Basketball blog

One to forget

2009-11-13T23:30:00.000-08:00

I'm not going to pile on. That was a disappointing performance from my perspective and I couldn't imagine how fans, players or coaches are feeling. Here is a Menzies quote...

"Every loss is disappointing but we missed an opportunity in a sense that we had a chance to get a road win against a quality team that will have a good RPI."

For those of you who read the Sun-News, I wrote a story last week on guards Jahmar Young and Jonathan Gibson. I feel like with the Aggies eligibility situation, Young and Gibson have to not only play well, but they have to play extremely well in order for the Aggies to not only compete, but to win games. I think both guys played OK and you can't really take their stats too seriously in such a lopsided game. The reason I think they have that on their shoulder is because the four-spot is invisible. It's not Bandja Sy's Kelly Merker, Robert Lumpkins or Tyrone Watson's fault because the Aggies need to play someone at that spot, but to get seven points and seven rebounds from the position puts a lot of pressure on Gibson, Young and Rahman.

Rahman could have a big night against the Lobos since they are also struggling to find an interior player but Young and Gibson have to be better every single night for this team right now and can't get off to a slow start like they did Friday.

Scouting St. Mary's

2009-11-12T16:40:00.000-08:00

Robert Lumpkins practiced on Thursday and will play tonight as will Kelly Merker, Bandja Sy and even wing Tyrone Watson. Lumpkins was nursing an ankle injury but is expected to play.

I spoke with assistant coach Mick Durham, who said that the Gaels go through 6-11, 260 pound center Omar Samhan. Samhan does have a bit of a challenge though because he doesn't have an experienced player in the frontcourt with him after Diiamon Simpson, who was a three-time first team WCC forward, graduated. The Aggies will need to get into transition and knock down the open shots because Samhan ranked 40th in the country last year in blocks per game. The experience factor should also be interesting because St. Mary's have three fifth-year seniors on the roster. junior guard Mickey McConnell replaced Pat Mills early in the season last year and now runs the show. Duram believes freshman Matt Dellavedova (one of three newcomers from Australia) will back him up and can shoot better than Dellavedova. McConnell and Dellavedova could be the starting backcourt when the Gaels come to Las Cruces next year. St. Mary's had scrimmages against Washington and Nevada.

Here are some comments from St. Mary's ninth-year coach Randy Bennett, who has spent his entire career at St. Mary's, starting with his relationships in Australia when he was an assistant coach at St. Louis and he brought Andrew Latimer over.
"If you are not one of the big bigs and in one of the big conferences, you have to find different areas to recruit. Somehow you have to find good players. There are lots of good coaches in this country and what is hard to find is good players, good kids who are good students. For us we found a niche and have established with a pretty good name. Marvin has done that too in Africa. Nowadays it's a global game and if you have a strong connection you have to tap into it. (Latimer) helped me know who to touch base with in Australia. There weren't that many in Australia coming over. There were guys there but in the last six or seven years they have been a lot more coming over."

On getting NMSU on the schedule for a home and home
"It's a basketball rich tradition. Marvin has done a good job and they have a bunch of good players and athletes. Playing in Las Cruces is one of the toughest places to play and fortunately we don't have to go there this year but next year we will. People recognize them in the west and those are the types of teams that we try to play in home and homes. I think we are both struggling to find home games and this is one that our fans recognize will be a good team."

On his team being picked third in the West Coast Conference behind Gonzaga and Portland
"The bottom of the league is better and hopefully the top is as good as it was last year but I'm pretty sure the bottom has come up and we needed that to happen for our league. Our RPI wasn't as good last year as it has been. When the bottom teams are better, that's when you can get your league pretty good. There was a pretty big gap the past couple of years and hopefully that has closed."

Media Day quotes

2009-11-10T20:26:00.000-08:00

Menzies on health and eligibility entering Friday's game at St. Mary's
"Eligibility wise we still don't have B.J. West with us and Abdoulaye as well. ... We are hopeful and optimistic that they will get done soon but we just don't know when. We are waiting to see what the powers that be come back with. Healthwise we are in great shape. The guys are all healthy. The only person is Robert Lumpkins that tweaked his ankle a little bit over the weekend but he should be good to go for Friday."

Menzies on center Hamidu Rahman, who goes up against St. Mary's senior center Omar Samhan
"It's a great test for Hamidu to go against a quality big early in the year especially. He gets challenged every day with guys but nobody with that skill set and of that physical stature so it will be a good test for him. He has done a lot of good things in the offseason that will help him be ready for the challenge. He is doing an excellent job in practice of focusing and getting better. He's really anticipating a matchup and we as coaches are as well. He won't be by himself. We are going to do a lot of things that I think defensively will help him out. We can't just leave him on an island by himself when we have a quality big like that."

Menzies on first two games of the season.
"All teams need a good start. That's why the big boys play the sisters of the poor. Our situation is a little different. We have some returners. We have some new guys put into the mix with them so we have a delicate balance that we are trying to figure out with substitution pattern and making sure that guys are a family and understand that their time might not come in this game but it might come in another game. And so I feel pretty confident that because of their chemistry and their unity that won't be too much of a problem. It's good to have that depth so if it's a problem it's a good problem.

"The two games that are starting off with were scheduled specifically that way because we want some good strong RPI teams on the schedule and wanted to get the season off with some energy and some enthusiasm in the city and what better way to do that than playing your rival. They are going to have as much prep as we are against them so that's a wash. It's just a matter for us, we wanted to start off with a game that was going to draw a lot of interest and draw a lot of fans as well as get an opportunity to get our students there for the home game."

That's all for now as I don't want to give all the quotes that I plan on using for Friday's story about the game. But in case you don't know how Gordo's name came about, here is Gordo's version. Pretty funny stuff.
"When I was little, I was just a big kid. A lot of people don't even know this. I couldn't even really talk or nothing when I was little. I would just really eat. They would ask me what I wanted and I would point at things. I was a loner when I was a kid so I just ate and I was pretty big. I wasn't big-big. I was just of those kids that got big. I just stretched out and Gordo just always stayed with me and everyone just know me as Gordo. A lot of people are like, 'Do you have a real name?' And I'm like, ya it's Aaron. That's on my license. A lot of people really think my name is Gordo. It's funny but I don't mind it. I actually don't like my name Aaron at all. But people still call me Aaron sometimes like my mom or my brother."

Aggies get verbal

2009-11-10T12:57:00.000-08:00

With the early signing period running from Nov. 11-18, the Aggies could add 6-10 South African Tshilidzi Nephawe, who has given NMSU a verbal after visiting over the summer. I couldn't find much on him but if he ends up signing and filling the Aggies only available scholarship (Jonathan Gibson) he would be the third Aggie on the roster with Stoneridge Prep ties. The Aggies women also have three commitments so hopefully we will have some stories on these players in the next week or so.

This year's Idaho

2009-11-06T13:14:00.000-08:00

Coaches Preseason Poll
1. Utah State
2. Nevada
3. New Mexico State
4. Idaho
5. Louisiana Tech
6. Fresno State
7. Boise State
8. San Jose State
9. Hawaii

Idaho was picked dead last in both WAC men's basketball polls last season. The Vandals tied for third and earned the No. 3 seed by winning nine conference games, which was more conference wins than the previous three years combined.
The Vandals started the conference season with a victory at Nevada and went from there, sweeping in-state rival Boise State, earning a split with NMSU and La. Tech.
Hawaii was picked last this season and I don't see the Warriors pulling an Idaho, but there is one team that intrigues me from the bottom half and that team is San Jose State.
People like Fresno State for their frontcourt combination of Paul George and Sylvester Seay and Greg Graham is a good coach at Boise State and his teams are always tough.
I'm looking for the Spartans to turn things around though and maybe sneak up on somebody like the Vandals did last year.
One similarity between the teams is they each possess a guard who transfered from a Pac 10 school. Idaho surrounded Mac Hopson with some good talent and Hopson ended up a first team caliber player.
San Jose State added Adrian Oliver from Washington last year and I think he kind of flew under the radar, partly to the Spartans underachieving again. Oliver was also in and out of the lineup early on as he only played in 18 games. When he was on the court for all 12 WAC games, Oliver poured in 17.6 per game which was second behind NMSU's Jahmar Young.
The Spartans also have returning starters in CJ Webster and Chris Oakes in the post (both tied for fourth in the WAC with 7.4 rpg), point guard Justin Graham (5th in assists with 4.13 apg) and guard Robert Owens, who was a 38 percent 3-point shooter last year.
I have my doubts San Jose State can put it all together though, which is probably why they ended up picked where they are and they were one-and-done in the WAC tournament last year, but it seems like there are some nice pieces there.

What did you think?

2009-11-02T21:25:00.000-08:00

I think it's hard to get any type of gauge on the team from playing such a small team.

I guess the biggest thing for me was I kept thinking, if they have their whole roster, they are one of the tallest and deepest teams in the WAC. I wonder how Menzies would find minutes for all these guys.

Teamwise, it could have been better defensively at times and Menzies talked about experienced players taking too many chances trying to get a steal. The Aggies did have 10 steals with Jonathan Gibson and Hernst Laroche getting three steals each. There were also a couple of instances where the younger players were slow getting back after scoring and I saw two instances where Gordo specifically had to tell a freshman where to be in the zone.

I found myself watching the power forward and point guard slots.

I enjoy watching Hernst Laroche (15 points, 8 assists, 2 TOs) run the team. He's pretty calm out there and perhaps the lone 3 he knocked down is a sign that he can make teams pay for leaving him on a consistent basis. Freshman Da'Shawn Gomez (4 assists, 2 steals, one TO) was solid in his debut so the point position appears to be pretty good.

The power forward is a different story. Robert Lumpkins, Bandja Sy and Kelly Merker combined for 19 points and I want to see Lumpkins against better competition before I think his 12 boards are legit, but he was active on the offensive glass with 7 offensive rebounds. Sy has a greater upside and I think will end up being the guy at that position as the season goes on.

Sy cleared, N'doye has to sit

2009-11-02T14:47:00.000-08:00

As expected, Sy was cleared on Monday and can play if Menzies thinks he's ready tonight. N'doye wasn't and won't be able to play tonight, which is unfortunate.

What to watch for against WNMU

2009-11-01T22:19:00.000-08:00

I'm glad that we can start talking about some games, even if it doesn't count and it's against an inferior opponent. First about WNMU, they weren't picked to finish anywhere near the top of the Division II RMAC but their two exhibitions are at NMSU tonight and at the University of Arizona. Tough sledding for a D II club?

Center play:
For those who haven't seen redshirt sophomore Hamidu Rahman in person since last season, Rahman has lost 30 pounds. The result should mean more minutes on the court and added quickness and strength. Let's see if that's the reality and if he can up his 4.6 boards per game from last year. If 7-footer Abdoulaye N'doye is cleared fully by the NCAA before Monday's tip, I'm looking forward to seeing him get up and down, but I don't have high expectations. He's been described as a project player who hopefully can push Rahman in practice and alter shots for a few minutes a night. He is a legit 7-footer though and tonight would be the first organized game he's ever been a part of.

Depth at the wing:
Bandja Sy is also in N'doye's boat when it comes to having his "amateurism" cleared by the NCAA. Sy will see a lot of minutes at the power forward spot but his future at NMSU will come on the wing. I'm looking forward to seeing Sy in action, as well as redshirt Tyrone Watson. Sy is long but Watson is built like a linebacker, but according to Gordo Castillo, he has a jumper and a finesse game around the basket. I would like to see one of these develop to the point where Jahmar Young could play the shooting guard a little bit this season, although the Aggies are deep at the two spot with Jonathan Gibson and Castillo.

Power forward battle:
Sy could ultimately end up starting here I think, especially if BJ West's eligibility drags out. Hopefully battling with Troy Gillenwater and Wendell McKines in practice has toughened him up enough to bang on the boards, which is a point of emphasis entering the season. Robert Lumpkins looks stronger to me and has been working in the paint in practice. Lumpkins also can shoot the ball so it will be interesting to see the matchup problems he could cause on the offensive end for the Aggies.

Point play:
We know what Hernst Laroche is capable of. Even if he hasn't gotten better, he's solid. And I'm sure he's improved. Leroche and freshman Da'Shawn Gomez will be fun to watch. Gomez has been described as a solid defender, which would be a nice compliment coming off the bench to put some pressure on the ball. This is Laroche's spot, but Gomez needs to contribute.

As a team I'm hoping to see improvement defensively, both when the Aggies are pressuring full court and in their matchup zone, which in their third year, they should be better. This team has the potential to be so long that if they remain active, could result in a lot of easy buckets so if they come out and create some turnovers tonight, that would be a good sign.

What are you lookin for?

Sy cleared for good

2009-10-30T16:02:00.000-07:00

As of Monday, Bandja Sy will be cleared to play this season with the Aggies. As you may have read in my last post, international students have to pass two hurdles to be cleared. Sy was cleared earlier this week on the academic piece, and I have received word that as of Monday, he will be cleared as far as amateurism, meaning they take a look at international players to make sure they haven't played professionally. It's a bit a of good news for the Aggies, who are still waiting on BJ West as of Friday and who will open the season without Troy Gillenwater and Wendell McKines. .. Also, in case you were wondering, Gillenwater and McKines can not play in Monday's exhibition game against WNMU or any other game or scrimmage if another team is involved.

Notes

2009-10-28T16:37:00.000-07:00

It seems like the two things people want to read about the most are the clearinghouse issues and Jahmar Young. Following are some quotes from Menzies on both situations and I have a story on Sy and Tyrone Watson probably Saturday or Sunday. Sy practiced for the first time on Wednesday since the team normally takes Tuesday off. He was cleared to practice all year but he can't play in games yet. I don't know if you read my story on the Aggies 3-point shooting/3-point shooting defense, but here it is. It seemed to me that rebounding and transition defense were the biggest weaknesses last year and hopefully they address those two things early on. We get to see for the first time in Monday's exhibition game.

Menzies on Bandja Sy's eligibility
"He has been cleared to receive his scholarship and practice for the whole year. There is a portion of the Clearinghouse where they have to check your amateurism to make sure you were never a professional and being that he was a international student and we recruited him so late, you fill out that paperwork and the process of checking and going through the background that the NCAA has to do, we are still in the balance there so we are kind of at their mercy. It's just a matter of time with him. He has got through on the academic piece. Worst case scenario he redshirts this year and he's ready to go next year and that's not all bad either. I'm OK with redshirting guys except for the fact that without Troy and Wendell we could probably use him."

BJ West has all of his paperwork submitted to the NCAA.

Menzies on reports that Jahmar Young will sit on Monday
"I haven't made a decision. He doesn't have to. That's my call. He was going to have some trouble with his ankle a little bit and we have so many guys that I have to take a look at and it's an exhibition game. We have a lot of new guys who have to get their feet wet. Everybody else is good to go. As of today, as far as I know, that is the only one that had a question mark and he got that resolved."

Menzies on addressing the rebounding
"You have to get out there and emphasize things. We talked about it last year but obviously we didn't emphasize it enough. We didn't drill it enough. Every single possession, whether you're talking about offense or defense, is an opportunity to rebound so we have tweaked some of our drills so the rebound is the completion of the drill. A lot of times, certain drills end with the shot. Now we secure the rebound and try to push it to halfcourt or get the outlet pass before the drill is over. Who knows if it will work or not. At the end of the day you have to have guys who make that a priority. Just like defensively, they want to get stops so it's not like let me survive this possession so I can go score again. When you look at the total body of work from last year and you show your players that and they see they could have done a better team if they had done these things, that in itself should be enough of a motivator for them to be more consistent in practice."

Finally I have a question. Last year I did a little running blog entry for the games I was at. I enjoyed doing it and plan to do it again. Do you have any suggestions? I tried to update at every media timeout as long as the game was competitive. Do you follow them during games or are you at the same game? anything you would want added? Keeping in mind that I'm working on the story for the paper so go easy on me....

N'Doye practices, Menzies still waiting on NCAA

2009-10-21T17:49:00.000-07:00

7-foot center Aboulaye N'Doye practiced for the first time today (Wednesday) I'm doing a story on the big fella from Africa for over the weekend. I didn't really know what to expect but I came away from the short interview impressed. One non-basketball thing that I found interesting about him came when we were talking about what he had been doing the past year. It seems that we have been talking about this kid for two years and Wednesday was his first practice. He said that his studies in Africa really prepared him and were more demanding than what he has faced in the short time he has been at the university level in America. Some noteworthy hoops info on him – he has only been playing basketball for four years and his first game in an Aggie uniform will be his first time in organized basketball. ... Also, because of a complicated transfer process, the Aggies will have his services on the court for three years. ... As far as his physical ability, it has yet to be determine.

Here are some quotes from Aggie assistant Mick Durham, who works with the Aggie big men on how they will work him into the flow after getting a knee scope last month. I will say that when we were talking, Hamidu Rahman walked by and N'Doye clearly has a couple inches on Rahman, who is listed at 6-11, although Rahman has had the benefit of three years in the weight room.

"We had him in individuals for a handful of workout sessions but his knee kept swelling and he had to get his knee scoped. We have to start really basic with him. The downfall is missing six weeks of conditioning so we have to get him back in shape and then slowly work on his skills but we need another big body in practice."

Bodies in practice doesn't seem to be an issue. I've only been around the team for two seasons so far but I can't remember a time where there were so many able-bodies guys in the practice gym. I believe there were 15 guys there on Wednesday.

Finally, Menzies on the eligibility of BJ West and Bandja Sy

"There is a 50-50 chance that BJ could be done (Thursday). There is an outside chance that Bandja could be done the following day but not cleared. Just cleared to practice. Then we are going to start a waiver. You get to go until they finish the waiver."

Menzies on Justin Standley and Jacoby Patton

"It's nailed down that (Standley) is going to redshirt but its not nailed down if he will be able to practice or not. We are still working on trying to get him to be able to be a practice players. Jacoby is also in the same boat. We are trying to hopefully get him cleared so he can be a full practice player but he is going to redshirt either way."

Menzies on the first week of practice

"We have a lot of new kids who are trickling in with the process. They are picking it up very quickly based on their own basketball IQ as well as the returners helping them through things. It's easy to develop in a basketball system if you have a lot of people who know the system. Everybody goes out and runs the plays the right way. The first group goes out. They all know everything that we are doing already, we are going to tweak some things later. So the new guys get to sit back and watch their position go and run through it correctly first even if it's just repeating what that guy did, eventually they will understand the nuances of reading the defense and the options within it. But they get a chance, every rep, to see it done correctly before they actually step on the floor."

Notes

2009-10-20T16:08:00.000-07:00

The Aggies men were off on Tuesday. I spoke to Jahmar Young briefly, who said that the practices over the weekend were tough and that he needed an off day.

I was also informed that Abdoulaye Ndoye is expected to practice when the Aggies return to the practice court on Wednesday. As far as I know, BJ West and Bandja Sy were not cleared as of Tuesday.

WAC men's official poll

2009-10-20T13:46:00.000-07:00

COACHES
1. Utah State (8)
2. Nevada (1)
3. NMSU
4. Idaho
5. Louisiana Tech
6. Fresno State
7. Boise State
8. San Jose State
9. Hawaii

First team
Luke Babbitt, Nevada
Mac Hopson, Idaho
Armon Johnson, Nevada
Jared Quayle, Utah State
Jahmar Young, NMSU

Second team
Roderick Flemings, Hawaii
Paul George, Fresno State
Kyle Gibson, La. Tech
Sylvester Seay, Fresno State
Tai Wesley, Utah State

POY Luke Babbitt, Nevada

MEDIA
1. Utah State
2. Nevada
3. NMSU
4. Idaho
5. Boise State
6. Louisiana Tech
7. Fresno State
8. San Jose State
9. Hawaii

First team
Luke Babbitt, Nevada
Mac Hopson, Idaho
Armon Johnson, Nevada
Jared Quayle, Utah State
Jahmar Young, NMSU

POY
Luke Babbitt, Nevada

Women's WAC official polls

2009-10-20T13:36:00.000-07:00

COACHES

1. Fresno State (5)
2. Louisiana Tech (3)
3. Boise State (1)
4. Idaho
5. NMSU
6. Nevada
7. Utah State
T-8 Hawaii
T -8 San Jose State

First team
Shanavia Dowdell, La. Tech
Tasha Harris, Boise State
Adrienne Johnson, La. Tech
Jaleesa Ross, Fresno State
Madison Spence, NMSU

Second team
Hayley Munro, Fresno State
Yinka Olorunnife, Idaho
Derisa Taleni, Idaho
Jessica Van Hoogen, Boise State
Lydia Whitehead, Utah State

POY
Dowdell, La. Tech

MEDIA
1. Louisiana Tech
2. Fresno State
3. Boise State
4. Idaho
5. Nevada
6. NMSU
7. Utah State
8. Hawaii
9. San Jose State

First team
Shanavia Dowdell, La. Tech
Adrienne Johnson, La. Tech
Yinka Olorunnife, Idaho
Jaleesa Ross, Fresno State
Madison Spence, NMSU

Second Team
Crystal Boyd, NMSU
Tasha Harris, Boise State
Hayley Munro, Fresno State
Derisa Taleni, Idaho
Jessica Van Hoogen, Boise State

POY
Shanavia Dowdell, La. Tech

Aggies women's commitment

2009-10-19T16:58:00.000-07:00

NMSU received a verbal commitment from Andrea Chenier from Piedmont, Cali, a 5-10 player who can play any of the three guard positions. Chenier is a top 70 player who played on the same club team as current Aggie freshman Camilla Rosen.

The NMSU women's program is still hoping that Crystal Boyd will be rewarded another year of eligibility after battling injuries her whole career. If she is granted the additional year, the Aggies are full of scholarships after receiving a verbal from guard Jasmin Rutledge last month.

WAC polls

2009-10-19T16:37:00.000-07:00

The WAC coaches and media polls will be released on Tuesday so I thought I would put my picks out on here. I think it's going to be a competitive year on the top half with an improved skill level across the board.

Mens poll
1. NMSU - I have to pick based on the belief that Gillenwater and McKines will be on the team for the conference season. If they are, it's the most talented team in the league and that's not including the newcomers.
2. Nevada - The one-two punch of Babbitt and Johnson is too good to ignore despite a lack of apparent depth. I hope Fields returns to form.
3. Louisiana Tech - they got better at the point guard spot after reaching the tournament semis last year. Kyle Gibson and Magnum Rolle could be the league's no. 2 inside out duo.
4. Idaho — Don Verlin made a believer out of me last year and he has the same squad coming back.
5. Utah State — Is this a slight? Maybe. Do I feel bad about it? Not really. How many games can Stew Morrill win by himself? Three? Four? So the rest of the time his players have to get it done. People say four starters from a team that won 30 games but outside of Wesley, those four starters aren't nearly as skilled as the teams above the UtAgs. I may be the last person to jump on the Quayle bandwagon, but I want to see how good he is without the big fella, whose motor and work ethic carried that team last year. The past USU teams had Carroll and Wilkinson. The remaining players are solid and I like USU, but they can't win the WAC every year.
6. Fresno State — Very talented frontcourt players. Big year for their coach?
7. San Jose State — I thought they would be better last year. They weren't. Oliver, Oakes and Webster are experienced enough to do some damage. Big year for their coach?
8 Boise State —
9 Hawaii
Both of these bottom teams seem to be in rebuilding mode and could finish in either 8th or 9th

Player of the Year
Jahmar Young, NMSU — I think Babbitt could get this. But I expect Jahmar to be huge this season. It's so impressive what he does, considering he's really a shooting guard who plays small forward.

ALL-WAC
Luke Babbitt, Nevada
Kyle Gibson, La. Tech
Mac Hopson, Idaho
Sylvester Seay, Fresno State

Newcomer of the Year
DeAndre Brown, La. Tech

Women
1. Fresno State
2. La. Tech
3. Boise State
4. NMSU
5. Idaho
6. Nevada
7. Hawaii
8. Utah State
9. San Jose State

Player of the Year
Shavavie Dowdell, La Tech

All-WAC
Madison Spence, NMSU
Jaleesa Ross, Fresno State
Adrienne Johnson, La. Tech
Tasha Harris, Boise State

Day One

2009-10-16T21:48:00.000-07:00

From talking with Coach Menzies before practice, you can clearly tell he is looking forward to the lineup possibilities on a team that seems deeper than any since he has been here.
Looking at the guys that were on the court on Friday was pretty impressive and when Troy and Wendell start practicing, they will be that much more athletic and just the size that they have. Even the guys who aren't cleared yet will add length and competition in practice and eventually in games.
I'm doing a story on the big men who will be playing in the paint while Gillenwater and Wendell are out. Center Hamidu Rahman looks to be in great shape. He said he lost 30 pounds in the offseason, which means he can be out there longer before hitting the wall. Robert Lumpkins has been working at the four spot and could battle Sy and BJ West for minutes at that position. All three of those guys seem like small forward types who will have to play down there at least to start out. But all three will also present matchup problems on the offensive end as well.

Here are some comments from Menzies on Friday

On J.Y.
"He is a really passionate kid who loves basketball. He really got better in the offseason. He got bigger, he got stronger. He is dunking it a lot easier than he did last year. He is also knocking down shots at a higher clip. I am really anticipating a big season from J.Y."

On depth
"I can't really get a grasp on how it's going to unfold and that's one of the exciting things for all of us because one day we come in and we talk about these lineups and then we think about that next guy down the rung and it's like, 'He could be in there too.' There is going to be competition for even the two and the three spot. Gordo has had a great offseason as well and if he's knocking down shots, I'm not taking him off the floor. Gibson has to be consistent or he is going to struggle to stay on the floor if those other guys are playing well. It's just going to be anybody's game."

Practice

2009-10-11T21:18:00.000-07:00

It appears that Justin Standley and Jacoby Patton will both redshirt this season, so the fact that they haven't been cleared as of Saturday shouldn't hurt the Aggies. Guard Da'Shawn Gomez was cleared and Menzies hopes B.J. West could be cleared before Friday's practice. It may be a little longer for Bandja Sy.

I spoke with Gordo Castillo for a few minutes over the weekend. Players and coaches always talk about playing together for multiple seasons. This is the second year together for this core group.

"I think it means a lot," Castillo said. "We know how each other plays and we know where that guy is going to be on the floor. We know who will get a rebound and who can make a shot. Everyone is a lot closer."

I also asked Gordo who might surprise us.

"Robert (Lumpkins) has been working hard on his game. He didn't get a whole lot of minutes last year but he is looking to get more and he might surprise some people. A lot of the new guys come in and go hard too. B.J. (West) is long, he grabs rebounds and he can also go out and shoot it."

Kirk a Lobo

2009-10-05T22:35:00.000-07:00

From the Journal

6-11 Kirk Decides To Become A Lobo
By Mark Smith / Journal Reporter
Monday, 05 October 2009 23:22
Los Alamos Center Chooses New Mexico Over Arizona

This time, the big one didn’t get away.
Los Alamos’ Alex Kirk, one of the state’s most highly recruited basketball players this decade, has given a verbal commitment to the UNM men’s basketball program.
Kirk, a 6-foot-11 senior post, told the Journal he will sign a national letter with Steve Alford’s Lobos in November.
“It’s definitely a relief to get it out of the way,” Kirk said of his decision Monday night. “It really was between UNM and Arizona. I’ve been thinking about it a lot, it’s been on my mind a lot. I know I can have success as a Lobo, and now it’s time to focus on the high school season.”
NCAA rules disallow coaches to speak about individual recruits, but it was well known that Kirk was UNM’s top priority for this signing class. Kirk is a gifted big man. He is a solid ball-handler, a solid passer, a great rebounder, a strong shot blocker and stellar shooter outside for a post man.
Kirk — who has a 7-foot-2 wingspan — averaged 28 points, 15 rebounds, seven blocks and three assists a game last season as a junior for the Hilltoppers.
His father, Alan, is head coach at Los Alamos.
“We knew it would be a methodical,” Alan said of the recruiting process. “ We knew the way people, over the last year, would come (after Alex), and the way he developed over the summer, he would have some real opportunities to consider.
“He had a lot of schools back east show interest in him, but he decided he wanted to stay in the west. And that helped narrow it down. We talked a lot about it and, he had a goal of getting it done before the season started. I was pretty confident it would happen in the next couple of weeks.”
Kirk should fit in nicely with Alford’s program, which is filled with talented underclassmen — but no true center. Kirk could be that big man, and he said the opportunity to play right away helped entice him to Loboville.
“I think I will get a chance to play early on,” Kirk said. “And UNM said it will probably be able to get me to the next level (the NBA). Those were real big reasons.”

Projecting starting 5

2009-10-02T15:20:00.000-07:00

In basketball, it means more who finishes a game than who starts it, but here is a preliminary look at who may start the season for each WAC team with the season now basically a month away. If you are logging on from another school, feel free to tell me how far off I am.

Boise State (19-13, 9-7) WAC qtr-round, CBI first-round
PG — Anthony Thomas 6-foot, 205 — 9.5 ppg, 4.7 apg
SG — Paul Noonan 6-7, 210 — 10 ppg, 3.6 rpg
SF — Robert Arnold 6-7 170 — Junior college transfer
PF — Ike Okoye 6-9, 230 — 8.9 ppg, 5.6 rpg
C — Kurt Cunningham 6-10, 260 — 10.2 ppg, 4.1 rpg

Fresno State (13-21, 3-13) WAC qtr
PG — Steven Shepp 6-2, 170 — Redshirt sophomore
SG — Mike Ladd 6--5 190 — 9.5 ppg, 36 3-pt %
SF — Paul George 6-8 210 — 14.3 ppg 6.2 rpg
PF — Sylvester Seay 6-10 235 — 15.3 ppg, 5.8 rpg
C — Nedeljko Golubovic 6-8 245 — 7.3 pp 34 3-pt %

Hawaii (13-17, 5-11) lost WAC play-in
PG — Hiram Thompson 6-2 175 — 2.4 apg
SG — Roderick Flemings 6-7 210 — 16.5 ppg, 5.8 rpg
SF — Adhar Mayen 6-8 195 — 4.3 ppg
PF — Bill Amis 6-9 220 — 10.7 ppg, 6.5 rpg
C — Paul Campbell 6-10 215 — 2.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg

Idaho (17-16, 9-7) WAC qtrs, 1-1 in CollegeInsider.com Tournament
PG — Mac Hopson 6-2 185 — 16.4 ppg, 5.9 apg
SG — Kashif Watson 6-1 175 – 10.3 ppg
SF — Luciano de Souza 6-7 205 — 8.5 ppg 36 3-pt %
PF — Brandon Wiley 6-6 225 — 8.3 ppg, 5.6 rpg
C — Marvin Jefferson 6-10 245 — 9.1 ppg, 4.5 rpg 58 blocked shots

Louisiana Tech (15-18, 6-10) lost WAC semi
PG — Jamel Guyton 6-3 180 — 11.8 ppg, 2.0 apg
SG — Kyle Gibson 6-5 205 — 16.1 ppg, 2.7 apg
SF — Olu Ashaolu 6-7 230 — 5.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg
PF — David Jackson 6-8 195 — 5.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg
C — Magnum Rolle 6-11 225 — 12.2 ppg, 7.2 rpg

Nevada (21-13, 11-5) lost WAC final, CBI first round
PG — Armon Johnson 6-3 195 — 15.5 ppg, 4.2 apg
SG — Brandon Fields 6-4 185— 9.4 ppg, 2.2 rpg
SF — Joey Shaw 6-6 205 — 7.4 ppg, 4.0 rpg
PF — Luke Babbitt 6-9 225 — 16.9 ppg, 7.4 rpg
C — Dario Hunt 6-8 230 — 3.6 ppg, 4.4 rpg

New Mexico State (17-15, 9-7) WAC semis
PG — Hernst Laroche 6-1 170 — 5.8 ppg, 4.3 apg
SG — Jonathan Gibson 6-1 171 — 14.1 ppg, 2.1 apg
SF — Jahmar Young 6-5 180 — 17.9 ppg, 4.0 rpg
PF — B.J. West 6-8 215 — Freshman
C — Hamidu Rahman 6-11, 245 — 6.8 ppg, 4.6 rpg

San Jose State (13-17, 6-10) WAC qtrs
PG — Justin Graham 6-4 195 — 8.3 ppg, 4.7 apg
SG — Adrian Oliver 6-4 210 — 17.1 ppg, 2.3 rpg
SF — Chris Jones 6-4 205 — Freshman from Newark, Calif.
PF — C.J. Webster 6-9 255 — 12 ppg, 6.5 rpg
C — Chris Oakes 6-10 235 — 8.2 ppg, 7.6 rpg

Utah State (30-5, 14-2) WAC champion, NCAA first round
PG — Jared Quayle 6-1 180 — 13.1 ppg, 6 rpg, 3.7 apg
SG — Pooh Williams 6-3 200 — 5.9 ppg, 1.9 rpg
SF — Tyler Newbold 6-4 200 — 9 ppg, 4.2 rpg
PF — Tai Wesley 6-7 240 — 12 ppg, 6 rpg
C — Matt Formisano 6-8 235 — 3.2 ppg, 2.2 rpg

WAC TV

2009-09-29T21:09:00.001-07:00

I'm sure you've seen this but here is the WAC television schedule. NMSU ended up with five regular season games

Nov. 16
Northern Colorado at Hawaii
11 p.m. HT
ESPN2

Jan. 2
Utah State at New Mexico State
TBA
ESPNU

Jan. 4
Nevada at New Mexico State
9 p.m. MT
ESPNU

Jan. 11
New Mexico State at Idaho
8 p.m. PT
ESPNU

Jan. 13
Utah State at Nevada
8 p.m. PT
ESPN2

Jan. 14
Fresno State at Louisiana Tech
7 p.m. CT
ERT

Jan. 21
Utah State at Fresno State
7 p.m. PT
ERT

Feb. 3
Idaho at Utah State
9 p.m. MT
ESPN2

Feb. 4
San Jose State at Louisiana Tech
7 p.m. CT
ERT

Feb. 6
Nevada at Utah State
8 p.m. MT
ESPNU

Feb. 6
Idaho at Boise State
10 p.m. MT
ESPNU

Feb. 8
Louisiana Tech at New Mexico State
7 p.m. MT
ERT

Feb. 10
Nevada at Idaho
8 p.m. PT
ESPN2

Feb. 17
Louisiana Tech at Utah State
9 p.m. MT
ESPN2

Feb. 24
Idaho at New Mexico State
9 p.m. MT
ESPN2

Feb. 27
Fresno State at San Jose State
7 p.m. PT
ESPNU

March 4
San Jose State at Idaho
7 p.m. PT
ERT

March 11
WAC Tournament Quarterfinal(s)
TBA
ESPNU

March 12
WAC Tournament Semifinal(s)
TBA
ESPN2

March 13
WAC Tournament Championship
7 p.m. PT
ESPN

Underclassmen

2009-09-27T19:32:00.000-07:00

This group is extremely unknown and very top heavy so I combined freshmen and sophomores for the upcoming season. Special thanks to Kevin McMarthy who helped fill in some gaps. There just wasn't the buzz for the young guys this year so the top flight players are no-brainers with the last three as underrated guys who broke through as last year went on. I expect this year's freshman class will do the same.

Top flight uderclassmen
Luke Babbitt, Nevada sophomore forward — Who knows how much longer we will get to watch Babbitt play in the WAC. At 6-9, he does everything well and is Nevada's go-to player so he could improve on his 16.9 (third in the WAC) and 7.4 boards (third in the WAC) that he put up as a freshman. Babbitt also shoots 45 percent from the field and 43 percent from 3-point land to become the first freshman at the school to lead the team in scoring and rebounding. All of this landed him on the first team All WAC,as well as the Newcomer team.
Troy Gillenwater, New Mexico State sophomore forward — Arguably the most skilled player on the NMSU roster, Gillenwater could also be the most frustrating. Had a run-in with head coach Marvin Menzies in San Jose last year that landed him on the bench. If he plays and Wendell McKines can't, Gillenwater will get all of the minutes he can handle. When he's focused, Gillenwater can score around the basket (12.1 ppg and 51 percent from the floor), knock down the 3 (8-of-29), put the ball on the floor and if he plays the 3 or 4, he defends well (second on the Aggies with 39 blocked shots). Will need to improve on his 4.3 rebounds this year.
Paul George, Fresno State sophomore forward — NBAdraft.net had the 6--8, 210-pound forward listed as a lottery pick in next year's draft. George has a fluid game, shooting 47 percent from the floor and 45 percent from long range. Can also get to the basket and posted 6.2 boards per game, which tied for ninth as a freshman last year.
Hernst Laroche, New Mexico State sophomore guard — Laroche was the biggest surprise to me last year on the Aggies. He proved to be a steal and provided the stability at the point that the Aggies haven't really had since Menzies took over. Laroche was second in assist-to-turnover ratio last year and always seemed to make the right play. He was fourth in the WAC with 4.34 assists per game
Mike Ladd, Fresno State sophomore guard — Started 15 games in the Fresno State backcourt last year but that number should increase with the departure of fellow soph Bryce Cartwright in the offseason. All of the Bulldogs can shoot. Ladd was fourth on the team with 9.5 points per game last year.
Hamidu Rahman, New Mexico State sophomore center — Word is that Rahman has added some muscle to his 6-11 frame. He started 27 games last year and with the departure of Chris Gabriel, the center position is all his when the Aggies use a center. Needs to improve on the boards though.

Also worth noting
Utah State guard Jaxon Myaer showed that he could knock down shots last year before giving way to Jared Quayle. USU freshman forward Tyrone White is expected to play right away. The 6-6 White put up 16 and 8 at Air Force Prep last year.

Fresno State added a local player in 6-10, 250-pound freshman center Greg Smith, who doesn't appear to have much competition for playing time if Steve Cleveland wants to go big.

At 6-7 Idaho freshman forward Corey Stern from Rainier Beach in Seattle could provide some depth for the Vandals.

Nevada added a couple of international freshmen to add depth in the backcourt and the frontcourt. 6-6 Patrick Nyeko is from Seattle Prep via London. Power forward Marko Cukic is from Serbia and at 6-9, 235, he could add some muscle inside for a Wolf Pack team that seems undersized.

Da'Shawn Gomez should contribute this year as a backup to Laroche and 6-8 freshman B.J. West could get some minutes before Gillenwater returns. Tyrone Watson is another frontcourt player who sat out last year and everyone seems to be excited about Bandja Sy's versatile game at 6-8

Chris Jones is a 6-4, 205 freshman guard at San Jose State. He is a scorer who can play either guard spot

Top juniors

2009-09-26T18:18:00.000-07:00

Top flight juniors
Jahmar Young, New Mexico State guard — The leading scorer in the WAC a year ago has gotten stronger in the offseason. IF redshirt Troy Gillenwater has a solid sophomore year and senior guard Jonathan Gibson plays well, Young could improve on his 17.9 ppg from a year ago. He was a first-team selection after shooting 42 percent on 3s last year. Young picked up his play when it mattered most, scoring 18.9 in WAC games.
Adrian Oliver, San Jose State guard — Eligibility and injuries limited the Washington transfer to 18 games last year. Once he got on the court, he dropped 27, 31 and 22 in his first three games. He also had games of 29, 28 (a loss at NMSU) and 37. It's strange that he only shot 26 percent from long range because he was a 43 percent shooter from the floor, but he did only shoot 65 from downtown. If you look at the WAC leaders, he doesn't show up on the list until you look at WAC games only, where he was second behind Young with 17.6 per game.
Armon Johnson, Nevada guard — About the only thing that Johnson didn't do well last year was shoot the ball. Very strong and athletic point guard with size, he still shot 28 percent from long range. He was still a first-team selection last year, scoring 15 per game and dishing out 4.3 assists per game.
Wendell McKines, New Mexico State forward — I'm not sold that Big Wen will see the court in the second semester after missing the first due to academics (Personally I feel like the Aggies would be better served redshirting him this season so he can work on his academics and come back even better next year) but he's too talented to leave off my list of top players. McKines was a snub for postseason awards last year after averaging 12.1 ppg and 10 rpg after posting 16 double-doubles last year.If he develops a jumper and some handle, watch out.
Tai Wesley, Utah State forward — Wesley had to take a back seat to Gary Wilkinson the last two years, but he is probably the most underrated power forward in the league, scoring 12 and 6 last year.

Second tier
Tyler Newbold, Utah State forward — Newbold is a classic USU player who does everything well. He can also play a little He was seventh last year with 1.71 3s a game.
Gordo Castillo, New Mexico State guard — Las Cruces High product led the WAC in 3-point percentage (45) as a sophomore.
C.J. Webster, San Jose State forward — Second on the Spartans in scoring (12) and first in rebounding (6.5), was eighth in the league in rebounds.
Justin Graham, San Jose State guard — Second in the WAC with 4.73 assists per game.
Paul Noonan, Boise State guard — Noonan is a streaky shooter who was kind of thrown into the fire last year out of necessity. He was third in scoring for the Broncos with 10 per game and he shot 34 percent on triples.

Honorable mention
Nedeljko Golubovic — A 6-foot-8 player who would rather shoot the 3. Golubovic was 34 percent on 3s on 112 attempts last year.
Boise State landed a trio of junior college guys in Robert Arnold, Daequon Montral and Westly Perryman. The 6-6 Arnold from Antelope Valley C.C. could be the best of them.
Hawaii added a seven-footer in Brazilian junior college project Douglas Kurtz
Idaho added Shawn Henderson, a guard from North Idaho College who shot 40 percent from long range.
Pooh Williams — Utah State's best perimeter defender. Utah State also added 6-9 forward Nate Bendall from NJCAA national champ Salt Lake CC.

Top seniors

2009-09-25T14:41:00.001-07:00

I wanted to go through the WAC based on class so this is the first of four in the next four days. I'm starting with the seniors because even though I think the WAC's best players are the sophomores and juniors, there are some quality seniors this year that will help lead the teams that I expect will be good as well as headline the bottom teams that I feel like will be better as well.

Top flight Seniors
Jonathan Gibson, New Mexico State guard — 6-foot-2 guard shot 9-of-16 (56 percent) from 3-point line in two WAC tournament games, reminding people why he is one of the best shooters in the league. Shouldn't have to worry about playing the point guard spot with the development of sophomore Hernst Laroche and freshman De'Shawn Gomez expected to contribute at that position.
Mac Hopson, Idaho guard — Hopson was one of the high major transfers that lived up to the hype last year, helping turn Idaho's program around. Hopson was a first-team selection who was fifth in scoring (16.4ppg), first in assists (5.88 pg) fourth in steals (1.67pg), fourth in 3-point percentage (43 percent) and fourth in assist to turnover ratio
Sylvester Seay, Fresno State forward — A second team player last year after transferring from Arizona State, Seay led the Bulldogs with 15.3 points per game to go with 5.8 rebounds per game. What I like about Seay is his versatility — at 6-10, Seay shot 37 percent from 3-point range and blocked 58 shots. Seay and youngster Paul George are one of the better one-two punches in the league.
Roderick Flemings, Hawaii guard — Flemings flirted with the NBA Draft but returned to Hawaii, where he should improve his numbers after scoring 16.6 points per game last year — fourth best in the WAC. He did it all for his team and it should be the same this year after leading the Warriors in scoring, steals, 3-point percentage (31 percent), offensive rebounds and minutes played.
Kyle Gibson, Louisiana Tech guard — Gibson was a second team player last year after scoring 16.1 points per game, sixth best in the league. Gibson was third in 3-point percentage (43 percent) and he led the league in triples made.

Second tier
Magnum Rolle, Louisiana Tech forward — At 6-foot-11, 220 pounds, Rolle could be one of the top NBA prospects in the WAC. Averaged 12.7 and 7.2 for the Bulldogs while shooting 53 percent
Jared Quayle, Utah State guard — Was a head scratching selection to the second team last year. I guess I could be wrong but we will see if he shoots 39 percent from long range again without big man Gary Wilkinson in the middle
Chris Oakes, San Jose State forward — Second in the WAC with 7.6 rebounds per game
Anthony Thomas, Boise State guard — Freshman of the year has been a productive throughout his career at Boise State. Third in the league last year with 4.72 assists per game

Honorable mention
Ike Okoye, Boise State power forward —5.6 boards per game...second with 1.88 blocks per game, physical player in his second year after leaving Wyoming
Jamel Guyton, Louisiana Tech guard — 11.8 points per game and two assists, makes things go for the Bulldogs
Brandon Fields, Nevada guard — Remember him? I do after he scored 12.4 points per game and shot 38 percent from long range two years ago. He landed in Mark Fox's doghouse last year after an early legal issue. Now with first year coach David Carter and the young talented guys, he can finish his career on a high note.
Bill Amis, Hawaii center — Scored 10.7 per game and had 6.5 boards last year. Hawaii's most skilled big man and only interior threat last year
Marvin Jefferson, Idaho center — A beast at 6-10, 245 pounds. Filled a role for the Vandals with 9.1 points per game, 4.5 rebounds and was third in the WAC with 1.81 blocks per game

WAC preview

2009-09-22T12:36:00.000-07:00

I plan on putting some stuff out on here in the next few days on the WAC based on the preview that the league released on Monday. People have been asking me about Lamine Diame, a 6-6 forward and Jacoby Patton, a guard from New Orleans. Patton won't be a factor this year, he will redshirt and when he does join the Aggies, it seems like he will be a player who adds depth in practice. Diame has a chance to help, but he won't be cleared until the second semester at the earliest. Both players are not scholarship guys and it's frustrating to admit, but I was just as surprised to see those guys pop up on the roster as you.

Another minor tidbit is Abdoulaye Ndoye tweaked his knee and will undergo minor surgery on Wednesday to repair a torn meniscus ... he could be ready when practice starts in less than a month. ... Someone asked about eligibility. Menzies said all of the new players have their materials turned in and he doesn't anticipate any taking longer than normal