LAS CRUCES — Greg Heiar spoke with the media Wednesday morning to preview Saturday’s game against UTEP at 7 pm at the Don Haskins Center in El Paso, providing updates on the elibility status of Kim Aiken Jr. and discussing the keys for victory in Saturday’s rivalry game.
Here are the takeaways from Heiar’s Wednesday press conference.
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Rebounding, turnover battle will decide outcome of rivalry game
New Mexico State’s high-flying offense has had little trouble through two contests against Division II opponents, and Heiar has repeatedly praised his team’s offensive talent and explosiveness, but Saturday’s game will be decided by the rebounding and turnover battles, the head coach said.
“The first drill in practice is going to be a check-out (rebounding) drill, and we have to get physical and clear the lane and get between them and the basket,” Heiar said. “Our guards have to crack down, and we have to have 50 fingers going after the ball at all times. The glass and the turnover battle is going to determine the game, in my opinion. So that’s something that we have to stress and continue to improve on and get better at as we go into this game, but those are two huge keys for this game for both teams.”
NMSU will face its first true test of the season and a defense that prides itself in forcing turnovers, which is currently one of the Aggies’ weaknesses. NMSU committed 17 turnovers in its exhibition game against Western New Mexico and 14 turnovers Monday against New Mexico Highlands, both wins for the Aggies. UTEP forced 15 turnovers in its 72-57 loss in its season opener to No. 12 Texas and out rebounded the Longhorns 32-27.
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The Miners mostly stuck to an eight-man rotation and collected 12 offensive rebounds as a team.
“That’s what I told them after the game (against Highlands) when I met with them, is ‘We get to see how you’re gonna respond when you get challenged and when you get punched in the mouth,'” Heiar said. “I’m excited for that, because I know what I have in the room in this group of guys.”
Aggies uncertain on Aiken’s status, but otherwise expecting full roster availability
Arizona transfer Kim Aiken Jr.’s status for Saturday’s game is still uncertain as NMSU continues to wait to receive word on the former Wildcat’s eligibility waiver. Aiken was the Aggies’ last addition this season and the only player whose status for Saturday Heiar said is uncertain.
Aiken continues to wait after LSU transfer point guard Xavier Pinson’s waiver was approved by the NCAA earlier this week, and Pinson made his Aggie debut in Monday’s season opener. Aiken participated in the team’s Crimson-White scrimmage in late October and dressed in warm-up clothes for Monday’s game.
Heiar has iterated that Aiken is capable of becoming a game-changer if and when he is inserted into the lineup, being one of two players on this year’s roster to help lead his team to a NCAA Tournament berth. Aiken has continued to practice with the team while he waits to hear back from the NCAA.
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“I’m not sure if we’ll have his waiver by then,” Heiar said. “I hope we do, but I’m not worried about that, so I’m gonna worry about what we can control, like how we waited on (Pinson’s).”
Heiar excited for first Aggie rivalry game
While Monday was Heiar’s first game as a Division I head coach, Saturday will be his first true test as a program leader. And he couldn’t be more excited.
“They’re going to get challenged. They’re going to get punched in the mouth. They’re going to have to respond and they’re going to have to come together,” Heiar said of his players. “I’m excited to see that. At the end of the day, I believe in and I trust each and every one of these guys, and they’ve got to believe and trust in each other. And I believe they do believe and trust in each other. All of that’s going to come out on Saturday night in a hostile environment in a road game. The intensity level is going to be at an all-time high. Some of these guys have never been in a hostile environment ever in their lives…that’s something I’m excited to see about this group.”
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Heiar himself has coached in numerous rivalry games and hostile environments as an assistant at LSU and Wichita State, and he said he plans on sharing his past experiences with the team before Saturday’s game. Heiar was part of an LSU staff that knocked off Auburn and Kentucky on the road, and he says he typically blocks out crowd noise once the game starts.
He hopes his players will too.
“That’s hopefully the focus that the team will have, it’ll be that narrow-minded focus and be locked into each other and believe and trust in each other,” Heiar said. “To block out all of the noise and play basketball.”
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