Aggies not intimidated by Hoosiers

PORTLAND, ORE. — This Cinderella certainly isn't shy.

As the No. 13-seed New Mexico State Aggies (26-9) head into Thursday night’s NCAA Tournament matchup at the Rose Garden against the No. 4-seed Indiana Hoosiers (25-8), the team from Las Cruces, N.M., isn’t lacking any confidence.

To the average onlooker the brashness might come off as a little too much but this is how the Aggies carry themselves, following their leader.

“I don't have a swagger, I have an aura about me, you can just feel the energy,” senior forward Wendell McKines said.

Sitting at the podium  Wednesday evening with the tattoo of his ‘510’ area code glistening from his neck, McKines had the room on edge with his quick wit and straight-laced answers.
   
He has some game on the court to go off with his humor off it. McKines was the Western Athletic Conference’s leading scorer (18.8 PPG) and rebounder (10.8 RPG) this past season.

At 6-foot-6-inch and 230 pounds, McKines does most of his damage around the rim and is making the most of his fifth season.
   
A foot injury during preseason practice last fall sidelined McKines for the entire 2010-2011 season, and he had to watch from the sidelines as his Aggies could not make a return trip to the NCAA Tournament.
   
The final season for McKines in Las Cruces hasn’t been without its fair share of bumps along the way as Christian Kabongo, the Aggies second-leading scorer, transferred just before the start of the conference season.
   
With the "aura" of McKines, the Aggies three senior starters have them back on the same stage they were in 2010 when then No. 12 seed NMSU lost to No. 5 seed Michigan State 70-67.
   
“It's been a roller coaster,” senior point guard Hernst Laroche said. “We won some big games, and then we lost some. But I think we're playing good right now.”
   
The Aggies have won nine of their past 10 games including winning all three WAC Tournament games by double figures.
   
Now as NMSU heads back to the tournament, it faces an Indiana team that has exceeded preseason expectations.
   
The Hoosiers bring with them a resume of three top-five wins in 2011-2012, but come tournament time the records are thrown out the window.
   
“It's going to come down to 40 minutes,” Laroche said. “We're not worried about the name on their jerseys. We're just going to play hard.”
   
Any fear the Aggies might have heading into Thursday night was quickly squashed by their outspoken leader.
   
“Teams that are intimidated and infatuated by playing bigger name schools, those are the teams that lose by 40,” McKines said
   
The confidence won’t be lost on the Aggies bench but the respect for the Hoosiers is evident.
   
Both teams come into the NCAA Tournament leading their respective conferences in points per game, and the Aggies know the Hoosiers want to get out in the open floor.
   
“They're pretty good in transition,” McKines said. “Zeller, he runs the floor like a deer, so our centers have to be prepared to run the floor. The 3-point line, as well.”
   
NMSU has only played one team from a "BCS: conference this season, and NMSU Coach Marvin Menzies admitted  a player of Zeller’s caliber isn’t seen very often by his Aggies.
   
“I can't think of anybody off the top of my head that we've gone up against this year that has Cody's height that runs as well as he does,” Menzies said.
   
While Zeller will be atop of the Aggies scouting report, IU Soach Tom Crean made it clear that McKines is the focal point for the Hoosiers defense.
   
Each year the NCAA Tournament paves the way for stories of players that don’t get the same national notoriety as others during the regular season.
   
If it were up to McKines’ coach, the spotlight in March would be on the first-ever recruit he signed at NMSU.
   
“Wendell is a special person and player, obviously you guys got a chance to visit with him for a few moments,” Menzies said. “Imagine spending five years with him. I've had a lot of laughs with that kid.

“We've got a very special bond. I'm going to miss him a lot. So I'm hoping to keep him around a few more days and weeks, hopefully.”