Sim Bhullar and the Draft

The NBA Draft is Thursday and I believe Sim Bhullar has hopes either Toronto picks him in the second to last pick in the Draft or Sacramento trades to pick up a second-round pick, but that could very well be rumor two days before the Draft.

Bhullar was "Drafted" by the Harlem Globetrotters, but so was Landon Donovan. Not really news but here is the link if you want to read about it. 

Here is an actual link that I found very interesting comparing all of the Centers in Thursday's Draft so you can see where Bhullar compares from a statistical point of view. He doesn't seem to stand out in any category so it will be interesting to see if his size and PR appeal are enough to get him picked.

Bhullar was also featured in a couple videos today, checking in at the No. 5 spot on the YouTube Draft

UPDATED: An extremely early look at some 2014-15 NMSU non-conference opponents

Following is a brief look at the 2014-15 New Mexico State non conference games that I know of and some that I'm fuzzy on at this point.

It seems like both New Mexico and UTEP will have some big question marks next year, maybe even moreso than NMSU. Both teams have added several new players so trying to handicap them in June is difficult but perhaps Aggies fans can hope to catch them before they figure things out.

NMSU students will be in session for three of the four games, although not for the home game against the Lobos.

Outside of that, from what I know thus far, the Aggies schedule is shaping up once again as a quality schedule for the school now they have to take advantage with a win or two.

University of New Mexico:
NMSU at New Mexico; Dec. 3
New Mexico at NMSU: Dec. 20

When I look at New Mexico, it seems Craig Neal is hoping that transfers help his team remain competitive in the Mountain West. After losing the likes of Alford recruits Cam Bairstow, Alex Kirk and Kendall Williams, two of the Lobos best players next year should be junior college transfers Deshawn Delaney and Jordan Goodman. A third transfer, Butler guard Elijah Brown, will join the Lobos next season on the court. Delaney came on last year in the mid-late stages to average five points and four rebounds in 20 minutes per game. Now that the lane won't be clogged up with Kirk and Bairstow, Delaney should have more space to drive. The 6-9 Goodman was a junior college all american out of Harcum Colloge in Pennsylvania. I'm a big fan of senior Hugh Greenwood, not so much on sophomore Cullen Neal, which figures to be the starting backcourt. I'm sure the Lobos will play a faster pace and play considerably smaller next year with a big dropoff in the paint following Bairstow and Kirk.

UTEP
NMSU at UTEP, Nov. 22:
UTEP at NMSU, Dec. 6:

I think it's possible to sweep the Miners again, unless one of the seven, SEVEN newcomers at UTEP is a stud. Most of them are guards with the top returners to me are Julian Washburn on the wing and Vince Hunter in the post. Aggies fans will also recognize UTEP big men 6-10 Cedrick Lang and 7-1 Matt Willms, who both appeared to me as space fillers last year. I'm sure there is more to the recruited players that Tim Floyd signed, but once again he appears to be rebuilding in El Paso.

Other non-conference opponents
At Wichita State, November 14
Shaky on this one, but if it turns out to be a season opener, it would start what I believe to be the Aggies most solid schedule from a mid-major standpoint. Games at Wichita State, Baylor and St. Mary's will all be extremely difficult, but it's not as harsh as some seasons, and more realistic for an upset than even last year's schedule with dates at Arizona and Gonzaga. Wichita State had four seniors on their 35-1 team from a year ago. They still return a talented group with Fred VanVleet and junior college all american Darius Carter.

At Saint Mary's, TBD ( possibly part of the ESPN 24-hours hoops marathon in mid-November)
NMSU had a nice little series against Saint Mary's in the past. Nice being the fact that Saint Mary's even came to Las Cruces. St. Mary's crushed NMSU in both games. But this is a single game as I understand it.
The best returner on the roster appears to be Brad Waldow, who averaged 15 points and 8 rebounds last year.

At Wyoming, Nov. 29
This is the first of a home-and-home series with the Cowboys slated to return to Las Cruces next year.
The Cowboys were ranked No. 312 in the country with 64.5 points per game. The Cowboys scored 1.03 points per possession last year. By contrast, NMSU averaged 1.12 points per possession. The Cowboys do have one of the better players in the Mountain West in forward Larry Nance Jr., who tore an ACL last year. Guard Josh Gordon is also a top returner for the Cowboys.

At Oral Roberts, December 13
This will be a return game as well for NMSU with Oral Roberts making a return trip to Las Cruces next year. Oral Roberts only had one senior from last year's team that went 10-8 in the Southland

At Baylor, December 17
Baylor was a balanced team last year with Canadian guard Kenny Cherry coming back.
This is a money game for the Aggies, but it's not in the same category as the road contest at No. 1 Arizona or even Gonzaga last year.

vs. Colorado State, December 27
Colorado State returns the Aggies away game from a year ago in which CSU guard Jon Octeus went the length of the court in the final seconds for an 85-83 victory in one of the games on the schedule that NMSU had a realistic chance of winning going into the contest. Octeus left the program, but the Rams return their best two players, JJ Avila, who killed the Aggies with 29 points from the four position, and guard Daniel Bejarano. But like the Aggies, the Rams roster had a lot of turnover in the offseason with five players leaving CSU. Among the new players, the most highly regarded seems to be guard Stanton Kidd, who sat out last year after transferring from North Carolina Central. This should be a winnable game for the Aggies, and to be honest, it needs to be an Aggie win.

Vs. UC-Irvine, January 3
This is a return game with the Aggies playing a game next year at Irvine. This was supposed to be a game featuring 7-5 Sim Bhullar and 7-6 Irvine sophomore Mamadou Ndiaye (7-6, 290 pounds, 8 ppg, 6.2 rpg 3 bpg (8th in NCAA) in 21 minutes per game as a freshman). Fans will have to settle instead for 7-3 Tanveer Bhullar, which I'm sure will suit both schools just fine. Irvine is a fine team at any rate, finishing 13-3 in the Big West last year. A solid home game for the Aggies.

More on the latest three Aggies additions

The Aggies were busy in the last two weeks of the college basketball regular signing period.
New Mexico State had three players sign scholarship agreements, with Bakersfield, Calif., high school player Braxton Huggins signing a national letter of intent on the final day of the signing period on May 21.
“It’s unreal,” Huggins said. “I never thought that I would be signing to a Division I school. New Mexico State reminded me of home. There are not that many distractions. I can just focus on school and basketball. They said I would have a chance to play but it depended on how hard I work and how it goes in practice.”
Five NMSU players from last season’s NCAA Tournament team left the program for various reasons, and the status of former Oñate star Terrel de Rouen is still unclear moving forward. Sim Bhullar left the Aggies after two years to pursue a professional career and seniors Renaldo Dixon and Kevin Aronis finished their eligibility. Point guard K.C. Ross-Miller (Auburn) and Matej Buovac (Sacred Heart) each transferred.
Huggins, a 6-foot-3 guard, as well as 6-foot-1 Toronto, Ontario point guard Rashawn Browne and 6-foot-8 New Orleans, La., native Harold Givens joined the Aggies during the regular signing period between April 16 and May 21.
The latest three additions join Matt Taylor, Jaylyn Pennie, Jonathan Wilkins and Pascal Siakam, who were all on campus last season, as well as Tanveer Bhullar, Sim Bhullar’s younger brother to reload the NMSU roster.
Of the three latest additions, Huggins has the best opportunity to earn a roster spot for 2014-15 season as a player who is already qualified academically. Browne and Givens are already in Las Cruces set to begin the first summer session on Tuesday. Browne said he came to NMSU with the intention of redshirting this year as the Aggies roster already has two sophomore point guards in Ian Baker and Travon Landry. Givens is an intriguing prospect who committed to Florida International in 2013.
Huggins was the prep Player of the Year in Bakersfield last year after averaging 32 points per game and shooting 36 percent from 3-point range for Mira Monte High. Aggies fans can compare Huggins to current Aggies senior DK Eldridge in size and athletic ability. Huggins cleared 6-feet, 9-inches in the high jump of a track meet this season.
“I play quick with a lot of energy and like to get up and down the court,” Huggins said.
Although higher level  schools showed interest throughout the past two years, Huggins ended up going with NMSU over Texas-Pan American and Bakersfield.
Mira Monte coach Scott Smith said schools would offer Huggins but go with another recruit and pull the scholarship offer.
“I just wanted to go somewhere at the end of the day where I was comfortable and New Mexico State gave me a chance to make that a reality,” Huggins said.
Huggins said the Aggies entered the picture in the past month and Huggins and Smith made a visit to Las Cruces a week ago.
“I want to be a part of a winning program and go earn my minutes and work hard,” Huggins said.
Huggins will likely enroll in the second summer session, but Givens and Browne are currently roommates on campus.
Browne played at Bill Crothers Secondary School in Toronto and played for Grassroots Elite, the same AAU program that produced Dixon and former Aggie guard Christian Kabongo.
Browne said NMSU assistant Paul Weir first reached out last summer at an AAU event in Las Vegas. Browne said he had played with Taylor and Tevoun Jackson, the younger brother of NMSU senior Daniel Mullings.
“I knew some of them personally and knew of others who were from my City so I knew it was the place for me,” Browne said. “There is not a lot of NCAA basketball in Canada, but I saw some games. I like the offense, but players get a chance to do their thing in the offense.”
Browne and Givens committed to NSMU without making a visit to Las Cruces. Brown said he had received interest from a number of small schools including Appalachian State, Florida Gulf Coast and Colgate.
“New Mexico State was the most competitive team and successful team that was recruiting me,” Browne said. “That helped in my decision.”
Givens has played different levels of basketball in Georgia, North Carolina and most recently Florida at Faith Baptist Christian, a prep school in Florida, making qualifying a challenge. He committed to Florida International with offers from Louisiana Tech and Murray State after receiving interest from high-major schools early on. Givens averaged 22 points, eight rebounds and five blocks per game at Faith Baptist, he said.
“The competition level was great,” Givens said. “We were playing against schools from California and all over. It was a different experience but it helped me grow as a player.”
Givens moved from New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina for the Atlanta area. Givens said grades contributed to de-committing from FIU, but if he is cleared at NMSU, he provides length on the wing at 6-foot-8, who has a game similar to former Aggie Bandja Sy.
“My strengths are my athletic ability,” said Givens, who said his vertical leap has been measured at 46 inches. “My shooting is good but I’m in the gym every day working on shooting, ball handling and awareness.”
Minutes will be hard to come by on the wing behind seniors Mullings (Last year’s Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year) and Eldridge, but whatever production NMSU gets from it’s group of newcomers will be important next season and moving forward.

COMMENTARY: Sim Bhullar's long awaited decision the right one

The big announcement by the biggest Aggie should come as no big shock.

After he helped put New Mexico State back on the college basketball map, Sim Bhullar's work here is done.

The 7-foot-5 sophomore center from Toronto, Ontario made his long speculated decision to turn pro official on Friday after three years in Las Cruces, the past two in an Aggies uniform. If drafted on June 26, Bhullar would be the first NMSU player to hear his name called since Randy Brown was selected No. 31 by the Sacramento Kings in 1991.

Interestingly enough, the Kings are now owned by Vivik Ranadive, the NBA's first Indian-born owner, which adds to the intrigue behind Bhullar's decision. If he were to stick on a NBA roster as a second-round pick or an undrafted free agent, it's widely believed he would be the first player of Indian heritage to play in the NBA, which could tie a franchise and the NBA to a population of over 1 billion people.

But that's just one of the likely factors that Bhullar considered in the days following the Aggies loss to San Diego State in the NCAA Tournament this past March.

The truth of the matter is that nobody knows if Friday's choice is the right one. That likely won't be decided until Bhullar's playing career is over.

Even if Bhullar were to sign a contract in a quality league overseas, he would be competing against big men that would better prepare him for a possible shot in the NBA. It's not the end of the world if he's not on a NBA roster a year from now.

How much would another year at NMSU improve his draft stock?

Critics quick to point out Bhullar's lack of conditioning as a reason he wouldn't be a successful pro are missing the fact that after two record-setting seasons at NMSU, Bhullar gains nothing from going against 6-foot-5 post players in the Western Athletic Conference. Or that college players are limited to eight hours a week with the NMSU coaching staff this time of year. Since the Aggies' season ended, Bhullar has been working out with former NBA coach John Lucas in Houston, preparing his body for pre-draft workouts that will become open to him after May 2 as a declared underclassman.

Men of Bhullar's stature don't have a proven track record of long-tenured careers, at least not in the NBA. He suffered a foot injury during his redshirt season of 2011-12, then missed five games this year with another foot injury.

Another injury at the college level could literally cost Bhullar his future.

Regardless of Bhullar's professional destination, his impact at NMSU can't be understated.

Off the court, you could argue that during his brief stay in Las Cruces he was the face of the basketball program, or at least co-heading it with head coach Marvin Menzies, whose national profile has likewise increased over the past three years as well.

Sports Illustrated spent a weekend in Las Cruces this season working on a piece that centered on Bhullar and younger brother Tanveer, who at 7-foot-3, figures to fill his brother's shoes.

Sim Bhullar was the center of attention from Day 1 this season and he played his best game of the year on the NCAA Tournament stage. He broke his own school record for blocked shots in a single season with 101 this year. Without Bhullar in the lineup, the Aggies held a 3-2 record with opposing teams shooting 45 percent from the floor. For the season, NMSU opponents shot 40 percent from the field.

Bhullar has done it while staying on course for his college degree.

NMSU hasn't had a player drafted into the NBA for 23 years. In reality, the program couldn't ask for a better possible representative than Bhullar, who represented the school well the past two years while bringing a proud Aggie hoops tradition back to life.

Menzies has proven ready for the next level

If Marvin Menzies does not land the vacant Tulsa head coaching job this week, it may come down to the lack of a NCAA Tournament win.

But that shouldn't be the case.

The longer the Tulsa search has dragged on, the more favorable a candidate Menzies appears to be. Four NCAA Tournament appearances in five years, three in a row with a pair of close calls in the Big Dance since 2010. Menzies is 152-89 at NMSU and if he returns for an eighth year, he would likely jump into third in school wins behind legendary Lou Henson and Neil McCarthy by the end of 2015.

Those are some of the obvious things that jump off the resume for potential schools looking to find a coach.

Outside of a NCAA Tournament victory, Menzies has nothing left to prove after 7 seasons in Las Cruces.

Losing four NCAA Tournament games as a low seed can hardly be used against Menzies given the names that have surfaced as contenders for the Tulsa job. But if he is passed over, perhaps it's more telling than I thought. The truth is that the Aggies have not had a signature non-conference victory outside of two UNM wins, which NMSU plays twice each year. Nor has he won an outright conference championship, even last season in the Western Athletic Conference that took a significant step back last year. A quick search on Google would reveal multiple incidents away from basketball that has shed a negative light at times on the NMSU program from afar.

Building on previous success and addressing some of those blemishes is one reason Menzies could return, but that's about it.

Menzies, like all coaches at New Mexico State, have fundraising responsibilities that his peers do not. Menzies is a fantastic fundraiser, but consider the significant time investment the head coach needs to devote to raising money instead of devoting that time to the business of basketball. When budgets are tight like they are at New Mexico State, Menzies relies on the offseason fundraising dollars to lift the program to the success the Aggies are currently enjoying.

And that success has been met by an indifferent response from the fanbase, at best. After seven years, Menzies' teams play to a half empty arena and folks who don't attend games have not bought in.

Tulsa is the type of job I imagined Menzies leaving for. He talks about his family loving the area and he has tremendous support inside the administration. Tulsa leaves Conference USA for the higher profile American Athletic Conference next season.

Menzies told me once that if he were to leave NMSU, he wants to do so to a location where people wouldn't second guess his decision.

Tulsa would be that job.

Tulsa was set to pay Danny Manning 1.4 million after just two seasons. But money alone wouldn't lure Menzies away from NMSU. After seven years grinding it out at NMSU, it's time Menzies learns if he can take a program in a better conference to the next level.

He's already done it here.

Discussing Marvin Menzies and Sim Bhullar

Rumors ramped up on Wednesday regarding Marvin Menzies potentially leaving Las Cruces for Tulsa and Sim Bhullar bolting for the NBA

I addressed both of these issues among a couple other offseason notes earlier in the afternoon, but they picked up steam later.

Especially Bhullar leaving for the NBA

New Mexico State sophomore center Sim Bhullar is entering the NBA Draft, per a source.
— Josh Gershon (@JoshGershon) April 17, 2014

A source close to the Bhullar family told me Wednesday night that Sim, "Was close to making a decision but has not declared for the NBA Draft"

Is he ready? I would ask those who throw out an automatic no to ask yourself how much closer would Sim get to the NBA by coming back for another year? 

I blogged about it last week here:

Should Sim stay or go?

There has been increased chatter about Sim Bhullar and the NBA recently on Twitter, most recently Wednesday night when an online report said Bhullar was indeed declaring for the June 26 NBA Draft.

A source close to the family told me Wednesday that Bhullar was close to a final decision, but had yet to put his name in, but I never thought that Bhullar would be at New Mexico State for four years. You can't blame him for getting feedback this offseason before the April 27 deadline for underclassmen to declare but if he does so at this point, he cannot return to college.

Bhullar's future has been speculated ever since arriving in Las Cruces. He's certainly been an intriguing player in Las Cruces and with a 7-foot-5 frame, he has always been a pro prospect. But this soon?

Here are three reasons Bhullar should go pro and three reasons he should stay for another year, all of which are fairly obvious but it's the offseason:

Sim Bhullar should go pro because:

Market value:
Bhullar could be the first NBA player of Indian decent, which could very well lead a team to take a second round flyer on him or wait until after the draft where he would have more ability to pick and choose a team to to sign with as an undrafted free agent, such as his hometown club in Toronto. The possibility for endorsements and being the face of basketball to a population of billions has to be very attractive for a NBA franchise. In theory, if Bhullar were to stick on a NBA roster, his salary off the court could be greater than his NBA salary.

Further development:
There is only so much a college staff can develop a player due to time constraints and fewer coaches, trainers, nutritionists compared to a NBA staff. Bhullar has enlisted the help this offseason of former NBA coach and trainer John Lucas in Houston.

Sim Bhullar in the lab at work for the weekend pic.twitter.com/qj1Qz6O1jB
— Coach John Lucas (@CoachJohnLucas1) April 4, 2014

Everyone can point to a lack of conditioning as a flaw in Bhullar's game, but I think he could improve on the offensive end as well. His defensive presence alone though should give him a good look, but NBA coaching and strength training could make the process go faster while making money doing so.

Window:
A common comparison, although a stretch in my opinion is former Houston Rocket center Yao Ming, who is compared to Bhullar because of his size (7-6) and the fact that Yao got the NBA into China. But from a basketball standpoint, the two couldn't be further apart in my opinion. Yao was in a professional organization for years before coming to the NBA, where he was also the top pick in the 2002 NBA Draft. But, as could happen with Bhullar, Yao's window in America was nine great, if  not injury filled seasons. You look at Bhullar, who had foot injuries his redshirt season and last year, and you could not blame him for turning pro sooner rather than later.

Three reasons Sim should stay:

One more year:
That sentiment is common among Aggies fans since the Aggies have a strong group coming back next year. But from Bhullar simply being ready to be drafted, his stock would certainly improve with one more year under his belt. DraftExpress did not list Bhullar among its Top 100 prospects. He was listed as the No. 75 sophomore by the website. NBADraft.net did not list Bhullar among its Top 100. Bhullar was not listed among its Top 50 sophomores nor the honorable mention. I don't know how much stock to put into these lists, and I'm sure if Bhullar put his name in, he would gain momentum as his name got out there, but other than his size, it seems that Bhullar remains an unknown outside of college hoops junkies.

Bhullar brothers:
Sim and 7-foot-3 NMSU redshirt freshman Tanveer Bhullar have played together at the high school level in the past. I don't think the prospect of playing with his younger brother next season would sway a decision to stay if he were leaning that way. But it would certainly make it easier for their family to follow their careers for 2014.

National profile:
New Mexico State nearly pulled off a first round upset and Bhullar was a big reason why, playing very well on that stage. Perhaps the Aggies improve their overall seeding next year and Bhullar and the Aggies finally break through with a NCAA Tournament victory. Sports Illustrated already did a piece on Sim and Tanveer Bhullar, and the two brothers would certainly put the Aggies in more of a national spotlight next season, perhaps enhancing each brother's profile in the professional ranks.