresno State

Kayla Williams, Nevada

Second team

Devyn Christensen, Utah State

Kamilah Jackson, Hawaii

Shawna-Lei Kuehu, Hawaii

Taylor Thompson, Fresno State

Tabytha Wampler, New Mexico State

Media

POY — Ashlee Brown, Utah State

First team

Jasmine Bendolph, La. Tech

Ashlee Brown, Utah State

Kamilah Jackson, Hawaii

Rosie Moult, Fresno State

Tabytha Wampler, New Mexico State

Second team

Shantale Bramble-Donaldson, Louisiana Tech

Amanda Johnson, Nevada

Whitney Jones, La. Tech

Taylor Thompson, Fresno State

Kayla Williams, Nevada

Aggies notes and my WAC ballot

2011-10-17T23:13:00.000-06:00

The WAC is holding its preseason conference call Tuesday morning at 10 a.m., releasing the coaches and media polls and their All-WAC selections. Following is the ballot I turned in.

An interesting side note on Tuesday is that I talked to Karl Benson on Monday, asking about the WAC Tournament format now that there are eight teams. Remember how the Top 2 teams got a bye into the semis last year. Dont know how much sense that makes for an 8 team league, plus I think it hurt the overall attendance for the tournament. Benson wouldn't tell me but there will be some news on the 8 team format on Tuesday.

My predicted Order of finish
1. Nevada
2. New Mexico State
3. Utah State
4. Hawaii
5. Idaho
6. San Jose State
7. Fresno State
8. Louisiana Tech

WAC Player of the Year — Wendell McKines, NMSU
Newcomer of the Year — Kevin Foster, Fresno State

All WAC
McKines, NMSU
Dario Hunt, Nevada
Deonte Burton, Nevada
Malik Story, Nevada
Zane Johnson, Hawaii

I've written all about the top two teams. Utah State has the best coach and the best home court in the conference, although if they push for their fifth straight title, would it be Stew's best coaching job? I think so. Hawaii seems like the popular up and comer team. I like Hawaii. I like Gib Arnold. I love Vander Joaquim. But it's Hawaii. I remember San Jose State was the team two years ago. And Idaho had all of their players coming back after Don Verlin's first year only to fall flat. I think there is a reason bottom half teams finish in the bottom half. Nevada, NMSU and Utah State have done it over time. Until the other schools show me something in the tournament, I'm not buying the preseason hype.

Now for some Aggie notes. First here is a story I wrote on Tony Delk.

Here are some quotes from Delk:
On Marvin Menzies "It's been great being around him. He has a feel for this team and a passion for basketball overall. He is like a father figure to most of these guys. He wants to see this team be successful."

I asked him about the NBA potential of players. He said he encourages players to stay in the present and if the league is there, it will come. Delk said he has to be honest with players and that you have to outwork other players and separate yourself from other players in one thing. Here is what he said about Wendell McKines, whose rebounding prowess could provide his ticket.

"You want to see a guy like that succeed. He believes in himself. You have to have confidence in your ability. I think he will have a shot or an opportunity to maybe try out for a team. You can't teach his work ethic. It's remarkable for a kid to get hurt like that last year. He knows this is his last go-around in college basketball and he wants to make the most out of it."

NMSU players have soaked up everything Delk says because of his pro career. But he also won a national championship at Kentucky.

"Even at Kentucky, we told guys to unpack your bags and enjoy the college experience because once it's over, it's over. If it's there in the future, prepare for it in the present and then when you get to that point, you will be ready for it but you have to enjoy each practice and each game."

I also talked to junior wing Tyrone Watson. Watson has been working on his release, which has a noticeable hesitation at the top of his jump shot. Watson still hit a decent percentage, shooting 32 percent on 37 attempts.

"I'm just trying to get the shot off quicker and get the hitch out of it and not pause up in the air so long. The adjustment of my feet and just getting strength into the shot from the ground up."

Watson entered his sophomore season battling Bandja Sy for playing time. The injury to Wendell McKines and Watson's toughness made him an easy decision for minutes and he wound up starting all 33 games.

"I didn't expect to start at all. It was a blessing to start and I took the opportunity. I don't expect to start just because I did last year. Everyone is battling for each other's position. At the end of the day, it's still a family."

On McKines' return
"My workload is not going to be so heavy because he's back. He's expecting big things for himself and we really want it for him because he had to sit and watch last year."

The Aggies' slow starts in recent years have killed attendance. But they also take a while to recover from a chemistry and continuity standpoint, hence their hovering around .500 all year last year. NMSU has an experienced group this year and some winnable games early with some tough ones as well.

"I think we are going to have a better start to the season than we have had in the past compared to where we have lost a bunch of games at the start and then try to build it back up. I think we are going to be more steady."

No. 1 — New Mexico State senior forward Wendell McKines

2011-10-17T17:47:00.000-06:00

As a reporter in a market this size, you don't think players or coaches read things, but Wendell McKines has proven over time that he does. He reminded me of a blog entry I wrote his sophomore or junior season where I believed that he should come off the bench and provide an energy boost for the Aggies. That's not the reason I believe McKines to be the best player in the WAC this year, but I do have some concerns. The biggest is the simple fact that nobody has seen him play since March 19, 2010 in a NCAA Tournament loss to Michigan State. McKines told me the other day that he was disappointed with his individual performance in that game (1 for 8, 7 points, 7 rebounds) He worked over that summer getting ready to play on the perimeter last year along side Troy Gillenwater and Hamidu Rahman. We all know what happened. Now from what he tells me, he's moving back into the post, but he will likely still show an improved jumper and game off the dribble. As I thought about it though, what put him ahead of other players this year to me is that even if he is the same player we saw as a junior (10.7 ppg, 9.8 rpg), he's the best player in the league. He led the league with 9.8 boards per game in WAC play at a time the league had really good rebounders like Babbitt, Rolle, Oakes, Ashaolu and Okoye. From a local standpoint, is McKines the best pure athlete they've had here? He will likely leave NMSU No. 2 in rebounds behind Sam Lacy. Lacy is also the only Aggie to have 1000 points and 1000 rebounds, but all McKines has to do to join that company average 4 ppg and 8 rpg this season. What put McKines over Burton to me though was his unselfishness as a player. He averaged 3 assists per game as junior in 24 games. I wouldn't be surprised to see McKines record at least one triple double this season, which would make him the third to do so at NMSU and the first since William Benjamin had 15 pts, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in a 120-62 win at home against Cal State Northridge in 1990. The best player in the WAC should make players around him better, and McKines has certainly done that throughout his career.

No. 2 — Nevada sophomore guard Deonte Burton

2011-10-16T19:27:00.000-06:00

I know that Burton was the focus when the Aggies got ready to play Nevada. Nevada played a tough schedule with virtually no returning experience. In WAC play, they started to figure it out but went 8-8, looked great in the qtrs and not so great in the semis. Burton finished 10th in the WAC with 13.7 ppg, but he led Nevada and was fifth in the league in conference play at 15.8 ppg. Burton ranked seventh in WAC play with 3.4 apg. That's an area I would like to see him improve, even though he has to score as well. He played 30 minutes per game but had 113 assists for a team that likes to run. He finished fourth in the WAC in assists but consider the dropoff between him and the other top point guard. Anderson had 165 as a scorer at Boise St., Laroche had 152 and Graham had 141. 113 seems like a low number. Other numbers to consider, Burton had 1.3 steals per game, shot 42 percent from the floor because he's so good at getting to the basket and was a respectable 36 percent from 3-pt range. He was 46 percent in WAC play. I think Burton will be even better with a year under his belt.

No. 3 — Hawaii senior guard Zane Johnson
No. 4 — Nevada senior center Dario Hunt
No. 5 — Nevada junior guard Malik Story
No. 6 — Hawaii junior center Vander Joaquim
No. 7 — Nevada senior center forward Olek Czyz
No. 8 — New Mexico State senior point guard Hernst Laroche
No. 9 — Idaho junior center Kyle Barone
No. 10 — Utah State senior point guard Brockeith Pane

No. 3 — Hawaii senior guard Zane Johnson

2011-10-15T00:04:00.000-06:00

There has to be space for the best returning 3-point shooter from last year. But the Arizona transfer is also the WAC's leading returning scorer and 3-point shooter from last year. Johnson's 15.8 ppg was fourth last year. His 41 percent shooting from 3 last year was fifth and his 3.2 made 3s per game led the league. Johnson probably isn't a complete offensive player but I don't think he's just a spot up shooter. He could also be more versatile with some better pieces around him but down the stretch of a close game or if Hawaii has to shoot itself back into a game, there isn't a better player in the WAC this year to do so.

No. 4 — Nevada senior center Dario Hunt
No. 5 — Nevada junior guard Malik Story
No. 6 — Hawaii junior center Vander Joaquim
No. 7 — Nevada senior center forward Olek Czyz
No. 8 — New Mexico State senior point guard Hernst Laroche
No. 9 — Idaho junior center Kyle Barone
No. 10 — Brockeith Pane, Utah State senior point guard

NMSU hoops stories plus Wendell McKines

2011-10-14T23:26:00.000-06:00

I'll have some blog entries up tomorrow on Friday's first practice. But here are a couple stories I've written the past couple days.

Here is today's story from practice. Without Troy Gillenwater or a dominant offensive player and with the return of Wendell McKines, I think the Aggies will seem like a different team identity wise. They have players like McKines and Tyrone Watson, who can help create a tough team, which wins games first and foremost, but also brings people to the arena with a style of play people can identify with. As I've written about my concern offensively with this team, NMSU has the potential to prove me wrong. They have more than one player who can score between 10 and 15 ppg, which makes them hard to guard collectively if everyone does their job. They just don't have a guy who can go out and score 20 every night.

Here is a column I wrote on 3 key storylines entering the season.

Last but not least, here's an interview with McKines. He talks about getting back with his teammates after a year off, the rivalry games and other things.

No. 4 — Nevada senior center Dario Hunt

2011-10-12T15:32:00.000-06:00

Hunt ran NMSU ragged in a 90-71 Nevada win in Reno. He was 6 for 9 from the field for 20 points and 12 rebounds. Hunt has always stood out as a shot blocker. He was second in WAC play last year with 2.1 blocks per game but his 33 blocks were the most in the league. Nevada wasn't a very good defensive team, but having a player like Hunt on the floor is a nice luxury. Hunt was 12th in the WAC in scoring at 12.4 ppg and he led the league with 9.7 rpg. He led the WAC in league play with 9.4 per game. I think there are some good big men in the league this year and with the return of Wendell McKines, Hunt, Joaquim, Will Carter and maybe Brady Jardine could make for a good battle for the rebounding king. From Nevada's standpoint, I think guard Deonte Burton is their best player, but Hunt could be their most important player.

No. 5 — Nevada junior guard Malik Story
No. 6 — Hawaii junior center Vander Joaquim
No. 7 — Nevada senior forward Olek Czyz
No. 8 — New Mexico State senior point guard Hernst Laroche
No. 9 — Idaho junior center Kyle Barone
No. 10 — Brockeith Pane, Utah State senior point guard

No. 5 — Nevada junior guard Malik Story

2011-10-12T14:37:00.001-06:00

Story could be scary if he shows a little consistency in his second year at Nevada. Look at Nevada's WAC Tournament last year. He was 11 for 14, 6 for 6 from 3 for 34 points in a first round win over Fresno State. He was 9 for 16 and 3 for 9 for 22 points in the quarterfinal loss to New Mexico State. He seems like a volume shooter. His 400 field goal attempts last year were considerably more than anyone else on the team. Deonte Burton was second with 303. There wasn't as big a difference in conference play but his 3-point attempts nearly doubled Burton and his percentage dipped from 39 percent to 30 percent. I think his role on this team is very clearly defined. He's not a good defender and when you have more turnovers than assists, I don't think it's a good sign. But I think he enters the season as the second best pure scorer behind Zane Johnson.

No. 6 — Hawaii junior center Vander Joaquim
No. 7 — Nevada senior forward Olek Czyz
No. 8 — New Mexico State senior point guard Hernst Laroche
No. 9 — Idaho junior center Kyle Barone
No. 10 — Utah State senior point guard Brockeith Pane

No. 6 — Hawaii junior center Vander Joaquim

2011-10-11T22:56:00.000-06:00

Joaquim at No. 6 is probably the biggest stretch so far. I don't know how I feel about two Hawaii players in the Top 6, but as far as big men in the WAC, Joaquim is only a junior so he should improve after an impressive and productive sophomore year. Does anyone think he's comparable to JaVale Mcgee??? Just wondering.

Joaquim was third in the league last year with 8.2 rpg. He was seventh in field goal percentage (52) and second in blocks with 1.3 per game. He increased his production in WAC play to 55 percent, 11.9 ppg and 9.1 rpg. Not bad for a sophomore playing under a first year head coach and he wasn't even the main option in the post.

No. 7 — Nevada senior forward Olek Czyz
No. 8 — New Mexico State senior point guard Hernst Laroche
No. 9 — Idaho junior center Kyle Barone
No. 10 — Utah State senior point guard Brockeith Pane

A pair of NMSU hoops stories

2011-10-10T23:46:00.000-06:00

I talked to Wendell McKines for the first time on Monday. He talked about appreciating everything more this time around after being forced to watch everything from the sidelines last year. Also noticeable is the added muscle. He said he's up to 235. Anyway, here is the story on Wendell's thoughts as the men open practice on Friday.

The NMSU women practice for the first time under Mark Trakh on Tuesday afternoon. Here is that story.

No. 7 — Nevada senior forward Olek Czyz

2011-10-10T23:37:00.000-06:00

The Duke transfer is the first of four Nevada players in the Top 7.
Czyz missed nine games, but finished his first year at Nevada fourth on the team in scoring at 12.3 ppg and second in rebounding at 5.7 rpg. I liked his game because he didn't force or settle for the 3 but he was more than capable, shooting 45 percent (27 for 60) from 3-point range and shot 53 percent from the field. Czyz upped his scoring to 14 ppg in WAC play and shot 47 percent from 3. At 6-7, Czyz is a tough matchup on the offensive end, but didn't seem like much of a defender in games I watched him. I expect his teammates Dario Hunt, Deonte Burton and Malik Story to all pick up their game this year. Czyz is kind of a wildcard for me. He was 11th in scoring and 14th in rebounding in the league. It seems like he could be better this year and elevate into the top 5 or 6 in both categories. If so, how much does Nevada's perceived lack of depth really hurt them?

No. 8 — New Mexico State senior point guard Hernst Laroche
No. 9 — Idaho junior center Kyle Barone
No. 10 — Utah State senior point guard Brockeith Pane

No. 8 — New Mexico State senior point guard Hernst Laroche

2011-10-08T22:12:00.000-06:00

Laroche has started every game since coming to New Mexico State. That's 99 straight. Laroche enters his senior season No. 2 on the All-time assist list behind Sam Crawford. Laroche's 416 assist are 176 behind Crawford, meaning if Laroche wants to leave Las Cruces atop the list, he has to improve slightly on his WAC leading 5.1 assists per game. He had a career year in terms of total assists with 152 last year. He also
averaged a career best 11.5 ppg. Laroche is the Aggies' best returning shooter from long range after shooting 34 percent from 3 last year. He's always done a good job taking care of the ball, but last year's 2.7 turnovers per game was the highest of his career by one TO per game as he probably tried to press offensively. If Laroche can up his scoring slightly and remain a leader on both ends (62 steals led the Aggies and was third behind seniors Anderson and Graham last year) it shouldn't matter if he catches Crawford for individual records because that would likely put the Aggies back in the tournament his senior year.

No. 9 — Idaho junior center Kyle Barone
No. 10 — Utah State senior guard Brockeith Pane

Pan American Center seating story

2011-10-07T15:25:00.000-06:00

Here is my story on the new Pan American Center seating capacity. I talked and or emailed with several season ticket holders. I was expecting a mixed bag but nobody had anything negative regarding the atmosphere. I noticed that people also seem to be happy with the price ranges for season ticket sales.

No. 9 — Idaho junior center Kyle Barone

2011-10-07T15:14:00.000-06:00

Not sure why Barone didn't start more than the nine games, although he did play 26 minutes per game. The 6-10 sophomore was named to the WAC honorable mention team after averaging 10.5 ppg and 6 rpg.
Barone led the WAC in field goal percentage, shooting 61 percent from the floor. He shot 65 percent in the WAC and was 78 percent from the foul line. In the games I watched Barone in person, I didn't think anyone in the WAC could guard him in the post. Idaho is good at sharing the ball so a lot of different guys took shots and a good outside threat in Ledbetter. But now Barone is the best player on the team and I would like to see him on the court a little more this year.

No. 10 — Brockeith Pane, Utah State point guard.

No. 10 — Brockeith Pane, Utah State point guard

2011-10-07T00:20:00.000-06:00

For the next 10 days, I'm going to list the Top 10 players in the WAC regardless of position.

No. 10 is Utah State senior point guard Brockeith Pane.

Does anyone know how Pane ended up on the first team all WAC last year ahead of Nevada's Deonte Burton or even Hawaii's Zane Johnson? Well he will have to prove worthy this year.

Pane was probably the perfect guy for the perfect situation last year. He was surrounded by four starters, a deep bench a good coach on a good team. He played the role of point guard and defender. He was tied for third in WAC games with 4.4 assists per game. He was second on his team in scoring at 11.8 ppg and 12. 5 in WAC play but he was a pure penetrate guard. He got to the lane and he finished. He was the best shooting guard in the WAC with a 49 percent field goal percentage in WAC games and he was 12th in the league in free throw shooting (76 percent). You would think with less established weapons around him, teams will dare him to shoot from long range where he shot 21 percent (16 of 76) last year. He's a capable player, but he will need to increase production across the board for Utah State to contend again.

——————————————

Here are some players on the outside looking in. All of them are players who can find their way into the Top 10 for sure.

In no particular order:
Louisiana Tech guards Brandon Gibson and Kenyon McNeaill

San Jose State guard Keith Shamburger. He hit six 3s to sink Idaho in the WAC Tourney and reach the semis but now he's the best guard on another rebuilding San Jose State team. San Jose State teammate Will Carter is probably No. 11. Carter was seventh in the WAC with 7 rpg to go with 9.8 ppg and he started all 33 games.

Fresno State guard Kevin Olekaibe. I like him. Anytime a freshman leads a team in scoring, he has to be considered a top player his sophomore year. Olekaibe and Shepp could be a good backcourt.

New Mexico State's Tshilidzi Nephawe could be a Top 3 center in the league. New Mexico State's Hamidu Rahman could be a Top 3 center in the league. One is a sophomore who could shoulder more responsibility, the other is a senior coming off an injury plagued year who was good as a sophomore. One will emerge, the other will back up. Christian Kabongo could also be in line for a big year, hopefully has developed some shooting touch to go with his ability to get to the paint.

WAC sophs

2011-10-06T23:55:00.000-06:00

I think the top four sophomores are all guards listed at 6-1 or below in Fresno's Kevin Olekaibe, La. Tech's Kenyon McNeaill, Nevada's Deonte Burton and San Jose's Keith Shamburger.

Fresno State:
Sophomore guard Kevin Olekaibe led the Bulldogs in scoring last year with 12 ppg, but he doesn't have a lot of experience around him like last year.His 183 3-pt attempts were the most on the team and he shot 33 percent from there. He also had 1.2 steals per game.

Louisiana Tech:
Guard Kenyon McNeaill started 30 games last year averaging 8.7 pggs and 2.4 apg. He also was a 34 percent 3-pt shooter.

Nevada:
Deonte Burton is a first-team player and the WAC Freshman of the year last year. Burton was fifth in the WAC in scoring at 15.8 per game, upping his season average of 13.7. Was seventh with 3.7 assists per game. He shot 49 percent from the floor as a guard, meaning he gets to the rim a lot but he still shot 36 percent from 3 point range.
Jerry Evans Jr. started 14 WAC games last year. Nevada's role players looked scared when they had the ball last year, but outside of their big 4, Evans had the most minutes at 18 minutes per game.

NMSU:
Whether or not Tshilidzi Nephawe starts for the Aggies at center is irrelevant because he will likely be finishing them. What stands out about Nephawe, other than his physique, is his shooting touch at the free throw line. Nephawe was 76 percent from the foul line last year. He was 80 percent in WAC play, making 40 of his 50 attempts. If he improved his offensive game around the basket, as well as a rebounder (should do better than his 4.4 rpg), he could be a force in WAC play.
Christian Kabongo showed flashes of becoming a special talent last year, but his ability to slash into the lane where he dished out 82 assists was all but canceled out by his 82 turnovers. Clean that up and increase the 19 percent 3-point shooting effort, and he could finish emerge as a second or third scorer at NMSU.

San Jose State:
Shamburger had double digit scoring nights 20 times last year. He had a big 28 points in a WAC Tourney win over Idaho, but won't have either Adrian Oliver or Justin Graham around this year. Shamburger liked the 3 last year. He shot nine more than Oliver, finishing at 31 percent for the season

Seeking input

2011-10-05T16:31:00.000-06:00

Im looking for fans, including season ticket holders, interested in speaking about the new look at the Pan Am this year. Let me know with an email at jgroves@lcsun-news.com :

In order to create a more intimate and raucous environment, NM State has permanently closed the four upper corners of the arena, which will allow the fan base to sit closer together and give a true home court advantage. For fans with season tickets in those seating sections, your seats will now be moved to a reserved seat, closer to the action, and priced in line with what you paid last year. Those upper level seats had been priced at $120, but now will be just $69.

Top WAC Juniors

2011-10-05T16:15:00.000-06:00

Fresno State: Fresno State has some transfers eligible this year so we can discuss those in a couple days.

Guard Garrett Johnson was Fresno's third best 3-point shooter in terms of percentage (32) and his 141 attempts were the second most on the team by far. Johnson started 11 WAC games last year. Not sure what new head coach Rodney Terry will do, but he has three good WAC guards in Johnson, Steven Shepp and Kevin Olekaibe.

Hawaii:
Forward Joston Thomas and center Vader Joaquim combined for 20 points and 13 rebounds last year. Joaquim averaged 9.5 ppg and 8.2 rpg last year and those numbers will likely increase. He was third in the league in rebounding last year with nine per game in WAC play while shooting 55 percent and blocking two shots per game.

Idaho:
Center Kyle Barone led the league in field goal percentage at 61 percent last year despite averging just 10.5 ppg. You would think that number would have to be more if the Vandals want to move into the top half. At 6-10, I think Barone is the top center in the WAC from an offensive skill standpoint, but his numbers don't back me up yet because he came off the bench last year, starting just nine games (4 WAC). Maybe this year.

Louisiana Tech:
Guard Brandon Gibson was limited to 15 games due to injury but was still the Bulldogs third-leading scorer with 9.2 per game. Gibson and Kenyon McNeaill form a decent backcourt but new coach Michael White also has a couple transfers that could cut into playing team.

Nevada:
Guard Malik Story is a Top 10 player in the league. He's a streaky player though and a volume shooter. His 400 field goal attempts last year were nearly 100 more shots than second place on the team and yet he ranked just seventh in the WAC with 1.9 made 3s per game. He attempted 102 3s in WAC play but his 30 percent didn't even rank him in the top 10. My personal opinion on Story is that he was still kind of figuring it out last year and he could have a huge season as a junior.

NMSU:
I think Tyrone Watson will increase his all-around game even more this year when he doesn't have to spend as much time playing power forward. He can play three positions and has guarded four positions for the Aggies. He's solid all around but he's a great passer (Third last year in assists) and probably one of the most underrated players in the WAC. BJ West is kind of caught up in a numbers game at center but is a good shot blocker and Bandja Sy is in the same boat on the wing

WAC seniors

2011-10-04T14:24:00.000-06:00

I'm going to try to go through the top seniors, juniors, sophs and freshmen/transfers the next couple days, trying to get an idea the top players in the WAC and maybe you may get something out of it as well.

The senior class is probably the most known commodity so we will start there. I'm also going to be counting down the top 10 players in the league starting tomorrow which should account why some of the bigger names are briefly touched upon here to avoid redundancy.

Fresno State:
Pt. guard Steven Shepp was a difference maker last year. Fresno went from a bad team without him in the lineup to an OK team when he returned. He was fifth in the WAC during conference play with 3.6 assists per game and as a senior is probably a Top 5 point guard in the league.

Fresno also has UNM transfer Jonathan Willis, who didn't play much of a factor for 6-10 team.

Hawaii:
Guard Zane Johnson is a likely first-team player and the WAC's top 3-point shooter in terms of makes (3.3 per game) while shooting 41 percent on the year. Johnson was fourth in WAC scoring at 15.9 per game. Hawaii seems like they are going to be solid all around which could open things up even more for Johnson.

5-9 point guard Jeremiah Ostrowski could be one of my favorite players in the league and provides instant energy once he joins the team after the football season ends. in 20 games last year, he averaged nearly 4 assists per game

Idaho:
Senior guards Landom Tatum and Deremy Geiger are the top returning seniors and two of the Vandals' top returning scorers. Tatum led the WAC in assist-to-turnover ratio last year (2.2) and led the team with 3 apg in a reserve role, playing 22 minutes per game. Geiger started all 32 games for Idaho last year. Seems like he's more of a driver and good in transition He was a 31 percent 3pt shooter but dropped to 25 percent in WAC games. He scored 8 ppg but had the luxury of kicking to Ledbetter or dumping it inside to Barone.

Nevada:
Nevada's two seniors are also Top 10 players in the WAC. Center Dario Hunt led the league in rebounding last year with 9.7 per game to go with 12.4 ppg and forward Olek Czyz is one of the better scoring forwards in the league at 12.3 ppg with 5.7 rpg. It's a good front line offensively and rebounding wise. Hunt is also a top defender and shot blocker, averaging 2 blocks per game last year.

New Mexico State:
This list starts with Wendell McKines, who has 27 double doubles in three years at NMSU. McKines' leadership and effort level night in and night out are perhaps even a greater asset to the Aggies, who missed that severely last season. Point guard Hernst Laroche has started every game as an Aggie and that shouldn't change this year. His 416 career assists are second behind career leader Sam Crawford, who had 592 from 91-93. Senior center Hamidu Rahman will split time with sophomore Tshilidzi Nephawe. Rahman had an OK freshman year, a great sophomore year and a horrible junior year where he was injured and limited to 23 games. When healthy, he's a good rebounder and decent scorer in the paint.

San Jose State:
Senior forward Will Carter was probably one of the best/underrated big men in the conference last year, but he played alongside the best scorer in the league in Adrian Oliver on a 5-11 team. Carter is athletic at 6-8, was fifth in the league with 8 rpg. senior center Matt Ballard went from intramural superstar to starter last year who played 26 minutes per game.

Utah State:
Brockeith Payne is the last man left at Utah State as the UtAgs roster starts to turn over a little bit. Payne is a top 3 point guard in the WAC, but we shall see if he's among the league's elite without Tai Wesley, Pooh Williams, Newbold an Bendall around him. Was good at getting to the paint and creating, but not much of a shooter. It seems like he will have to improve on his 12 ppg from a year ago for Utah State to be competitive. Not sure about that.

Brady Jardine to me is the most overrated player in the WAC. He averaged 7 boards per game, which was seventh in the conference and there is no denying his athletic ability. But again, I'm not sure he has the skills required to be a go-to guy without the surrounding cast they have had the past few years.

Aggies vs. standout players

2011-10-03T17:51:00.000-06:00

NMSU plays against one Wooden Award watch list player in UNM big man Drew Gordon twice and three others whom Andy Katz believes can end up on the list.

Breaking down the 2011-12 hoops schedule

2011-09-28T14:00:00.001-06:00

Here are my highlights of the schedule with my predictions at the end.

At first glance, if the Aggies don't win 20 games with this schedule, I would say something is wrong and/or the Aggies have suffered another multitude of injuries. With UNC losing what they did, I think the most challenging games are the Lobos, Miners, a potential game vs. Murray State and Arizona. The Northern Colorado game will be tough just because it's the first game and it's on the road, but the Bears lost virtually everyone from the team that beat NMSU on Bracket Buster weekend. The Aggies have to at least split with the rivalry teams, not only because there are few chances for quality wins, but because of a horrendous record recently against the rivals including 0-4 last year.

While the schedule is not as challenging as last year's, it also has potential to be difficult, especially early on. I wouldn't be surprised if the Aggies started 0-2 with road games at Northern Colorado and New Mexico. I think the Aggies are due to return the favor of a Miner sweep and I like the idea of a rivalry game starting things off at home on Nov. 19 before going to Alaska. The Northern Colorado game will be tough even though they lost a lot, but it's still the Aggies first game of the year and for whatever reason, this program isn't known for getting off to fast starts. I think there will still be some time where guys are figuring out their roles, but the Aggies should have enough experience to open with a win.

The Great Alaska Shootout doesn't have any big name schools, but if things play out the right way, the Aggies can get a lot out of it. Central Michigan sophomore guard Trey Zeigler was ranked in the Top 30 guards by ESPN in high school but elected to play for his father, Ernie Zeigler at Central Michigan. Central Michigan went 10-21 last year and 7-9 in the Mid American Conference. Zeigler is their best returner in terms of offense, scoring 16.3 ppg to lead the team.

A win on Thursday would set up the first of two meetings on the season against Southern Mississippi if they beat Irvine. Southern Miss went 22-10 last year and reached the quarterfinals of the Conference USA tournament. Southern Miss outrebounded its opponents by eight per game and held opponents to 65 ppg. They had nine players who played double digit minutes per game. Five of them were seniors. DJ Newbill was third on the team in scoring as a freshman and USC transfer Angelo Johnson was fourth and was a 41 percent 3-point shooter.

The Aggies then would hope for a matchup with either Murray State or San Francisco. Murray State vs. NMSU would be a quality game for the tournament and for the Aggies. Murray State went to the NCAA's two years ago. Murray State was 23-9 and 14-4 in the Ohio Valley Conference last year. Eight Murray State players played at least 16 minutes per game last year. Five of them return, including leading scorer Isaiah Cannan (11.7 ppg) There were five players who started at least 20 games and three of them return. Murray State only scored 68 points per game last year but their opponents scored 61 per game. They also appear to be a good 3-point shooting team, shooting 38 percent as a team but only Canaan (40 percent shooter) and Donte Poole (34 percent) return as players who attempted at least 65 3s.

San Francisco would be interesting because Wendell McKines originally committed to play there but came to NMSU instead and developed into one of the better players Menzies has coached here.

Going 2-1 at least in Alaska is not only possible, but it's a must. Obviously the Aggies are capable of going 3-0. I think the tournament is a waste if they lose to Central Michigan in their opening game, then you drop down to take on Irvine and aren't getting the most of the tournament.

I have the Aggies losing to Arizona at home on Nov. 29 in the marquee home game of the non conference season. Under ideal circumstances, the Aggies would have more than two days from traveling from Alaska after three games in three days to rest and get ready for Arizona. If travel and legs were even, it would be a great matchup of a top recruiting class at Arizona vs. a seasoned NMSU team full of juniors and seniors. The Aggies could still catch the Wildcats in the midst of trying to figure things out with new players.

Outside of the rivalry games and Arizona, the Dec. 21 home game against McNeese State has me excited. McNeese went 21-12 and 11-5 in the Southland. Former Lobo Will Brown joins the team and their leading scorer Patrick Richard returns. McNeese shot a ton of 3s last year and scored 74 ppg so it could be an up and down game.

From what I have read, the Lobos will be one of the top teams in the Mountain West this year, maybe even more complete a team than Alford's group two years ago that went to the tournament. It's true that the Lobos haven't had to deal with Wendell McKines, but the Aggies didn't face 6-9, 245 senior Drew Gordon, who sat out last year's rivalry games after transferring from UCLA. He went on to average 14 and 12 in MWC play. Arizona State transfer Demetrius Walker joins the team this year and Phillip McDonald is a senior who has had some big games vs. NMSU.

UTEP seems to be rebuilding after having lost several players left over from the Barbee era. Tim Floyd will be good, but the Aggies will have a substantial experience advantage over the Miners. I have the Aggies sweeping the Miners for the first time since 2006. But they have to at least gain a split. A sweep in NMSU's favor is more possible this year than any since Menzies has been here.

Too many cupcakes after returning from Alaska will give the Aggies wins on their record, including two games against teams that won't even count in their RPI. You can pencil in wins against the likes of Western New Mexico, Southern, Pine Bluff, Southern Mississippi on the road, Bakersfield twice and Northern New Mexico. That's seven games where the Aggies are playing inferior competition.

I have the Aggies finishing the season 24-8 and 10-4 in WAC play.

As I've written the last few months, I have a lot of doubts about this year's NMSU team. Having said that, I think they can realistically enter WAC play 13-2. It wouldn't surprise me if they did that, but I was overly optimistic last year as well so I'm going to temper my expectations. There were three games where I thought could go either way so I have the Aggies entering WAC play at 12-3 with losses in the championship game in Alaska vs. Murray State, home loss toArizona and at New Mexico. I could also see McNeese State beating the Aggies at home but they lost a lot of experience from last year's team.

The Aggies have lost seven straight to the Lobos and haven't won in Albuquerque since 2002. The losing will continue in the Pit this year, but hopefully this experienced group won't be shaken by the Pit like the last couple of years.

The Aggies open at home with win over UTEP to move to 2-1 heading to Alaska, where they advance to the final and lose to Murray State to return home at 4-2. They hang with Arizona but lose a good game. They win road games at Southern Miss and UTEP and then have five straight home games. NMSU can and should go 5-0, getting off the losing streak vs the Lobos with a win to improve to 11-3 and get people excited hopefully even though the Lobos game occurs during the break. NMSU can enter Conference at 12-3 — an optimistic start that includes a 12-game win streak.

10-4 in league would put the Aggies in the mix for the regular season title this year. I have them losing at Nevada and Utah State to split with those schools. They normally drop one on the San Jose/Hawaii swing, I think they will lose at a good Hawaii team after beating San Jose on the way out. I like Idaho this year and could see the Aggies dropping the road game at Moscow this year. The Aggies have a home BracketBuster game. If they are anywhere near the win total I have projected for them, it could be a quality team (hopefully not Pacific again) I gave them the win there since they have it at home and have been good in BracketBuster games that actually matter

Looking at the NMSU bench

2011-09-16T17:20:00.000-06:00

I am picking Nevada first and NMSU second. Nevada has four of the best 10 players in the WAC but they aren't nearly as deep as the Aggies. It will be interesting to see how that plays out.

The Aggies' depth resides in their front court. NMSU has potential to drive teams crazy with length in their zone and full court trap, which could provide a lot of easy baskets. The backcourt isn't as deep as replacing Gordo Castillo could prove difficult.

Rotation guys to start season

Guards: Freshmen Terrel de Rouen and Daniel Mullings — At the time I'm writing this, KC Ross-Miller and Sim Bhullar haven't been cleared. Marvin Menzies was in Europe last week recruiting so I haven't had a chance to ask about Bhullar seeing the court this year if he was cleared. Of all the players on the roster, Bhullar is the one most likely to play in the NBA or at least get drafted. He won't be here for four years. His sister originally said he would pay his own way this year and redshirt for next year, which seems like the best plan since the Aggies do have depth in the frontcourt. Ross-Miller could likely get on the court in a back up role as well whenever he's cleared, but Terrel de Rouen could be a local player who plays a role. I don't know how much high school basketball you've watched, but I would say de Rouen was more athletic than any guard on last year's team except maybe CK. Daniel Mullings could be further ahead than Eric Weary at this point, although Weary is more of a shooter, which is a glaring weakness as the season begins.

Wings: Freshman Remi Barry and junior Bandja Sy — Menzies can ride whichever French player has the hot hand. At least early on, that’s how I see this position playing out. Sy is a bench player who the Aggies needed in the starting lineup after Wendell McKines got hurt. He started 20 games last year, averaging 17 minutes per game. The minutes dried up as the season went on but he did show amazing improvement from year 1 to year 2. It seemed like he got lost a lot defensively. I think one way he can find the court consistently is if he improves on last year's 19-of-70 (27 percent) shooting from long range. Perhaps a year under his belt will help his confidence.

I’m just as intrigued as Aggies fans are about Remi Barry. Afterall, a player who was apparently considering St. Johns, Arizona State and UCLA must be worth the wait right? He hasn’t played competitive basketball, at least by my estimation, since his junior year in high school at American Heritage in Florida. He transferred to a high school in California but couldn’t play his senior year and he sat out at NMSU last year. I think the jury is still out on him but at 6-7, I’m sure he has the physical tools to contribute at some point. But I don’t think coaches consider him a savior or are putting additional pressure on him.

Frontcourt: Sophomore Tshilidzi Nephawe, Sophomore Renaldo Dixon and junior BJ West — The Aggies are loaded in the frontcourt. Along with Christian Kabongo, Renaldo Dixon and BJ West are the two other players I’m looking forward to seeing. I think Dixon may be a starter as a junior and West is a great energy player coming off the bench. West only averaged 9 minutes per game last year but he had 22 blocks (third on the team) and pulled down 3.3 rebounds per game. I think Dixon may be the better offensive threat, which could give him an edge at the outset, but both can play multiple positions and back up Rahman, Nephawe and McKines with confidence.

First look at NMSU roster

2011-09-15T20:21:00.001-06:00

While practice doesn't begin for another month, today was the first time teams can use some of their allotted court time as a complete team practice rather than groups of four.

This is how the roster looks to me so far, although it will probably change before the season and then even into the season as younger players start to feel more comfortable.

Starting five
C — Hamidu Rahman
PF — Wendell McKines
SF — Tyrone Watson
SG — Christian Kabongo
PG — Hernst Laroche

The way I think about the makeup of this team is three or possibly four guys have to play great every night for the Aggies to have a chance to win the league. Those three are obviously seniors Wendell McKines, Hernst Laroche and Hamidu Rahman. I'll throw in Tshilidzi Nephawe as well. As I've written before, I'm not sold on the team's ability to score, but I think they have the players who are capable of defending. Whether or not they can focus on that end and rebounding for an entire season remains to be seen. It didn't happen last year, as the Aggies had the same size they have now and were even in rebounding margin for the season. That should change with the return of McKines, who if he would have played to his average of 8.4 boards per game last year, he would have led the team by almost two rebounds per game. They are going to need McKines to score however. I could see him get into the 15-18 ppg realm. His career high is 22 and he's a career 9.5 ppg player shooting 50 percent from the floor. But with the absence of a dominant scorer on the team, perhaps McKines' focus to score will take him away from the other things he does well ie, rebounding and making players around him better by doing all of the little things.

Last year was a wasted season for Hamidu Rahman due to a calf injury that he never recovered from. Rahman averaged 10 ppg and 8 rebounds per game as a sophomore. Nephawe didn't prove to be much of a rebounder as a freshman at 4.4 per game. His fitness level never got to a point to dominate a game. He could have played all the minutes he could handle with Rahman's injury, but still averaged just 18 minutes per game. Still though, any combination of Rahman and Nephawe could yield 15 plus points combined and 10-15 rebounds per game. Perhaps Nephawe will start and finish games since he was a 76 percent free throw shooter last year. Or Rahman could start as a senior with Nephawe finishing games. It doesn't matter. The Aggies need production from this position and it doesn't seem like the WAC is loaded with frontcourt talent so it should be possible.

Laroche has started every game since he's been here. To think that Ross-Miller would unseat him is ridiculous, but he certainly needs a backup, whether it's Ross-Miller if and when he's cleared, or freshman Terell de Rouen. Laroche is at his best with weapons around him. He was asked to score last year and didn't seem up to it. His numbers were good, shooting 44 and 34 percent from 3-point range but his career scoring season of 11 ppg wasn't good enough and it won't be good enough this year. Unless a young player emerges in the backcourt as a perimeter threat, I think Laroche needs to be in the 15 ppg realm this year.

CK is one player who should, and who needs to, provide perimeter scoring. CK was the only player capable of getting into the lane and creating for teammates, but he was terrible from the field (19 percent from 3-point range) and committed a turnover (82) for every assist he had (82). The thing I liked last year about CK and hope he carried into his sophomore year, is his willingness to play defense. I thought he did a good job on Randy Culpepper. With CK and Laroche at the top of the zone to begin games and pestering teams in the backcourt of their trap could be pretty good. You would think that a college player would put the time in the gym addressing a 19 percent effort from 3-point range. If so, I think CK could be between 10-13 ppg.

Tyrone Watson does everything for this team. He was playing way out of position last year at the four spot and was still fifth in scoring (7.6), second in steals (39), third in assists (71) and third in rebounding (4.9 rpg). McKines' return means Watson can move to his natural position on the wing. I think Watson is capable of getting to the 8-10 ppg mark.

If you look at the high end of my estimate, the Aggies starting five is capable of putting up 71 points per game. Not a bad output but that's based on every player increasing his production significantly over a period of time.

Even if they fall short of offensive production, all five starters do have the ability to defend their position. If they rebound, they could cut down on the 44 percent opponents shot against them last year. Not bad, but the Aggies also shot 44 percent, which I believe shows they were happy to exchange baskets. Added up to a .500 season.

I'll look at the bench in a blog entry on Friday.

Troy Gillenwater

2011-09-01T21:42:00.000-06:00

Here is my story on Troy Gillenwater, who signed a contract earlier this week with Cyprus League team Apollon Limassol.

I have found myself in the minority about Gillenwater and what effect it will have on the Aggies this season. He was a Top 10 talent in the WAC throughout the past four years I've been covering NMSU.

Time for a random Top 15 list. Top 15 WAC players I've seen in person. (Last four seasons)

1. Luke Babbitt, Nevada (Lottery pick who didn't crack a rotation.
2. Jaycee Carroll, Utah State (If he was three inches taller.....)
3. Paul George, Fresno State (I wasn't impressed with George in college, but he was the best player on the court when he tried and ended up starting for a playoff team)
4. Justin Hawkins, NMSU (Hawkins had everything you could ask for, post offense and defense, rebounding and got better from the perimeter as his senior season went on)
5. Troy Gillenwater, NMSU (Gillenwater came off the bench as a sophomore. With Young and Wendell on last year's team, he could have been better. Wasn't well suited for the toll of being the man every night)
6. Armon Johnson, Nevada (Surprise when he was drafted but his size was the difference. But he was a great defensive player and got wherever he needed to go on the court)
7. Adrian Oliver, San Jose State (better getting to the basket than JY, often played the point)
8. Marcelus Kemp, Nevada
9. Reggie Larry, Boise State
10. Wendell McKines, NMSU (Doesn't have the perimeter skills that Kemp and Larry did, both of whom were around his size)
11. Jahmar Young, NMSU
12. Gary Wilkinson, Utah State
13. Tai Wesley, Utah State
14. Greg Smith, Fresno State
15. Jonathan Gibson, NMSU

Sim Bhullar story

2011-08-24T18:18:00.000-06:00

Here is my story on Sim Bhullar. Let me know if you non Sun-News online subscribers are able to read it. I'll put links to all of my hoops stories online from here on out.

Aggies land another big man

2011-08-24T11:32:00.001-06:00

Internet reports this morning have NMSU landing 7-foot-5 Xavier de-commit Sim Bhullar. Here is an interesting article from a Xavier writer, who describes Bhullar as, "expected to be a project at Xavier and was a likely redshirt had he stayed with the Muskies."

Also from the article.
The 7'5" recruit was slated to be part of Xavier's 2012 class. However, after reportedly being spotted on Xavier's campus as late as last week, Bhullar apparently decided to head west where he could play this year.

so far the best story is from the Sporting News, which talks about Bhullar's plan to originally spend another year in Prep school.

I spoke briefly with an assistant at Hunington Prep in West Virgina, where Bhullar played last year. Here is a quick description.

"Is a good one-on-one defender on the block and will block shots around the basket. Doesn't rebound out of his area well. Has to put forth the effort and get the laziness out of him. Offensively he has great hands and a jump shot. He has the tools to be great."

Grades are good

2011-08-16T17:23:00.000-06:00

Just a quick note that entering the fall semester, no NMSU men's player will miss time due to academics and should be good to go when practice starts in October. That includes walk ons such as Temjae Singleton and Terrel de Rouen. The only question mark is KC Ross-Miller, whose situation isn't a matter of grades, but rather working through what has been a unique transfer process.

New APR standards and recruiting calendar

2011-08-12T20:37:00.000-06:00

I'm working on a story about the recent bullet points coming out of NCAA meetings in Indianapolis in the past week.

I'm still talking around, but I did get ahold of New Mexico State athletics director McKinley Boston about the increased APR expectations, which could result in the elimination of postseason play, as well as a new recruiting calendar for college basketball.

The increased APR expectations aren't going to be a problem exclusive to NMSU at all regarding men's hoops, as this article clearly shows. But the Aggies' hoops team is the only sport at NMSU with postseason expectations that falls below the current standard of 925. Unless there is a miracle on the football field this season or in seasons in the near future.

NMSU has done a good job since the APR was established of increasing its score every year. The Aggies had a 906 score in the most recent report. What saved NMSU from incurring postseason penalties in the past was the fact that they constantly improved over time. If the new standard of 930 is passed (more on that later) the NCAA is trying to do away with that waiver process, which kept the Aggies eligible for the postseason run they made to the NCAA Tourney two years ago.

While the NCAA seems determined to put an increased emphasis on academics, Boston still believes there will be a gray area depending on certain situations in how the new standard is implemented.

"We are talking about three or four years out," Boston said. "Schools with resources and money will find a way to fix it. I think that what we are seeing today and what we will be dealing with in the next three to four years, that the elimination of the waivers and appeal process is going to be so unfair to individual student athletes. You can always play hard ball but there are going to be extenuating circumstances where people just make mistakes. I don't see presidents being that inflexible myself."

NMSU and schools like NMSU will have a bigger adjustment to make I think. The school has used walk ons before to up the APR score and in order to compete on the court, some coaches take chances on players who may not be able to get the work done in the clasroom. Marvin Menzies has done a good job bringing in guys who aren't as liable in school than other coaches.

But let's look at his last roster.
Each player is worth two points per semester. One point is an eligibility point and other point is retention.
Abdoulaye N'doye transferred for more playing time but was eligible at the time he left making him a 1-for-2. Troy Gillenwater will count two points against NMSU or leaving while ineligible at the time he left (0-2) But had Gillenwater been eligible, there is a rule in the APR where if a player leaves school to pursue a pro career, he would only count for 1 point. Had Gillenwater been eligible at the time he left school (that's not to say he would have missed next season if he didn't leave) he wouldn't have hurt the APR.

"The key for us is the implementation," Boston said. "We are talking about anywhere from a three to five year cycle and I think we are going to be in good shape. I'm not concerned. Losing three points is not a bad thing. You don't want to lose any though."

It may not be a bad thing right now Boston and other schools are hoping that three points here or there will not add up and cost teams postseason consideration.

While it was a group of presidents that suggested the new APR guidelines, a number of those individuals will also be voting on the proposal at the next NCAA Board of Directors meeting in October. Since presidents suggested it and presidents are voting on it, chances are presidents will pass it.

"We all have a vote but if people are opposed to the new APR, there will plenty of presidents who will lobby against it," Boston said. "It will probably pass but it doesn't mean there won't be plenty of debates."

Also garnering headlines in Indy was the establishment of new recruiting calendar and text messages. Boston actually sits on the NCAA leadership council, which has been working on a proposal to the NCAA Board.

"It's been a year long process," Boston said. "We have had focus group discussions with coaches at the Final Four, the leadership of the Basketball coaches association about third party influences on recruiting."

Boston said his group last met Aug. 1-2 in Indianapolis, but its purpose was heavily talked about last week as well as reported on.

"We are still fine tuning what has to be done but the recruiting calendar and access to players are the highlights," Boston said. "It hasn't come forward as a finished product to the committee yet as a finished product but it will be ready to go to the Board by the October meeting."

Regarding a timeframe where changes including moving back the time a player can make official visits to re-implementing the text message as a form of communication, Boston said, "The current calendar is already in place. I don't think next summer's calendar will be the same as this summer's."

While the APR increase and the new schedule in recruiting are not linked exclusively, there is a correlation to be made there, at least in hoops.

Players transferring is a major factor in a school's APR number in the current college climate. From a basketball standpoint, I think the hope behind a new recruiting schedule means a better relationship between players and coaches and a better relationship leads to more player retention.

"Coaches have a longer time to know recruits and hopefully players and coaches will make better decisions," Boston said. "Coaches and players will make better decisions if they spend more time off campus and on campus. There will be less mistakes."

Joe Boyd commits

2011-07-27T14:36:00.001-06:00

The New Mexico State men's basketball team got a big verbal from Phoenix area big man Joe Boyd. Boyd is a 2013 prospect who is playing with the Arizona Aces this summer. Sam Esposito, a 5-8 guard and Boyd's AAU and high school teammate at Chaparral.

Here is my story in the Sun-News.

Boyd would fill an immediate need in the post and on the wing for the Aggies, who lose Wendell McKines following this season.

"I was a post up player when I started but have been working on bigger and better things like handling the ball and shooting and at 6-9, that comes in handy," Boyd said. "I can handle the ball and I can shoot the 3 pretty well."

A 16-year-old, NMSU was one of two offers this early with an offer from Weber State. He also went on unofficial visits to UNLV and USC this summer.

Charles Gosa is the last Phoenix product I can think of to play for the Aggies. Actually some of you told me that on a previous post. Following are some some comments from Boyd's AAU coach, BJ Letcher, starting with Phoenix as a hoops recruiting ground.

"The Phoenix area, you would expect a lot more players because it has the population, but basketball wise, more people like myself are moving into the valley and training kids in basketball and it has started to get on the rise in the last 10 years. Baseball is huge here and the other outdoor sports are better in Arizona. I wouldn't call it a hotbed yet but more Division I players are starting to come through."

Marvin Menzies as a recruiter and why Boyd committed early
"New Mexico State was on Joe very early. (Menzies) was one of the first coaches who really saw Joe and that factors into his decision. ... I think it depends on the kid and what the kid is looking for but the relationship with the coach really played a big factor to do it so early. A lot of kids get wrapped up in the school and where they are going to play that they lose focus on the No. 1 factor, which is the relationship with the coach."

Benson overly optimistic for new WAC?

2011-07-16T17:47:00.001-06:00

So the WAC has it's 10-team league for 2012. It looks like this after last week's addition of Texas-Arlington.

New Mexico State

Utah State

San Jose State

Idaho

Louisiana Tech

Denver

Seattle

Texas State

Texas-Arlington

Texas-San Antonio

It's Karl Benson's job as WAC commissioner to be optimistic about the future of his league. And nobody has seen more turnover than Benson over his tenure in the WAC. But in this ESPN.com story, Benson says that the WAC could return to a level where Benson said, "The WAC will return as a multiple-bid conference."

Benson believes that with 10 teams and true travel partners, travel costs will go down and quality road wins will go up increasing RPI and putting more teams in the conversation for at-large bids.

The WAC is simply not a basketball league. Departing schools Boise State, Fresno State, Nevada and Hawaii are legitimate football programs that have occasionally made some noise on the basketball court. But losing all four in a two-year span is a substantial loss to the league's limited remaining prestige.

The WAC's current membership is hardly ever in the conversation for at-large berths, let alone multiple teams. Can market size, travel partners and new arenas make up for that lack of tradition for the new WAC?

It remains to be seen.

Since Mark Fox left Nevada, Utah State has carried the banner for WAC hoops and I've written about the way the UtAgs schedule and we all saw what that got them this past season with 30 somewhat meaningless wins, a 12 seed and another first-round exit for the league.

The Aggies had a great schedule last year, but injuries left the team a shell of the squad that I thought could have given Arizona a run for its money on the road and a group of subs who played host to St. Mary's. Next year's schedule is Utah State like in nature, which is good for this particular team. Marvin Menzies needs wins and the community needs a team that wins in order to come out on a more consistent basis.

I guess my question for Benson is what kind of time table does he believe before the WAC will turn into a multi bid league? Because with the previously mentioned schools who are departing, it's happened three times with current WAC members since 2006. Nevada and Utah State were knocked out in the first round in 2006, Nevada won a first-round game in 2007 and NMSU lost to Texas. And Utah State was an at-large team in 2010, where both USU and NMSU lost in the first round.

And it's hard to see the following schools turning things around that drastically.

Last year W-L, RPI and Strength of schedule according to RealTimeRPI.com

Denver (13-17, 9-8 in the Sun Belt; 244 RPI; 227 SOS) The Sun Belt ranked No. 23 in RPI last year and No. 21 in strength of schedule.

Seattle (11-20 as an independent; 289 RPI; 310 SOS)

Southland Conference additions: The Southland Conference ranked 29th in RPI and 29th in Strength of Schedule in 2010-11.

Texas-Arlington (9-16, 7-9 Southland; 272 RPI, 304 SOS)

Texas State (14-15, 11-7 Southland; 224 RPI; 263 SOS)

Texas-San Antonio (16-13, 12-7 Southland; 193 RPI, 298 SOS)

What has been proven at NMSU is that the Aggies were an already established program in the Big West and the Sun Belt before making the jump to the WAC. UTEP and UNM were consistent contenders in the WAC before moving on to have success in bigger and better leauges.

If the new additions are mediocre teams in below mediocre leagues now, what makes Benson confident they will enjoy similar success in the WAC?

Follow me

2011-07-13T13:29:00.001-06:00

Follow me on Twitter @JPGroves

Mostly NMSU hoops with a few soccer, boxing and random posts.

Menzies and NMSU agree to two-year extension

2011-07-13T13:26:00.001-06:00

My story on NMSU and Marvin Menzies' two-year extension, running through April of 2014. The current deal ended following next season.

McKinley Boston said the recruiting factor was a significant reason the two sides wanted a deal done before next year.

The salary of $280,500 remains the same.

A little more on Delk

2011-07-02T17:49:00.000-06:00

I love the hire of Tony Delk first of all.

In Marvin Menzies first four years at NMSU, he always had that veteran coach around the program, but with the departure of Mick Durham earlier this summer, Menzies and newly appointed associate head coach Paul Weir are the most experienced coaches at the Division I level. Tom Lewis moves into a role as a full time assistant to round out the staff.

Weir deserves it. He has held jobs all over the NMSU program since coming here the same year as Menzies and has proven his worth as a recruiter, landing most of the Canadian born players on the roster that have developed into productive players at NMSU.

Delk probably needs a couple years, but the presence of a recent NBA player in a recruit's home could hopefully pay dividends before Delk moves on to whatever his next stop may be. I think the Aggies have three very good recruiters on their staff, capable of making up for whatever they lack in experience with talent on the floor.

I asked Delk how he determined whether or not he wanted to develop as a college coach or pursue a spot on a NBA bench.

"I like working with young guys at the college level who may have aspirations of playing in the NBA or overseas. I hope I have that ability. We will see shortly. I want to work with them to become successful in sports, but in the business world and in education as well. I'm focusing on what I need to do to help this staff and that's going to be influencing the young players we have coming in."

At this point as he moves from Lexington and Georgia, Delk said his role with the team is currently up in the air. Years past have seen NMSU assistants split up preparation for each opponent between Weir and Durham primarily.

Delk said waiting for a job in a bigger league didn't cause him to turn down two job offers last summer and one this summer.

"Everybody has to have a starting point and I'm fine working in the WAC and I'm looking forward to it. It's competitive. In college basketball, most conferences have become competitive and you see so many teams that have done well. NMSU showed two years ago competing against Michigan State and I think that is where (Menzies) is trying to take these players."

Delk likely to be added to NMSU staff

2011-07-01T17:54:00.000-06:00

I've confirmed that Tony Delk will be added to the NMSU coaching staff pending a background check.

It would be a big name who lacks coaching experience, but brings that presence that current players will likely respect immediately due to his career in the NBA. Delk will also be valuable in recruiting.

An official announcement is expected early next week.

NMSU assistant spot

2011-07-01T15:02:00.001-06:00

Marvin Menzies expects to announce his coaching staff for the upcoming season early next week after SMU announced the hiring of Gerald Lewis as its newest Director of Basketball Operations and the departure of Mick Durham earlier in the summer.

Menzies said Tom Lewis will likely fill one of the two openings, moving up from his player development post.

Sam Wasson at Bleedcrimson.net reported the former Kentucky star and current staffer at UK Tony Delk was on campus during the interview process. It's likely Paul Weir will move up since he is the only person currently at NMSU with experience in all areas of the business in his young career.