What: Game Nineteen
Who: NM State (11-7, 4-1 CUSA) vs Kennesaw State (11-7, 3-2 CUSA)
When: Thursday, Jan. 23, 7:00 p.m. MT
Where: Las Cruces, N.M. – Pan American Center (12,572)
THE OPENING TIP
• NM State enters Thursday's matchup against Kennesaw State looking to bounce back from a hard-fought 68-60 road loss to Liberty in Lynchburg, marking their first Conference USA defeat after starting league play with a 4-0 record.
• Thursday's game will be the inaugural meeting between the two programs, as Kennesaw State embarks on its first season in Conference USA and its debut as a Division I program.
THE SECOND GO AROUND
• In his debut season leading the Aggies, Coach Hooten guided the Aggies to a 7-9 record in league play and helped deliver several memorable highlights, including a thrilling win over I-10 rival UTEP, a remarkable 23-point second-half comeback to defeat eventual CUSA Tournament Champion Western Kentucky, and an impressive 12-3 record on their home court at the Pan American Center.
• NM State's home support was unmatched, as the Aggies led all Conference USA programs in average home attendance, drawing 5,638 fans per game. Hooten wrapped up his first season with a 13-19 overall record, bringing his career head coaching total to 274-188 and setting a strong foundation for the program's future.
• After leading NM State to a 6-9 record in non-conference play last season, the Aggies improved that mark this year and will begin CUSA competition with a 7-6 record.
LOCKING DOWN ON DEFENSE
• Defense has long been the hallmark of Head Coach Jason Hooten's teams, and this year's Aggies are fully embracing that identity. The squad has demonstrated defensive excellence, ranking 19th nationally and first in Conference USA in field goal percentage defense, holding opponents to just 39% shooting.
• The Aggies are also stifling teams from beyond the arc, ranking 18th in the nation in three-point defense percentage holding opponents to only 28.9%.
CONFERENCE ACTION
• The Crimson and White have been a defensive powerhouse in conference play, leading the league in key defensive categories. They rank first in scoring defense, limiting opponents to just 59.2 points per game, as well as field goal percentage defense (38.7%) and three-point percentage defense (24%).
• Offensively, NM State has showcased remarkable efficiency, posting a conference-best 46.1% shooting from the field.
• Senior guard
Christian Cook has been a sharpshooting force in conference play, leading the league shooting 42.4% from beyond the arc (among players averaging 2.5+ makes per game) and ranking second in total three-pointers made at 14.
FURIOUS FIVE
• Since the start of conference play, the Aggies have leaned heavily on a core group of players for offensive production as the quintet of
Christian Cook,
Peter Filipovity,
Zawdie Jackson,
Robert Carpenter and
Dionte Bostick are currently combining to score 56.4 points per game during CUSA action. This amounts to 76.5% of the Aggies' scoring across the first five games against league opponents.
FILIPOVITY FILLING UP THE STAT SHEET
• Through five games in CUSA action, first-year Aggie
Peter Filipovity is averaging 14.6 points per game to rank ninth in the league while also hauling in 8.0 rebounds per game to rank fifth in the league.
• With these two marks, Filipovity joins only MTSU's Essam Mostafa and Kennesaw State's Adrian Wooley as one of only three players to rank inside the top-15 in scoring and top-5 in rebounding.
• In their previous contest against Liberty, Filipovity finished the night with 12 points and his season-high 12 rebounds to gain his fourth double-double of the season and first since the start of conference play.
LEAVE THEM IN THE DUST
• Thanks to a pair of double-digit wins, the Aggies are currently averaging a scoring margin of +12.2 points per game through their first five CUSA opponents. This ranks first among the 10 teams in the league with the next-closest team coming in at +6.0.
PROTECT THE PAN AM
• NM State will look to piece together its 19th consecutive season with a winning record inside the Pan American Center. Since the start of the 2005-06 campaign, the Aggies are an incredible 260-44 (.854) in front of their home crowd. During this stretch, NM State had just one season with five or more losses as it finished 13-5 in 2010-11.
DOMINATING THE COMPETITION
• In the first 27 CUSA games this season, only two victories have been decided by 20+ points - and the Aggies hold both. They secured a dominant 30-point win over preseason favorite LA Tech (78-48) at the Pan American Center and earned a commanding 28-point road victory against I-10 rival UTEP in El Paso (85-57).
MEET THE NEWCOMERS
• With the evolution of college sports through the transfer portal, teams are increasingly embracing yearly roster overhauls — and NM State is no exception, welcoming seven new players through the portal this season.
• The incoming group includes Dionte Bostick, Carl Cherenfant, Peter Filipovity,
Zawdie Jackson,
Edward Nnamoko, and brothers Emmanuel and
Nate Tshimanga. In the backcourt, Bostick, Cherenfant, and Jackson will add depth and energy, joining returning guards
Christian Cook and
Jaden Harris to maintain NM State's backcourt play. Meanwhile, in the frontcourt, the Aggies have intentionally added size and versatility with Filipovity (6'7"), Nnamoko (6'10"),
Nate Tshimanga (6'10"), and
Emmanuel Tshimanga (7'0").
• Bostick, Filipovity, and Jackson are expected to be immediate impact players, each having excelled at their previous schools. Bostick arrives from Cal State Northridge, where he averaged 15.4 points and four rebounds per game while leading the team with 49 three-pointers, earning an All-Big West Honorable Mention.
• Filipovity, joining from the University of Maine, was a standout for the Black Bears, putting up 14.4 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. He also recorded nine double-doubles and earned America East All-Conference Second Team honors.
• Jackson brings an impressive resume from West Georgia, where he posted one of the program's best seasons, averaging 22 points, 5.5 assists, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game with an elite shooting split of 51% from the field, 45% from three, and 85% from the line. His contributions were pivotal in leading his team to a GSC regular season and tournament championship and a South Region semifinals appearance. Jackson's stellar play earned him titles as both the GSC and South Region Player of the Year, along with First Team All-American honors.
LOOK WHO'S BACK
• This season, the Aggies welcome back four returners from last year's roster: Christian Cook, Robert Carpenter, Jaden Harris, and Christopher Biekeu. Despite significant roster changes, these returning players bring valuable experience and key contributions to NM State's lineup.
• Head Coach Hooten managed to retain a substantial portion of last season's three-point shooting prowess with the return of
Christian Cook,
Robert Carpenter, and
Jaden Harris, who collectively accounted for 58% of the Aggies' three-point field goals. Leading the charge from beyond the arc,
Christian Cook was last season's top scorer for the Aggies, averaging 11.3 points per game and sinking 59 three-pointers — the most on the team. Harris proved himself a reliable shooter, hitting 36% from deep, while Carpenter was highly efficient, shooting 35% from three-point range and 47% from the field overall. Together, they were responsible for 38% of the team's scoring last season, combining for 810 points.
• Also returning is forward Christopher Biekeu, who showed promise before a season-ending injury limited him to only six minutes in his lone appearance against Cal Baptist. Biekeu's comeback adds depth to the Aggies' frontcourt, and his return from injury provides the team with an additional physical presence inside.
THE BROTHERLY CONNECTION
• Amidst the roster changes, Coach Hooten successfully brought a pair of brothers, Emmanuel and
Nate Tshimanga, to play together in the Crimson and White. This marks the first time the Tshimanga brothers will share the court at the Division I level. Their arrival brings a unique family bond to NM State, adding depth and chemistry to the Aggie lineup.
• Emmanuel Tshimanga joins NM State after two seasons at UC San Diego, where he consistently demonstrated his ability to impact the game off the bench. In the 2023-24 season, Emmanuel averaged 14.1 minutes over 22 games, ranking third on the team with 5.0 rebounds per game and setting a personal best of two steals against Pepperdine. In his previous season (2022-23), he was recognized as the UCU Athlete of the Week and put up impressive performances, including a career-high 13 rebounds in a win at Eastern Michigan and an 18-point effort against UC Santa Barbara. He appeared in 24 games, making ten starts, and was the team's second-leading rebounder with 6.2 boards per game.
• Nate Tshimanga arrives in Las Cruces following a season at Utah Valley, where he played in all 32 games, made six starts, and contributed an average of 13.4 minutes per contest. Known for his efficiency, he shot 46% from the field, averaging 2.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game. Prior to Utah Valley, Nate spent the 2022-23 season at Troy University, where he played in 21 games, made four starts, and finished second on the team in field goal percentage (50%). He posted a season-high 12 points and nine rebounds against Montevallo.
ACCORDING TO OTHERS
• In the Conference USA preseason poll announced on Oct. 10, the Aggies were picked to finish seventh, with Christian Cook as their sole representative on the Preseason All-Conference Team. This projection follows a 2022-23 season where NM State posted a 13-19 overall record and a 7-9 record in conference play.
• Louisiana Tech emerged as the preseason favorite, securing three first-place votes and 87 points. Western Kentucky followed closely in second place with 85 points and two first-place votes, while Sam Houston was projected third with 83 points and three first-place nods. Middle Tennessee landed in fourth with 69 points and one first-place vote, while UTEP and Liberty tied for fifth at 62 points, with Liberty also receiving one first-place vote.
• NM State holds the seventh position with 39 points in the coaches' poll, followed by Jacksonville State with 29 points. FIU and Kennesaw State rounded out the standings, tied for ninth place with 17 points each.
SCOUTING THE OWLS
• Kennesaw State enters Thursday's matchup with an 11-7 overall record, including a 3-2 mark in conference play. In their most recent outing, the Owls secured a thrilling 78-76 victory over LA Tech at home.
• Kennesaw is led by head coach Antoine Pettway who is in his second season at helm, holding a 26-23 record with the program.
• Offensively, junior guard Simeon Cottle is the Owls' go-to player, averaging a team-high 18.8 points per game. NM State will need to limit his trips to the free-throw line, as he is shooting an impressive 93.9% from the stripe this season, ranking fourth nationally.
• On the boards, freshman forward Braedan Lue leads the Owls with a team-high 6.2 rebounds per game. Controlling the glass will be a significant challenge for the Aggies, as Kennesaw State is one of the nation's top rebounding teams, ranking fourth overall with an average of 43.1 rebounds per game.
For complete coverage of NM State Men's Basketball, visit NMStateSports.com - the official home of Aggie athletics - and follow us on Twitter (@NMStateMBB), Instagram (@NMStateMBB), and like us on Facebook (NMStateMBB).
++NM State++
