New Mexico State Basketball: 3 reasons why Aggies will beat Auburn in Round of 64
By Connor Hope
Balanced Offensive Attack Is Difficult to Defend
When people talk about balanced offensive attacks, they are talking about a team that can score at all levels. These teams usually have one or two solid scorers, a few secondary options, and maybe one other player that has the ability to get hot.
The Aggies, however, are a bit different. They have nine different players that will all get their shots, and make them at a solid clip. During the WAC regular season, the Aggies had zero players with more than eight shots per game, and averaged 57 as a team. You do the math.
This scoring balance makes the Aggies incredibly difficult to defend. While Terrell Brown averaged double-digit scoring, shooting nearly 50% from deep over the second half of the season, it is a terrible idea to key exclusively on him. Doing so would leave second option scorers like Eli Chuha, Johnny McCants and Trevelin Queen open, all of whom score efficiently.
Don’t forget about AJ Harris! The Ohio State transfer is in his second season with the Aggies, sets the tone for the offense, and can shoot efficiently. He spends more time on the court than anyone else on the team and needs to be monitored on the perimeter at all times.
Long story short: this isn’t the same team from last season, which featured two primary scorers that were the key to slowing down the Aggies. This team is deep, balanced, and always finds the best shot possible.