Compromised New Mexico State team grateful for Gonzaga opportunity: 'It's really hard to ...

New Mexico State Finds a Rare Opening in Gonzaga’s Schedule

Jason Hooten, in his fourth season as coach of the New Mexico State Aggies, has spent much of his offseason making phone calls that rarely yield a positive result. When soliciting interest from high-major basketball programs for a nonconference game, the response is almost universally the same: “thanks, but no thanks.” It is a reality that has become increasingly common for midmajor programs, which often rely on these “buy games” to bolster their athletic department budgets and raise revenue-sharing dollars.

This Saturday, however, the situation changes briefly as No. 15 Gonzaga hosts New Mexico State at 2 p.m. at the McCarthey Athletic Center. For Hooten, the agreement to play is both a financial necessity and a rare opportunity. The Aggies were at a point where they needed a game of this caliber, and the coach expressed clear gratitude toward the Bulldogs for stepping up when other programs have retreated.

The Disincentive of the NET Rating

The reluctance of major programs to schedule midmajor opponents stems largely from the NCAA’s NET rating system. Designed to assist the NCAA Tournament selection committee, the metric provides little reward for high-major teams that secure blowout victories over midmajor schools. Conversely, a narrow loss or even a closely contested win can significantly damage a high-major program’s tournament resume. Consequently, schools in the Big Ten, SEC, Big 12, ACC, and Big East have trended toward playing it safe, opting for opponents projected to fall between 200 and 350 in the rankings rather than those in the 100-200 range.

Since Hooten took over the program in 2023-24, New Mexico State has played three high-major opponents in total; last season, they failed to land a single one. This makes Saturday’s matchup just the second meeting between the schools. Gonzaga, which will face at least 10 high-major opponents in nonconference play, represents a significant hurdle for an Aggies team currently sitting at No. 131 in KenPom ratings—a standing that makes them a much tougher test than many of the other teams scheduled to visit the Kennel over the next two months.

Injury Complications for the Aggies

The challenge for New Mexico State is compounded by a roster that is currently compromised. Coming off a 73-66 season-opening win against Division II Western New Mexico, the Aggies are already managing significant personnel losses. During that opener, senior guard Gabe Warren—the team’s most consistent player during preseason practices and scrimmages—suffered a season-ending ACL injury just nine minutes into play.

The team is also managing the return of seventh-year senior KK Robinson. Having worked at Arkansas, Texas A&M, and Arkansas-Little Rock, Robinson has faced a difficult road back from consecutive ACL injuries. He is currently on a minutes restriction and will be limited in his capacity to contribute against Gonzaga. Hooten acknowledged the difficulty of the situation, describing the team’s current state as “wild and bizarre” as they attempt to shuffle positions and rotations.

Aggies Frontcourt Faces Size and Skill of Gonzaga

On the court, the task of containing Gonzaga will fall heavily on the Aggies’ frontcourt, led by 6-8 forward Mark Lavrenov and 6-9 forward Leopold Levillain. Levillain, a transfer from Long Beach State who previously competed for the U-21 team at Cholet Basket in France, is operating at the ‘5’ spot for the Aggies this season. He will be tasked with holding ground against a Gonzaga frontcourt that is consistently noted for its size and skill.

Lavrenov, who averaged 9.9 points and 7.0 rebounds at Sacramento State last season, is coming off a double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds against Western New Mexico. He is expected to match up against Gonzaga’s Braden Huff. Hooten remains optimistic about his forward’s ability to compete. “It will be a great challenge for Mark to get to play against great size and length,” Hooten said. “Guys that are very established on that level. I know Mark though. Mark’s a tough kid and he plays really, really hard and passionate.”

For New Mexico State, the game serves as a crucible. Hooten views the encounter as an essential developmental tool for a team that has not yet had the opportunity to play at full strength.

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