LAS CRUCES, N.M. - New Mexico State won't be able to use the element of surprise on the rest of the Western Athletic Conference basketball season thanks to its win over Utah State Thursday night.
The Aggies (9-10, 5-3), who host Nevada (16-5, 6-3) tonight at the Pan American Center, can play basketball, and by now everybody in the WAC knows it, especially Nevada coach Mark Fox.
"They are very quick," Fox said. "The big kid (6-9 Tyrone Nelson) knows how to play. They play well together. They believe they can win.
"I don't know what they were like last year. He (Reggie Theus) should get the credit because he's coaching them now. They have a lot of confidence and passion for the game, and that's to his credit."
Nelson, who scores at a 17.6 clip, leads the Aggies. Mike Mitchell and Elijah Ingram, who sat out last year after transferring from St. John's are at 13.8 and 13.6, respectively. Ingram was a McDonald's All-American selection in high school.
Taking over a team that has struggled in recent years isn't an easy task. Theus admits there have been a lot of bumps along the way, but that his team is better for it, and everybody is finally on the same page.
After a slow start, Theus, the Aggies' first-year coach and ex-NBA all-star, has everybody on the same page.
"I guess there's some good in that not being able to sneak up on people," Theus said Thursday night. "What I knew, based on my playing days, is that you can outwork people. I knew we didn't have a full roster. We had talent. I knew if we believed in ourselves, got after it on defense and played at a fast tempo. Not many teams can play that way. They can't assimilate it in practice.
"It took them a while to understand what it takes to win. I wasn't going to back down, and they finally realized that. I was demanding it and that's the way it was going to be. I told them that if they didn't like it, we could be friends and e-mail each other, but that they would have to leave."
Nobody has left, and Theus, who is considered a phenomenal recruiter, has four Division I transfers on his bench, which bodes well for the future.
Theus doesn't like to look ahead. He has his team in fourth place entering tonight's game, and if he can pull off an upset or two in the next week against Nevada and Utah State, his young team could challenge for the regular-season title.
Though Nelson leads the team in scoring, and has started every game, he has a good supporting cast.
"Fisher is a tough cover because he can put it on the floor," Theus said. "Offensively, he's got some moves. Mitchell is just as quick as anybody in the league. Shaun Davis will get up into his man defensively.
"Ingram is only 75 percent there. He's getting better all the time. He sat out a couple of years. I played point guard myself, and so I'm extremely tough on him. Point guard is the toughest position on the floor."
They are all quick and they will come at you with a vengeance. Louisiana Tech pressured out high quite a bit in the half-court and also used a press with some success late in the game.
"We're a little different in regards to our defense," Theus said. "Louisiana Tech seemed to go wherever they wanted to go. We have a set plan of what we want to do."
Theus knows that Nevada executes well in the half-court, which means trying to contain 6-11 junior forward Nick Fazekas, who averages 20.9 a game.
"He's a pro," Theus said. "He's got the full package. There's very little he can't do. Great players find a way to get it done. He's going to score his points and get his rebounds."
Translation? Nevada's perimeter players - Marcelus Kemp, Mo Charlo, Ramon Sessions and Kyle Shiloh - need to knock down a fair share of their field goal attempts.
After a couple of off games, Kemp seems to have found the range. Shiloh has slowed down a tad in his scoring output, but he's shooting a good percentage. Sessions is slowly starting to get his offensive game going. Charlo is still struggling a bit from outside, but he's been helping with his defense and ability to get to the basket.
"Nevada is a good team; an experienced team," Theus said. "They aren't going to rattle too easy.
"That (win at Louisiana Tech) surprised me a little. Not that they won, but because they beat them handily. Going into that game I couldn't tell you who I thought was going to win. Nevada is a legit NCAA team. They have depth and can shoot the ball well. It's going to take a great effort to keep up with them."
Contact Darrell Moody at dmoody@nevadaappeal.com, or by calling (775) 881-1281