LAS CRUCES, N.M. – With the non-conference season all wrapped up, the New Mexico State men's hoops team is slated to open Western Athletic Conference play this Saturday, Jan. 6, against Chicago State at 1 p.m. on the WAC Digital Network.
 
Fans can catch the game by going to www.wacsports.com/live or by going to the schedule page for men's basketball at www.nmstatesports.com.
 
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 Saturday's contest can catch the game by listening to NM State Athletics/US Bank Hall of Famer Jack Nixon on 99.5 Zia Country and affiliate stations on the Aggie Sports Network listed below.
 
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
 
ENDING THE YEAR THE RIGHT WAY
New Mexico State ended the year with a bang, winning seven of its nine games in the month of December. During that stretch, the Aggies took down a pair of Power 5 opponents in Illinois and then No. 6/7 Miami while advancing to the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic Championship game before falling to USC in the final seconds of play. The Aggies then wrapped up the year with a road victory over UC Irvine to cap off the nine-day road swing.
 
POWER 5 PUSH
With its wins over Illinois (Dec. 16) and then-No. 6/7 Miami on Dec. 23 in the semifinal of the Diamond Head Classic, head coach Chris Jans became the first coach since Lou Henson to take down a pair of Power 5 opponents in the same season. Coach Henson last did it during the 1999-2000 campaign when his squad defeated Texas Tech (Dec. 17, 1999) 84-75 followed by a 79-75 overtime victory against Washington (Dec. 30).
 
RPI CHECK
Heading into league play through games on Jan. 3, New Mexico State holds the highest RPI number amongst conference teams – checking in at 41. Utah Valley, who opened the season at Kentucky and Duke back-to-back days, is the only other WAC team below the 100 marker at 77. The next closes team is Bakersfield at 135 while the rest of the league's RPI numbers are in the 200-plus range.
 
AROUND THE LEAGUE
As conference play approaches, here is how NM State players are stacked up against conference foes…
 
Offensively, Zach Lofton is second in the league in scoring at 19.0 points per game and trails only Nick Dixon of UT Rio Grande Valley – who is averaging 20.2 points. Jemerrio Jones is not only the league leader in rebounding at 11.1 boards per game, but is also eighth nationally. Eli Chuha and Lofton round out the top-10 league rebounders with 5.4 and 5.3 rebounds per game, respectively.
 
From a field-goal percentage standpoint Lofton is ninth in the WAC with a .488 clip while Sidy N'Dir completes the top-10 with a .476 shooting clip. Jones' 3.4 assists ties him for the eight-best average while also leading the league in offensive rebounds (58) and defensive rebounds (108). Chuha checks in at sixth on the offensive glass with 32 on the year while Lofton is fifth in the defensive category with 64.
 
WINDY CITY SHOWDOWN
New Mexico State will be the favored team when it faces off against Chicago State this Saturday at 1 p.m. (MT) in the Jones Convocation Center. The Aggies are 12-3 heading into conference play while the Cougars are just 2-15 on the year. NM State is also 12-1 all-time against Chicago State, including a 4-1 record on the road. Its lone loss came during the 2014-15 campaign where it lost 86-81. Since then, the Aggies reeled off eight-straight victories over the Cougars.
 
Fred Sims, Jr. is one of two Chicago State players to average in double-figures, checking at 14.2 points per game and a 3.6 rebounding average. Sims Jr. also leads the team with 32 made 3-poiners. Deionte Simmons is the other Cougar to average in double-figures, posting 10.4 points per game to go with a team-high 5.4 rebounds per game. He also paces Chicago State with a .604 shooting clip.  
 
Glen Burns is the team-leader in the assists category with 66 dimes on the year while his 18 steals is second-most on the team. Anthony Harris is the team leader in the steals with 19 swipes.
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Aggies completed its nine-day four-game road-swing with UC Irvine on Dec. 28 with a 65-60 victory. A 17-point performance from Zach Lofton to go with his eight rebounds coupled with double-digit scoring from three other players helped NM State edge the Anteaters.
 
Sidy N'Dir added 13 points of his own on 4-of-6 shooting and a perfect 4-for-4 night at the line. Eli Chuha also chipped in with 12 points while Jemerrio Jones pitched in with his ninth double-double of the year with 10 points, 14 rebounds and four assists.
 
UP NEXT
The Aggies continue to stay on the road the following week for a pair of critical WAC contests at Grand Canyon (Jan. 11) and CSU Bakersfield (Jan. 13). Both games against the Lopes and 'Runners will be available on ESPN3.