# 2023–24 New Mexico State Aggies men's basketball team

The 2023–24 New Mexico State Aggies men's basketball team represented New Mexico State University in the 2023–24 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Aggies were led by first-year head coach Jason Hooten and played their home games at the Pan American Center in Las Cruces, New Mexico as first-year members of the Conference USA. They finished the season 13–19, 7–9 in C-USA play to finish in a four-way tie for fourth place. As the No. 6 seed in the C-USA tournament, they lost to Western Kentucky in the quarterfinals.

## Previous season

The Aggies finished the 2022–23 season 9–15, 2–16 in Western Athletic Conference play to finish in last place. On February 10, 2023, the school announced the men's basketball program's season would be cancelled based on new reports of violations of university policies. The rest of the team's games were canceled and were deemed forfeits by the WAC. The NCAA does not recognize the forfeited games as part of the team's overall record. They did not take part in the WAC Tournament.
On November 19, 2022, there were reports of a shooting between a student attending the University of New Mexico and a New Mexico State basketball player, leaving the student dead. The basketball player was later identified as Mike Peake, who was wounded on the UNM main campus in Albuquerque. A day later, on November 20, 2022, the New Mexico State Police released details of the shooting, including the arrest of 17-year old Mya Hill. The next day, the New Mexico State Police confirmed a second arrest relating to the shooting, arresting 19-year old Jonathan Smith.
The Aggies and Lobos were slated to renew the Rio Grande Rivalry on the night of the shooting, but the game was postponed. Three days later, both schools decided to cancel the Rio Grande Rivalry for the season due to safety concerns. On December 5, NM State Athletic Director Mario Moccia announced the indefinite suspension of the 21-year old Mike Peake. No charges have been filed against Peake in what was called a "self-defense situation", but there are two investigations surrounding the shooting.
On February 10, New Mexico State University announced the men's basketball program's season would be cancelled based on new reports of violations of university policies. Its entire coaching staff was placed on administrative leave as a result. KTSM reported that the season was suspended because of allegations of hazing by at least three different players multiple times.
On February 14, head coach Greg Heiar was officially fired by NMSU. On March 24, the school named Sam Houston head coach Jason Hooten the team's new head coach.
The season marked the school's last in the Western Athletic Conference. The school joined Conference USA in 2023.

## Offseason
### Departures

| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Reason for departure |
| Anthony Roy | 0 | G | 6'5" | 200 | Sophomore | Oakland, CA | Transferred |
| Marchelus Avery | 1 | F | 6'8" | 215 | Sophomore | Richmond, VA | Transferred to UCF |
| Issa Muhammad | 2 | F | 6'9" | 240 | RS Junior | Atlanta, GA | Transferred to UT Martin |
| Xavier Pinson | 3 | G | 6'2" | 175 | Senior | Chicago, IL | Graduated/signed with Montreal Alliance in the CEBL |
| James Beck | 4 | F | 6'8" | 215 | RS Senior | Grand Rapids, MI | Graduated |
| Kyle Feit | 5 | G | 6'4" | 190 | Junior | Boca Raton, FL | Transferred |
| DaJuan Quaye Gordon | 11 | G | 6'5" | 195 | Junior | Chicago, IL | Transferred to UT Arlington |
| Doctor Bradley | 13 | F | 6'8" | 205 | Sophomore | Los Angeles, CA | Transferred to Northern Illinois |
| Shahar Lazar | 14 | G | 6'3" | 200 | Freshman | Emunim, Israel | Transferred to Gardner–Webb |
| Mike Peake | 15 | F | 6'7" | 218 | Junior | Chicago, IL | Transferred |
| Ziri Blackwood | 21 | G | 6'3' | 170 | Sophomore | Killeen, TX | Walk-on; transferred |
| Deuce Benjamin | 22 | G | 6'1" | 175 | Freshman | Las Cruces, NM | Walk-on; transferred |
| Ethan Anderson | 23 | F | 6'9" | 220 | Freshman | Kaysville, UT | Walk-on; transferred |
| Kim Aiken Jr. | 24 | F | 6'7" | 215 | RS Senior | Redlands, CA | Graduated |
| Jaden Alexander | 25 | G | 6'4" | 200 | Freshman | Vallejo, CA | Transferred to Cal State Bakersfield |
| Isaac Shingange | 31 | F | 6'5" | 180 | Freshman | New York, NY | Walk-on; transferred |
| Shakiru Odunewu | 34 | F | 6'10" | 245 | RS Sophomore | Providence, RI | Transferred |
| Vuk Vucevic | 35 | F | 6'6" | 190 | Freshman | Paris, France | Walk-on; transferred |
| Deshawndre Washington | 42 | G | 6'7" | 205 | Junior | Chicago, IL | Transferred |

### Incoming transfers

| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Previous college |
| Jaylin Jackson-Posey | 0 | G | 6'2" | 196 | Junior | Midland, TX | Stephen F. Austin |
| Kaosi Ezeagu | 1 | F | 6'10" | 255 | Senior | Brampton, ON | Sam Houston |
| Jordan Rawls | 2 | G | 6'1" | 185 | GS Senior | Chattanooga, TN | Western Kentucky |
| Christian Cook | 3 | G | 6'2" | 175 | Junior | Oklahoma City, OK | Northeastern State |
| Brandon Suggs | 4 | G/F | 6'6" | 185 | GS Senior | Powder Springs, GA | UCF |
| Rakeim Gary | 9 | G | 5'10" | 165 | Senior | Dallas, TX | South Carolina State |
| Femi Odukale | 11 | G | 6'6" | 205 | Senior | Brooklyn, NY | Seton Hall |
| Jaden Harris | 13 | G | 6'4" | 190 | Junior | Atlanta, GA | South Plains College |
| Robert Carpenter | 21 | F | 6'7" | 210 | Senior | Detroit, MI | Mississippi Valley State |
| Jonathan Kanyanga | 24 | C | 6'9" | 225 | GS Senior | Kinshasa, Congo | Edward Waters |
| Clarence Jackson | 25 | F | 6'7" | 225 | Senior | Dublin, GA | Jacksonville State |
| Davion Bradford | 26 | F | 7'0" | 270 | Senior | St. Louis, MO | Wake Forest |

### 2023 recruiting class

College recruiting information :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight |
| Lewis Duarte #45 SF | Garden Grove, CA | Veritas Prep | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 165 lb (75 kg) |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN grade: 79 ||||||
| Keylon Dorsey SG | Houston, TX | Aldine Eisenhower High School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: ||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "2023 New Mexico State Basketball Commits". ESPN.com. ||||||

## Schedule and results

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Non-conference regular season |||||||||
| November 6, 2023* 6:00 p.m., SECN | | at No. 16 Kentucky | L 46–86 | 0–1 | 10 – Tied | 8 – Jackson-Posey | 6 – Jackson-Posey | Rupp Arena (18,438) Lexington, KY |
| November 8, 2023* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Sul Ross State | W 84–49 | 1–1 | 15 – Rawls | 9 – Ezeagu | 4 – Rawls | Pan American Center (4,507) Las Cruces, NM |
| November 11, 2023* 8:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at UC Irvine | L 74–91 | 1–2 | 18 – Carpenter | 8 – Ezeagu | 3 – Tied | Bren Events Center (2,731) Irvine, CA |
| November 14, 2023* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Western New Mexico | W 78–43 | 2–2 | 24 – Harris | 7 – Tied | 7 – Rawls | Pan American Center (5,908) Las Cruces, NM |
| November 18, 2023* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Northern Colorado Cancún Challenge campus site game | W 76–71 | 3–2 | 26 – Cook | 8 – Odukale | 3 – Tied | Pan American Center (5,656) Las Cruces, NM |
| November 21, 2023* 6:30 p.m., CBSSN | | vs. Fresno State Cancún Challenge Riviera Division semifinals | L 76–81 $^{OT}$ | 3–3 | 20 – Carpenter | 7 – Odukale | 10 – Rawls | Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya (516) Cancún, Mexico |
| November 22, 2023* 4:00 p.m., CBSSN | | vs. Southern Illinois Cancún Challenge Riviera Division consolation | L 54–81 | 3–4 | 18 – Odukale | 8 – Odukale | 5 – Rawls | Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya (317) Cancún, Mexico |
| November 26, 2023* 11:00 a.m., ACCNX/ESPN+ | | at Louisville | L 84–90 | 3–5 | 20 – Rawls | 8 – Ezeagu | 6 – Jackson-Posey | KFC Yum! Center (10,527) Louisville, KY |
| November 28, 2023* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Southwest | W 84–49 | 4–5 | 13 – Jackson | 11 – Ezeagu | 8 – Jackson-Posey | Pan American Center (4,135) Las Cruces, NM |
| December 2, 2023* 7:00 p.m., MW Network | | at New Mexico Rio Grande Rivalry | L 62–106 | 4–6 | 18 – Odukale | 7 – Tied | 3 – Tied | The Pit (15,435) Albuquerque, NM |
| December 12, 2023* 7:30 p.m., ESPN+ | | Northern New Mexico | W 76–71 | 5–6 | 14 – Ezeagu | 5 – Tied | 6 – Rawls | Pan American Center (3,961) Las Cruces, NM |
| December 16, 2023* 7:00 p.m., CBSSN | | New Mexico Rio Grande Rivalry | L 72–73 | 5–7 | 22 – Jackson-Posey | 8 – Ezeagu | 4 – Rawls | Pan American Center (5,182) Las Cruces, NM |
| December 20, 2023* 5:30 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Stephen F. Austin C–USA/WAC Alliance | L 72–75 | 5–8 | 14 – Cook | 5 – Tied | 6 – Jackson-Posey | William R. Johnson Coliseum (1,710) Nacogdoches, TX |
| December 22, 2023* 6:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Tulsa | L 59–65 | 5–9 | 12 – Odukale | 7 – Tied | 4 – Rawls | Reynolds Center (2,871) Tulsa, OK |
| December 30, 2023* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | California Baptist C–USA/WAC Alliance | W 66–61 | 6–9 | 20 – Carpenter | 7 – Carpenter | 6 – Rawls | Pan American Center (4,226) Las Cruces, NM |
| Conference USA regular season |||||||||
| January 4, 2024 7:00 p.m., CBSSN | | UTEP Battle of I-10 | W 63–53 | 7–9 (1–0) | 15 – Cook | 7 – Ezeagu | 4 – Rawls | Pan American Center (5,216) Las Cruces, NM |
| January 11, 2024 5:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at FIU | L 67–77 | 7–10 (1–1) | 16 – Odukale | 6 – Odukale | 4 – Rawls | Ocean Bank Convocation Center (1,294) Miami, FL |
| January 18, 2024 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Western Kentucky | W 72–70 | 8–10 (2–1) | 19 – Pettway | 7 – Ezeagu | 6 – Odukale | Pan American Center (5,243) Las Cruces, NM |
| January 20, 2024 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Middle Tennessee | W 73–62 | 9–10 (3–1) | 17 – Carpenter | 8 – Odukale | 7 – Rawls | Pan American Center (4,634) Las Cruces, NM |
| January 25, 2024 7:00 p.m., CBSSN | | at Sam Houston | L 67–79 | 9–11 (3–2) | 18 – Rawls | 7 – Odukale | 2 – Rawls | Bernard Johnson Coliseum (2,546) Huntsville, TX |
| January 27, 2024 1:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Louisiana Tech | L 53–73 | 9–12 (3–3) | 10 – Rawls | 9 – Ezeagu | 2 – Rawls | Thomas Assembly Center (2,464) Ruston, LA |
| February 1, 2024 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Liberty | W 79–73 $^{OT}$ | 10–12 (4–3) | 27 – Cook | 10 – Odukale | 4 – Odukale | Pan American Center Las Cruces, NM |
| February 3, 2024 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Jacksonville State | W 67–65 | 11–12 (5–3) | 17 – Cook | 8 – Ezeagu | 7 – Odukale | Pan American Center (11,278) Las Cruces, NM |
| February 10, 2024 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at UTEP Battle of I-10 | L 49–74 | 11–13 (5–4) | 20 – Harris | 7 – Ezeagu | 3 – Odukale | Don Haskins Center (10,511) El Paso, TX |
| February 15, 2024 5:30 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Middle Tennessee | L 69–76 | 11–14 (5–5) | 22 – Harris | 11 – Odukale | 3 – Tied | Murphy Center (2,890) Murfreesboro, TN |
| February 17, 2024 1:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Western Kentucky | L 58–72 | 11–15 (5–6) | 13 – Tied | 8 – Odukale | 3 – Tied | E. A. Diddle Arena (5,102) Bowling Green, KY |
| February 22, 2024 7:00 p.m., CBSSN | | Sam Houston | L 58–79 | 11–16 (5–7) | 15 – Ezeagu | 7 – Ezeagu | 4 – Odukale | Pan American Center (10,392) Las Cruces, NM |
| February 24, 2024 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | Louisiana Tech | L 58–67 | 11–17 (5–8) | 16 – Tied | 6 – Odukale | 3 – Tied | Pan American Center (4,724) Las Cruces, NM |
| February 29, 2024 7:00 p.m., CBSSN | | at Liberty | L 58–83 | 11–18 (5–9) | 15 – Cook | 7 – Tied | 3 – Rawls | Liberty Arena (3,262) Lynchburg, VA |
| March 2, 2024 3:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | at Jacksonville State | W 66–64 | 12–18 (6–9) | 15 – Tied | 12 – Ezeagu | 4 – Rawls | Pete Mathews Coliseum (1,822) Jacksonville, AL |
| March 9, 2024 2:00 p.m., ESPN+ | | FIU | W 77–70 | 13–18 (7–9) | 26 – Cook | 12 – Odukale | 8 – Odukale | Pan American Center (4,864) Las Cruces, NM |
| Conference USA Tournament |||||||||
| March 14, 2024 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | (6) | vs. (3) Western Kentucky Quarterfinals | L 69–89 | 13–19 | 20 – Cook | 9 – Ezeagu | 3 – Odukale | Von Braun Center (2,333) Huntsville, AL |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Mountain. |||||||||
Sources