Things are moving fast these days for New Mexico State and coach Marvin Menzies.
"We haven't even had the chance to go to bed yet," Menzies said Sunday.
Who needs sleep when you're on this kind of a roll?
New Mexico State is headed back to the NCAA tournament after beating Utah State 69-63 to win the Western Athletic Conference tournament. The Aggies (22-11) were awarded a No. 12 seed for the NCAAs and will meet No. 5 Michigan State (24-8) in a Midwest Regional game Friday in Spokane, Wash.
New Mexico State has been surging lately, led by WAC tournament MVP Jahmar Young. He hit the game-winning shot to beat Nevada 80-79 on Friday night, then scored 19 points to help the Aggies end Utah State's 17-game winning streak late Saturday.
NMSU is 10-0 in games decided by six or fewer points, and Menzies says Young is a big reason.
"He did what he has been trained to do," Menzies said. "He is a big-time gym rat, one of the most passionate players I've ever coached in terms of his individual skill development. He's a guy who has another level of confidence when it comes to wanting to take the big shot."
The Aggies started 3-6 but were aided by the return of two key players.
Forward Wendell McKines joined the team Dec. 23 after being suspended for academic issues, and swingman Troy Gillenwater missed 21 games because of an eligibility concern. Since Gillenwater came back in February, the Aggies are 9-3 and made a push to a third-place WAC regular-season finish.
"Those guys definitely were a boost, an added texture," Menzies said.
Menzies, a former assistant to Rick Pitino at Louisville, is in his third season in Las Cruces, N.M. He noted all of his New Mexico State teams have improved as the season went on.
"I'm also impressed by Jahmar's improvement and the improvement of the team -- our ability to share the ball and grow defensively," Menzies said. "When you take that into consideration, plus those two other guys, it was a joint effort."
This will be the first meeting between the Aggies and the Spartans, who lost 72-67 in overtime to Minnesota in the Big Ten quarterfinals.
Menzies said it had been a whirlwind for New Mexico State over the three days of the WAC tournament, then the team's return from Reno, Nev., and he'd had no time to look ahead to Michigan State.
"I don't really know much about them yet," Menzies said. "I will say I'm happy with our seed number. I'm pleased with the region. But it's obviously something I need some more time to take a good solid look. I still need to learn what they do and how they do it."
The Aggies are back in the NCAA tournament for the first time since former coach Reggie Theus got them there in 2007. This is the 18th NCAA trip for New Mexico State, which became known as the Amazing Aggies during the school's run to the 1970 Final Four under former coach Lou Henson.
Menzies hopes his team's success can mirror the excitement from the school's most famous season.
"I hope it creates a buzz, an energy, going forward with our fans," Menzies said. "Not just for now, but for the years going forward with the young team we have. I hope it generates the enthusiasm and support we'll need to build and grow the program."