Unsung heroes: Aggies' secret ingredients to success

By: Anthony Esparza

The New Mexico State men’s basketball team’s recipe to reaching the NCAA Tournament two times in three seasons consisted of a variety of ingredients. 

It took a few dashes of talent and athleticism from Jahmar Young and Jonathan Gibson in 2010, and from Hernst Laroche and Daniel Mullings this season.  The Aggies’ recent NCAA Tournament teams have had a combination of speed and skill in the backcourt.

“We were a little bit more guard oriented,” said NM State coach Marvin Menzies of the tournament team from two seasons ago. “Now what we have is a more balanced attack. We’re maybe not shooting as prolific as that team, but we definitely have a stronger interior force.”

The strong interior force was a result of adding more size and strength into the mix. Six of the ten players on the roster stand 6 feet 6 inches or taller and the Aggie big men utilize their size to score in the paint offensively and protect it on defense.

Talent, athleticism, size and strength are the components that form a solid middle-of-the-pack team. However, the special ingredient that led NM State to a WAC championship and an NCAA Tournament berth was team chemistry.

The Aggies are a tight-knit group that supports each other on and off the court. The family mentality starts with the three seniors and resonates to the underclassman.   

Menzies said younger Aggies like D.J. Lewis, Renaldo Dixon, Remi Barry and Eric Weary quickly developed a strong sense of pride and unity with the rest of the team.

“Their chemistry is just fantastic and that’s what you shoot for,” Menzies said. “We’ve got all our guys, from one to ten, on the same page and they really have a great focus on trying to put a better product on the floor every night.”

During the grind of the regular season, the younger players provided much needed comic relief in the locker room.

“On camera and in interviews they might seem to be shy, but in that locker room we have a bunch of characters and a lot of confident people,” said senior forward Wendell McKines. “We have a lot of players on this team that love the big stage and love to perform.”

In addition to providing personality in the locker room, the new breed of Aggies brought intensity and energy to every practice. In fact, Menzies said Laroche has become a better player this season because of the competitive sessions he and Lewis have in practice.

"Sometimes they don’t get the credit or attention, because they’re not out on the floor playing,” Menzies said.  “But those guys that are on the floor playing aren’t who they are without having to go against those guys every day in practice.”

With the new generation of Aggies continuing on the build off the current recipe for success, team chemistry should continue to flourish in years to come. For now, the team has its sight set on the Indiana Hoosiers.

The Aggies and Hoosiers tipoff in the Rose Garden in Portland, Ore. at 7:45 p.m. MST Thursday.

Fans gather to bid Aggies farewell

By: Anthony Esparza

A crowd of Aggie fans gathers outside the Pan American Center to bid the team farewell.

Aggie fans await the team to board the bus.

NM State Head Coach Marvin Menzies is all smiles.

Wendell McKines, D.J. Lewis and Bandja Sy greet fans.

Daniel Mullings on his way to the bus.

Hamidu Rahman being greeted by fans.

Menzies thanking fans for their support.

NMSU President Barbara Couture talks about the team's growth throughout the season.

McKines and Eric Weary preparing to board the bus.

McKines addressing the crowd.

Off to Portland.

Aggies' expierence could be key against Indiana

By: Anthony Esparza

(Photo by: Zack Ponce)

The New Mexico State men’s basketball team is the No.13 seed in the South region of the NCAA Tournament, and will travel to Portland, Ore. to face the fourth-seeded Indiana Hoosiers on Thursday.

This is the first trip to the NCAA Tournament for each player on the Indiana roster. The same cannot be said for NM State, as there are four players on the Aggie roster that played in the team’s 2010 tournament game against Michigan State.

Wendell McKines, Hernst Laroche and Hamidu Rahman started for the Aggies against the Spartans two years ago, while Tyrone Watson played four minutes off the bench. Because of that tournament experience, McKines said the team knows what to expect from being on a national stage.

“We know what to expect and how to go about our preparation as far as winning the game,” McKines said. “One of those things is not to be overwhelmed by winning the conference tournament, but to immediately put our focus on Indiana as oppose to the thrill of being in the tournament.”

NM State Head Coach Marvin Menzies said the team’s experience advantage played a large role in winning the Western Athletic Conference Tournament for the second time in three seasons. However, Menzies acknowledged it will take more than experience to knock off the Hoosiers on Thursday evening.

“Our focus for those guys is not to rely just on their experience, but keep striving to get better,” Menzies said of the Aggie upperclassmen. “Even the seniors have to try to perform at a higher level than they did the game before.”

The Aggie coaching staff has also matured since the 2010 NCAA Tournament. Menzies said there is always something new to learn as a head coach, but his confidence has improved throughout the years.

“I definitely have a high level of confidence in my own ability to manage the game and to get our guys ready to play,” Menzies said. “I’ve been doing this as a head coach for only five (years), but I’ve been coaching for 30 years in the business. It’s just a part of my fiber.”

Indiana head coach Tom Crean has 13 years of head coaching experience under his belt. Crean coached Marquette for nine seasons, and is in his fourth season at the helm of Indiana.  

What the Hoosiers lack in experience, they make up for in efficient perimeter shooting and transition offense. Indiana led the Big Ten in points per game (77.3) and three-point field goal percentage (43.3%).

Indiana finished 25-8 overall and 11-7 in Big Ten play during the regular season. The Hoosiers lost to Wisconsin 79-71 in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament, but earned an at-large bid to play in the program’s first NCAA Tournament since the 2007-2008 season.

For the Aggies, a win over Indiana on Thursday would be a signature win for the program. A run in the tournament would put NM State basketball on the college basketball national map once again.

“To the outside world, some people think we’re the Lobos,” McKines said. “So just to make that stamp that New Mexico State is something to be wreckin’ with nationally, and to be a part of that, would be big. “

Sale of alcohol at Aggie games still under consideration

By: Anthony Esparza

Discussions regarding the potential sale of alcohol at the Pan American Center and Aggie Memorial Stadium for sporting events gained momentum toward the end of 2011.

The suggestion was presented to New Mexico State President Dr. Barbara Couture by the NMSU Effectiveness and Efficiency Committee. Couture then asked the University Alcohol Committee to research the topic and report back to her.

“We looked at 12 schools in the Western Athletic Conference,” said Dr. Janet Green, director of the school of Hotel Restaurant and Tourism Management, and the chair of the NMSU Alcohol Review Committee. “Of the 12, only four schools sell alcohol at athletic events. Two of the schools sell at football only; the other two schools sell at all of their athletic events.”

No consistent answer or approach was found among WAC schools, and beer sale policies ranged by university. For instance, the University of Nevada allows the open sale of alcohol to all attendees at sporting events. Fresno State also sells alcohol at games, but only in designated seating areas.

Then there are schools such as Utah State and Louisiana Tech that do not have any type of alcohol sales at sporting events. The University of Texas-El Paso (UTEP) is another peer university that does not sell beer at athletic events.

Selling alcohol at Aggie games is not unheard of. In fact, NMSU experimented with the idea a few years ago.

“NMSU did allow the sale of alcohol at two men’s basketball games at the Pan American Center in 2007,” said Ben Woods, NMSU senior vice president for external relations and chief of staff. “Those sales were done through a third party ‘picnic license.’ The issue has sat dormant since that time.”

A “picnic license”, officially called a Special Dispenser Permit, is used for functions held at locations that do not have a liquor license. These temporary permits are usually used for events such as wedding receptions and community parties.

Although alcohol is not sold to general ticketholders and students at Aggie games, it does flow inside the Stan Fulton Center during football games.  It is also sold at certain non-university events at the Pan Am Center.

At this point, the alcohol discussions are primarily focused on men’s basketball games in the Pan Am, but the initial suggestion from the Effectiveness and Efficiency Committee was to consider sales for football games at Aggie Memorial Stadium also.

Other universities in the region have had similar discussions to those taking place at NMSU. Up the road in Albuquerque, University of New Mexico officials fought a lengthily battle against city councilors in an attempt to sell alcohol at Lobo games.

UNM requested a waiver on a state law that bans alcohol sales within 300 feet of any school site, but the request was denied by city council. The university responded by taking the case to an arbitrator, who sided with the university and overruled the city councilors’ decision.

The university was granted its liquor license in July of 2011, and alcohol started being sold to suite and club level ticket holders at The Pit and University Stadium during athletic events. Sodexo, which is also the food service provider for NMSU, is in charge of handling the alcohol sales.

Similar battles are being fought in Arizona, where the State House of Representatives is debating over a bill that would allow beer to be sold at university-sponsored events. The decision will affect Arizona, Arizona State and other universities across the state.

As for NMSU, the decision is still pending and will continue to be discussed in the coming months.

“I would envision that the final decision will be made in the next six months,” Green said. “The process to apply and receive a governmental license from the State of New Mexico is approximately three months.”

Aggie Urgency

NM States looks to carry momentum into WAC Tournament

By: Anthony Esparza 

Photo by: Zack Ponce

The New Mexico State men’s basketball is playing with a healthy sense of urgency heading into the final two games of the regular season.

At 22-8 overall and 9-3 in conference play, New Mexico State sits in second place in the Western Athletic Conference standings. However the team has endured its share of highs and lows that led to the late-season surge.

“At the beginning of the year we felt like we were the underdogs, and we wanted to attack everybody,” said senior forward Wendell McKines. “Then we started 4-0 and we started to feel ourselves a little bit, and we took some loses in the process.”

McKines said the improvements started in practice. The team began approaching practice with an intensity level that mirrored that of a regular season game and the results showed on the court.

NM State has improved in several areas since the start of the season including scoring and defense. The team has also improved in areas that do not appear on the stat sheet. The Aggies have played with an abundance of intensity as of late.

“That has to do with the fact we have three seniors,” McKines said of the intensity boost. “We have a sense of urgency, and other players are feeding off that and playing their game as well.”

One of the Aggies’ three conference losses this season was against Nevada on Jan. 26 at the Pan American Center. The Wolf Pack got off a quick start and the Aggies were forced to play catch-up for the rest of the game. NM State looks to avenge the loss on Thursday in Reno, Nev.  

“They have been playing great defense,” NM State head coach Marvin Menzies said of the Wolf Pack. “They’re blocking shots, guarding the ball and keeping guys off the free-throw line. They’re doing what they need to do to win, and if that’s defensively then you’ve got to give them credit for that.”

NM State concludes the regular season at Fresno State on March 3. Although their 13-17 record does not raise any eyebrows, they Bulldogs are a scrappy team that played a competitive game against the Aggies in Las Cruces on Jan. 28.

“Fresno is a scary team…” Menzies said. “They play within themselves. The few experienced guys they do have are doing a good job at holding it together, and they haven’t packed it in by any means.”

Despite essentially having locked up the No. 2 seed in the WAC Tournament, the Aggies are looking to finish the regular season on a high note and enter the tournament with momentum.

“We play this game to win. It’s as simple as that…” McKines said. “I know the coaches are game-planning for us to come out with the victory. We’re going to practice like we’re going into a big game, and we’re going up there to win.”

Aggies top San Jose State on senior night

By: Anthony Esparza

Photo by: Brian Clayton  

The three seniors on the New Mexico State men’s basketball team led the Aggies to a 79-68 win over San Jose State on senior night at the Pan American Center.

Wendell McKines, Hernst Laroche and Hamidu Rahman combined to score 53 of the team’s 79 points in the final home game of their Aggie careers.  Rahman, who ranks second in NM State history in blocked shots, finished with a game-high 22 points, ten rebounds and five blocks.

“I’m going to miss the Pan Amanics, we’re all family.” Rahman said after the Aggie win. “I’m going to miss my teammates, the coaches and especially the fans.”

The Aggie big man asserted himself in the paint throughout the game, and shot 6-7 from the field and 10-16 from the free-throw line. Shooting free-throws was a reoccurring theme for both teams, as a total of 50 fouls were called in the game.

Laroche, who holds the school record for minutes played with 4,190, finished with 11 points, five rebounds and two assists on Saturday night. The Aggies’ iron man also shot 3-5 from behind the three-point line.

 McKines, one of only two players in school history to compile 1,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds, had 20 points and 15 rebounds in the home finale.

With the win, NM State improved to 22-8 overall and 9-3 in conference play. Next for the Aggies is a two-game road trip at Nevada and Fresno State to wrap up the regular season. The team then heads to Las Vegas for the Western Athletic Conference Tournament, which begins on March 8.

With two regular season games and an important conference tournament still on the horizon, the season is far from over. However, senior night was a memorable night for the Aggies’ “big three.”

“I’m going to remember the love and support I get from this campus and from this community,” McKines said. “I’m going to always cherish it and never forget it.”

Mullings gets triple-double as Aggies cruise past Hawai'i

By: Anthony Esparza

The New Mexico State men’s basketball team dominated Hawai’i 115-73 on Thursday to take sole possession of second place in the Western Athletic Conference standings.

Six Aggies scored in double figures but the night belonged to freshman guard Daniel Mullings, who became only the third player in program history to compile a triple-double. The freshman sensation finished with 28 points, 12 rebounds, ten assists and five steals.

“It’s big for me and it just proves that hard work pays off,” Mullings said of the accomplishment. “I just worked hard on both ends, on offense and defense. My teammates were just feeding me on outlets and I was able to score and get to the line.”

Seniors Wendell McKines and Hernst Laroche also had big nights against the Warriors. McKines finished with 20 points and seven rebounds, while Laroche tallied 16 points and a season-high eight assists.

In addition to lighting up the Pan Am scoreboard, the Aggies played aggressive defense throughout the game. Senior guard Zane Johnson, who scored a season-high 29 points against NM State on Jan. 22, was held to just eight points on 2-8 shooting on Wednesday night.

Part of the credit for containing Johnson goes to junior forward Bandja Sy, who finished with 12 points, seven rebounds and two blocks.

“Bandja did a great job on Zane Johnson,” NM State head coach Marvin Menzies said. “That kid (Johnson) is a big-time shooter, and he only got two shots from the three-point line. Our goal was to limit his attempts and he was one-for-two.”

The Aggies also scored 38 points off 24 Hawai’i turnovers, and outscored the Warriors 42-22 in the paint. NM State led from start to finish and the team was well prepared to avenge the previous loss against the Warriors.

“We were ready all week and this has been on our minds, especially the last effort that we put up against them,” Mullings said. “We came in with a focus that we weren’t going to let them jump on us like that.”

With the win, the Aggies improved to 21-8 overall and 8-3 in WAC play. Despite the convincing victory, Menzies said there is still room for improvement.

“We turned it over 14 times and could have shot a better percentage from three,” Menzies said. “There are a lot of things we can do better. To beat Nevada or this team (Hawai’i) on a neutral court is a different game, and you can’t let your ego or your previous game dictate how you play your next game.”

NM State hosts San Jose State on Saturday in the final home game of the season. The Aggies took down the Spartans 79-63 on the road on Jan. 19.