MEDIA COVERAGE: Wednesday’s game can be heard live on the Aggie Sports Network and over the Las Cruces radio airwaves on KSNM, 98.7 with NM State Hall of Famer Jack Nixon on the call.
The game will also be televised on AggieVision with Adam Young (play-by-play) and Rus Bradburd (analyst).
ICYMI @NMStateAggies fans -- Our telecast of the gm v @UCIrvine next Sat will be on @FSSouthwest, @FOXSports Pacific, @FOXSPORTSAZ+ & @ESPN3
— Adam Young (@youngpbp) December 26, 2014
SOCIAL MEDIA: Get all the updates of Aggie Athletics on Twitter and Facebook. Get in-game statistics and in-game updates on Twitter @NMStateAggies. Find out about all Aggie Athletics promotions and events on Facebook (NM State Aggies and The Aggie Student-Athlete). Also, new this season, follow us on Instagram at NMStateAggies for photos from all the Aggie athletics.
WHAT WILL THEY DO NEXT: NM State’s unique marketing series, “What Will They Do Next” has got folks wondering what they might see at an Aggie Basketball game. So far this season, NM State has presented Pie Night complete with a pie eating contest, The Zooperstars, a mascot basketball game, given away 10 42-inch HD televisions, 5,000 trading cards and one live turkey. “What Will They Do Next?” The only way one can find out is to be in attendance at the Pan American Center! Call 575-646-1420 for tickets.
ABOUT THE AGGIES: The Aggies win over Texas Southern was the first time this season NM State won when trailing at the half and was the victory in a game decided by five-points or less this season.
The Aggies loss to Colorado State marked the first time since the 2011-12 season that NM State has lost more than one game at the Pan American Center in a season. That season the Aggies lost three games at home (Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada). NM State had its 14-game home court winning streak at the Pan American Center snapped by New Mexico on Dec. 20, still the Aggies sport a 35-4 record at the Pan Am since the start of the 2012-13 season.
The Aggies’ 14-game home court winning streak was the second longest, dating back to the 11-12 season. The longest is 15-games, with the 14-game and an 11-game streak.
In the last 46 contests played by NM State at the Pan Am, the Aggies are 42-4.
The Aggies have lost four players to significant injuries this season, including two starters (Daniel Mullings and Tshilidzi Nephawe) and two newcomers expected to make strong contributions (Tanveer Bhullar and Anthony January).
NM State has dropped all seven of its road games this season, with five of those teams either ranked or receiving votes in the AP and/or USA Today polls.
NM State is averaging 15.0 turnovers a game this season, and has turned the ball over 20 times in three games (Wichita State, Stetson, New Mexico).
NM State held Florida A&M to 33 points on Nov. 26, the fewest points scored at the Pan American Center and the fewest points scored against the Aggies since March 1952.
The Aggies are averaging 72.4 points a game at the Pan American Center this season, while giving up just 56.0 points. On the road, NM State is averaging 65.9 points, while allowing 74.7 points a contest.
NM State looks to complete the rare four-peat in 2014-15, as the Aggies have won the WAC Tournament title and participated in the NCAA Tournament three years in a row.
Senior Remi Barry is leading the active Aggies in scoring. Barry is averaging 13.4 points a game (eighth in the WAC) after scoring double-digits in 12 of this season’s 15 games. He is seventh in the WAC in field goal percentage, shooting 48.5 percent from the floor. He leads the WAC in 3-point field goal percentage at 57.1 percent.
Redshirt freshman Pascal Siakam grabbed his second double-double against Colorado State (13 pts/13 rbs). In 15 games, Siakam is averaging 12.5 points and is second on the team with 7.1 rebounds (tops for active players). He leads the WAC in blocked shots with 2.1 per game (55th nationally), is second in WAC in field goal percentage, .551, and ranks fifth in the league in board work. He has six games of three or more blocked shots.
Of the 15 players on the NM State roster, nine are from countries other than the United States. Five players are from Toronto, Canada, with two from France, one from Cameroon and one from South Africa.
MENZIES MOVING UP: Head coach Marvin Menzies took sole possession of the number three spot on the New Mexico State all-time coaches wins list with the trimuph over Texas Southern. In his eighth season at NM State, Menzies has a 158-97 record, passing Jerry Hines (1929-40, 1946-47) who posted 157 wins in 12 seasons. Hall of Famer Lou Henson (1966-75, 1997-2005) holds the NM State record with 289 wins on the Aggie bench (289-152, 16 years), while Neil McCarthy (1985-97) has 229 victories (229-114, 12 years). Menzies was named one of Forbes’ top 25 college coaches for the money in November.
LOOKING BACK: The Aggies got a driving layup from Ian Baker with 2.2 seconds to play as NM State edged Texas Southern 54-52 Tuesday night at the Pan American Center.
NM State trailed by eight points, 33-25, at the half. But keyed by Baker’s seven points to start the second stanza, the Aggies went on an 11-4 run to get back in the game. Baker got a layup with 7:21 to play to give NM State its first second half lead before the game pendulum swung back and fourth prior to the game-winner..
Pascal Siakam notched a career-high 21 points with eight rebounds, while Baker posted 11 points, all in the second half. Jalyn Pennie pulled down nine rebounds for the Aggies to lead all boardmen.
The Aggies turned the ball over only nine times in the contest.
ABOUT THE ANTEATERS: UC Irvine (7-6) won the Las Vegas Holiday Hoops Classic and are receiving votes in the Mid-Major Top 25. The Anteaters lost 69-67 in overtime at Oregon on Monday, before beating Hampden-Sydney 82-53 on Wednesday. UC Irvine was paced by center Mamadou Ndiaye (7-6, So., Dakar, Senegal) who was averaging 12.0 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game when he injured his foot after five games. He could be back against the Aggies. Guard Luke Nelson (6-3, So., Worthing, England) averages 11.1 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.1 steals. Guard Alex Young (6-1, Jr., Phoenix, Ore.) adds 11.0 points with 3.5 boards, 3.9 assists and 1.8 steals. Forward Will Davis II (6-8, Sr., Sacramento, Calif.) chalks up 9.9 points with 5.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists. The Anteaters are scoring 68.8 points an outing, while allowing 62.1 per game.
LOOKING AHEAD: The Aggies continue their longest homestand of the season on Monday when New Mexico Highlands visits the Pan Am Center.
The Cowboys (1-8, 1-5 RMAC) have been idle since falling to Colorado State-Pueblo 89-68 on Dec. 20. NMHU visits Metro State on Friday and Regis on Saturday in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play before coming to Las Cruces. NMHU is paced by guard Kendrick Nichols (6-3, Jr., Chicago, Ill.) who is averaging 17.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. Guard Jonathon Mines (6-4, Jr., Brisbane, Australia) averages 16.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.3 steals. Guard Ricky Norris (6-2, So., Chicago, Ill.) has notched 13.0 points in the last three games. The Cowboys are scoring 68.7 points an outing, while allowing 83.7 per game.
THE M*A*S*H UNIT: NM State has had a rough time with injuries at the start of this season. The Aggies suffered several injuries during preseason practice with ankle injuries to both Tanveer Bhullar and Anthony January that have cost both the start of the season. January is out for the season and will apply for a medical redshirt. Bhullar had to be casted and is expected to be out at least until the start of conference play. Second team Preseason All-WAC forward Tshilidzi Nephawe suffered a foot injury during the preseason, but was able to come back to start the first six games. But his foot was not healing properly, so he was shut down at Thanksgiving with a January target to return. Then in practice following the first the New Mexico game, WAC Player of the Year Daniel Mullings broke his finger severely enough to have surgery. Mullings is expected to be out until at least early February.
TOUGH TO SCORE AGAINST: New Mexico State held Florida A&M to just 33 points in their game on Nov. 26, 2014. It marked the fewest points allowed by the Aggies since March 4, 1952 when NM State beat Eastern New Mexico 34-27 in the NAIB Tournament.
The Aggies also held Northern New Mexico to only 39 points on Dec. 22, 2014.
The games are just the seventh and eighth times since 1950 that NM State has allowed an opponent less than 40 points in a game.
AGAINST NATIONALLY RANKED COMPETITION: New Mexico State is 1-18 against teams ranked in either the AP or USA Today Top 25 since the 2006-07 season. The Aggies last win against a nationally ranked team was on Jan. 20, 2007, when they defeated No. 13/15 Nevada 80-73 at the Pan American Center. NM State has lost the last 18 contests against teams nationally ranked since then. Coach Marvin Menzies’ Aggies are 0-16 against nationally ranked squads.