Everyone in the Western Athletic Conference talked about how scary New Mexico State could be with its size and athletic ability. The Aggies affirmed those fears Saturday night in the WAC Tournament championship game.
Tournament MVP Wendell McKines scored 27 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to lead the Aggies to an 82-57 rout of Louisiana Tech to win the tourney title and earn an NCAA Tournament bid. NMSU (26-9) is going to the Big Dance for the second time in the last three years.
"Just really happy for the guys. It's kind of surreal; it hasn't hit me yet," Aggies coach Marvin Menzies said. "It was a phenomenal defensive effort by the guys, a phenomenal scouting report by our coaches in a short turnaround. It was the perfect storm for us tonight."
The Aggies started the game on an 8-0 run and led 19-6 midway through the first half. The start was reminiscent of their 22-2 start against Hawaii a night earlier. But while the Warriors methodically fought back and got as close as five points in the second half, NMSU didn't let up against the Bulldogs, leading by as many as31 points.
NMSU held a Louisiana Tech team that hit its first eight 3-pointers in its win over Nevada a night earlier to 0-of-10 shooting from long range in the first half Saturday night. The Aggies smothered the Bulldogs' shooters, forcing Tech to shot just 32.8 percent from the floor (20 of 61). Meanwhile, NMSU shot 55.9 percent from the field (33 of 59) and outrebounded the smaller Bulldogs 46-27.
New Mexico State put a scare into Michigan State in the first round of the 2010 NCAA Tournament, and the Spartans went on to the Final Four that season. On Selection Sunday, the Aggies don't have to worry about hearing their named called; what they can rub their good-luck charms about is a potential trip up the road to Albuquerque, N.M., which is host of second- and third-round games.
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NCAAB Team Report - New Mexico St. - NOTES, QUOTES
--Aside from senior F Wendell McKines getting All-WAC first-team recognition, the Aggies were represented by senior G Hernst Laroche on the second team and senior C Hamidu Rahman as an honorable-mention selection. Freshman G Daniel Mullings was selected to the All-Newcomer team.
BY THE NUMBERS: 18-1 -- New Mexico State's record in games decided by 11 points or more.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "There were a lot of ups and downs to the season and a lot of different situations that created that but I tell the kids all the time that every season is like a lifetime." -- New Mexico State coach Marvin Menzies as quoted by the Las Cruces Sun-News.
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NCAAB Team Report - New Mexico St. - STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
THIS WEEK'S GAMES:
--Awaiting NCAA seed.
STAR POWER: When coach Reggie Theus left New Mexico State after the 2007 season, Aggies fans were worried they couldn't get back to the success that Theus had attained. But coach Marvin Menzies has guided NMSU to tournament appearances in two of the last three years and could be starting to build a power in Las Cruces.
"Bottom line is: I love Las Cruces," Menzies said. "I love New Mexico State, and I hope I can stay for a long, long time. You think they'll keep me around as long as I keep winning, right?"
The Aggies will have some rebuilding to do next season without Wendell McKines, Hernst Laroche and Hamidu Rahman, but Menzies has earned the time to rebuild.
FUTURES MARKET: Menzies' comments are published in a column format for the Las Cruces News-Sun. In his recent column, Menzies touches on two future Aggies. "I do not like touching on next season before this season has completed, but our fans should be very excited to know that we have two high-level talents sitting out this year that will become household names during next season's run to March," the column reads. "K.C. Ross-Miller, a point guard, who formerly committed to Kentucky, will be ready to coach the squad on the floor next year along with top-100 recruit Sim Bhullar, a 7-foot-5 center, who is redshirting this season. These two players will make a lot of noise in this town as well as nationally."
PLAYER NOTES
--If Wendell McKines plays in the NCAA Tournament like he did in the WAC tournament title game, watch out. He was relentless on the boards, securing five offensive rebounds, and he shot 3 of 4 from beyond the 3-point arc. The Aggies sometimes struggle on offense when they start to improvise and play one-on-one, but when McKines is in the rhythm he was in, the Aggies are a lot sharper in passing the ball and running the offense because his teammates feed off his play.
--Junior Tyrone Watson is another Aggie who has a lot of experience that will help the team in the postseason. He redshirted his first year at NMSU and has steadily improved each year. He had 12 points and seven rebounds Saturday night, and was active on defense to keep Louisiana Tech's long-range shooters from getting any kind of rhythm. Watson is one of those players who must use his effort to get points because he doesn't get a lot of set plays drawn up for him. The Aggies will need him to continue to play steady if they want to make any kind of postseason run.
--Guard Daniel Mullings had another strong performance against Hawaii. The freshman chipped in 12 points, 10 rebounds and four assists in 37 minutes against the Warriors. That comes on the heels of his triple-double last month in the 115-73 win over Hawaii (28 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds). His ability to penetrate and attack the rim will force the defense to collapse, opening the floor for his teammates. And when he is active on the glass, he can get the Aggies' transition game going. That's when NMSU is most dangerous.
--Backup past Tshilidzi Nephawe gives the Aggies valuable insurance for up-and-down starter Hamidu Rahman. Rahman struggled against Hawaii's Vander Joaquim and played only 14 minutes. Nephawe, however, picked up the slack on the interior, shooting 6-of-8 from the floor and scoring 15 points. He also had eight rebounds, including a couple of key boards to give the Aggies second-chance baskets when the Warriors were making their second-half run. NMSU needs an interior presence to open up the floor as well. "If we don't have two guys to bang on Vander, it might've been a different story," New Mexico State coach Marvin Menzies said of Friday night's game.
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