-= NMSU PANORAMA - Summer 2006 =- Aggie Sports: Aggie men's basketball makes u-turn

Aggie Sports

This department contains multiple stories. Please make a selection:
› NMSU inducts three into Athletics Hall of Fame
› Rider Krystal Mack wins second Cacchione Cup
› Aggie men's basketball makes u-turn
› Aggie Baseball vs. Alumni
› 2006 Football and Volleyball Schedules

Aggie men's basketball makes u-turn

By Garret Ward

To say that heading into the 2005-06 college basketball season the New Mexico State men’s basketball team and its future were a bit of a mystery would have been a major understatement. A 6-24 record in 2004-05, a new head coach, a new conference and only two returning players made this hoops season anything but a certainty for the Aggies, but despite a loss in the Western Athletic Conference Tournament that brought the year to an end, all of college basketball now has an answer…the Aggies are back!

New Mexico State finished the 2005-06 season with an overall record of 16-14, the club’s first winning season since the 2002-03 campaign. As of Feb. 20, the Aggies’ 10-win improvement over last season was tied for the second best turnaround in all of Division I basketball. The turnaround also is the best single-season improvement for NMSU since the 1985-86 season when the Aggies rebounded from a 7-20 year to post an 18-12 record.

NMSU also saw dramatic improvement in conference play as the Aggies went 10-6 in their first season as a member of the WAC. The nine-win improvement in conference play this season is the Aggies’ biggest single-season turnaround in league play in school history.

The Aggies led the WAC in conference free throw percentage (.747) and tied for the conference lead in steals per game (7.25).

After taking over the men’s basketball program less than a year ago, head coach Reggie Theus made a promise to himself, his team and all Aggie fans – regardless of the wins and losses, this year’s team would be the hardest working team on the court each and every night. A native of Inglewood, Calif., and a star in the NBA and Hollywood, coach Theus has quickly brought the excitement of up-tempo college basketball back to the Pan American Center.

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