Aggies fall to Indiana in NCAA Tournament

(AP photo)

Simply put, the Indiana Hoosiers are the better team.

They outclassed New Mexico State in the NCAA Tournament on Thursday night, winning 79-66 in Portland, Ore.

It started on the defensive end of the floor for the Aggies.

Indiana raced out to a 14-4 lead with little trouble.

NMSU somehow couldn't defend on-the-ball screens and, when the Hoosiers did feel a threat, they isolated Cody Zeller and let him go to work. The Aggies also didn't have an answer for IU guard Jordan Hulls.

Defensively, we knew the Aggies needed to have a strong gameplan going into the game and then execute that gameplan. But it just didn't work out that way.

NMSU was lucky to be down just seven, 35-28, at intermission. Still, they were in the game at that point.

But any chance they had at making a second half comeback went away when Indiana put on a layup clinic coming out of the locker room.

I thought the Aggies played pretty well offensively.

NMSU shot 55 percent from the floor, although only got to the line 10 times.

The Hoosiers got to the free-throw stripe just 10 times as well, although shot 59 percent on the evening and hit 7 of 13 3-point attempts.

Indiana ran out to a 14-4 lead right out of the chute and it came relatively easily — not the start the Aggies needed.

They were ready for NMSU and maybe all the pregame talk of the Aggies being a trendy pick had something to do with it. NMSU certainly wasn't going to sneak up on Indiana and before you knew it, it was an eight-point game — really, the Aggies were the ones who needed to get off to a quick start like that.

The lead grew to 21 at one point and the Aggies just aren't built to come back from that. Not against a team like Indiana that looked very good on Thursday and showed their mettle. They were the better team, pure and simple. They're a tough team to defend, and can beat the opposition in a number of ways.

Wendell McKines played a solid game and went out well as an Aggie — he banged on the boards and battled throughout, finishing with 15 points and eight rebounds.

Freshman Daniel Mullings also showcased his skills, forcing a loose ball foul on Zeller on an acrobatic attempt at a rebound and then he threw down an alley-oop dunk from Hernst Laroche in transition. Good to see Mullings show his stuff on a national stage.

The only issue was, their supporting cast didn't play well. Tyrone Watson had seven turnovers and Hamidu Rahman was quiet in the second half.

One thing for the Aggies — they battled until the end and I take that as a positive as the season came to a close and going into next year.

Down 21, they could have easily folded and lost by 30. But they fought back and got the deficit down to 11 late and never quit.

That was one of the lasting images with this team, and the fact they got to the NCAA Tournament this year. That will still be considered a positive in a season where such a turn of events came as a nice culmination, perhaps even a pleasant surpise.

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Thoughts before Aggies vs. Hoosiers

My mind is going in a lot of different directions concerning this game, although I do have one certainty.

The Aggies NEED to have a good defensive gameplan and HAVE TO execute such a gameplan at a high level.

Indiana is a prolific 3-point shooting team, which means NMSU will need to lock down at the 3-point line and force their shooters to put the ball on the floor — most likely in a man-to-man defense.

The challenge that presents, however, is Indiana center Cody Zeller, a skilled 7-footer.

If you double-team Zeller, that can open up the Hoosier’s 3-point shooting game.

The Aggies would be well-served to get a solid performance from their center tandem of Hamidu Rahman and Tshilidzi Nephawe, and maybe even get Zeller in foul trouble.

Overall, I give the Aggies about a 40 percent chance of winning the game — you’ll take those odds as a No. 13 seed.

Overall, however, I just want to see them competitive, play good defensively, and be in things. After that, the chips will fall where they may.

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Breaking down the game: Aggies vs. Hoosiers

(AP photo)

We take a look at the Aggies vs. Hoosiers game at a glance:

1) A decent matchup: When considering New Mexico State is seeded 13th in the South Region, and Indiana is seeded fourth, the Aggies could have done worse in terms of their draw. While Indiana does hail from the Big Ten Conference, they haven’t always looked impressive, hold an ordinary 7-7 record on the road, and are without injured guard Verdell Jones. Meanwhile, NMSU is 12-6 away from the Pan American Center this season, and outweigh the Hoosiers in key statistical categories such as points per game (78.5 to 77.3), rebounds per game (40.3 to 34.9) and free throws attempted (a whopping 1,048 to 820). Alas, the WAC is certainly no Big Ten and the Hoosiers are a prolific 3-point shooting team — their 43.3 percent marksmanship from beyond the arc ranks No. 2 in the country. Still, on paper, this looks like a winnable game for the Aggies.

2) Defense, defense, defense: The Aggies have been hanging their hat on the defensive end of the floor the past month, culminating last week in their WAC Tournament championship. It’s the old adage — defense and rebounding travels well, and the Aggies have been locked in on that side of the floor. They will need to be once again vs. the Hoosiers — particularly when guarding the 3-point line — if they want to have a shot at victory.

3) The X-factors: Lets look at two Aggie players — Bandja Sy and Tyrone Watson — and break down their importance from an offensive standpoint. In the case of Sy, it would be nice if the Aggies got him going — perhaps some early layups, or a 3-pointer from deep. Typically speaking, when Sy’s shooting it well, the Aggies can be tough to defend. In the case of Watson, he’s been a steady player, and NMSU needs his presence once again. He has the unique ability to penetrate a zone defense, and is a good passer from the small forward position. The Aggies need these two players on top of their game on the offensive end of the floor.

4) Mindset: For all intents and purposes, this is an interesting matchup. Again, the Aggies look to control the game five-feet and in towards the basket, while the Hoosiers can flat-out shoot, and have skilled 7-foot freshman Cody Zeller at their disposal. Many prognosticators — namely some ESPN personalities — have been calling for an Aggie upset. Such talk can be a blessing or a curse, although NMSU won’t be sneaking up on anyone either. The Aggies actually hold an edge on experience — seniors Wendell McKines, Hernst Laroche and Hamidu Rahman have all played in a close NCAA Tournament game — and the team shouldn’t have much to lose playing as a 13 seed. NMSU has a history of playing loose in tournament games under head coach Marvin Menzies, and a good start in this one could serve them well.

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Thoughts on Aggies vs. Indiana, and the NCAA Tournament

(AP photo)

Considering that New Mexico State is a No. 13 seed in the South Region, and its opponent Indiana is a No. 4 seed, one has to think the Aggies could have done worse in their first-round draw for the NCAA Tournament.

As written in last night's blog post, it's all about matchups here, and — at least initially — it looks like the Aggies do stack up all right against the Hoosiers.

Here's what the Aggies couldn't get in the opening round of the NCAA: a team that could match NMSU's game 5-feet and in towards the basket.

For NMSU, it's about controlling the boards, getting layups and dunks, and getting to the free-throw line. Just think back to the first half against Louisiana Tech in the WAC championship game, when seemingly every NMSU shot came close to the basket, none farther out than 12 feet.

If the Aggies face a team that can take that away, than NMSU has to hit jump shots over the top of the defense — which is a crap shoot.

Again, Indiana seems like a decent fit when considering the variables listed above.

Yes, they have 7-footer Cody Zeller, but the Hoosiers are also a 3-point shooting team, and it does appear the Aggies could hold an edge inside.

That, and Indiana went 7-7 away from home this season, while NMSU was 12-6 away from the Pan American Center.

UNM will also be playing in Portland, meaning their could be a contingency of New Mexico fans in the Rose Garden.

As a No. 13 seed, the Aggies could have drawn an insurmountable opponent in the first round. And Indiana does not appear to be insurmountable.

Again, the Aggies could have done worse in their draw.

For the record, NMSU getting into the NCAA Tournament is a great thing.

I believe that no other sport galvanizes this community more than Aggie basketball. No, not high school football. I really think Aggie basketball can be — and at times still is — the water-cooler sport in Las Cruces.

You can feel a buzz in the air, and it's exciting.

Again, just having the Aggies in the tournament, it's a good thing.

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After beating La. Tech, Aggies will be dancing

(AP photo)

I was expecting an Aggie win.

And I was expecting a close game — heck, a nerve-wracking game at that — yet, frankly, this one wasn't.

The Aggies absolutely demolished Louisiana Tech 82-57 in Saturday's WAC championship game and will be playing in the NCAA Tournament this weekend.

NMSU is a legitimate team at this point, and one that could win a game or two in the NCAAs — depending on the matchups, why with their size, length and strength on the interior. If they're a 12 seed playing a five, it could stack up well — NMSU could very well be a 13 or 14 when the selections are announced on Sunday — and if they're placed in Albuquerque in the NCAA Regional, it will be seemingly a glorified home game.

Again, it's all about matchups, and if NMSU plays a team built similar to Louisiana Tech, that'll certainly help their cause.

The Bulldogs spread the floor with guards and look to press defensively. Against Nevada in the semifinals — a team that likes to play a halfcourt game — it matched up well, although it played right into the Aggies hands on Saturday. NMSU would prefer to get into the open floor, and obviously had the interior presence to absolutely pound the Bulldogs inside and on the backboards. The Aggies outrebounded Louisiana Tech 45-25 and scored over 50 points in the paint.

But, the KEY to this game was the Aggies stifling defense. Louisiana Tech HAD to shoot the ball well from deep to have a chance in this one and the Aggies simply didn't let it happen. The Bulldogs went 3 of 18 from 3-point territory and shot 32 percent for the game. The Aggies have been on top of their game for over a month now and it's started and ended on the defensive end of the floor. They're locked in.

The Aggies are playing their best basketball of the season. Some point differentials the past month: 16-point win over Drake; 42-point win over Hawaii; 16-point win over Fresno State (WAC Tourney); 11-point win over Hawaii (WAC Tourney); 25-point win over Louisiana Tech (WAC Tourney).

NMSU will be making their second NCAA appearance in three years and third in six. Again, the matchups worked out well for them in this year's WAC Tournament, as they not only faced No. 7 Fresno State, No. 6 Hawaii and No. 5 Louisiana Tech, but Hawaii and Louisiana Tech play a style of basketball — in short, they like to get up and down the court — which suits the Aggies well.

Does it matter that the Aggies had this draw? No. It's luck of the draw, and who cares how the Aggies won the WAC championship? They got it, that's all that matters.

Again, as stated in previous blog posts, Wendell McKines was on a mission and he wasn't going to let his team lose this game — or this tournament for that matter.

Yes, he had a dominant game on Saturday — 27 points, 14 rebounds, a first-half double-double — but you can also throw the numbers out the window. His presence alone is HUGE. Going into the game, I don't know if the Aggies are the pick if McKines isn't on the team.

He's another reason I think they can be a dangerous team in the NCAAs. He has nothing to lose at this point of his Aggie career — he's essentially playing with house money — which is a scary proposition.

A gratifying feeling? Tyrone Watson named on the all-tournament team.

He's an unsung hero for this Aggie team and is a valuable — and unique — player.

Again, as written before: a facilitator, passer, defender, mature player. The small forward does things that impact the game, if not the box score.

Chili Nephawe has stepped up like a veteran player the past two games.

We know what Nephawe brings to the table skill wise — good hands, nice touch for a 7-foot player. He finds himself in foul trouble, or else he'd be on the floor more. He's looked good the past two nights.

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Predicting an Aggie win vs La. Tech

I still like the New Mexico State Aggies tonight in their game against Louisiana Tech for a few reasons.

First off, the Aggies are the better team. They hold an advantage in the game's matchups — no WAC team really matches up at all with NMSU outside of Nevada, as the Aggies hold an edge in size and strength around the basket. I expect them to control the game in the rebounding department — just as they did against Fresno State in the WAC's opening round and against Hawaii in Friday night's semifinals win.

There are some aspects of tonight's game that scare me more-so than the Aggies last two contests in WAC Tourney play.

For starters, many were ready for a rematch between No. 2-seed NMSU and No. 1-seed Nevada, and the Aggies hold a 2-0 record against Louisiana Tech this year. The Bulldogs also have an untraditional team, in the sense that they'll spread the floor with four guards and rely on the 3-pointer.

Also, NMSU showed some vulnerabilities on Friday against Hawaii in their transition defense, and defending the Warriors penetration-and-kick game.

As always, the Aggies defense — particularly at 3-point line — will be KEY.

But, again, I like the matchup advantages NMSU holds and also like the team's leadership at this point in the season. Their three seniors — headlined by forward Wendell McKines — I don't think will allow them to lose this game.

I expect an exciting game — fast paced, up and down, entertaining. And, yes, I expect an Aggie win. Even if it will be a nerve-wracking one.

Aggies win and will play….Louisiana Tech

(AP photo)

The New Mexico State Aggies will be in the WAC Championship game tonight at 10 p.m. to take on….Louisiana Tech?

That's right, the No. 5-ranked Bulldogs beat No. 1-seeded Nevada in the WAC semifinals 78-73 to move onto the title game — NMSU beat Hawaii earlier in the night 92-81 to also advance to Saturday's championship.

First off, like the Aggies, Louisiana Tech has been playing good basketball over the past month of the season.

While the Aggies have won eight of nine, Louisiana Tech has won seven of eight — with both teams falling at Nevada as their lone losses. You're not going to find two WAC teams playing better basketball at the moment. It's actually been a great WAC Tourney with compelling games across the board, although it has held true to form that two hot teams are in fact meeting in the finals.

The Bulldogs are well coached and are playing with house money right now.

That, and NMSU is 2-0 against Louisiana Tech this year. While it's been a rallying cry that it's hard to beat a team three times in a row during a season — something we talked about for NMSU's benefit in anticipation of them facing Nevada again for a WAC title — now the shoe's on the other foot. That psychological edge is actually flipped, and the Aggies could be considered the hunted now, as opposed to the other way around.

Yet, while I'll reserve to make my final pick for the game until later Saturday leading up to the contest, here's why I like NMSU at the moment.

First off, they match up well with Louisiana Tech.

The Bulldogs like to run — it should be a fun and entertaining championship game — as do the Aggies (although NMSU's transition defense was a weakness in their Friday win over Hawaii).

The Aggies also have a serious advantage inside — the only team in the WAC that truly matches up with NMSU was in fact Nevada, who is obviously now eliminated.

I really also think the Aggies have simply come too far and have worked too hard. This is their season — a one-game season. And what scenario would you have rather had going into the WAC Tourney? Playing No. 7 Fresno State, No. 3 Idaho and No. 1 Nevada? Or No. 7 Fresno State, No. 6 Hawaii and No. 5 Louisiana Tech? As written in a previous blog post prior to Friday's game, things have shaped up well for NMSU as things have unfolded in this tournament.

And I just have to believe the Aggies leadership contingency — namely senior Wendell McKines — is not going to allow the team to lose here. I really think this team — McKines' team — is on a mission right now and would be tough to beat no matter who would be standing in their way on Saturday.

Again, this is my feeling now. I will confirm before tip off later today.

And some thoughts from the Aggies win over the Warriors….

First off, I thought this was a great game — very entertaining, up and down action.

The Aggies were leading 22-2 to start things off although, ironically, such a deficit seemed to get the Warriors loose and they began playing better. They came back and made a game of it.

Yet every time the Warriors would knock on the door, NMSU would make winning plays — similar to the night before against Fresno State only Friday's game against Hawaii was tighter.

No play epitomized this fact — nor was bigger — than Hernst Laroche's four-point play that took a 65-64 Aggie lead and made it 69-64. If Laroche missed that shot, Hawaii gets the rebound and they have a chance to take the lead. Instead, Laroche hits the 3-pointer, is fouled and drains the free throw. HUGE. Aggies back up five.

And, when it was all said and done, NMSU still won the game by double digits.

As stated above, the problem for the Aggies was transition defense.

Even when NMSU would score a basket, Hawaii would get into their transition offense — which invariably seemed to end in either a layup or dunk attempt.

The Aggies played great defense against Fresno State in the opening round of the tournament, but fell off some against UH.

Just want to say this about Tyrone Watson: he does so many intangible things that might not even show up in the box score.

Ultimately, Watson is better when he's playing within himself and not forcing jump shots, but just look at his ability in the halfcourt offense, when the Aggies are facing a zone defense.

Watson can penetrate that zone and is a very good interior passer — a fine passer for a small forward.

He defends, seems mature and brings his lunch pale. He's made clutch free throws throughout the year.

He's a valuable — and unique — player for the Aggies.

Follow me on Twitter @TeddyFeinberg