2013-2014 WAC Preview

First off, I would like to say Happy New Year! It feels good to be in the blogging mood again. Western Athletic Conference play begins tomorrow night. This year, only three teams remain in the WAC from last season: defending champions New Mexico State, Idaho, and Seattle. Will these three teams completely demolish the other six new coming teams in the conference? Or will the new schools like Grand Canyon or Chicago State make some noise? Without further ado, lets preview the 2013-2014 WAC season.

Awards & Accolades

Player of the Year: Daniel Mullings (New Mexico State)

Coach of the Year: Marvin Menzies (New Mexico State)

All-WAC First Team

G  Daniel Mullings (NMSU)

G  Isiah Umipig (SEA)

F  Stephen Madison (ID)

C  Sim Bhullar (NMSU)

C  Killian Larson (GCU)

All-WAC Second Team

G  Connor Hill (ID)

G  K.C. Ross-Miller (NMSU)

F  Fred Chatmon (UMKC)

F  Tshilidzi Nephawe (NMSU)

F  Deshaun Sunderhaus (SEA)

Predicting these All-WAC teams was extremely difficult. With the only exceptions being Mullings, Madison, and Bhullar.

Standings

1. New Mexico State (15-1)

2. Idaho (13-3)

3. Seattle (10-6)

4. Cal State Bakersfield (8-8)

5. Utah Valley (8-8)

6. Grand Canyon (7-9)

7. Texas- Pan American (6-10)

8. UMKC (6-10)

9. Chicago State (4-12)

WR Franklin Ruled Ineligible for 2013

   Las Cruces, NM- Right when everything was looking awesome for the New Mexico State football team, head coach Doug Martin ruled that star wide receiver Austin Franklin is academically ineligible for the 2013 college football season.

"He didn't meet the standard of an Aggie football player. We move on," said coach Martin. "He will redshirt this year. He needs to mature, he needs to grow up."

The junior wide receiver led the Aggies last season with 74 receptions for 1,245 yards and 9 touchdowns.

On July 16, Franklin was named to the pre-season 2013 Biletnikoff Award watch list. The Biletnikoff Award recognizes the most outstanding receivers in college football.

To be eligible for the fall season, he needed to retain a 1.9 GPA, which he failed to keep up with. Franklin was held out of spring practices and had been attending summer classes trying to get caught up academically.

According to a press release on Friday, coach Martin said that Franklin will still practice with the Aggies throughout the season.

If New Mexico State is going to reach a bowl game for the first time since 1960, they will need to find production at the receiver position. Junior receivers Jerrel Brown, Joseph Matthews, and Adam Shapiro are all going to be counted on to produce this season in Franklin's place.

Martin added, "If I'm not mistaken, last year we were 1-11 with Austin Franklin. No one out here is irreplaceable."

Tanveer Bhullar Commits to NMSU

   Las Cruces, NM- New Mexico State men's basketball coach Marvin Menzies has added 7-foot-3 center Tanveer Bhullar to the recruiting class of 2013. He is the younger brother of current Aggie center, 7-foot-5 Sim Bhullar.

Bhullar, a native of Toronto, graduated from Father Henry Carr Catholic Secondary School in Ontario this past season. He helped lead the Crusaders to a 38-2 record while averaging 18 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 blocks per game. 

"Tanveer is a very talented center with a bright future. We welcome him to Aggie Nation," said head coach Marvin Menzies.

Bhullar is eligible to play for NMSU during the 2013-2014 season.

He joins fellow recruit DK Eldridge, a 6-2 incoming guard from New Mexico Junior College, and guard Travon Landry, from Dallas, Texas.

On to the Big Dance...

After celebrating their third WAC Tournament title in four years, the New Mexico State Aggies flew back home to Las Cruces for selection Sunday, to see who they would play in the 2013 NCAA Tournament.

The Aggies (24-10) were selected as a 13-seed and will be taking on the 4-seed Saint Louis Billikens (27-6) in the Midwest Region of the bracket.

The second round game will be played on Thursday, March 21, at 12:10 MT in San Jose, California. 

The Billikens won the Atlantic-10 Tournament for the first time since 2000 and are making their second consecutive appearance in the Big Dance. 

They have some great wins on their resume.. They defeated the New Mexico Lobos 60-46, as well as sweeping tournament participants Butler and VCU. This is a solid team. Or, I guess they are?

I do not recall seeing or hearing so many analysts jumping on a team's bandwagon faster then I have seen in the past two days. Apparently, Saint Louis is a team that could very well beat #1 overall Louisville in the Sweet Sixteen. Are you serious? They are ranked 138th in scoring and 251st in rebounding... Ok? Weird.

Anyway, the point is that New Mexico State is making their 20th tournament appearance, and are looking to end their current six-game NCAA Tournament losing streak. 

Check out the next blog coming on Wednesday previewing the game.

GO AGGIES!!!

Twitter: @JoeTheWigBoy

NMSU Wins 3rd WAC Title in 4 Years

   Las Vegas, NV - For the third time in four years, the New Mexico State Aggies are going dancing! They defeated the UT-Arlington Mavericks 64-55 on Saturday in the 2013 WAC Tournament Championship game.

The Aggies (24-10) had to fight off a UTA rally at the end, but eventually got it done. NMSU opened the second half up on a 19-8 run to lead 51-38, their biggest lead of the night with 11:27 left.

Freshman Sim Bhullar carried NMSU to victory with a dominating 16 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 blocked shots.

With the victory, New Mexico State has won a total of four WAC titles in eight years since joining the conference prior to the 2005-2006 season.

Sorry for this blog being so short, but I was unprepared to write it. Future blogs will be linked with this one.

2013 WAC Tournament Schedule

The 2013 WAC Tournament starts on Tuesday, March 12 at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.

Here is a schedule:

March 12 (Tuesday)
Game 1 - First Round
#7 Texas State vs. #10 Seattle, 7:00 MT
Game 2- First Round
#8 San Jose State vs. #9 Texas State, 9:30 MT

March 14 (Thursday)
Game 3 - Quarterfinals
#3 New Mexico State vs. #6 Idaho, 1:00 MT
Game 4 - Quarterfinals
#2 Denver vs. Winner of Game 1, 3:30 MT
Game 5 - Quarterfinals
#1 Louisiana Tech vs. Winner of Game 2, 7:00 MT
Game 6 - Quarterfinals
#4 UT-Arlington vs. #5 Utah State, 9:30 MT

March 15 (Friday)
Game 7 - Semifinals
Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4, 7:00 MT
Game 8 - Semifinals
Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 6, 9:30 MT

March 16 (Saturday)
Game 9 - Championship
Winner of Game 7 vs. Winner of Game 8, 9:00 MT

All-WAC Selections

The 2012-2013 WAC Awards have been released. Here you go:

Player of the Year    Kyle Barone, Idaho    The Senior center put together another dominant season leading the WAC in scoring and rebounding (16.8 points per game and 9.9 rebounds per game). He also hits 59% of his shots. I am happy to see him win this award even though he plays on a bad team. I thought this award was Appleby's just because he played for the best team. Anyway, Kyle Barone is very deserving of this award and finally, the WAC got it right.

My Player of the Year    Kyle Barone, Idaho
______________________________________________________________

Coach of the Year    Michael White, Louisiana Tech    In his second season as head coach, White has established himself as a fantastic one. He has led a team of 2 Seniors, 5 Juniors, 5 Sophomores, and 3 freshmen to a 26-5 record en route to a first place WAC finish. He completely deserves this award and has changed the Louisiana Tech program around.

My Coach of the Year    Michael White, Louisiana Tech
______________________________________________________________

Freshman of the Year    Sim Bhullar, New Mexico State    Completely deserved. Bhullar took over the NMSU starting center role after junior Tshilidzi Nephawe was out for the season. Big Sim finished his freshman year leading the WAC in FG% (61.5%) and was second in blocks (2.4). He tallied 73 blocks this year- an NMSU single-season record.

My Newcomer of the Year    Sim Bhullar, New Mexico State
______________________________________________________________

All-WAC 1st Team
Raheem Appleby, Louisiana Tech
Kenneth Smith, Louisiana Tech
Bandja Sy, New Mexico State
Chris Udofia, Denver
Kyle Barone, Idaho

My All-WAC 1st Team
Raheem Appleby, Louisiana Tech    Deserved. 14.5 points per game. My
                                                                   pre-season Player of the Year
Spencer Butterfield, Utah State    Carried the UtAgs after Medlin & Reed went
                                                            down.
Daniel Mullings, NMSU    Lead WAC in steals (2.2), 8th in scoring (14.0), just
                                                 a flat-out dynamic player. Should be on 1st team.
Chris Udofia, Denver    An all-around force, 10th in scoring (12.7), helped
                                          Denver to 2nd place finish.
Kyle Barone, Idaho    Refer to above.
____________________________________________________________

All-WAC 2nd Team
Chase Hallam, Denver
Daniel Mullings, New Mexico State
Joel Wright, Texas State
Spencer Butterfield, Utah State
Jarred Shaw, Utah State

My All-WAC 2nd Team
Michael Hale III, UT-San Antonio    4th in scoring (16.1), 3rd in assists (3.8). All
                                                                 on an awful team.
Kenneth Smith, Louisiana Tech    Lead WAC in assists (5.3), 3rd in steals (1.7),
                                                             barely missed MY 1st team cut.
Bandja Sy, NMSU    Averaged 11.8 points per game and was sixth in rebounding
                                      (7.3). Led NMSU after a slow start.
Joel Wright, Texas State    Tied for lead in WAC for scoring (17.1), 2-time player
                                                of week.
Sim Bhullar, NMSU    Lead WAC in FG% (61.5), 3rd in blocks (2.4), took over
                                         as starter after Nephawe's injury.
______________________________________________________________

All-WAC 3rd Team
Michael Hale III, UT-San Antonio
Brett Olson, Denver
Kevin Butler, UT-Arlington
Royce O'Neale, Denver
Sim Bhullar, New Mexico State

My All-WAC 3rd Team
Kannon Burrage, UT-San Antonio
Brett Olson, Denver
Kevin Butler, UT-Arlington
Royce O'Neale, Denver
Jarred Shaw, Utah State
______________________________________________________________

All-WAC Defense Team
Chase Hallam, Denver
Daniel Mullings, New Mexico State
Kenneth Smith, Louisiana Tech
Michale Kyser, Louisiana Tech
Chris Udofia, Denver

My All-WAC Defense Team
Chase Hallam, Denver    2nd in steals (2.1)
Daniel Mullings, NMSU    Lead WAC in steals (2.2)
Kenneth Smith, Louisiana Tech    3rd in steals (1.7)
Michale Kyser, Louisiana Tech    Lead WAC in blocks (2.7)
Sim Bhullar, NMSU    3rd in blocks (2.4)
______________________________________________________________

All-WAC Newcomer Team
Alex Hamilton, Louisiana Tech
Spencer Butterfield, Utah State
Jarred Shaw, Utah State
Joel Wright, Texas State
Sim Bhullar, New Mexico State

My All-WAC Newcomer Team
Alex Hamilton, Louisiana Tech    Freshman. 34th in scoring (7.8)
Spencer Butterfield, Utah State    Refer to above.
Jarred Shaw, Utah State    Jr. Transfer. 7th in scoring (14), 4th in rebounds (8.4).
Joel Wright, Texas State    Jr. Transfer. Tied for 1st in scoring (17.1)
Sim Bhullar, NMSU    Refer to above.
______________________________________________________________

What do you think?

Let me know in the comments below...

Or, Tweet me! @JoeTheWigBoy..... #AskTheWig























To see my pre-season selections... CLICK HERE

This Day in NMSU History: March 10, 2012

March 10, 2012

The New Mexico State Aggies were looking to secure their third WAC title in five years as they faced the young, upstart Louisiana Tech Bulldogs in the 2012 WAC Championship game.

#2 NMSU defeated #7 Fresno State and #6 Hawaii to get to the title game, while #5 LaTech defeated #4 Utah State and defeated the heavily-favored #1 Nevada Wolfpack in the semi-finals, who went 28-7 in the regular season.

It was over from the very beginning in Las Vegas as the Aggies took a demanding 38-20 lead into the locker room and led by as many as 28 in the second half.

When the final buzzer sounded, the New Mexico State Aggies (26-9) defeated the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (18-16) by a score of 82-57 to win the WAC Tournament Title.

Senior Wendell McKines went out on top as he poured in 27 points and 14 rebounds. McKines was named the Tournament MVP while teammates Tyrone Watson and Hernst Laroche also made first-team.

The Aggies then advanced to the NCAA Tournament, but lost to Indiana in the first round.

It was an incredible season for New Mexico State.

And yes... Here are some pics from the 2012 WAC Championship game:

Panamaniacs Rush the Floor

Wendell McKines, Tournament MVP

WAC Champs

McKines Cutting Down the Net

NMSU Hands LaTech First WAC Defeat

   Las Cruces, NM- Fans saw the nation's longest winning streak come to an end Thursday as New Mexico State (20-10, 13-4) defeated Louisiana Tech (26-4, 16-1) by a score of 78-60. LaTech entered the game with an 18 game winning streak.

The Bulldogs jumped out to a 21-10 lead through the first nine minutes of action, but never really held it together again.

NMSU then used an 18-2 run to take the 28-23 lead with 6:19 left. The Aggies entered the locker rooms up 43-34.

LaTech pulled within four points, 46-50, with 13 minutes left, but that was the closest they ever were for the remainder of the game. This was a very impressive win.

New Mexico State was led by guard Daniel Mullings who had 23 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 steals. Tyrone Watson recorded his first double-double since 2011 with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Sim Bhullar had 5 blocks. Bandja Sy and Terrel de Rouen each pitched in with double-figure scoring as well (12 & 10).

LaTech was led by Raheem Appleby, who had 13 points.

With Denver's victory over UT-Arlington, NMSU has been locked in at the 3-seed in the WAC Tournament and will take on #6 Idaho on Thursday.

Just an off note: Various students were constantly booing Tyrone Watson, who played in his first game in the PanAm since his suspension... This bothered me. Not because of what he did, but the fact that he is a member of the Aggies' basketball team and is a 5th year Senior. Another thing I noticed was the Las Cruces crowd's attitude toward K.C. Ross-Miler. I know de Rouen is from LC, but come on...

The Aggies finish off the regular season on Saturday as they take on UT-Arlington on Senior Night! The last game in the PanAm for Bandja Sy and Tyrone Watson.

Player of the Game: Daniel Mullings (23 pts, 8 reb, 4 stl)

Next Game: Saturday, March 9 vs UT-Arlington (17-11, 11-6) at 7:00 MST

GO AGGIES

NMSU falls to Denver

   Denver, CO- The Denver Pioneers (19-8, 14-2) simply out-played New Mexico State (19-10, 12-4) in the second half to defeat the Aggies 66-60 on Saturday. The win put Denver all alone in second place in the WAC, trailing only LaTech. The loss knocked NMSU down to third place and out of WAC regular-season title contention (they were out anyway before the loss).

NMSU took a 28-27 lead into the locker room and quickly jumped out to a 34-27 lead with 16:26 left in the second half. At the under 12 minute timeout, the Aggies had a slight 42-40 lead.

Cue the Denver run.

The Pioneers went on a 14-1 run that lasted just over 7 minutes to take a commanding 54-43 lead with 5:08 left.

But just like they have done all season long, the Aggies rallied back. Sophomore Daniel Mullings sparked NMSU by scoring 6 points and recording a steal in a span of 50 seconds to make the deficit 55-51 with 3:16 left.

Out of a timeout with 1:51 remaining, Bandja Sy nailed a three-pointer to make it a one-point game. After a pair of Denver free throws, NMSU was down by three looking for a basket. But, a turnover by Sy led to a wide-open three by Pioneer Chase Hallam to put Denver up by six with 49 seconds left. Sy answered that three with another one of his own to make the score 60-57.

Kevin Aronis came into the game and missed two 3's as Denver converted on six straight free throws to put the game out of reach 66-57. For style points, Bandja Sy nailed his third three-pointer of the game with four seconds left to play. That made the final outcome 66-60.

Statistically, NMSU played a great game- EXCEPT turnovers.

As a team, they shot 20-41 FG (48.8%) and 3-6 on threes (50%- Sy went 3-3).

One of the best things the Aggies executed was free throw shooting. They shot 17-21, good for 81%. Sim Bhullar went 5-9... resulting in NMSU's only misses from the charity strike.

Senior Tyrone Watson returned to the court after his 30-day/7-game suspension to play 38 minutes, score 10 points, and record 5 assists. Bandja Sy had a great game scoring 21 points with 11 rebounds. Sim Bhullar had 17 points on 6-7 shooting and 4 blocks.

The Aggies committed 18 turnovers- seven by Daniel Mullings.

One of the interesting things I noticed was the Aggies have gone away from the seven-man rotation that helped win 12 games in a row. Nine guys saw playing time today.

Also, I was SHOCKED, yes, SHOCKED, that Renaldo Dixon only saw seven minutes of playing time. This is the guy who has arguably been the New Mexico State MVP of the season.

The Aggies look ahead as ranked Louisiana Tech comes to the PanAm with an insane 26-3 record on Thursday.

Player of the Game: Bandja Sy (21 pts, 11 reb)

Next Game: Thursday, March 7 vs LaTech (26-3, 16-0) at 7:00 MST

NMSU Defeats I-10 Rival UTEP

   Las Cruces, NM- Every New Mexico State Aggies fan remembers how they felt on November 28th when UTEP defeated NMSU 55-54 on a controversial call made by the official with 5 seconds left. It was truly a heart breaker.

Saturday brought sweet redemption to Las Cruces as the Aggies (19-9) were, this time, victorious 55-51 over I-10 Rival UTEP (14-12) in front of 10,729 people in the Pan American Center. That is the highest attendance for a game in the PanAm since the 2008 WAC Tournament Championship.

It was also a Whiteout. The Southside Student Section was amazing.

Junior guard Kevin Aronis scored 11 points on 4-6 shooting (3-5 3-PT) to lead the Crimson and White. Every time he shot, it seemed to be clutch. Senior Bandja Sy had 10 points with 5 rebounds. Sim Bhullar added 6 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 blocks while Renaldo Dixon had 8 points and 8 rebounds.

An overlooked accomplishment... Freshman Sim Bhullar broke the New Mexico State single-season blocked shots record. He now has 60 this season. Another note: he played 37 minutes tonight. This is not a typo.

With 7:06 left to play, UTEP was up 48-39. NMSU then scored the next eight points to cut the deficit to 48-47 with 2:47 left to play.

Another 3-pointer for the Miners made the score 51-47 with 2:22 remaining... the last points of the night for them.

The play of the game happened with 2:05 left on the clock when Kevin Aronis made his third triple of the game to make the score 51-50. He then followed that shot with the go-ahead jumper from the wing to give the Aggies a 52-50 lead. A pair of free throws from Terrel de Rouen put NMSU up 54-51 with 24 seconds left.

UTEP had one last chance with 8 seconds left as C.J. Cooper hoisted up a three that didn't go in. Bandja Sy went to the free-throw line and made 1-of-2 with 1.7 seconds left to ice the victory.

When the final buzzer sounded, the Panamaniacs stormed the court to celebrate the victory.

In a very defensive first half, NMSU only led 17-14 at halftime.

For the game, the Aggies shot 18-47 (38.3%) and missed 9 free-throws (13-22; 59%)

Player of the Game: Kevin Aronis (11 pts, 3-5 3Pt)

Next Game: Saturday, March 2 @ Denver (18-8, 13-2) at 4:00 MT

WAC Coming Down to the Wire

With their loss to Utah State on Saturday, it has become pretty-much impossible for New Mexico State to win a regular season WAC title.

Current Standings:                                 GB

1. Louisiana Tech           14-0     22-3      -

2. Denver                        13-2     17-8    1.5

3. New Mexico State     12-3     18-9    2.5

4. Utah State                     9-5     18-6    5.0 

5. UT-Arlington               9-5      14-9    5.0

Lets take a look at what teams have  left:

It's too early to come up with scenarios.

Louisiana Tech (14-0, 22-3); 1st Place in WAC

Louisiana Tech has almost wrapped up the Western Athletic Conference.

They have 5 games remaining this year, 4 WAC games.

The Bulldogs host Central Baptist on Wednesday- a game that should be a blowout. 

They then host Utah State (9-5, 18-6) and San Jose State (3-11, 9-16). The UtAgs will be tough, but I still don't see LaTech losing. The Bulldogs will close out the year by traveling to the LC to take on New Mexico State (12-3, 18-9) and to Colorado to face Denver (13-2, 17-8). 

Denver (13-2, 17-8); 2nd Place in WAC (1.5 GB)

The Denver Pioneers have quietly had a very good first season in the WAC. 

They have 4 games remaining, 3 WAC games.

They travel to face Northern Iowa next Saturday- a game that is a toss-up.

To conclude the season, they will host New Mexico State (12-3, 18-9), UT-Arlington (9-5, 14-9), and first-pace Louisiana Tech (14-0, 22-3).

New Mexico State (12-3, 18-9); 3rd Place in WAC (2.5 GB)

NMSU really helped themselves out by defeating Denver early in the year.

They have 4 games remaining, 3 WAC games.

The I-10 Rivalry takes place on Saturday as they will host UTEP.

They travel to Denver on March 2- which could be a HUGE game. That is followed up by a home stand against Louisiana Tech (14-0, 22-3) and UT-Arlington (9-5, 14-9).

Utah State (9-5, 18-6); 4th Place in WAC (5 GB)

The Utah State Aggies have the most games remaining to be played.

They have 6 games remaining, 4 WAC games.

If they win out, and with the help of other teams, they could MAYBE, just maybe, win a WAC title. 

They play BYU and Illinois St in non-WAC play, before traveling to face LaTech and UT-Arlington and hosting the bottom-feeding Texas teams- UTSA and Texas State.

UT-Arlington

The biggest surprise team in the WAC this season.

They have 6 games remaining, 4 WAC games.

They have the toughest remaining WAC schedule left as they host SJSU and Utah State before traveling to face Denver and NMSU.

Expect crazy things to happen as this season is coming down to the wire in the Western Athletic Conference.

NMSU Wins 11th Straight

   Las Cruces, NM- The New Mexico State Aggies (17-8, 11-2) won their eleventh consecutive game on Saturday after defeating the Seattle Redhawks 60-57 to secure the season series sweep. For the second straight game, the Aggies had to fight off late rallies, the other being vs. Idaho on Thursday.

In the Lou Henson Classic, sophomore guard Daniel Mullings put his poor effort against Idaho behind him as he was responsible for 18 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals. Freshman Sim Bhullar had 14 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 blocks while Senior Bandja Sy only had 9 points. Renaldo Dixon had a near double-double with 8 points and 7 boards.

The Aggies continue to go with their 7-man rotation and were supplied with 5 points off the bench, all from Remi Barry, who played 17 minutes.

The Redhawks (7-16, 2-10) were led by Deshaun Sunderhaus who had 14 points. They also out-rebounded NMSU 42-30.

Bandja Sy had one of the MOST RIDICULOUS dunks that anybody will ever see, jumping over a Seattle defender.

Player of the Game: Daniel Mullings (18 pts, 4 reb, 3 stl)

Next Game: Thursday, February 14, @ San Jose State (9-14, 3-9) at 8:00 MT

Follow on Twitter: @JoeTheWigBoy

Renaldo Dixon

MBB: NMSU 76, Idaho 74

   Las Cruces, NM- The New Mexico State Aggies won their tenth consecutive game on Thursday after defeating Idaho 76-74 in what was a very interesting game.

With 6:14 left in the game, guard Kevin Aronis hit a three-pointer to give the Aggies a 67-56 lead, their largest of the night. Idaho then responded going on an 18-7 run to eventually tie the game up at 74. With 26 seconds remaining, Bandja Sy went to the line after he was fouled coming down with a rebound. He missed the one-and-one opportunity giving the Vandals the ball to hold for a last-second shot. As Idaho guard Mike McChristian was going up court, freshman Terrel de Rouen stole the ball and found Mullings cutting to the basket only to get fouled while shooting. Mullings hit the two free throws to sink the Vandals and give NMSU their 10th straight win.

New Mexico State (16-8, 10-2) was lead by freshman Sim Bhullar, who had a perfect night going 8-8 from the field for 20 points and 5 rebounds. The two usual stars, Bandja Sy and Daniel Mullings, struggled from the floor but were picked up by teammates. Sy, who had been on a major hot streak the previous couple of games, had 9 points (4-11 fg) and a career-high 15 rebounds while Mullings shot 2-10 for 7 points. 

Terrel de Rouen and Renaldo Dixon really stepped it up for NMSU as they each accounted for 12 points. Off the bench, Kevin Aronis scored 9 points in six minutes of action while Remi Barry had 7 points. This seven-man rotation is looking really good.

Idaho (9-13, 5-7) was paced by All-WAC performer Kyle Barone who dropped in a game-high 26 points and collected 7 rebounds. Connor Hill had 21 points including some very clutch three's. 

Oh yeah, did I mention, only 5,675 people showed up to the game last night. That's awful. Especially for a team that is on a 10-game winning streak. Come on Las Cruces!

All in all, we won. Ten straight wins. 11-1 in the PanAm Center.

Player of the Game: Sim Bhullar (20 pts, 5 reb)

Next Game: Saturday, February 9 vs. Seattle (7-15, 2-10) at 7:00

GO AGGIES

Tyrone Watson Arrested

   Las Cruces, NM- New Mexico State senior forward Tyrone Watson has been arrested and charged for allegedly attacking another student during a party on January 26. Police say that Watson, 22, picked up a 19-year old NMSU student by the neck, slammed him to the ground, and punched him "at least once."

The fifth-year basketball player from Canada has been charged with aggravated battery- a third degree felony.

Head coach Marvin Menzies announced an indefinite suspension for Watson on January 31.

Tyrone Watson will be represented by Las Cruces attorney Joe Coronado.

McKinley Boston: "One mistake could conceivably end his career."

If Watson has played his last game for the Aggies, he would finish having played in 116 career games- ninth all-time in NMSU history.

WAC Player of the Week: Bandja Sy

New Mexico State senior forward Bandja Sy has been named the Western Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week for the week of January 28 - February 3.

This is the first NMSU WAC Men's Basketball Player of the Week recipient since Wendell McKines did it last year during the week of February 27-March 4.

In the 86-72 victory over Texas State on Thursday, Sy posted his third double-double of the season scoring 24 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. This was also his first game without fellow senior forward Tyrone Watson, who was suspended indefinitely.

In the UTSA game, Sy scored 17 points to go with 7 rebounds en route to a 75-62 win.

Bandja Sy averaged 20.5 points and 10 rebounds for the week. He shot 73.9% (17-23) from the field and didn't miss a three-pointer going 2-2.

To see how Bandja's recent performance has NMSU on a 9-game winning streak, check out this blog entry:

http://nmstate.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-blog-effect.html

Follow me on Twitter: @JoeTheWigBoy

GO AGGIES!

The Blog Effect

Ok, so MAYBE I came down a little hard on New Mexico State senior forward Bandja Sy regarding his struggles from November 28's loss to UTEP to December 31's loss to Louisiana Tech on my blog.

To read that blog, follow this link: http://nmstate.blogspot.com/2013/01/whats-wrong-with-bandja.html

However, since I published that blog on January 1st, he has turned it up a little (sarcasm).

The Aggies haven't lost since that LaTech game on December 31 going 9-0.

In those 9 games, Bandja Sy has averaged 17.8 PPG including scoring outputs of 25, 24, and 23.

He has shot 63-105 from the field, good for 60%.

Including... 6-14 from behind the arc- 42.8%.

The more Bandja Sy cuts down on the three-point attempts, the better he does.

POWER OF THE BLOG (Wishful thinking by me)

Anyway, the Aggies have won 9 games in a row- mostly thanks to Sy's fantastic play.

He is going to have to keep playing at this pace with fellow senior forward Tyrone Watson suspended indefinitely.

(Photo Credit: Tim Barnet-Queen)

Bhullar's Career Night Lifts Aggies to Sweep

   San Antonio, TX- The New Mexico State Aggies (15-8, 9-2) capped off their road trip with a 75-62 victory over UT-San Antonio Saturday. This was the 9th consecutive victory for the Crimson and White, who haven't lost since the calender flipped to 2013.

Freshman center Sim Bhullar led the way for NMSU with 17 points and a career-high 18 rebounds to go along with his 5 blocks. Bandja Sy dropped in 17 and Renaldo Dixon joined them in double digits with 12.

Daniel Mullings scored 8 points with 5 boards. Remi Barry continues to slowly slide into the 'missing' small forward role scoring 8 points, after starter Tyrone Watson was suspended indefinitely by the team on Thursday.

Once again, only seven guys suited up for NMSU- de Rouen, Mullings, Sy, Dixon, Bhullar, Aronis, and Barry.

The Roadrunners (5-16, 1-10) were led by guard Michael Hale III with 20 points while the WAC's leading scorer Kannon Burrage had 18.

Multiple signs and chants were made by UTSA fans towards New Mexico State due to the Tyrone Watson incident including a sign that read: "New Mexico State Penitentiary" and a "Criminals" chant during Aggie free throws.

This was the ninth consecutive victory for NMSU- the longest for them since the Reggie Theus-led team in the 2006-2007 season pulled off 13 in a row.

JUST A SIDE NOTE: If you thought NMSU's attendance was bad- only 1,469 people attended the UTSA game on Saturday... Thats not a typo.

The Aggies return home on Thursday and Saturday to host WAC foes Idaho and Seattle.

Player of the Game: Sim Bhullar (17 pts, 18 reb, 5 blk)- Did I mention, on a bad foot? (;

Next Game: Thursday, February 7, vs Idaho (9-12, 5-6) at 7:00 MT

Follow me on Twitter: @JoeTheWigBoy

MBB: NMSU 53, DEN 42

   Las Cruces, NM- In front of 6,600+ in the Pan American Center and a national television audience, the New Mexico State Aggies (13-8, 7-2) defeated the Denver Pioneers (11-8, 7-2) by a score of 53-42 on Wednesday night.

The game was televised on ESPNU at a nine o'clock tip-off. Over 1,500 students attended and it definitely showed.

The Aggies are now on a 7-game winning streak and have not lost since the calender flipped to 2013. This is the longest winning streak since Reggie Theus and company notched a 13-gamer in the 2006-2007 season.

Due to K.C. Ross-Miller's hamstring injury he suffered last Saturday vs San Jose State, sophomore guard Terrel de Rouen made his first career start recording 4 points and 4 rebounds in 27 minutes.

The seniors' improved play has really sparked the Aggies. Bandja Sy had another near-double-double with 10 points and 8 rebounds; Tyrone Watson had a game-high 12 points and 6 rebounds. Sophomore Daniel Mullings is continuing to stuff the stat sheet with 11 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 steals. He did struggle shooting the ball however, going 3-12 from the field.

Only seven players saw court time for the Crimson and White: de Rouen, Mullings, Watson, Sy, Sim Bhullar, Kevin Aronis, and Renaldo Dixon.

Denver didn't have a single player in double figures as they were held to 16.7% shooting from behind the arc- where they get most of their points.

Player of the Game: Daniel Mullings (11 pts, 8 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl)

Next Game: Thursday, January 31, @ Texas State (6-14, 2-6) at 6:00 MST.

GO AGGIES!!!

Follow on Twitter: @JoeTheWigBoy

MBB: NMSU 64, Utah St 51

   Las Cruces, NM- This was THE BEST performance by the New Mexico State Aggies (11-8, 5-2) all season as they defeated the then first-place Utah State Aggies (14-2, 5-1) by a score of 64-51 Thursday night in the Pan American Center. NMSU led 23-18 at halftime and as many as 21 in the second half.

This was the 5th straight win for the Crimson and White as they improve to 5-0 in 2013. Utah State entered the game on a 13-game winning streak- tied with Kansas for longest in NCAA.

NMState was led by senior forward Bandja Sy who scored 16 points and pulled down 7 rebounds. Sophomore Daniel Mullings slashed and dashed for 12 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals. Tyrone Watson (12) and K.C. Ross-Miller (10) also scored in double-figures as well. It was a block party for 7'5'' Sim Bhullar as he recorded 5. Bhullar's younger brother Tanveer was in attendance.

Preseason WAC Player of the Year Preston Medlin had the biggest impact for Utah State with 14 points. Jarred Shaw posted 11. NMSU out rebounded USU 33-20 and shot 57.8% from the field. Both teams had 14 turnovers each.

This was the last game in the PanAm that these two teams will play as WAC rivals with Utah State heading to the Mountain West Conference next season. NMSU is 8-7 vs the UtAgs in WAC play since 2005... 6-2 in the PanAm!

I am going to miss this rivalry. Curse you conference realignment!

Props to the crowd tonight!

The Aggies return to action on Saturday vs. San Jose State, which is also Military Appreciation Night.

Player of the Game: NMSU Southside Student Section

Next Game: Saturday, January 19, vs. San Jose State at 7:00 MT.

GO AGGIES!

Photo Credit: Robin Zielinski (LC Sun-News)

MBB: NMSU 83, SEA 82 (2OT)

   Seattle, WSH- Oh my gosh. What a game! New Mexico State (9-8, 3-2) defeated Seattle (5-9, 0-4) 83-82 in a double overtime contest at the KeyArena. It wasn't the prettiest win... But we will take it.
This was the first multiple overtime game for the Aggies since the dreadful 3-OT loss to the Boise State Broncos in the 2008 WAC Championship.

With seven seconds remaining in regulation, senior Bandja Sy nailed a three-pointer to send the game into overtime. Ahead by six points with 42 seconds left, the Aggies felt a win. But after committing three turnovers and three consecutive possessions, the game went on to a second overtime. K.C. Ross-Miller iced the 83-82 win making three free throws in the final 35 seconds- his only points of the contest.

This was the night the seniors finally showed their leadership. Tyrone Watson had a career night scoring 26 points (career high), 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 7 steals (career high as well) while Bandja Sy dropped in 23 points with 9 boards.

Sophomore Daniel Mullings had 19 points, 7 rebounds, and along with Watson, a career-high 7 steals. Sim Bhullar grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds in the game.

Turnovers were the story of this game. NMSU had 18 while Seattle committed 25.

Random little stat: Sophomore Daniel Mullings has 94 career steals in 53 games. Aggie legend Hernst Laroche only had 90 through his first 66.

Player of the Game: Tyrone Watson (26 pts, 6 reb, 5 ast, 7 stl)

Next Game: Saturday, January 12, @ Idaho (6-8, 2-2) at 8:00 MT

Follow on Twitter: @JoeTheWigBoy

Aron-ICE.

Junior guard Kevin Aronis had a game. He came off the bench on December 19 vs the #16 ranked New Mexico Lobos and made four clutch 3-pointers, his only 12 points, to keep the Aggies in the game. 

That was supposed to be his breakout game.

The game where he proved to be the next cold-blooded three-point shooter.

Instead, it was just the last time he has made a field goal and recorded a point.

12/19 vs. UNM:   9 min, 12 points, 4-5 3-pt.

12/22 vs. MSU:  12 min,   0 points, 0-3 3-pt.

12/29 @  UTA:    8 min,   0 points, 0-2 3-pt. 

12/31 @  LT:        4 min,   0 points, 0-1 3-pt.

1/3     vs. UTSA:  9 min,   0 points, 0-0 3-pt.

1/5     vs. TSU:     2 min,    0 points, 0-2 3-pt.

I would love to see him play more minutes... which would probably give him more confidence. 

He is 12-33 on 3-pointers this season (36.4%) and averages 2.8 points per game.

The last time I blogged about a players struggles, was my blog about Bandja Sy's struggles. He has turned it around and is averaging 12.5 points per game since the article was published.

Good luck to Kevin Aronis and may he have an excellent career! 

 

  

MBB: NMSU 78, TexSt 67

   Las Cruces, NM- It wasn't the prettiest win, but I'm sure Marvin Menzies and his New Mexico State team will take it. The Aggies (8-8, 2-2) got by the last place Texas State Bobcats (4-12, 0-4) 78-67 Saturday night at the Pan Am Center.

NM State got out to a 12-2 lead at the under 16 minute time out, but the Bobcats came back to make the score a 37-37 tie at halftime.

For the second straight game, the Aggies got off to a great second half start and used it to propel themselves to victory. Joel Wright led Texas State with 17 points and 7 rebounds while teammate Deonte' Jones added 15. The Aggies shot 15-17 from the free-throw line, 88.2%.

Sophomore guard Daniel Mullings played terrific filling the stat sheet once again with 22 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals. Senior Bandja Sy followed his career night with a double-double, 16 points and 10 boards. Terrel de Rouen provided a spark off the bench with 8 points including a couple of back-to-back 3-pointers in the first half. Sim Bhullar had a perfect night scoring 20 points on 9-9 shooting.

New Mexico State will now go on a two-game road traveling to Seattle (5-8, 0-3) and Idaho (6-7, 2-1).

Player of the Game: Daniel Mullings (22 pts, 7 reb, 5 ast, 3 stl)

Next Game: Thursday, January 10, @ Seattle (5-8, 0-3) at 8:00 MT.

Follow on Twitter: @JoeTheWigBoy

Parker Hipp is Pre-Season All-American

   Las Cruces, NM- Senior shortstop Parker Hipp has been named to the 2013 Louisville Slugger Preseason All-American team. He is a third team selection.

Hipp hit .349 with 17 doubles and scored 51 runs. He led the Aggies with a .488 on base percentage as he helped lead them to a share of the WAC title and ultimately an NCAA Tournament bid. He will be converting from the teams second baseman to shortstop.

The New Mexico State baseball team gets started with the Alumni Game on Saturday, February 9, at 2:00 MT at Presley Askew Field.



Parker Hipp lays out and snatches a ball for an out in the NCAA Tournament last season.

MBB: NMSU 82, UTSA 62

   Las Cruces, NM- A convincing win. A great win. A HUGE win. This was by far the most impressive victory of the season for the New Mexico State Aggies (7-8, 1-2) as they defeated the UT-San Antonio Roadrunners (4-9, 0-3) 82-62. This was the first conference win for the Aggies. Senior Bandja Sy finally broke out of his long slump exploding for 25 points on 9-12 shooting.

NM State shot 68.6 from the field (35-51), which is a new school record. The previous record was 66.2, which stood for 39 years. The Aggies also recorded 11 blocks, which was one shy of tying the school record of 12. They also out rebounded UTSA 35-17.

Sy also recorded 8 rebounds on the night. Sim Bhullar added 15 points on 7-8 shooting. Sophomore Daniel Mullings completely stuffed the stat sheet with 14 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals, and 1 block. The Roadrunners were led by their dynamic back court of Michael Hale III and Kannon Burrage as they each dropped 14 points.

NMSU led 38-32 at half before running away with it. The game was 80-50 with 4:41 left before coach Marvin Menzies emptied his bench.

This win by New Mexico State puts them right back into the WAC, and will serve as a huge confidence builder.

Player of the Game: Bandja Sy (25 pts, 8 reb)

Next Game: Saturday, January 5, vs. Texas State (4-11, 0-3) at 7:00 MT

MBB: LaTech 81, NMSU 72

   Ruston, LA- I'm sure starting conference play 0-2 is not what New Mexico State had in mind. They opened up WAC play on a two game road trip on Saturday getting blown out by a pretty weak UT-Arlington 68-47. On Monday, they traveled to Ruston to take on the red-hot Louisiana Tech Bulldogs. This one was closer as NMSU was within 3 points with about 9 minutes left, but the Bulldogs just pulled away from there to secure an 81-72 victory.

The Bulldogs (11-3, 2-0) earned their second conference win while the Aggies (6-8, 0-2) continue to struggle.

LaTech was led by freshman guard Alex Hamilton who came off the bench to score 20 points and went 10-10 from the free throw line. Senior Brandon Gibson added 15 and Michale Kyser tallied 5 blocks.

The Aggies were once again led by sophomore guard Daniel Mullings who led all scorers with 21 points to go along with his 5 rebounds. Senior Tyrone Watson had 14 points on 10-14 shooting from the free throw line.

I was very please to see Renaldo Dixon get 19 minutes. He had 9 points and 6 rebounds on 4-6 shooting. Sophomore Terrel de Rouen continues to make a push to become the starting point guard for the Aggies as he scored a career-high 10 points.

New Mexico State held All-WAC performer Raheem Appleby to 8 points on 4-15 shooting. (YES!)

They also shot 24-54 from the field (44%)- not bad... BUT, shot 1-12 from behind the arc.

The Aggies will look to rebound and could easily get back to .500 in the WAC as they will host fellow cellar dwellers UT-San Antonio (4-8, 0-2) and Texas State (4-10, 0-2) on Thursday and Saturday.
These are MUST, MUST WINS.

Player of the Game: Daniel Mullings (21 pts, 5 reb)

Next Game: Thursday, January 3, vs. UT-San Antonio (4-8, 0-2) at 7:00 MT

Follow on Twitter: @JoeTheWigBoy

MBB: UTA 68, NMSU 47

   Arlington, TX- This is not the way coach Marvin Menzies wanted the beginning of WAC play to begin for his New Mexico State Aggies. The defending WAC champs came into Arlington to face off against UT-Arlington, who were making their WAC debut after spending a whopping 47 years in the Southland conference. It was definitely a debut for the Mavericks as they completely blew out New Mexico State by a score of 68-47. The Aggies only led once in the entire game and that was 3-0 after Daniel Mullings opened up the scoring with a 3-pointer. It was all UTA after that as they took a 37-24 lead into the half. The Aggies were within 10 at one point in the second half, but the Mavericks went on an 8-1 run officially putting the game out of reach. Senior forward Kevin Butler scored a team-high 18 points.

Sophomore Daniel Mullings led the way for NMSU with 21 points on 7-9 shooting and freshman Sim Bhullar put together another good night scoring 14 points to go along with 6 rebounds and a career-high 5 blocks. Those two combined for 35 of the Aggies' 47 points. That is ridiculous. The ten other players that took the court for NMSU had 12. The 'struggling seniors' continued to struggle as Bandja Sy had only 2 points on 1-6 shooting, but managed to bring down 7 rebounds and Tyrone Watson had a 4-6-4 night (not bad) on 1-7 shooting. The Aggies as a team shot 17-51 from the floor (33.3%), 2-18 from 3-point range (11.1%), and 11-23 (47.8%) at the ever-deflating free throw line.

This was the first time that New Mexico State has lost a conference opening game going all the way back to the 2004-2005 season when they were members of the Sun Belt Conference. That season, the Aggies finished 6-24.

They have one day to regroup before departing for Ruston, Louisiana to face off with the red-hot Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (10-3, 1-0) who are coming off a 68-60 win over Denver in their conference opener. NMSU is 11-3 all-time against LaTech in conference play- (7-0 at the PanAm Center; 4-3 in Ruston). That is a must-win for NMSU.

Player of the Game: Sim Bhullar (14 pts, 6 reb, 5 blk)

NEXT GAME: Monday, December 31, @ Louisiana Tech (10-3, 1-0) at 6:00 MT

2012-2013 WAC Preview

Hello basketball fans! Conference play in finally upon us! Last year, the Western Athletic Conference was mainly a two-team race- New Mexico State vs. Nevada. The Wolfpack went on to win the regular season title, while the Aggies won the WAC Tournament and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. How about this season? It should be an interesting year.

First off, lets begin with my All-WAC Accolades:

Player of the Year: Raheem Appleby (LaTech)
Coach of the Year: Marvin Menzies (NMSU)

All-WAC First Team
G Raheem Appleby (LT)
G Preston Medlin (USU)
G Daniel Mullings (NMSU)
F Chris Udofia (DEN)
C Kyle Barone (ID)

All-WAC Second Team
G Michael Hale III (UTSA)
G James Kinney (SJSU)
F Jordan Reves (UTSA)
F Royce O'Neale (DEN)
F Jarred Shaw (USU)

I believe that there will be a 3-team race for the WAC title between NMSU, Utah State, and Louisiana Tech. There is a lot of inexperience in the conference this season, and these teams seem more comfortable. Here is a look at my projected standings:

      WAC Projections

1. Louisiana Tech         16-2

- LaTech is coming off a cinderella story season last year making it all the way to the WAC Tournament championship, losing to NMSU. They finished 18-16 last year (6-8 in WAC) under 1st-year coach Michael White. They also were paced by WAC Freshman of the Year Raheem Appleby who averaged 13.9 ppg, who I expect to be the WAC Player of the Year. The media and coaches are not too high on the Bulldogs this season, but I believe they will be really good this season... I am HUGE on LaTech this year. Watch out!

Player to Watch: Raheem Appleby, So., G

1. New Mexico State    15-3

- NMSU is coming off a 2012 campaign in which they won the WAC Tournament and posted a 26-10 record (10-4 in WAC play). The Aggies have a lot of experience returning and also welcome a handful of newcomers. NMSU has been very consistent in the WAC and don't be surprised if they completely run the table this season. Look for senior forward Tyrone Watson to break out during conference play and sophomore guard Daniel Mullings to make a run at the Player of the Year Award. If NMSU can utilize their bench as well as LaTech this season, they will finish first.

Player to Watch: Daniel Mullings, So., G

3. Utah State                 13-5

- The Utah State Aggies are coming of by far their worst season as members of the WAC finishing in fourth place with a 21-16 record (8-6 in WAC). They look to change that this season. The Aggies are off to a superb 9-1 record in non-conference play, but pretty much all against Division-II talent. They lost four-year starter Brockeith Pane to graduation last season and will rely on All-WAC performer Preston Medlin to take over as leader. Oh yeah, they also are coached by Stew Morrill, who has 354 wins at USU. He won't let them fail.

Player to Watch: Preston Medlin, Jr., G

4. Idaho                         10-8

- Many people forget that Idaho finished third in the WAC standings last season due to their first round exit in the WAC Tournament by way of Hawaii. The Vandals return this season led by All-WAC senior center Kyle Barone and junior forward Stephen Madison, both who average 15.9 ppg each through the team's first 10 games in 2012. Besides those two however, they do not really have any other weapons. Look for them to win 10 games this season in WAC play.

Player to Watch: Kyle Barone, Sr., C

5. Denver                        9-9
- Welcome to the WAC, Denver. The Pioneers come from the Sun Belt conference as did NMSU in 2005, and finished with a record of 22-9. This team will definitely be the most talented of the four newcomers this season. Junior forward Chris Udofia averaged 14.5 ppg last season and will try to do the same kind of damage to the WAC. Sophomore forward Royce O'Neale accompanies Udofia to form one of the conference's most dangerous frontcourts in the conference.

Player to Watch: Chris Udofia, Jr., F

6. UT-San Antonio         7-11
- The University of Texas at San Antonio Roadrunners- not very intimidating. Don't tell that to senior guard Michael Hale III who is off to a great start averaging 16.9 ppg this season. Look for him to be a force for the Roadrunners along with fellow senior guard Kannon Burrage who is dropping 18.6 a game. They have not played a challenging schedule though, so look for the WAC to be a step up for them.

Player to Watch: Michael Hale III, Sr., G

7. San Jose State             6-12
- A lack of a supporting cast for All-WAC performer James Kinney will lead to San Jose State tying for seventh place in the WAC standings. Kinney, a senior, leads the WAC in scoring with 22.6 ppg. They are not a deep team and that will cost them- however junior forward Chris Cunningham is a double-double machine and will provide some assistance to Kinney.

Player to Watch: James Kinney, Sr., G

7. UT-Arlington              6-12
- This may be a little low for the UT-Arlington Mavericks, who could easily be a sleeper in the WAC this season and climb into the top-5. Senior forward Jordan Reeves averages a double-double and unlike SJSU, the Mavericks are a deep team. They have seven players who average at least 5.5 ppg. They are also 18th in the nation in rebounding. Watch out for them

Player to Watch: Jordan Reeves, Sr., F

9. Seattle                          4-14
- The Redhawks come into the season as a cellar-dweller. Junior forward Clarence Trent and freshman Deshaun Sunderhaus each average 10 points and 7 rebounds a game... which may be why they are EIGHTH in the nation in rebounding... Yes, eighth.

Player to Watch: Clarence Trent, Jr., F

10. Texas State                3-15
- Last but not least, we have Texas State. The Bobcats are going to be overlooked a lot, and that may be just what they want. Senior forward Matt Staff and junior forward Joel Wright each average 15.8 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. Those numbers are against however, teams by the likes of Fordham, UC-Riverside, and Division III Texas-Tyler. Yeah, don't really count on them to have a huge impact on the WAC this season.

Player to Watch: Matt Staff, Sr., F

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#PackThePanAm...Wait, What?

The Pan American Center is and has been known as one of the most hostile environments to play in as an opposing player. Lots of shouting, chanting, and energy fill up the arena. So, the more people that show up in attendance, the better the atmosphere will be? The better chance that the home team will win the game? Not for the New Mexico State Aggies. It seems that whenever NMSU plays in front of a large crowd, they cannot win. How does this make sense? Here you go...

2010-2011: 12-5 in the PanAm - Troy Gillenwater vs. the WAC.

2011-2012: 14-3 in the PanAm - Wen, Hernst, & Hom led NMState to glory.

2012-2013: 15-1 in the PanAm - Scrappy bunch came together.
2013-2014: 14-1 in the PanAm - Establishing a dynasty.

2010-2014: 55-10 in the PanAm - .846 winning percentage at the PanAm in the last 4 seasons.

Ironically, the Aggies play better in the PanAm Center in front of smaller crowds. The smaller the crowd, the better they are. The home records indicate it. Look at these numbers below:

2010-2011: 5,859 AVG Attendance (17 games): .705 winning %

2011-2012: 5,572 AVG Attendance (17 games): .823 winning %

2012-2013: 6,199 AVG Attendance (16 games): .937 winning %
2013-2014: 5,948 AVG Attendance (15 games): .933 winning %

In the past 4 seasons, NMSU is 12-8 in games with an attendance of 6,190 or higher. 

The only times that NMSU has lost without having 6,000+ in attendance was in 2010 when they were blown out by Saint Mary's, and later that season when they were defeated by Northern Colorado by 2 points.

Results from the past 4 seasons:

Atten.           Date            Opponent

10,792      02-23-13      vs. UTEP
10,019      11-15-13      vs. UTEP
9,184       12-4-13         vs. UNM
8,488       11-30-10       vs. UTEP                         RED = loss

8,361       12-28-11       vs. UNM                          BLACK = win

8,177       12-19-12       vs. UNM

8,205       12-04-10       vs. UNM

7,966       11-29-11       vs. Arizona
7,119       01-17-13       vs. Utah State

6,967       11-19-11       vs. UTEP
6,941       03-07-13       vs. Louisiana Tech
6,849       03-09-13       vs. UT-Arlington
6,644       01-19-13       vs. San Jose State

6,602       03-02-11       vs. Utah State
6,547       03-06-14       vs. Grand Canyon
6,434       01-25-14       vs. Texas-Pan American
6,394       01-23-13       vs. Denver
6,297       02-01-14       vs. Utah Valley
6,219       02-09-13       vs. Seattle

6,192       01-26-12       vs. Nevada

6,177       03-05-11       vs. Nevada

6,049       02-25-12       vs. San Jose State
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5,798       12-13-10       vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff

5,721       01-29-11       vs. Idaho

5,681       12-23-10       vs. Saint Mary’s
5,675       02-07-13       vs. Idaho

5,622       01-27-11       vs. Boise State
5,591       02-15-14       vs. Chicago State

5,581       01-15-11       vs. San Jose State

5,547       01-08-11       vs. Fresno State

5,522       01-13-11       vs. Hawaii

5,488       12-18-10       vs. Pacific
5,444       11-20-13       vs. Northern Colorado

5,331       01-28-12       vs. Fresno State

5,306       01-14-12       vs. Idaho

5,291       11-23-12       vs. UL-Lafayette

5,244        02-19-11       vs. Northern Colorado

5,223       02-23-12       vs. Hawaii

5,214       01-12-12       vs. Utah State

5,206       12-01-12       vs. Southern Miss

5,119       02-18-12       vs. Drake
5,111       01-11-14       vs. Idaho 
5,111       02-13-14       vs. UMKC
5,108       01-30-14       vs. CS Bakersfield 

5,107       11-15-12       vs. SE Louisiana

5,084       02-07-11       vs. Louisiana Tech

5,049       02-01-12       vs. CS Bakersfield

5,011       12-21-10       vs. UL-Lafayette

5,010       02-04-12       vs. Louisiana Tech
5,007       01-09-14       vs. Seattle

5,004       11-15-10       vs. Western NM
4,985       11-25-13       vs. Bethune-Cookman
4,951       01-05-13       vs. Texas State
4,888       12-21-13       vs. Northern NM

4,877       12-22-12       vs. Missouri State

4,844       12-21-11       vs. McNeese State

4,837       12-16-10       vs. Panhandle State
4,804       11-27-13       vs. Prairie View A&M
4,694       12-28-13       vs. South Alabama

4,671       12-14-11       vs. Western NM
4,617       01-03-13       vs. UT-San Antonio

4,616       11-21-12       vs. Northern NM

4,554       12-19-11       vs. Southern

4,469       02-14-12       vs. Northern NM

4,409       12-31-11       vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff

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