LAS CRUCES, N.M. – Basketball season has finally returned to the Pan American Center as the New Mexico State men's basketball team fires up its 2017-18 season with a 7 p.m. tip-off on Friday, Nov. 10 against East Central University.
 
GET CONNECTED
Get up to the minute information and news about the NM State men's basketball team all season on Twitter and Instagram by following @NMStateMBB and on Facebook at FB.com/NMStateMBB
 
LISTEN UP!
Aggie fans that can't make it to Friday's home-opener and season-opener can listen to NM State Athletics/US Bank Hall of Famer Jack Nixon on 99.5 Zia Country and affiliate stations. Fans can listen to the game live on following affiliate stations:
 
Alamogordo      103.7 FM KNMZ
Albuquerque     1150 AM KNMM
Carlsbad           1240 AM KAMQ
El Paso             1380 AM KHEY
Gallup               1230 AM, 94.9 FM KYVA
Las Vegas         107.1 FM KMDS
 
GAMEDAY PROMOTIONS
Back by popular demand, the first promotion for the 2017-18 men's basketball season will be the first of four limited edition Aggie snapback hat! The first 1,000 Aggie fans that come to Friday's season-opener against East Central University will get their hands on the first hat in the series.
 

THE BIG 5-0
The 2017-18 campaign serves as the 50th-season season for NM State men's basketball inside the Pan American Center. To celebrate, the NM State marketing department has created special edition posters including head coach Lou Henson, senior Jemerrio Jones, redshirt junior Eli Chuha and a schedule card featuring Las Cruces native, Joe Garza.
 
In addition, the 2018 calendar year will also serve as the 50th Anniversary of the Pan American Center. Promotions and upcoming events surrounding the Pan Am's 50th will be forthcoming.
 
A LONG WAY FROM HOME
New Mexico State's 37 days between home games between December and January is the third-longest in the country behind Penn and Harvard. The Quakers and Crimson have a whopping 39 days between home contests this season, just two ahead of the Aggies. Middle Tennessee State, who will be in the Hawaiian Airlines Diamondhead Classic, have 33 days between home contests.
 
CONFERENCE POWERHOUSE
Heading into the 2017-18 season, New Mexico State has finished in the top-three in conference play for 11-straight years, which ranks them fifth in the nation and trails only Gonzaga (20), Kansas (17), Belmont (15) and BYU (12).
 
HOMECOURT HEROES
New Mexico State is 605-152 all-time inside the Pan American Center and has gone 140-26 the last 10 years at home. The Aggies look to start a new streak this season after seeing their home win-streak snap at 23-straight games on Feb. 23.
 
FIRST THINGS FIRST
Heading into Friday's home-opener and season-opener, here's how the Aggies faired throughout the years…
 
First-Year Head Coaches: 17-9 (Lou Henson & Jerry Hines had 2 stints)
Season-Openers: 67-42-1
Home-Openers: 81-27-1
Season/Home Opener was the Same Game: 54-18-1
 
The Aggie men have won three-straight home-openers and six of their last seven. Loss during that stretch came against Western Michigan in 2013. The only year NM State didn't have a home-opener was during the 1907-08 campaign.
 
#WACVEGAS
For the eighth-consecutive year, the Western Athletic Conference Tournament returns to Orleans Arena (March 8-10). For the first time since realignment, all eight teams will now be participating in the conference tournament.
 
RETURN OF THE WAC…LEADERS
Of the top-five returners in rebounds for the WAC, NM State has boasts two on that list with Eli Chuha (8.9) and Jemerrio Jones (8.4) – who finished last year in second and fourth, respectively. The top three shot blockers from last season also return, including Aggie redshirt senior Johnathon Wilkins.
 
BAKER SIGNS WITH SOUTH BAY LAKERS
Former NM State men's basketball All-American and WAC Player of the year Ian Baker was drafted in the first round (22nd overall) by the South Bay Lakers of the G League on Saturday, Oct. 21.
 
The 6-0 guard wrapped up his storied Aggie career this past spring, leading New Mexico State to its seventh Western Athletic Conference Tournament title and 20th NCAA Tournament appearance as a senior.
 
At the end of his senior campaign, Baker led team with 16.7 points per game while pulling down 4.2 rebounds per game – good for third on the team – while dishing out a team-best 4.2 assists per game. The Aggie floor general also led the team in scoring in 19 of the 33 games he started – including a career-high 11 rebound game at Seattle U.
 
In addition, Baker played a critical role in NM State's 20-game win-streak during the year. He also had a hand in the team's 23-straight wins on Lou Henson Court as well as its 39-game home win-streak in conference play.
 
Baker finished his illustrious career in Las Cruces with his name littered all over the NM State record books. Baker's 200 shots from beyond the arc sit him in fourth all-time while his 325 free throws placed him eighth in the record books. His .799 shooting clip from the line also ranks him sixth. His 378 assists at NM State are good for fourth all-time and were just two shy of passing Keith Hill (379, 1987-90) for third all-time. His 138 swipes over four years ranked him sixth in the Aggie record books (since 1981).
 
UP NEXT
New Mexico State gets tested out of the gates in its first road game of the year, battling #22/22 Saint Mary's at 8 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 13, at McKeon Pavilion. The game between the Aggies and Gaels will be broadcast on Comcast Hometown Network all across California (except the Los Angeles area) and will also be streamed.