NMSU is not seeking national attention, but the Aggies do appreciate it

The New Mexico State men’s basketball team is starting to get a bit more attention nationally after a 13-game win streak that helped them lock up the top seed in the WAC Tournament.

By “a bit more,” we mean one vote in the AP Top 25 poll.

But, hey, it’s a start.

The Aggies are also projected to be a 12-seed in the NCAA Tournament by ESPN”s Joe Lunardi. That would match the seed the Aggies received last season in the Big Dance before they were eliminated by fifth-seeded Clemson.

NMSU currently sits at 24-4 and has also assured itself of at least a share of the WAC regular season championship.

However, the Aggies are still flying under the radar compared to other mid-major teams like Wofford, which is ranked 24th in the AP Poll this week and currently projected to be a nine-seed come tournament time.

NMSU head coach Chris Jans says national attention for a mid-major is certainly nice, but it’s something the fans worry about more than the team does.

“And I certainly understand that. And certainly from a fan’s perspective, I’m sure they get into a little more than maybe we do,” he said. “But at the same time, there’s a lot of positives that come from that.”

Right now, the Aggies still have plenty of work to do to make it into the NCAA Tournament. All indications point to the WAC once again being a one-bid league, meaning only a WAC Tournament title will be enough to make it to March Madness.

“Hopefully, we’ll just continue to win,” said Jans. “All we can control is our play and, as much as we can, the outcome of each and every game. And if we continue winning, you know, hopefully we’ll pick up some momentum that way.”

The Aggies next play at UMKC on Thursday. A win would guarantee the Aggies the outright WAC regular season title.