Ledes from the Land of Enchantment

New Mexico State’s McNair, Williams enter NCAA Transfer Portal

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico (KTSM) – Two more members of New Mexico State’s 2021-22 men’s basketball team entered the NCAA Transfer Portal on Wednesday.

Will McNair, the Aggies’ starting center for much of the season and Levar Williams, who played sparingly in 17 games, both elected to transfer. There have now been six Aggies enter the portal since new head coach Greg Heiar was hired on March 28.

McNair started 27 of NMSU’s 34 games in 2022, averaging 6.6 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. He was also second on the team in blocks and was serviceable in his role in post.

While it would be a sizable loss to Heiar’s first roster at NMSU to lose McNair, the new head coach saw the writing on the wall in an interview with KTSM on Monday morning.

“I haven’t seen Will McNair much. I anticipate that he’ll transfer. I don’t know his situation, but I want players that want to be here and play for me and this staff and this university,” said Heiar. “If any of them want to go somewhere else, go ahead and we’ll support them. I think he’s in that boat.”

A Philadelphia native, McNair was recruited to Las Cruces by former NMSU assistant Dave Anwar, who is also from Philly. Anwar followed Chris Jans to Mississippi State; it seems possible that McNair could do the same. At 6’10, 277 pounds, McNair would have the size to hang with the forwards and centers in the SEC.

As for Williams, he averaged just 8.4 minutes in the 17 games he played in for the Aggies, averaging 2.7 points per game.

With McNair and Williams going in the portal, that leaves just two players – Virshon Cotton and Jorge Moreno – from the 2022 team that are currently undecided and Heiar said they were still 50/50 on returning or leaving.

Chi Chi Avery, Kiran Oliver and Mike Peake have all committed to playing for Heiar in 2022-23.

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