I've heard from two people that there is a connection between the open Fresno State job and former NMSU coach Reggie Theus. One saying that one side is interested and the other saying Reggie is interested.
I actually got ahold of Theus, but he declined comment until the end of the NBA season, which is a couple of weeks away for the Timberwolves.
My question for him and for whomever reads this blog is should Reggie come back and commit to being a college coach? I think so. While the money is more significant at the NBA level, it's a player's league. College hoops is all about the coach.
Reggie has that personality that can turn a market like Fresno or Las Cruces, New Mexico into a destination for top players. Don't know that he is the greatest x's and o's type of coach, but I think if you can recruit players that won't get your program into trouble, talent can make up for other shortcomings as a coach. Players want to play for coaches who played in the NBA, so that gives a guy like Theus an advantage over a lot of guys, certainly in the WAC and soon to be Mountain West.
Fresno's departure to the Mountain West following next season is another reason the Fresno State job would be a good fit for Reggie Theus coming back to the college game. Bigger league and more prestige could make for a nice resume builder for whatever comes next. But that's the question. Is he committed to being a college coach or is it just the next thing until another NBA head job opens up? I think if he does have interest in the Fresno job, it shows that perhaps he considers himself a college coach. Why would he leave a NBA staff if he didn't? College and the NBA are two different worlds so if he wants to be a NBA coach, staying on a NBA staff and paying your dues that way would be a quicker avenue than taking a job at a place like Fresno.
It certainly is an interesting storyline to see how the Fresno State job plays out.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Aggies get verbal from Oñate's DeRouen
NMSU received a verbal commit from Oñate senior Terrel DeRouen.
DeRouen told me during the season that he wanted to play Division I at some point and was willing to play at a lower level league or go the JC route. DeRouen could have a scholarship his first year, if not, he will be a scholarship player in Year 2.
DeRouen needs to work on his strength and jump shot, but is athletic enough at 6-1 to challenge Daniel Mullings and Renaldo Walters for backup minutes next year behind Hernst Laroche.
DeRouen told me during the season that he wanted to play Division I at some point and was willing to play at a lower level league or go the JC route. DeRouen could have a scholarship his first year, if not, he will be a scholarship player in Year 2.
DeRouen needs to work on his strength and jump shot, but is athletic enough at 6-1 to challenge Daniel Mullings and Renaldo Walters for backup minutes next year behind Hernst Laroche.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Menzies contract
I'm sure the Menzies haters are fired up about my story regarding McKinley Boston's intention to extend Menzies contract, which is up following next season.
I can understand, although I'm not surprised by the reasoning behind it. A coach going into the final year of his contract anywhere opens the door for competitors using that against NMSU on the recruiting trail, and it shows the administration doesn't have any confidence in his ability to run the program.
I will say that I was somewhat surprised when I asked Boston if it would a one-year extension or multiple year and he said multiple years, meaning to me somewhere between two three, just a guess.
I think Menzies has done some good things in his four seasons in Las Cruces. My question is just a lack of consistency across the board. The reason for his record against the Miners and Lobos being so bad stems from the fact that he has NEVER had his full team for those games due to eligibility, grades or injuries respectively. That ultimately reflects on the head coach though, and those losses are the ones that people remember.
I don't know if that is what bothers fans or bad losses and one losing season. I can certainly understand the in-game coaching frustrations that fans have voiced here and elsewhere.
Menzies has brought decent players into a difficult place to recruit to. Troy Gillenwater and Wendell McKines are All Conference caliber players. (This part of the blog entry is a response to a voice mail stating that Menzies didn't win the WAC with his own players. Take Gillenwater off the bench and McKines off the team, and Young and Gibson don't get the Aggies to the tournament. Of all the players on the roster prior to the tournament, Michigan State coach Tom Izzo singled out Gillenwater)
There are a couple question marks and we will see if the kids they have sitting out will be as good as advertised. I think if Remi Barry is legit and Chili Nephawe continues to improve, he would be the third top player Menzies has brought in, along with Laroche and Rahman, who was solid. So the recruiting angle to me, has been a strength of Menzies, even with misses in Sy and N'Doye after their first two years at NMSU.
I can understand, although I'm not surprised by the reasoning behind it. A coach going into the final year of his contract anywhere opens the door for competitors using that against NMSU on the recruiting trail, and it shows the administration doesn't have any confidence in his ability to run the program.
I will say that I was somewhat surprised when I asked Boston if it would a one-year extension or multiple year and he said multiple years, meaning to me somewhere between two three, just a guess.
I think Menzies has done some good things in his four seasons in Las Cruces. My question is just a lack of consistency across the board. The reason for his record against the Miners and Lobos being so bad stems from the fact that he has NEVER had his full team for those games due to eligibility, grades or injuries respectively. That ultimately reflects on the head coach though, and those losses are the ones that people remember.
I don't know if that is what bothers fans or bad losses and one losing season. I can certainly understand the in-game coaching frustrations that fans have voiced here and elsewhere.
Menzies has brought decent players into a difficult place to recruit to. Troy Gillenwater and Wendell McKines are All Conference caliber players. (This part of the blog entry is a response to a voice mail stating that Menzies didn't win the WAC with his own players. Take Gillenwater off the bench and McKines off the team, and Young and Gibson don't get the Aggies to the tournament. Of all the players on the roster prior to the tournament, Michigan State coach Tom Izzo singled out Gillenwater)
There are a couple question marks and we will see if the kids they have sitting out will be as good as advertised. I think if Remi Barry is legit and Chili Nephawe continues to improve, he would be the third top player Menzies has brought in, along with Laroche and Rahman, who was solid. So the recruiting angle to me, has been a strength of Menzies, even with misses in Sy and N'Doye after their first two years at NMSU.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Postseason
I asked McKinley Boston if NMSU had been approached about playing in one of the fringe tournaments. He said yes, but the Aggies would not participate due to uncertainty regarding potential home attendance.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Thats it
The book on NMSU next year, should Troy Gillenwater return.....Take him out of the game offensively and he will not be a factor. Gillenwater played good defense on Thursday, but he and the Aggies weren't interested in defense against what was a hungrier Boise State team I thought.
I asked Boise State point guard LaShard Anderson if he felt like the Aggies quit and he said,
“Before the (second) half started, we felt like they were going to come out hard so we just wanted to keep up the energy level and continue to play hard,” Anderson said. “At a point, I felt like they kind of got frustrated with each other. They are a good team and they come back from games a lot so we did our best to stop that from happening.”
There you have it.....from the opponent's mouth.
I'll have more later today.
I asked Boise State point guard LaShard Anderson if he felt like the Aggies quit and he said,
“Before the (second) half started, we felt like they were going to come out hard so we just wanted to keep up the energy level and continue to play hard,” Anderson said. “At a point, I felt like they kind of got frustrated with each other. They are a good team and they come back from games a lot so we did our best to stop that from happening.”
There you have it.....from the opponent's mouth.
I'll have more later today.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Utah State home games
It's no surprise Utah State travels well. Didn't realize it until just now when I came back down to the Orleans Arena and it's half of what it was during Utah State's 58-54 WAC Tournament semifinal win over San Jose State on Friday.
Regardless of who wins tonight's second semifinal, it will like playing a road game in Logan on Saturday night.
Utah State tried to make it sound like they were shaking off rust, shooting 37 percent from the field but San Jose State outrebounded them and Adrian Oliver's game-winning attempt from the top of the key with eight seconds left was halfway down. That's how close Utah State came to losing.
Adrian Oliver was held to eight points in the first half, but Keith Shamburger also has eight and Will Carter is making Tai Wesley play defense with San Jose State within four at the half to top-seeded Utah State.
Wesley and Nate Bendall each have two fouls in the first half but so does Shamburger.
Regardless of who wins tonight's second semifinal, it will like playing a road game in Logan on Saturday night.
Utah State tried to make it sound like they were shaking off rust, shooting 37 percent from the field but San Jose State outrebounded them and Adrian Oliver's game-winning attempt from the top of the key with eight seconds left was halfway down. That's how close Utah State came to losing.
Adrian Oliver was held to eight points in the first half, but Keith Shamburger also has eight and Will Carter is making Tai Wesley play defense with San Jose State within four at the half to top-seeded Utah State.
Wesley and Nate Bendall each have two fouls in the first half but so does Shamburger.
Darin Spence
The New Mexico State women's basketball team lost on Wednesday to end the careers of seniors Madison Spence, Danisha Corbett and Jasmine Lowe.
The question now is who will coach the team next year.
Darin Spence's contract expires after this season after signing a contract extension following NMSU's 25-9 year two years ago after the Aggies reached the WAC Tournament championship for the third straight year. Things haven't gone well since then.
McKinley Boston said he planned to meet with Spence either today or tomorrow. Boston would not say either way if he would consider another extension at this point.
"I have no idea," Spence said following the Aggies' quarterfinal loss on Thursday. "This is my last year and I've heard nothing since last summer. We were below .500, but we have been competitive all year. We have been banged up. I count probably five games that I wish we could have back. We played a tough tough schedule."
Spence said NMSU administration did not set a number of wins or a WAC Tournament title prior to the season. But he said he has not sat down with Boston or NMSU officials since June.
Highlights since extending his deal include wins over Michigan, ranked Kansas and a berth in the WNIT last year.
"I have just been told to be competitive," he said. "I took over a dismal, forgotten, neglected program and went to three WAC championship games and beat nationally ranked teams.
"We have to turn over every rock we can find in recruiting. We have good kids. I would be the first one to say that I wish we could win more games. But are we getting killed? Are we getting drilled? Are we embarassing? I guess that's not for me to decide. I've spent eight years and just poured my soul and guts and everything and my family into this program. Do I want to be here? Ya."
The question now is who will coach the team next year.
Darin Spence's contract expires after this season after signing a contract extension following NMSU's 25-9 year two years ago after the Aggies reached the WAC Tournament championship for the third straight year. Things haven't gone well since then.
McKinley Boston said he planned to meet with Spence either today or tomorrow. Boston would not say either way if he would consider another extension at this point.
"I have no idea," Spence said following the Aggies' quarterfinal loss on Thursday. "This is my last year and I've heard nothing since last summer. We were below .500, but we have been competitive all year. We have been banged up. I count probably five games that I wish we could have back. We played a tough tough schedule."
Spence said NMSU administration did not set a number of wins or a WAC Tournament title prior to the season. But he said he has not sat down with Boston or NMSU officials since June.
Highlights since extending his deal include wins over Michigan, ranked Kansas and a berth in the WNIT last year.
"I have just been told to be competitive," he said. "I took over a dismal, forgotten, neglected program and went to three WAC championship games and beat nationally ranked teams.
"We have to turn over every rock we can find in recruiting. We have good kids. I would be the first one to say that I wish we could win more games. But are we getting killed? Are we getting drilled? Are we embarassing? I guess that's not for me to decide. I've spent eight years and just poured my soul and guts and everything and my family into this program. Do I want to be here? Ya."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)