NCAA Basketball: Way-too-early preseason mid-major top-25 for 2019-20 season

8. New Mexico State Aggies

2018-19 season record: 30-5 (15-1 in WAC)

Auburn wouldn’t have even made the Final Four had New Mexico State made that three-pointer at the end of the game, nearly getting that elusive NCAA Tournament win. But the game shows how dangerous this program continues to be and will be next season.

The Aggies will lose their top rebounder Eli Chuha and a competent scorer in Jojo Zamora. But while this would hurt most mid-majors, it only makes a dent in this team’s depth. This past season, New Mexico State had 13 players average double-figure minutes on the court. 10 of the 13 will return, with most of them, in fact, being seniors.

That includes the only player who averaged double-digits in Terrell Brown with 11.3 ppg. Ohio State transfer AJ Harris had a good first year with the Aggies and former JUCO star Ivan Aurrecoechea has a chance to break out for the team now that Eli Chuha is gone.

There likely won’t be any newcomers to next year’s roster but with seven rising seniors, look for the staff to be heavy on the recruiting trail. It’s also important for New Mexico State to not only make the Big Dance again but also get off the snide by winning a Round of 64 contest. That’s what is keeping the team from taking the next step in becoming a true national mid-major power. But until they start getting more stars, a group effort from the deepest team in the country will do in the WAC.