Going Kiwi-ing or just a coincidence?

Thanks to the 'sleuthing' of Sam Wasson at the BleedCrimson site, we now know that Marvin Menzies is in Arizona this weekend as part of a coaching clinic and to watch some basketball. Just asking (not spreading a rumor because we have no knowledge on this matter, will Coach Menzies also be tripping to Westwind Prep too? WP is the current home of one Kiwi Gardner who has been offered by New Mexico State. Like current Aggie Wendell McKines, Gardner is also an alumnus of the Oakland Soldiers club basketball team.

Just two items this morning

Teddy Feinberg weighs in on the length of a contract extension for Coach Marvin Menzies.

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Daniel Lyght confirms one name in the Fresno State search for a new head basketball coach.

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That looks like it, at least for now.

Wednesday a.m. and the WAC

Two days off for the USU players? Is any further evidence needed that Stew is mellowing into a basketball version of Mr. Rogers?

Tony Jones writes about the above and also has this blog entry on the Aggie point guard corps. Shawn Harrison goes in-depth on Brockeith Pane.

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Here's Sam Wasson with his weekly Marvin Menzies interview.

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Newcomer at the point Derrell Conner receives the celeb treatment -- both Joe Santoro and Chris Murray writes about the junior college transfer. Dan Hinxman looks at Wolf Pack point guards past and present.

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Per Brian McInnis, Hawaii doesn't face Utah State until Saturday and the Rainbow Warriors are homeworkin' it to be ready and advance their three-game win streak.

Dayton Morinaga has the news that Gib Arnold will sport different attire depending on the crowd numbers for the USU matchup.

Looking at tonight's games

Dayton Morinaga offers print, video and a photo -- including a scouting report from a UH assistant coach -- previewing the visit of UH to Las Cruces.

Brian McInnis also looks at the two teams.

Sam Wasson serves up his weekly interview with Coach Marvin Menzies.

Jason Groves' preview, among other things, looks at the 'bigs' on each roster and that should be quite the battle tonight.

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Ethan Conley writes about tonight's LT - SJSU matchup.

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Nick Jezierny shines some light on La'Shard Anderson, who is putting together a very strong senior season. Nick also delves into the stylistic and statistical differences between Aggie and Broncos basketball play plus what to watch for in tonight's big game between the undefeated.

Shawn Harrison is here, Kraig Williams is here and Tony Jones fill us in on the emergence of Brockeith Pane.The duel between Pane and Anderson will go a long way in influencing the outcome of the game.

No game reports but plenty of links

Sam Wasson starts us off with his weekly interview of Coach Marvin Menzies.

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But the biggest news is Bill Amis' declaration -- Brian McInnis has it.

Dayton Morinaga features Miah Ostrowski in print, photo and video.

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Jason Groves blogs on Wendell McKines' decision. 

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The status of Steed leads the Fresno State basketball news from Daniel Lyght.

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It's not until Thursday but the Daily Bronco site has an early statistical preview of the Boise State venture to San Jose State. 

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Kraig Williams serves up a new edition of his Aggie Notebook.

A few more items

Just asking/not knowing: does the first appearance of freshman frontcourter Renaldo Dixon in New Mexico State's last game mean Wendell McKines is redshirting? Or is Coach Marvin Menzies simply in need of greater depth with McKines and Hamidu Rahman currently sidelined?

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We're less than double-digit games into the season yet there are individuals posting thumbs up/thumbs down declarations on Marvin Menzies (does 'winning' against Michigan State qualify as short term or long term memory loss?) and Steve Cleveland.

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At the Bulldog Barks and Bytes basketball MB (Karl Malone's Court) under the link Brandon Gibson, Dwayne from Minden (after all, there is only one) has posted that LT's Darius Redding is now inactive due to academics. He is a 6-foot-4 sophomore forward and his stats this season are six games played, just under 23 minutes a contest, 6 points and three rebounds a contest.

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Melvin Grussing at his superb Antelope Valley College basketball site, has a new post up indicating the squad is not playing up to its potential, losing a tourney final to a less talented team, with a strong emphasis on t-e-a-m. The money quote: "Nick Bennett, sophomore 2 guard said it all after the game. “'We just got to play it hard the whole time.”Egos got in the way and headcases and stuff like that, we just got to play as a team the whole time." It's tough to beat the best JUCO team in California when your best player can’t make it to walk through before the biggest game of the year so far and is held out of the starting line up..." 

In the top player reference, is that Utah State signee Kyisean Reed? 

In another post from another contest, Melvin has this: "JUCO BB expert Ref Heckler after the game: “Kyisean Reed looked like he was playing for “Golden Valley High” in the first half.” In the second half, he took over the game and looked like a NBA star.”

Maybe an injection of vitamin Stew Morrill will cure whatever is the ailment.

A WAC Wednesday p.m. edition

Dayton Morinaga reports that UH backcourt recruit Gerry Blakes is signed, sealed and delivered.

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Sam Wasson serves up his weekly interview with Coach Marvin Menzies.

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With a tip of the hat to Sam for directing us, here is a Bruce Pascoe interview of Marvin Menzies.

Monday and the world of WAC basketball

Utah State turned to Mr. T to slow down Weber State star backcourter Damian Lillard and the move paid off. Shawn Harrison has the details.

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Dayton Morinaga offers 25 photos from Hawaii's victory over Fullerton.

Brian McInnis serves up a game preview of 2-0 Hawaii facing Central Michigan. ESPN will televise it. Dave Reardon has posted a column looking at UH hoops to date.

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Jason Groves reports Coach Marvin Menzies wants more fannies in the seats this season and it starts tonight with a ring ceremony for the Aggies.

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AW Prince is all over tonight's Nevada-Pacific contest (at Pauley Pavilion), providing print, video and some extra crisp photos.

Chris Murray has game preview details here. Dan Hinxman shares some PP video and also that Coach David Carter wants to witness a mid-tempo style of play -- not death metal nor a dirge.

Three more items

Joe Santoro offers a feature on the Wolf Pack plus quick hits on each team in the WAC.

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Jason Groves has posted a 2:45 video with Marvin Menzies

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Chris Murray went through each game on Nevada's schedule, providing background details and a comment on each. This one will take you some time to get through.

WAC Wednesday

seldomseesmith, with his usual doggedness, is reporting that Idaho has a commitment from CA JC big Wendell Faines. One Wendell is departing (maybe) and a new one arrives.

Faines is 6-foot-9 and 235 (here's a link to a couple of photos at the Saddleback College site). He signed with Drake out of high school but didn't qualify academically. He started 26 of 31 games last season, averaging 16 miniutes per contest. Faines shot 51% from the floor and 64% at the foul line, scoring 7.2 points and grabbing 4.9 rebounds each time out. He blocked 55 shots.

In a mid-September post here, Coach Jon Wyers, who is very familiar with southern California junior college basketball, described Faines this way:

"Strictly a low post player. He is more of a high energy guy who rotates very well in team defense. He has great timing on blocking shots and rebounds very well. Very active. His offensive skills are raw but you can see he is developing some post moves and is developing good footwork. I do not think he is a D-1 prospect but is more of a D2/NAIA guy."

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Nick Jezierny reports that Adams State hung tough -- leading at the half -- before falling to Boise State. Head here.

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Sam Wasson offers up an interview with Coach Marvin Menzies at his Bleed Crimson site.

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At the Warrior Insider, Dayton Morinaga has the details on a Brazilian prep player of apparent interest to UH -- he's a big..

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Cassidy Creech located a Joe (Mr. Bracketology) Lunardi mention of Utah State over at ESPN Insider and tipped us off (sub required).

Thursday morning's WAC-aroo

In the latest recruiting news, PTW remains available for signing in the early November time period although there is a growing chorus chanting that we should be committed.

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Could it be the Westly Perryman Show this season up in Boise? Nick Jezierny offers some background on the versatile Bronco backcourter.

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Coach Marvin Menzies takes to the local newspaper and pens an article about New Mexico State hoops.

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seldomseensmith provides update on former USU basketballers Modou Niang and Jaxon Myaer, now at Seattle Pacific and Montana State Billings respectively.

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The new USU Fan site has a note from Bill Sproat -- it's great news. Bookmark the site here. The message boards are here.

Friday's WAC offerings

seldomseensmith at BlueAggies.com comes through again with Anthony DiLoretto's landing spot and more. We think you can go directly here for the scoop.

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Jim Hilley at Bulletin in the Zone writes that Marvin Menzies is currently abroad -- gotta be recruiting as it's too early for Oktoberfest.

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According to the Fullcourt Press site, Fresno State has multiple feelers out for 2011 prospects: 6-foot-7 Jonathan Davis/Simi Valley (Hawaii has offered), 6-foot-5 Sharif Watson.Rowland Heights, 6-foot-7 Eric Norman/Parker High (Hawaii is also interested). 

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Shooting guard Lonnie Jackson is featured in an Adam Gorney-penned Rivals article (sub required) and the 2011 scorer indicates Boise State (assistant Jeff Linder) is in the mix.

Here is an April 2010 ESPN evaluation of Jackson: "April, 2010: Jackson is one of the better shooters in the west. He has a wiry frame with decent length, but he needs to get stronger to separate from defenders. His shot is consistent in a catch-and-shoot situation, but it gets erratic (lack of strength) when he has to shoot off..."

Here is an April 2010 feature on Jackson from his area newspaper.

A pair of recruiting items

We keep hearing Coach Marvin Menzies has interest in Cal backcourter D.J. Seeley, who recently announced his coming departure from Cal. He is not alone.

PTW has no idea if the feeling is mutual but if MM can lure Seeley to Las Cruces then it will take on the patina -- at least to some degree -- to "bringing Mohammed to the mountain."

Berkeley and Cal to Las Cruces and New Mexico State -- no knocks towards any of these locations and schools -- will require Menzies to be on top of his spiel.

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Plus, here is an intriguing prospect -- we will try and find out more, specifically what actually is up with his recruitment.

Remi Barry’s hoops odyssey
Senior took a circuitous route to Del Oro, but will he play for the Eagles?
Eric J. Gourley
Auburn Journal
1/23/2010

Remi Barry’s route to the Gold Country wasn’t exactly direct.

His is a basketball odyssey that has stretched from France to Florida to France to California to the uncertainty of a pending administrative decision regarding his ability to play the game he loves...

...Barry may have already lost some college looks this winter, but he’s still drawn interest from Fresno State, Gonzaga, USC and North Carolina State, among others. Coaches from Stanford, UC Berkeley, UC Davis, Nevada, Pacific, St. Mary’s and San Francisco also visited Del Oro to watch Barry practice during the fall...

Go here for the remainder.

We might as well be fasting

The pickings are mighty slim so far this morning. Luckily, Jason Groves came through or we would have a blank screen.

Jason Groves talked with Marvin Menzies on the new head coaches in the WAC -- go here.

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JUST ADDED

Saw this at the Draft Express site about the upcoming Portsmouth Invitational for the second-level collegiate draft prospects:

"...The major head-scratcher would be Magnum Rolle from Louisiana Tech, a 24-year old who averaged 14 points per game in the WAC conference, and is surely getting terrible advice. He was an extreme long-shot to get drafted even with a stellar Portsmouth showing, but would have been smart to take advantage of the international scouts in attendance to try and improve his earning potential next season. Rolle reportedly was having second thoughts about his decision and tried to get reinvited, but wasn't able to make up his mind in time..."

Kyle Gibson and Roderick Flemings will be there. It would have been nice to see how Jared Quayle matched up but apparently no invite was extended.

WAC Wednesday

Sam Wasson offers up an interview with Marvin Menzies.

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Brian McInnis interviews Trevor Wiseman, Hawaii's newest commit.

Dayton Morinaga also has the details of Trevor Wiseman's commitment to UH.

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Nick Hinton, a Lone Star State big man, selects Texas State over a number of other offers, including one from Louisiana Tech. Blue Zertuche at TexasHoops.com has the scoop (a Rivals sub is required).

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Sunday's WAC menu

It's going to forever be remembered as "the call" in New Mexico State basketball lore but there actually was also a second play very late in the NMSU - MSU game that remains questionable:

Menzies still seeking explanation on late call
Jason Groves
Las Cruces Sun-News
3/21/2010

SPOKANE, Wash. — A day after pushing a Top 15 team to the limit in the 2010 NCAA Tournament, New Mexico State head basketball coach Marvin Menzies said he hasn't watched any national coverage of the last 18 seconds of his team's 70-67 loss to Michigan State on Friday...

Go here for the remainder.

It certainly appeared as if the referees had somewhere else to be and needed a quick closure but the case is closed.

Here is six and a half minutes of highlights of the Aggie - Spartan game offered by Sam Wasson/Bleed Crimson.

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Dayton Morinaga has the coverage on Gib Arnold's official introduction plus a ton of video -- go here and enjoy.

Brian McInnis is here with his press conference coverage and Dave Reardon has quite the titillating column here.

We couldn't pass this up: with tongue firmly in cheek, for some, Gib Arnold's hiring was facilitated by the He Who Must Be Obeyed with the birth certificate in the lanai. Oh my, that's the mother of all conspiracy theories.

More Thursday WAC linkeroos

Marvin Menzies' weekly interview is brought to you here by Sam Wasson.

Jason Groves offers a feature here on the often overlooked Hamidu Rahman, who is definitely drawing more defensive attention this season.

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Travis Mason-Bushman's weekly WAC power rankings are available here.

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You have to love the young ballers who have yet to turn robotic in their dealings with the press. Daniel Lyght has a preview here of the Fresno State - New Mexico State matchup with a great quote from Jahmar Young. You thankfully don't get the inert "we play one game at a time" or "our opponent is very, very good and we'll be lucky to win" from Young. No, we are not going to give away what Young said -- hit the link.

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Nick Jezierny has a feature on possible Bronco enochlophobia here. We're going with plain ol' coincidence.

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Brian McInnis has a report on Jeremy Lay's season-ending injury here -- of course, this has to be happening at UH.

Not what Marvin Menzies needed

Maybe this won't effect the positive on court momentum the Aggies have generated of late -- they still beat Fresno State -- but it certainly refills the figurative 'ammunition cache' of those in the community harping about the basketball program:

McKines arrested for not paying fines; out on bond
Las Cruces Sun-News
1/20/2010

New Mexico State junior basketball player Wendell McKines was booked into the Doña Ana County Detention Center Friday evening and released on bond early Saturday morning, according to the jail...

Go here for the remainder.

Our take on New Mexico State

You may wish to read Teddy Feinberg's/Las Cruces Sun-News commentary on New Mexico State basketball first before proceeding. You can find that here.

It's true that Marvin Menzies walked into a very good talent situation when he took the head coaching position at New Mexico State. His initial team played in the WAC title game as did his second outfit. But it was squads built on top of a quake zone and with a mirage-like quality -- meaning, any sort of a foundation was absent.

That's because the D-1 transfers that provided the bulk of talent and experience leading to the Aggies successes were to soon graduate. En masse. But it's also important to note that even this bunch included some talents who were not the most diligent of students. Some had to miss games and the New Mexico State APR number was also unsatisfactory per the NCAA.

The Reggie Theus years were a sort of harmonic convergence -- a rare event that is difficult to duplicate because of the many reasons it came together in the first place, not all necessarily because of who was in charge. Call it magical if you will.

As for "tantilizing prospects," inherited by Menzies, well, Herb Pope, Jonathan Gibson and Jahmar Young all came packaged with issues. Who really knows all that went on in Pope's situation but it didn't seem that much of a surprise to many when he departed for a school closer to home. Was this loss something to ding Menzies for? We can't see it.

Gibson has displayed a penchant for absenteeism regarding some of his commitments and that certainly reduced or eliminated his ability to perform in any sort of a leadership position, if he even desired to fill such a role. Again, we cannot disparage Menzies for this

Young has encountered a couple of past and present blips but seemingly was moving/had moved into the lead as the most influential Aggie. If we are incorrect then please let us know. Hopefully Young is but, if not, it's still not a knock on him or Menzies.

What can be laid at Menzies' feet is the student-athletes he has brought to Las Cruces. They can fairly be described as too often long-term projects and questionable 'classroomers' -- at least the individuals who were considered the future foundation that needed to be built.

We don't like naming names but this requires it be done. Troy Gillenwater has the potential to play at a Top 25 college but he didn't land anywhere near that and there are reasons why -- personal maturity and attitude towards the former in the student-athlete description. He was a gamble, one of a type many coaches will take but usually limiting it to one of such and usually if the team has some veterans whose influence rules the demeanor of the squad.

Wendell McKines is a loveable 'livewire' young man who doesn't offer any problems on the court but is deficient in self-disciplining the student portion of his life. He doesn't leave the west coast of California for college if not for his high school academics.

That made two academic risks.

There were/are young men with exceptional basketball potential but ones who needed extra time and attention with their off-court development. Now we don't know if this was provided -- maybe offered is a more accurate term -- but it seems safe to say if must have been because why would any coach bring in players, knowing they will struggle, and not offer concentrated assistance?

At the risk of repeating, these were gambles. So we see the success or failure of these two ventures ultimately depending upon how much these two young man could and would be willing to change, to transform parts of themselves.

Currently, the answer is not enough.

Again, did Coach Menzies think he had enough of the right players to positively influence Gillenwater and McKines? That seems like a stretch. Maybe he thought the coaching influence of he and his staff would suffice. If so on one or either, call it a miscalculation, or two.

Plus, Menzies' forays into recruiting players from Africa -- which may pay off down the line if there is one -- have yet to produce anything positive on the court. It is fine to do what he did but best if there is a productive team core already in place.

Maybe one of the 800 pound elephants in the room is recruiting to Las Cruces. Theus did it -- short term -- but almost exclusively with players looking for a second and last chance. Plus, Pope wasn't going to be at NMSU for four years even if Theus stayed. Coach T didn't build something for the next coach to add to -- it was more that a major rebuilding project would actually need to be undertaken. He wasn't going to be around long enough to bother with such. So can enough solid high school kids be lured to Las Cruces? We don't know the answer but it has yet to be done.

However, the bottomline is that coaches will remain or depart based upon who they recruit. That will play out positively or negatively for Coach Menzies.

This will not go down well

Alex Schwartz of the Northstar Basketball Blog has a post up about 6-foot-11 Alex Kirk staying in-state and committing to Steve Alford and New Mexico. In it is this paragraph:

"...Another key factor for Kirk in his decision was the location of the school. "[That was] big time [part], so my dad, family, and friends could see me play, and I have tons of friends going to UNM this and next year." How did Alex decide that New Mexico was the right in-state program over New Mexico State? "Never was recruited by NMSU." Asked why that is, he responded, "Let's just leave it at NMSU didn't recruit me. I don't want to say anything bad..."

The other school in the running was PAC-10 member Arizona.

Is it fair to criticize Coach Marvin Menzies for not saying 'the hell with the odds' and jumping in feet first? After all, what's the cost of an unofficial visit? Even an official one would be just a hotel room for a night and some meals.

Seemingly, the answer is yes.

Now we can't quantify this and could certainly be completely wrong but our gut tells us there's just no way Alex Kirk was ever going to play for the Aggies.

But not wooing him him guaranteed that.

Let's also attach this addendum: there is so much that goes in in recruiting that never sees print or pixel and assuredly such is the case here.