New Mexico State may be the best college basketball team that you've never heard of. 

But you will...

 

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There is a reason that NMSU may not be on your college hoops radar.  The program has fallen on hard times in recent years.  The Aggies haven't been to an NCAA tournament since 1999, and things really hit rock bottom when they posted a 6-24 record in the 2004-05 season.

 

That's when Reggie Theus came to town.

 

Coach Theus brought instant credibility to a troubled program.  He got to work immediately with aggressive recruiting, and put together a talented group.  Theus led NMSU to one of the best turnarounds in college basketball history in just his first season as the head coach - finishing with 16 wins.  With a few more transfers on the way, things were looking good for the Aggies in 2006.

 

However, the start of this season didn't go according to plan.  The first bit of adversity struck when forward Tyrone Nelson went down with a hand injury before the season began.  Nelson was the most productive player on the team last year, leading the way with 17 points and 8 rebounds per game.

 

Without their best player, the Aggies struggled early on.  In November, they amassed 3 consecutive road losses...including a defeat at the hands of their intrastate rival - the New Mexico Lobos.

 

Even with Tyrone Nelson's return still a couple of weeks away, NMSU bounced back in December.  6'7" forward Justin Hawkins (a transfer from Utah) came up big for the Aggies as they went on a winning streak.  They won every game that month, which included avenging an earlier loss with a convincing 103-72 victory over New Mexico.

 

What Might Have Been

Though a 15-4 record is nothing to scoff at, NMSU could be sitting pretty if it wasn't for bad fortune.  Here is a look at each of the 4 losses:

 

November 17 @ Loyola Marymount, 69-71

In just their second game of the season, a new cast of players had yet to gel.  Loyola Marymount went on a 15-0 run in the second half to take the lead, but NMSU countered and took a 1-point edge with only 14 seconds remaining.  Brandon Worthy of the Lions hit an unlikely buzzer-beater to win the game and gave the Aggies their first loss of the season.

 

November 19 @ Arizona, 87-102

Just 2 days after a disappointing loss, the Aggies had the unenviable task of playing the Wildcats in Tucson.  This was an inopportune time to take on a top 25 team, especially with Tyrone Nelson still on the sidelines nursing a hand injury.

 

NMSU trailed most of the game, but cut the margin to five points with only 4 minutes left in the game.  Arizona ended the game with a run, and defeated the Aggies 102-87.

 

November 28 @ New Mexico, 76-79

"The Pit" in Albuquerque is one of the most difficult venues for road teams in all of college basketball - evident by a less than 20% success rate (historically) for traveling opponents.  A determined Lobo team controlled most of this game, but the Aggies would respond once again to make it close.  A putrid 12-for-28 performance at the free-throw line gave the Aggies their 3rd consecutive loss.

 

January 17 @ Louisiana Tech, 71-73

Riding a 13-game winning streak, the Aggies notched their first conference loss to an unlikely opponent.  A less-than-stellar Louisiana Tech team took NMSU into overtime, and won by a narrow 2 point margin.  Tech senior Trey McDowell poured in a career-high 33 points.

 

On the Bright Side

The Louisiana Tech loss left NMSU with little margin for error in their remaining conference schedule.  Their toughest test of the season came when they hosted 15th ranked Nevada in a key WAC match-up.  NMSU would pass their first test with flying colors, as they held off Nick Fazekas and the Wolfpack for an 80-73 win.  Once again, Justin Hawkins led the way for the Aggies with a career-high 29 points.

 

Bubble Busters

It may be a little early, but here is my case for a ticket to the NCAA tournament.

 

- NMSU is still undefeated at home.  And fortunately, the WAC tournament will be played in their backyard.  That advantage should be enough to carry them to the championship game, and possibly a conference title.

 

- This is a team that could easily have a 17-2 record.  Not many teams can stay afloat when one of their star players is out for over a month of the season.

 

- The WAC is an underrated conference.  Nevada is a legitimate top 25 team, and has one of the nation's best players in Nick Fazekas.  Don't forget about Utah State, another participant in last year's NCAA tournament.

 

- NMSU deserves some credit for scheduling some difficult early season games.  Most mid-major teams shy away from top 25 teams like Arizona, but Reggie Theus didn't hesitate to put them on the schedule.      

 

Finishing Strong 

Now that NMSU is firing on all cylinders, they must play flawlessly against conference opponents if they hope to earn an at-large bid.  The Aggies can be consistent with their depth on the inside, as they don't rely heavily on the 3-point shot.  If they plan on making a run, they must continue to improve at the free-throw line...which is their only major weakness.

 

NMSU's regular season finale will take place on the road against Nevada on March 3, a game that could very well decide the conference championship.