LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The New Mexico State men's basketball team looks to return to the Big Dance as it heads to Las Vegas for the Western Athletic Conference Tournament. The Aggies enter as the No. 2 seed and squares off against the No. 7-seed Chicago State on Thursday, March 9, at 5:30 p.m. (MT) and 4:30 p.m. local time (PT).
 
Mychal Clanton will have the call on the WAC Digital Network broadcast while former women's head coach Joan Bonvicini serves as the analyst and Jessie Punch on the sidelines.
 
GET CONNECTED
Get up to the minute information and news about the NM State men's basketball team all season on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by following @AggieArmy.
 
LISTEN UP!
Aggie fans that can't make it to Las Vegas can listen to NM State Athletics/US Bank Hall of Famer Jack Nixon the entire tournament on 99.5 Zia Country and affiliate stations. Fans can also listen to the game live with their mobile or tablet device on the TuneIn app for free. The game will be available on following affiliate stations as well:
 
Alamogordo      103.7 FM KNMZ
Albuquerque     101.7 FM KQTM
Carlsbad              1240 AM KAMQ
Gallup                   1230 AM, 94.9 FM KYVA
Las Vegas            107.1 FM KMDS
 
EYEING THE COUGARS
Chicago State heads into the WAC Tournament with a 10-game losing streak and ended its regular-season 6-25 on the year and 1-13 in league play. Fred Sim, Jr. paces the Cougars with 18.8 points per game. Trayvon Palmer, the league's leading rebounder, is second on the team in scoring with a 15.0 points average and 9.5 rebounds per game.
 
In WAC play, Sims (18.9 ppg) and Palmer (14.5 ppg) are the only two double-digit scorers for Chicago State, while Clemmye Owens V is averaging 8.2 points. Palmer has been great on the glass for CSU, averaging 9.6 rebounds. The Cougars have shared the ball well in conference play with five players notching 20-plus assists with a sixth player just shy at 19 in Sims Jr.
 
NM State will face Chicago State in the conference for the first time since the Cougars joined the league. The Aggies defeated Chicago State by a combined score of 164-113 in the two games this season. During those two games, Braxton Huggins averaged 20.5 points while shooting .500 (14-of-28) from the floor – including 9-fo-19 from the beyond the arc. Ian Baker averaged 13.5 points and 4.0 rebounds while Matt Taylor recorded 12 points per game and averaged 5.0 boards. Eli Chuha averaged a double-double in that series, scoring 10.5 points and pulled down 10.5 rebounds.
 
Chicago State is 0-3 all-time at the conference tournament, losing two games to CSU Bakersfield and once to Seattle U.
 
WAC BLUE BLOODS
Since joining the Western Athletic Conference, New Mexico State has enjoyed great success, winning six of the 11 conference tournaments it has played in – including four-straight from 2012-15.
 
The Aggies are 23-5 all-time at the WAC Tournament, good for the second-most victories in conference tournament history behind none other than UTEP (27-15). Its .821 winning-percentage is the best amongst WAC Tournament teams with a winning record.
 
New Mexico State has flourished when playing as the No. 2 seed since joining the WAC, winning the conference tournament all three times. When playing as the No. 3 seed, the Aggies are 2-2 and 0-2 when playing as the No. 5 seed. NM State has only entered conference tournament action as the top seed the last two seasons and has gone 1-1.
 
DOUBLE-DOUBLES FACTORY
Through games on Monday, March 6, NM State is one of four schools with multiple players on the double-doubles list with at least eight. Eli Chuha checks in with 13, which is tied for 31st in the country while Jemerrio Jones has nine. UCLA leads the pack with three in TJ Leaf (11), Lonzo Ball (9) and Thomas Welsh (8). LIU Brooklyn is tied with Memphis in double-doubles amongst teams with two players (28) checking in with Nura Zanna (15) and Jerome Frink (13). Memphis counters with Dedric Lawson (19) and KJ Lawson (9).
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Aggies showed up and showed out last Saturday against UT Rio Grande Valley as it sent off outgoing players Ian Baker, Matt Taylor and Travon Landry on a huge 107-81 victory. Redshirt sophomore Eli Chuha had a career night, posting 28 points with nine rebounds while three other players recorded double figures – including Baker's 21 points.
 
The win moved NM State to 25-5 overall on the year, its best finish at the regular-season since the 1989-90 season (25-3). That team advanced to the championship game of the Big West Tournament before falling to Long Beach State.
 
UP NEXT
Should New Mexico State advance to the semifinals of the WAC Tournament, it will face the winner between the No. 3-seed UMKC and No. 6-seed UTRGV. That game will be played on Friday at 9:30 p.m. (MT) and 8:30 p.m. local time (PT) on the ESPN3.