NMSU basketball begins practice for 2016-17 season

LAS CRUCES, N.M. – New Mexico State is entering the 2016-17 men’s basketball season with a new head coach and a new mentality.

“We want to play at a faster tempo offensively and defensively,” said head coach Paul Weir. “And, obviously, it’s going to change a little game by game based on who we’re playing. But the intent is just to increase the possessions per game.”

The Aggies are under new leadership after former coach Marvin Menzies left the program to become the head coach at UNLV during the offseason.

Weir takes the reigns of a program still expected to perform well in the WAC, despite the change at the helm and the loss of Pascal Siakam, who was drafted by the Toronto Raptors in the first round of this year’s NBA Draft.

Athlon Sports picked the Aggies to win the WAC once again this season.

The team made the NCAA Tournament each year from 2012-2015 but lost in the 2016 WAC Tournament final on a buzzer-beater against CSU Bakersfield.

Once the season ended, guard Ian Baker said he would test NBA waters along with Siakam. However, Baker decided to return for another season at NMSU.

“I would say our only goal is to get better every day,” said Baker. “Everything else will take care of itself. It’s a long season. Today’s just day one. So we’re just getting better every day.”

Aggies fans should also get used to hearing the name “Jermaine Haley” this season. The 6’7″ guard from Canada was highly-recruited by Power Five teams. But he says his relationship with Weir is what prompted him to choose NMSU.

“I think everybody in Las Cruces is gonna be shocked this year,” said Haley. “We’re gonna shock the world, I think.”

NMSU opens its 2016-17 campaign on Nov. 11 at home against Arizona Christian.