What: Game Two
Who: NM State (1-0, 0-0 CUSA) vs New Mexico Highlands (0-3, 0-0 RMAC)
When: Tuesday, Nov. 11, 7:30 p.m. MT
Where: Las Cruces, N.M. – Pan American Center (12,200)
THE OPENING TIP
• Following an 83-72 season-opening win in front of the home crowd at the Pan American Center against Adams State, NM State now turns its attention to its next matchup; a Tuesday night home contest against New Mexico Highlands on Nov. 11 at 7:30 p.m.
• Tuesday's matchup comes against a familiar opponent, as the Aggies also opened the 2024-25 season facing the Cowboys on Nov. 4, 2024. In that meeting, NM State cruised to a 93-57 victory in Las Cruces.
THE JONES SHOW
• In his first showing of the season, senior guard Jemel Jones made an immediate impact, putting on an impressive and efficient performance in Tuesday night's opener.
• Jones led all scorers with 23 points to go along with nine rebounds and three assists on 8-14 shooting, including 3=4 from long range. His scoring total marked the most by an Aggie in a season opener since Zach Lofton's 25 points against East Central on Nov. 10, 2017
STRONG FIRST IMPRESSIONS
• Alongside Jones, some other Aggies also made strong first impressions in their NM State debuts, showing the kind of impact and potential that could shape the team's success this season.
• Junior center Cyr Malonga delivered a standout performance in his Aggie debut, posting a career-best 16 points on an efficient 7-9 shooting. Malonga matched his career highs in field goals made, field goals attempted, and blocks (2) while also pulling down six rebounds.
• Forward Julius Mims nearly opened his Aggie career with a double-double, tallying 12 points, eight rebounds, two steals, and two blocks in just 24 minutes of action; showcasing his presence on both ends of the floor.
• Senior guard Jayland Randall also impressed in his first game as an Aggie, contributing seven points, four rebounds, and three steals while providing steady energy and effort on both sides of the ball.
YEAR THREE
• Head Coach Jason Hooten gears up to lead the Crimson & White for his third season at helm. Last season, he led NM State to a 17-15 record, improving by four wins from his first year while tying for the second-best road conference record in CUSA at 6-3. He guided the Aggies to signature road wins, including a sold-out overtime thriller over I-25 rival New Mexico and a historic victory at I-10 rival UTEP, marking NM State's largest win in El Paso since 1937 and the third-largest home loss in UTEP history. Under his leadership, the Aggies became one of the nation's top defensive teams, ranking sixth in three-point percentage defense (29.1%), 11th in field goal percentage defense (39.6%), and 32nd in scoring defense (65.9 ppg).
FAMILAR FACES
• The Aggies return just two players from last season's roster, as much of the 2024-25 squad either graduated or transferred. Sophomores Gabe Pickens and Jae'Coby Osborne both worked their way into the rotation as freshmen as the season progressed under Head Coach Jason Hooten last year.
• Pickens appeared in 30 of the Aggies' 32 games last season, averaging 11.3 minutes per contest. He will serve as a key facilitator for NM State after finishing second on the team in assists with 58; a mark that ranked third among all freshmen in Conference USA last year, trailing only Adrian Wooley (118) and Quel'Ron House (87). His best outing came against UNLV, when he scored 14 points, grabbed two rebounds, dished out two assists and went a perfect 2-2 from beyond the arc.
• Osborne returns after seeing action in 22 games, averaging 10.5 minutes per game. After his role increased later in the season, he would lead the team in field goal percentage, shooting 64% from the floor. His season highs included seven points against LA Tech and eight rebounds on the road at Jacksonville State.
REUNITED AGAIN
• This year's Aggie roster includes a familiar face for Head Coach Jason Hooten in senior guard Anthony Wrzeszcz, a player Hooten originally recruited out of high school. Wrzeszcz began his college career under Hooten at Sam Houston during the 2022-23 season, appearing in 24 games and averaging 8.7 minutes per contest while recording a season-high 19 points against Tarleton State.
• Following Hooten's departure from Sam Houston, Wrzeszcz remained with the Bearkats for his sophomore year before spending his junior season at McMaster University in Canada. Now, he reunites with Hooten in Las Cruces to finish out his collegiate career under the coach who first brought him to Division I basketball.
NEW PIECES TO THE PUZZLE
• After losing more than 94% of its scoring and 87% of its rebounding to graduation and the transfer portal, NM State made it a priority this offseason to reload its roster with players capable of producing immediately.
• To bolster the scoring column, the Aggies added Jemel Jones, Elijah Elliott, Jayland Randall, and Chris Terrell.
– Jones arrives after an impressive season at Cal State Bakersfield, averaging 18.9 points per game and earning Big West Newcomer of the Year honors.
– Elliott transfers from Southern Illinois, where he averaged 14.0 points per game before an injury shortened his season. His year included a 21-point performance against Oklahoma State.
– Randall joins the Aggies from Southern Indiana, where he posted 15.0 points per game last season.
– Terrell comes from Division II Delta State after ranking among the nation's top scorers with 21.2 points per game while also leading all D-II players with 3.5 steals per contest.
• To strengthen the frontcourt and rebounding efforts, NM State added Julius Mims, Kyrese Mullen, and Cyr Malonga.
– Mims transfers from Idaho, where he averaged 8.6 points and a team-high 6.3 rebounds per game while shooting 66.1% from the field.
– Mullen comes in after three seasons at Hampton, most recently averaging 7.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.
– Malonga joins the Aggies after two seasons at East Carolina, highlighted by a 10-point, nine-rebound performance against SMU during his freshman campaign.
THE 40+ CLUB
• One of NM State's biggest areas of need last season was offensive firepower. Head Coach Jason Hooten set out to fix that, bringing in proven scorers who have already shown they can take over a game. The Aggies now boast three newcomers who have each scored 40 or more points in a single contest at the Division II level or higher: Jemel Jones, Elijah Elliott, and Chris Terrell
• Senior transfer guard Jemel Jones posted a Cal State Bakersfield single-game record with 45 points against Cal State Northridge. Fellow transfer guard Elijah Elliott tallied a career-high 40 points versus Stephen F. Austin during the 2023-24 season while at UTRGV. Meanwhile, transfer guard Chris Terrell recorded a career-best 42 points for Division II Delta State in a matchup with Auburn Montgomery.
THE OUTSIDE VIEW
• In the Conference USA preseason poll announced on Oct. 9, NM State was picked to finish third, marking a significant climb from last year's seventh-place projection. The Aggies earned 113 total points, trailing only Liberty and Kennesaw State in the league standings.
• Liberty was selected as the preseason favorite after collecting 11 first-place votes and 143 total points. Kennesaw State followed in second with 126 points and one first-place vote, while NM State rounded out the top three with 113 points. Middle Tennessee (103) and Louisiana Tech (82) completed the top five.
PRESEASON RECOGITION
• Senior guard Jemel Jones was named to the 2025-26 CUSA Preseason All-Conference Team. A transfer from CSU Bakersfield, Jones joins the Aggies following a standout season in which he averaged 18.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists. He set multiple single-season program records for the Roadrunners, including total points (573) and scoring average (18.9), and earned All-Big West Second Team and Big West Newcomer of the Year honors.
PRO AGGIES
• Last year's Aggies showcased their talent at the next level, with five players from the 2024-25 roster continuing their careers in professional basketball. Robert Carpenter, Christian Cook, Dionte Bostick, Nate Tshimanga and Peter Filipovity each signed pro contracts following the 2024025 season. Filipovity is now playing in Hungary, Cook in Macedonia, Carpenter in Sweden, Bostick in Slovenia and Tshimanga in Canada.
SCOUTING THE COWBOYS
• New Mexico Highlands enters its first season under new head coach Zach Settembre, who takes the reins in Las Vegas after previously serving on the staff at Tarleton State under legendary coach Billy Gillispie. Settembre is also no stranger to the Aggies' program, having worked under Jason Hooten during his first season at NM State in 2023-24.
• The Cowboys come into Tuesday's matchup following a narrow 78-74 loss to Central Missouri. Last season, Highlands finished with a 12-16 overall record and went 5-15 in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play.
• Offensively, the Cowboys are led by senior guard Marcus Pierce, who is averaging 16.5 points per game to pace the team in scoring. In the frontcourt, junior forward Robert Dix anchors the effort on the boards, pulling down nine rebounds per game. Containing both Pierce and Dix will be crucial for the Aggies as they look to control the tempo and impose their presence on both ends of the floor.
For complete coverage of the 2025-26 season 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).
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