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New Mexico State Basketball: A program looking for a fresh start in CUSA

By Jason Burgess

Mar 17, 2022; Buffalo, NY, USA; New Mexico State Aggies head coach Chris Jans talks to his team in the second half against the Connecticut Huskies during the first round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 17, 2022; Buffalo, NY, USA; New Mexico State Aggies head coach Chris Jans talks to his team in the second half against the Connecticut Huskies during the first round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jason Hooten, the new NMSU basketball head coach
Jason Hooten, the new NMSU basketball head coach /

The Aggies will compete in Conference USA next season

A fresh start for everyone involved with the program means leaving the WAC after 15 full seasons in which the Aggies never finished lower than 3rd in the conference and failed to make the WAC Tournament finals amazingly just three times and made every final since 2011-12.

New Mexico State will begin its first season as a member of Conference USA in 2023 as one of four new members of the conference. Joining the Aggies are former fellow WAC members Sam Houston State and a pair of teams from the Atlantic Sun, Jacksonville State, and Liberty.

There is some irony in the two former WAC members moving to Conference USA. As a result of the hazing allegations, Greg Heiar spent less than a calendar year on the job and was replaced by someone that those in Las Cruces, Jason Hooten, the former coach at Sam Houston State. Like players and coaches that get a clean slate when they transfer or take a new job, the 2023-24 season will serve as clean a slate as the New Mexico State program can have given the circumstances of last season.

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The Aggies will enter next season with a new conference, a new coach and with 11 players in the transfer portal, a new whole new roster, and a chance to rebuild a reputation that is grounded in 118 years of tradition.