New Mexico State has been to the NCAA tournament twice in the past three years but will have to find a way back with a new core of players.
A trio of productive seniors -- power forward Wendell McKines, point guard Hernst Laroche and center Hamidu Rahman -- played their final game for the Aggies when they lost their opening game in the NCAAs, falling to fourth-seeded Indiana 79-66 in Portland.
"I'm going to really miss my three seniors," coach Marvin Menzies said. "They're my family. And I'll miss coaching them."
McKines averaged a double-double this season with 18.7 points and 10.7 rebounds. Laroche, a four-year starter, scored 11.9 points per game and shot 40.4 percent from 3-point range. Rahman provided great size and helped the Aggies be the best rebounding team in the WAC; he averaged 9.9 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.
NMSU had won nine of 10 games entering the NCAA Tournament, which included a three-game run through the league tourney. The Aggies shot 55.1 percent against Indiana, but they allowed the Hoosiers to hit 59.3 percent (32 of 54) from the field. Menzies also lamented his team's 17 turnovers but liked the way his team fought until the end.
"Yeah, we haven't had any quitters in a long time," he said.
"It was good to see our guys just persevere and play through being scored on and just coming back and still giving it your all. That's tough. It's hard to do."
Now, the Aggies will persevere though some tough personnel losses in what will be a new-look WAC next season as regular-season champ Nevada and Fresno State, move on to the Mountain West while Hawaii heads to the Big West for basketball.
Look for wing Tyrone Watson and forward Bandja Sy to be the leaders next season.
"It's just kind of a humbling experience to know that our three seniors are gone," Watson said in the Las Cruces Sun-News. "We wanted to win a game in the NCAA Tournament for them."
NOTES, QUOTES
-- The loss to Indiana means New Mexico State hasn't won its opening game in any of the past five NCAA tournaments. The Aggies haven't won a game in the Big Dance since defeating Nebraska in 1993.
-- NMSU's 26 victories this season matched the program's most since it went 26-8 in 1993-93.
-- PF Wendell McKines earned All-WAC first-team recognition, while senior G Hernst Laroche made the second team. Senior C Hamidu Rahman was an honorable-mention selection. Freshman G Daniel Mullings was selected to the All-Newcomer team.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "Next year, me and Tyrone are going to have to be leaders and carry the juniors and sophomores and freshman." -- F Bandja Sy, in the Las Cruces Sun-News, on being a senior next season with wing Tyrone Watson.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
THE GOOD NEWS: New Mexico State has been one of the top programs in the WAC, and coach Marvin Menzies, who just completed his fifth season with the Aggies, seems entrenched. "I love New Mexico State, and I hope I can stay for a long, long time," he said. With the conference going through a transition -- losing Nevada, Hawaii and Fresno State -- NMSU and Utah State are positioned to battle for league titles in the near future. Menzies will deploy a couple of key redshirts next season in sophomore point guard K.C. Ross-Miller and 7-foot-5 freshman Sim Bhullar.
THE BAD NEWS: It's never easy to replace a go-to player (double-double man Wendell McKines), a four-year starter at point guard (Hernst Laroche) and a 6-foot-11 space-eater (Hamidu Rahman). They combined for nearly 41 points a game this season. The Aggies need to find some 3-point shooters; they made just 32.7 percent this season and lose their two long-range gunners, Laroche and McKines. The change in the WAC lineup -- with the addition of Texas State, Texas-San Antonio, Seattle and Denver -- will not help the league's strength, making it even harder to earn an NCAA tournament at-large berth.
KEY RETURNEES: A pair of rising seniors -- wing Tyrone Watson and 6-foot-8 forward Bandja Sy -- have been complementary players who will need to be leaders in 2012-13. They have ample experience, with Watson averaging 7.0 points and 4.0 rebounds as a starter this season and Sy averaging 8.8 points and 4.0 rebounds as a super sub. He is a long forward who should be one of the most athletic players in the league next year. Freshman guard Daniel Mullings was a pleasant surprise this season after stepping into a larger role following the transfer of Christian Kabongo. In addition to averaging 9.3 points, Mullings posted a triple-double against Hawaii, giving a hint that he will be a force for the Aggies for the next three years. C Tshilidzi Nephawe, a 6-foot-10, 270-pound sophomore, can be counted on for 20-plus minutes per game after splitting time this season with starter Hamidu Rahman.
PLAYER NOTES
-- Senior PF Wendell McKines won WAC tournament MVP honors after leading New Mexico State to the title. He scored 64 points and pulled down 32 rebounds in three games. He also went 6 for 10 from 3-point range in the final two games.
-- G Christian Kabongo, who averaged 14.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 11 games this season before deciding to transfer, ended up at Southern Miss. He is expected to be eligible for the spring semester next season.
