There were a few things that stood out to me in regard to the NMSU win over UTEP on Saturday.
For one, the Aggies hammered the Miners. UTEP jumped out to a 9-4 lead, and that was about all it got. NMSU took control, went on a 15-3 run and didn't look back.
The Miners never made a run. They fell behind and I kept waiting for them to make a push. With about 10 minutes remaining I began writing my story. The game was over. At that point it was apparent they wouldn't come back.
While I thought the Aggies played a good game, I also thought the Miners were awful. Their offense was unwatchable at times. Some of it was due to the zone the Aggies played but UTEP was sluggish. NMSU just ran by 'em.
It was a good win for the Aggies. They needed this one more than they led on. I didn't know what to expect as far as the outcome was concerned but I knew I would learn a lot about NMSU. I learned that they have some talent and that they can play a good game on their homecourt against their rival. Saturday is going to be another huge test. A sweep over the Miners would send a message to the region.
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7 comments:
No seniors, one junior and a bunch of sophomores and freshmen.
I think the future is pretty bright!
Good win for these youngster! Let's go for the sweep on satuday!
T.B. and Utep do not play very good team ball at all. I think it was a good win for the aggies but went to show what a poor job T.B. has don't at Utep with a talented squad.
Not only that, but it would provide some great momentum for the road trip to Abq.
However lets not get ahead of ourselves, the team has yet to win a road game so that should be the main focus. Once they get the first, I think the rest will start rolling. Any word on whether Joyner will be able to play by then? Has he been able to practice with the team? I think if he can get up to speed fairly quickly it should bring some great depth to the bench.
What a great game. My observations:
1. We have a true point guard this year. Last year, that position was run by a committee, which included Chris Cole, Fred Peete, and Jon Gibson. LaRoche is a very solid floor general. I would like to see him attack defenses a little more with his quickness, but he takes care of the ball extremely well and could care less about his numbers. He has the potential to be the best true point guard the Aggies have had since Billy Keys (Elijah Ingram was very good, but more of a scoring point).
2. McKinnes coming back is huge for the Aggies. We would have been dominated on the boards without his tenacity yesterday. He is developing an outside shot too. If he can hit consistently in the 15-20 foot range, watch out.
3. Our big men are incredibly raw. Both may eventually be very good, but they look awkward at times and make a lot of mistakes. I think they can turn into beasts in a couple years, but we may struggle this year against teams that have good centers.
As an astute Aggie men's basketball observer, the main thing I noticed was what a PLAYER Wendell McKines has become. I think it's safe to say that I would rather have McKines than Herb Pope and I think a lot of fellow Aggie fans would agree. From the glimpses of Pope we saw last year, and what we've seen of McKines this year, it's not much of a comparison. McKines scores, REBOUNDS and he is the Aggies' unquestionable "muscle". I, along with thousands of other Aggie/Miner fans, saw McKines give Stefon Jackson ONE look after Gibson got fouled pretty hard and Jackson walked away without blinking. McKines is GOOD.
Our ugly/hairy mole on the team is the center position. It is progress if Rahman and Gabriel can just CATCH the ball.
Here's a question: Who would you rather have at center in a vital moment: Rahman or Gabriel?
Big ups to McKines ... only going to get better. SO glad he came back.
Aggie007
Aggie007....I agree with the Wendell observation. He's a difference maker. Great Menzies recruit. Hard worker, unselfish, does the little things - and some big things - and goes about it in a humble, team-first type of way. Gotta respect his game....As for the center position, they're both young. Hopefully, one day, they will form a solid 1-2 punch. Who would I choose in the clutch right now? I would go with Rahman. But it's not over the top.
Great win! Wish I could have seen it, but had to travel Sunday. Guess we'll find out if UTEP really was off their game when the Ags travel to EP. This is one game MM did not get last year, so that's a positive. Go Aggies!
-Aggie Glare
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