NMSU Aggies looking to upset Baylor Bears

The New Mexico State Men’s Basketball team is participating in the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time in six years.

First-year head coach Paul Weir leads the 14th-seeded Aggies against the No. 3-seed Baylor.

The Aggies are 7-21 all-time at the Big Dance with all seven of their wins coming in between 1968 and 1970.

The players themselves are confident in their play leading up to the matchup.

“Well, I think as a team we share the ball well,” Guard Matt Taylor said. “We play together. We play for each other. Obviously we can shoot it a little bit and stuff like that offensively. And then defensively we’re pretty good as well. So between sharing the ball and then just trying to pick up our pressure on defense and be active and stuff like that, I think those are our strong points.”

While the lone senior on the team, Ian Baker, said he along with the entire team, is focused more so than tournament appearances in the past.

“I think coach just has us in a right mindset,” Baker said. I think the last couple of times we came here and weren’t as focused. We didn’t pay as much to detail like we should have, and that’s pretty much been what he has done for us all year, keep us focused. Always worried about the best game, and that’s pretty much it.”

There were also several fans in attendance at the open team practice, including Robert Garza, the father of NMSU junior guard Joe Garza. Safe to say his father is confident in the Aggie’s ability to advance to the round of 32.

“I think it’s the biggest test of the year and I also think they can beat them (Baylor),” Garza said. In fact I am positive they will beat Baylor this year in the tournament.”

While other fans part of NMSU’s “6th man club” believe in the Aggie’s chances.

“I’m already to go to New York City for the sweet 16,” fan Rita Triviz said. “My big worry is coach Weir worries one game at a time and I’m already worried to face Duke. We’re in the east bracket and we are going to see Duke in the Madison square garden, and I can’t wait to go to that game.”

The first-round action against the #12/11-ranked Bears serves as the first game in Tulsa and is scheduled for a 10:40 a.m.(MT)/11:40 a.m. local time (CT) tip-off on TruTV.