Football
Associated Press 17y

Theus and transfers, a potentially salty combination at New Mexico State

LAS CRUCES, N.M. -- There's no wiping the smile off Reggie
Theus' face these days. Not when he's acting like a kid who can't
wait to open Christmas presents that have been sitting under the
tree for a year.

The former NBA All-Star and more recently assistant to Rick
Pitino at Louisville, has this desert college town busting with
anticipation for what New Mexico State fans and foes suspect will
be a breakout year for the Aggies.

With good reasons.

Theus accepted the NMSU job on the same night that Louisville
won the NCAA tournament's Albuquerque Regional in March of 2005. He
inherited a program that finished 6-24, the school's worst season
in 39 years.

Theus, with his extensive NBA resume and can't miss charisma,
was an instant hit in Las Cruces. So was his coaching style.

What Aggie fans thought could be a slow road to recovery turned
into a 16-14 season -- the fifth best turnaround in the country last
year -- and a 10-6 mark in the Aggies' inaugural season in the
Western Athletic Conference.

But what really got the adrenalin flowing was the fact Theus'
best players spent all of last season on the bench. Several are
transfers who for one reason or another decided to start over with
Theus. They sat out last year under NCAA regulations governing
transfers from one D-1 school to another.

It made for some interesting and intense practices last season.
More often than not, the second unit, led by the redshirting
transfers, put double-digit beatings on the starting five.

"We won, by a lot," said forward Justin Hawkins, a transfer
from Utah. "We treated it like a game because we didn't get to
play in a regular game. We didn't give them (starters) any breaks
last year."

Guard Fred Peete came from Kansas State, where as a sophomore he
averaged 13 points a game. He underwent surgery for a herniated
disc before last season and couldn't practice until just before the
end of the season.

"I was recruited here (NMSU) by Lou Henson before I went to
Kansas State," said Peete. "I opted to go to Kansas State because
it was a big time conference. I transferred because I didn't like
the direction of the (Wildcats) program."

Hawkins was one of five players to leave Utah after the Utes
reached the Round of 16 in 2005. At 6-foot-7 and 205 pounds, he
averaged 8.5 points and 4.2 rebounds his sophomore year with the
Utes, but wanted to be more of a shooter than a paint player.

He's got his wish.

"He came here and wanted to be a three man (small forward),"
said Theus. "I told him he had his redshirt year to prove to me he
could play on the perimeter. He, without a doubt, is a very solid
three man."

Hawkins' move to the perimeter merely opened up more room for
two other transfers -- 7-footer Martin from UNC-Charlotte and Trei
Steward, a 6-7, 240-pounder from Northern Colorado. Then there's
6-9, 240-pound Hatila Passos, who joined the Aggies after leading
Arkansas-Fort Smith to the National Junior College Athletic
Association national championship last season.

"We've got four post players. Last year we had Tyrone Nelson,"
Theus said. "Our ability to slash, our ability to score from the
perimeter, our ability to play in the post, are all very good
options for us."

So many options that Nelson, the team's leading scorer (17.8
ppg) and rebounder (8.7 rpg) last season and a first team all-WAC
pick, is battling to keep his starting spot. Theus has suspended
Nelson twice since August, the most recent a four-day suspension
for breaking unspecified team rules.

In August, Nelson was suspended by Theus while the school looked
into allegations that Nelson robbed a pizza delivery man. He
rejoined the team after a university committee found no evidence
that Nelson was involved.

The returnees from last season include former St. John's guard
Elijah Ingram, who averaged 13.4 points last season and Shaun
Davis, a former transfer from Pepperdine, an off-and-on starter
last year who averaged 7.2 points a game.

Theus is quick to note that New Mexico State is no Duke or
Louisville, but that doesn't mean a mid-major like the Aggies can't
think big.

"I don't judge our team by our conference or this region. I
judge it by the rest of the country," Theus said. "I tell the
guys, 'If you want to win a national championship, if you want to
go deep into the NCAA, you've got to put yourself up against the
rest of the country.' I don't ever want to think inside the box."

Theus said he has so much depth, "legitimately we could go 12
deep."

That begs the question of whether Theus can dish out enough
minutes to keep everyone happy.

"I had a long talk with Coach Pitino and he said that's not a
problem, because they decide who's going to play and how much by
their effort in practice," Theus said.

Hawkins says if the Aggies win, the minutes issue won't be one.

"I don't think anyone has any expectations of super high
numbers as far as scoring points," Hawkins said. "If we win, it
will make everybody look good."

Especially Theus, who if not for an ill-timed trip out of the
country in June, might be coaching in the NBA this year. Theus,
according to Kings co-owner Gavin Maloof, was on their short list
and had agreed to interview with Kings general manager Geoff
Petrie. But with Theus out of the country, the Kings decided to
hire Eric Mussleman before they could set up a meeting with Theus.

"I was honored they contacted me about the job," Theus said at
the time. "Geoff Petrie called to set up an interview. Obviously,
when the NBA calls you've got to listen."

For now, the Aggies are a team of unproven potential.

"On paper, we're as good as ...," says Theus, reluctant to
finish the sentence. "I see a lot of things that I like, but I
have an old saying: `Paper refuses no ink."

New Mexico State is picked to finish second in the Western
Athletic Conference behind defending champion Nevada. Hawkins says
the Aggies are definitely starting the season below the national
radar.

"We should be," he said. "It's not a bad place to be
necessarily. We have some question marks. But it doesn't matter
where we are right now. What matters is where we are at the end of
the season."

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