The Conference USA Basketball Tipoff was streamed by ESPN+ on Tuesday, Oct. 14, to preview its men’s and women’s basketball teams for the 2025-26 season.
Head coaches and one player from each team were invited to showcase their talent and the progress they’ve made during the offseason. Aggies coaches Jason Hooten (men’s) and Jody Adams (women’s) were interviewed by ESPN host Matt Warner in pre-recorded interviews alongside forward Julius Mims and guard Loes Rozing, who represented NM State’s men’s and women’s teams, respectively.
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Here’s what the Aggies had to say:
Men
PREVIEW THE MEN’S TEAM: Analyzing New Mexico State basketball’s 2025-26 roster
Conference coaches believe NM State will get closer to the standard it had before Greg Heiar became the coach in the 2022-23 season, as it’s picked to finish third in CUSA this season.
Many of the Aggies’ newcomers are contributing to the hype. NM State coach Jason Hooten found potential key players in the transfer portal, such as Preseason All-CUSA guard Jemel Jones from CSU Bakersfield and Mims from Idaho. Jones should help the Aggies improve their scoring woes from last season after setting multiple single-season scoring records at his former school, while Mims says he’ll bring versatility on offense and defense.
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“I can rebound the crap out of the ball. I can guard one through five. I would say I can stretch the floor a little bit on the perimeter,” Mims said. “Being the oldest dude on the team, I feel like I could be someone that the dudes can look to as far as playing style, hustle, stuff like that.”
NM State returns just two players in guard Gabe Pickens and forward Jae’Coby Osborne, and neither was a starter last season. Deciding on a new starting five and key bench players means there are plenty of voids for Hooten to fill.
Hooten says there hasn’t been one newcomer who has risen above the rest, but he does believe the roster is strong.
“I think overall, it’s just been a team,” Hooten said. “I think our group really likes each other, and I think they come in every day and have a pretty good mindset to work hard and get better. For right now, we’re still in that process of feeling each other out as far as leadership, and who’s going to step up at the right time. But I do think overall, right now, that our group is trying to do that together.”
Aggie Coach Jason Hooten calls on Gabe Pickens to go into the game during a timeout as NMSU took on the Southern Utah Thunderbirds, Monday night at the Pan American Center.
The Aggies also want to keep playing stout defense. Hooten’s teams have been known for that during his coaching career, and NM State was the only CUSA team to hold its opponents under 40% shooting (at a conference-best 39.6%).
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Hooten says NM State isn’t where he wants it to be defensively right now, but is confident it’ll get there before the season’s start.
“I texted my wife… after practice, and I told her how bad we were and that we can’t guard a soul, and she said, ‘You say the same thing every year at this time.’ So I think we’ll get there,” Hooten said. “This is a group that cares… I think if you have the mindset, and you care and you buy in, then eventually you’re going to be pretty good at what the coach wants you to be good at.”
Women
PREVIEW THE WOMEN’S TEAM: Breaking down New Mexico State complete 2025-26 roster
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There’s less excitement for the Aggies’ women’s team, as they’re predicted to finish 10th in CUSA this season.
NM State’s women have gone through less change than their male counterparts, as they return five players. But only one of them, Rozing, is a returning starter. She wants to be more of a team leader this season.
“I think for me, it’s important just to set the right example,” Rozing said. “Just give (my teammates) the confidence that they need to evolve and do that thing on the court. I feel like all the newcomers do that very well so far, and it’s a great group.”
Loes Rozing (2 in white) on offense against UTEP at the Pan American Center in Las Cruces on Jan. 11, 2025.
Aggies coach Jody Adams says she’s challenged her five returners — Rozing, guards Imani Warren and Anna Csenyi and forwards Marta Guilera and Lucía Yenes — to “separate themselves” by improving themselves and pushing NM State’s newcomers. Rozing says she’s done this by trying to be one of the Aggies’ most energetic players in practice and offering extra practice with her if she believes someone needs more help.
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Adams says she also wants her returners to encourage the Aggies’ newcomers. That way, everyone feels uplifted.
“We want to get in the trenches with each other,” Adams said. “(We’re) just really not trying to isolate anybody or for them to feel like they’re on the side or they don’t fit here, and I think it’s really worked. I think coaches have done a great job, our assistants, of just being engaging and empowering, too, but I would say the number one thing that I’ve done is ask our returners to be great examples.”
This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: What New Mexico State’s teams said at the CUSA Basketball Tipoff
