Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

By the numbers: Marvin Menzies struggled to beat ranked opponents

New Mexico State-UNLV

Young Kwak / AP

Then-New Mexico State coach Marvin Menzies directs his team in December 2013 against Gonzaga.

The numbers could provide insight as to how Marvin Menzies’ UNLV basketball teams will look and play.

Take his affection for using international players to build a roster. Last season, New Mexico State had nine players from outside the United States.

When New Mexico State made four consecutive NCAA tournaments through 2015, its best player was one of the best in school history — Canadian Daniel Mullings.

Here’s a look at Menzies’ run in Las Cruces, N.M., by the numbers:

0-5 — Record in the NCAA Tournamen.

0-11 — Record against programs from Big 5 conferences over nine seasons.

0-12 — Record against nationally ranked teams.

9 — Players from outside the U.S. on the New Mexico State roster last season, showing Menzies could look internationally in his short window to rebuild the Rebels’ roster. Four players came from Ontario. Others came from Cameroon, France, Colombia and Mexico.

10 — National rank in scoring defense by New Mexico State in 2015-16.

63.1 — Points per game surrendered by the Aggies last season.

15 — Games New Mexico State lost against New Mexico of the Mountain West during Menzies’ tenure. The Aggies were 3-15 against their rivals.

22 — National rank in adjusted tempo, per kenpom.com, of the 2011-12 New Mexico State team, meaning the Aggies pushed the pace in Menzies’ most successful season.

35 — Consecutive home wins in the Western Athletic Conference. That’s the second-best streak nationally.

89 — Height, by inches, of Sim Bhullar, the 7-foot-5 center who played at New Mexico State one season before turning professional. The Canadian played three games with the Sacramento Kings in 2014-15.

64.1 — Percentage of games won by Menzies at New Mexico State. The Aggies were 198-111, including 103-37 in league games.

298 — National rank in adjusted tempo, per kenpom.com, of last season’s New Mexico State team, meaning the Aggies played one of the most deliberate styles of any Division 1 team.

$350,000 — Base pay from UNLV in the initial three years of his proposed five-year contract. He’s set to make another $350,000 in media appearances. The deal was submitted Monday to the Nevada Board of Regents for approval.

Ray Brewer can be reached at 702-990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21

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