New Mexico State Aggies
Record: 26-9
Head Coach: Marvin Menzies (7th season)
Season summary: With a winless record against ranked opponents, the Aggies might seem like a pushover (insert joke about fighting opposing fans here). But with 7-foot-5, 355-lb Sim Bhullar (10.2 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 3.5 BPG) roaming the paint, New Mexico State is far from an ideal matchup for anyone, as shown by its recent five-game winning streak to take the Western Athletic Conference tournament championship. Daniel Mullings (16.8 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 3.5 APG) is the Aggies' primary offensive threat, and although the squad doesn’t shoot many treys, Kevin Aronis (44.0 3FG%) is making more than two per game in limited minutes.
How they make a run: Bhullar proves to be a nuisance for undersized teams, and the Aggies continue to shoot well (48.9% this season, ninth in the country) against higher-level competition.
How they falter: New Mexico State fades in the second half as the opposition adjusts to Bhullar's presence, just as ranked opponents Arizona and Gonzaga did earlier this year to outscore the Aggies by a combined 29 points in the second half.
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