New Mexico State Basketball

The Western Athletic Conference announced Monday night that the New Mexico State University men's basketball team will forfeit the final six games of the 2022-23 season after the school decided to cancel its remaining games.

According to ESPN, New Mexico State made the call to end its season prematurely after a police report cited three players for false imprisonment, harassment and criminal sexual contact against a teammate.

NMSU was scheduled to face California Baptist, Texas-Rio Grande Valley, Grand Canyon and Tarleton one time each and Abilene Christian twice. Those teams will be awarded conference wins for the games against New Mexico State, but the NCAA will not count the wins toward the teams' overall records.

Per ESPN, a New Mexico State basketball player recently reported a potential assault by three teammates but opted against pressing charges initially.

The player told investigators on Feb. 6 that three teammates held him down, took his clothes off and slapped his buttocks. He also said they touched his scrotum.

Additionally, the player told investigators that similar assaults had been taking place since the summer, with teammates inappropriately and sexually touching him in the locker room and during road trips.

Regarding the decision to forfeit the remainder of NMSU's game after the school canceled its season, WAC commissioner Brian Thornton said:

"While there is no perfect solution to this unfortunate situation, I believe we landed in the right place. I applaud our athletic directors for working collaboratively with our staff to reach this decision.

"We are in the midst of the best statistical season in the WAC's history, and we wanted to create the most equitable solution that did not unfairly advantage or disadvantage institutions that lost opportunities to improve their standing. Ultimately, every institution will maintain the ability to control their destiny based on the results of their remaining conference contests."

New Mexico State has been a mid-major power in recent years, reaching the NCAA tournament in eight of the previous 11 seasons entering 2022-23. The Aggies likely would have been a tournament team in 2019-20 as well if it hadn't been canceled due to COVID-19.

Last season, NMSU went 27-7 and reached the second round of the NCAA tournament, beating UConn in the first round before falling to Arkansas.

This season has been far more of a struggle, as the Aggies are just 9-15. With the cancellation of their season and the WAC's decision to forfeit the remainder of their games, they will post a losing record for the first time since the 2010-11 campaign.

The season is reportedly over for the New Mexico State men's basketball program.

According to Jeff Goodman of Stadium, the school is shutting the team down for the rest of the 2022-23 campaign as it investigates "multiple hazing incidents by three players on one of their teammates."

This comes after the school announced on Saturday that it was suspending the program "until further notice" with the coaching staff on paid administrative leave.

NMSU chancellor Dan E. Arvizu sent a letter to the community that said, "The most important job I have as Chancellor of the NMSU System is to ensure our students are safe and protected from harm," per Jacob Lev of CNN. "That's why I was so heartbroken and sickened to hear about these hazing allegations."

The letter also called hazing a "despicable act."

Colin Deaver of KTSM reported New Mexico State University police released a redacted report Sunday that said a player on the men's basketball team went to campus police to report an assault but didn't want to file criminal charges.

"The police report cites three offenses for the three players: one count of false imprisonment, one count of harassment and two counts of sexual contact," Deaver wrote. "The victim told police that the incidents had been occurring since July or August of 2022."

The player said three other players, whose names were redacted, allegedly "held him down with him facing down, removed his clothing exposing his buttocks and began to 'slap his ass.' He also went on to state that they also touched his scrotum."

The school's announcement made it clear this situation is "separate from the events that took place" at New Mexico in November.

Lev noted Aggies player Mike Peake was wounded during a November shooting in which he was targeted by New Mexico student Brandon Travis. Travis was killed after he exchanged gunfire with Peake.

This has all occurred during the first season for head coach Greg Heiar at New Mexico State.

The Aggies went 9-15 prior to ending the season.

The New Mexico State men's basketball program is suspending operations indefinitely after possible violations of school policy, per Colin Deaver of KTSM 9 News.

The school said the allegations are separate from the investigation into a fatal shooting involving Aggies basketball player Mike Peake and four University of New Mexico students that occurred in November:

"NMSU personnel were recently informed of new allegations, separate from the events that took place in Albuquerque late last year, involving potential violations of university policy. While those allegations are being investigated, the men's basketball coaching staff has been placed on paid administrative leave. The game scheduled for February 11 against California Baptist will not be played."

Jeff Goodman of Stadium reported the new incident involved allegations of hazing, which was why the program was suspended:

BREAKING: The new allegations involving the New Mexico State program involve multiple players hazing a teammate on more than one occasion, source told @Stadium.

Police report was filed in the last 24 hours. That triggered the indefinite shutdown of the program. https://t.co/JgoKaKj2tc

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) February 11, 2023

In November, four University of New Mexico students allegedly lured Peake to the school's campus with plans to assault him.

A female student allegedly lured Peake to the campus before he was attacked by three other students with a baseball bat and shot at while trying to run away. Peake shot back and killed 19-year-old Brandon Travis.

Peake has not been charged for a crime, though he was suspended by the men's basketball program.

The female student involved has been charged with aggravated battery and conspiracy. One of the male students was charged with aggravated battery, tampering with evidence and conspiracy to commit a felony.

The Aggies are 9-15 this season and sit last in the Western Athletic Conference.

New Mexico State head basketball coach Greg Heiar feared retaliation in the aftermath of the fatal shooting involving one of his players at the University of New Mexico last month.

In body cam footage from the New Mexico State Police Department obtained by ESPN's Myron Medcalf, Heiar told Officer David Esquibel he was concerned for the "safety" of his family and players.

Heiar spoke with Esquibel hours after New Mexico State's Mike Peake shot and killed University of New Mexico student Brandon Travis on Nov. 19. Police have deemed the shooting to be self-defense.

Heiar said his concern stemmed from his wife and daughter being at the game in the same location where a New Mexico student was shot.

"I'm worried about my wife and daughter just being at the game," he told Esquibel. "A student shot...people say, a New Mexico State basketball player shot a student. That's not going to go over well in front of 15,000 people. This is about the safety of everybody. That's where I'm at."

A game between New Mexico State and New Mexico at The Pit was scheduled to take place Nov. 19, but it was postponed as a result of the shooting, which took place in the early hours of gameday.

According to New Mexico State police (h/t Medcalf), Peake said he was "lured" to the campus by four University of New Mexico students before an altercation led to the shooting.

"Through investigation, agents later learned that Travis had conspired with a 17-year-old female and two of Travis's male friends, all UNM students, to lure the 21-year-old victim to UNM campus and assault him," the police said in a statement.

Peake was also shot in the incident, but he was listed in stable condition. New Mexico State athletic director Mario Moccia announced this week that Peake has been indefinitely suspended from the basketball team and an independent investigator will be hired to review the events surrounding the shooting.

The 17-year-old girl involved has been charged with aggravated battery and conspiracy. Police are offering a $2,500 reward for information leading to the apprehension of two other male suspects.

The New Mexico State men's basketball team left the University of New Mexico campus after Albuquerque police requested to interview three members of the roster in connection to the shooting involving Aggies basketball player Mike Peake, according to police.

ESPN's Myron Medcalf reported Friday that investigators wanted to question Marchelus Avery, Issa Muhammad and Anthony Roy and told head coach Greg Heiar of their plans. Police said Heiar initially responded he "had to make sure the athletes didn't need an attorney and told police he would respond to their request soon," per Medcalf.

Instead, the NMSU players allegedly boarded the team bus, which began its journey back to Las Cruces. Police eventually caught up with the bus and began a search. Medcalf detailed the police's version of what happened next:

Inside, police said, they located Peake's tablet, which was in a backpack held by Lorenzo Jenkins, who serves as a special assistant to Heiar. According to the investigation report, Peake's phone was located later in Las Cruces. Braun Cartwright, NMSU's deputy athletic director, had called the officer and told him that an unnamed administrator had the phone.

Officers also said they recovered Peake's gun at the team hotel from assistant coach Dominique Taylor, who was reportedly informed by Avery, Muhammad and Roy where he could find the gun.

Per Jamel Valencia of KFOX14 in El Paso, Texas, surveillance footage showed three people approaching Peake on Nov. 19. New Mexico State was in Albuquerque for a game against New Mexico that had been canceled.

Investigators with NMSU said the people attempted to "lure" Peake onto campus as revenge in connection to a fight at a football game between NMSU and New Mexico. After being physically confronted and attacked, Peake ran and shot New Mexico student Brandon Travis. Travis died at the scene, while Peake was hospitalized with a gunshot wound.

Medcalf reported Avery, Muhammad and Roy were seated inside a yellow Camaro in the parking lot where the shooting occurred. T.J. Wilham of KOAT in Albuquerque reported Peake was shown placing items into the Camaro's trunk.

It's unclear what happened with the tablet, cellphone and gun before they were retrieved by authorities.

No criminal charges have been brought against any members of the New Mexico State men's basketball program.

The school suspended Peake indefinitely pending results of the ongoing investigation.

New Mexico State University suspended Mike Peake from its basketball team as an investigation into a fatal shooting that took place in the early hours of Nov. 19 continues.

“Mike is suspended from our basketball team until the completion of the university’s investigation and the investigation of the proper authorities,” New Mexico State athletic director Mario Moccia told reporters. “When those investigations will be complete, I can’t say.”

Police say Peake shot and killed 19-year-old Brandon Travis on the University of New Mexico campus after Travis and three others allegedly lured Peake to campus to attack him. Peake suffered a leg injury in the shooting and underwent multiple surgeries.

"Through investigation, agents later learned that Travis had conspired with a 17-year-old female and two of Travis's male friends, all UNM students, to lure the 21-year-old victim to UNM campus and assault him," New Mexico State police said in a statement.

Further investigation showed Peake skipped curfew in Albuquerque ahead of the Aggies' game against the Lobos to meet up with the 17-year-old female on the New Mexico campus, where he was met by the girl, Travis and two other male assailants. According to the police report, one man hit Peake with a baseball bat and another shot at Peake while he was running away at which point Peake shot back, striking Travis four times.

The planned attack was revenge for a fight that began weeks prior at a New Mexico vs. New Mexico State football game. Jonathan Smith and the unnamed girl have been charged with crimes related to the attack.

According to police, Peake was seen on video meeting teammates Issa Muhammad, Marcelus Avery and Anthony Roy following the shooting and putting items into the trunk of a car. Head coach Greg Heiar and assistant coach Dominque Taylor are regularly mentioned in the police report as being uncooperative in the subsequent police investigation.

The report says police received resistance from the players and coaching staff for weeks regarding the investigation as they attempted to recover the weapon used to shoot Travis, along with Peak's tablet and cell phone.

“I emphasized to Coach Taylor how important it was to recover the gun and other items that were placed in the trunk,” state police agent David Esquibel wrote. “I asked him to let me know if he finds out any information about the Camaro, the gun or other items and he said he would.”

Police eventually found Taylor in possession of the weapon wrapped in a towel. They have also recovered Peake's tablet and cell phone as the investigation continues.

There has been no word on what potential criminal charges could be pursued.

The game at New Mexico and the scheduled Dec. 3 rematch between the teams in Las Cruces, New Mexico were both canceled.

Four University of New Mexico students allegedly conspired to lure New Mexico State men's basketball player Mike Peake to campus and assault him when a deadly shooting broke out on the New Mexico campus early Saturday morning, police said in a statement.

Peake shot and killed 19-year-old Brandon Travis after the Aggies forward was attacked by the four assailants, per Myron Medcalf of ESPN.

"Through investigation, agents later learned that Travis had conspired with a 17-year-old female and two of Travis's male friends, all UNM students, to lure the 21-year-old victim to UNM campus and assault him," New Mexico State police said in a statement.

Travis allegedly attacked and shot Peake, who responded by shooting back at Travis, killing him at the scene. A statement sent by school officials to the student body said Peake is in stable condition. Police have not offered any updates on Peake's condition.

The incident led to the postponement of Saturday's scheduled game between New Mexico State and New Mexico.

The 17-year-old girl involved in the shooting was arrested and charged with aggravated battery and conspiracy. She has not been identified. The two other male students have also not been identified, and police are offering a $2,500 reward for information leading to their apprehension.

Peake, a junior, averaged 9.0 points and 3.5 rebounds while starting New Mexico State's first two games of the season. He began his college basketball career at Georgia before transferring to Austin Peay and then New Mexico State.

The University of New Mexico men's basketball team announced Saturday's game against New Mexico State has been postponed following a homicide on its Albuquerque campus.

UPDATE on tonight's game... pic.twitter.com/lfXsSlNNVq

— Lobo Basketball (@UNMLoboMBB) November 19, 2022

Elizabeth Tucker and Geoff Grammer of the Albuquerque Journal reported a New Mexico State player "may have been involved" but wasn't the person killed. Police haven't provided further details about how the unnamed player was linked to the killing.

"One individual has succumbed to gunshot injuries and was pronounced deceased on scene," Albuquerque Police Department spokesperson Chase Jewell said.

Police received a call around 3 a.m. local time Saturday after two men, ages 19 and 21, both suffered gunshot wounds during an altercation, per KTSM's Melissa Luna.

The 19-year-old man died. An update on the 21-year-old's condition wasn't immediately available after he was transported to the hospital.

New Mexico State Police told Luna the preliminary investigation has led them to believe there is no further threat to the community.

The schools' men's basketball programs have faced off 226 times since their first meeting in 1896 as part of the Rio Grande Rivalry. The Lobos hold a 123-103 all-time advantage.

It wasn't immediately announced whether the game would be rescheduled or canceled.

The SEC has had a tough few days at the 2021-22 men's basketball NCAA tournament. But Arkansas stopped the bleeding, at least temporarily.

The fourth-seeded Razorbacks knocked off 12th-seeded New Mexico State, 53-48, in West Regional second-round action.

Arkansas rode its suffocating defense to the win, holding the Aggies to 34 shooting from the field while forcing 19 turnovers. And they stymied New Mexico State's leading scorer, Teddy Allen, forcing him to either give up the ball or settle for tough looks.

Granted, Arkansas wasn't exactly lighting the nets on fire either, shooting 27.5 percent from the field. This was not a pretty game on the offensive end:

pic.twitter.com/mOvHUsp7xS

— Brad Evans (@NoisyHuevos) March 20, 2022

So uh….New Mexico State-Arkansas is something resembling basketball. I don’t know if we can totally define it as basketball yet though.

— Sam Vecenie (@Sam_Vecenie) March 20, 2022

Arkansas has been dragged into the muck

— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) March 20, 2022

It did have two of the prettiest passes of the tournament, however:

Incredible pass from Arkansas 🙌 https://t.co/ZZLSjxEotl

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 20, 2022

It's IMPOSSIBLE to place a pass better than this. pic.twitter.com/Gm36xd33y8

— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 20, 2022

Pass of the day by Devo Davis.

— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) March 20, 2022

The Razorbacks became the first SEC team to reach the Sweet 16, as Kentucky lost in the first round and Alabama, LSU and Tennessee all lost in the second round. Only Arkansas and Auburn—the second-seeded Tigers play 10th-seeded Miami Sunday at 7:45 p.m. ET in the Midwest Region—are left standing.

And if Arkansas can keep playing defense like it did Saturday, it'll be sticking around for a while.

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Key Stats

JD Notae, ARK: 18 points, eight steals, four rebounds, three assists

Jaylin Williams, ARK: 10 points, 15 rebounds

Stanley Umude, ARK: Nine points, eight rebounds

Johnny McCants, NMS: 16 points, 12 rebounds

Teddy Allen, NMS: 12 points

Will McNair Jr., NMS: Six points, seven rebounds

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Notae had a Topsy-Turvy Game for Arkansas

On one hand, Notae was Arkansas' only reliable source of offense throughout this game, continuously attacking the rim and looking for his own shot. 

On the other hand, he had some really rough stretches in this game, namely during the second half when he couldn't seem to buy a bucket, was called for multiple charges, had to be benched for a chunk of time down the stretch after picking up his fourth foul and fouled out with just over a minute remaining on his fourth charge of the half. 

Three offensive fouls by JD Notae in the first nine minutes of the second half and Arkansas has scored just four points over that stretch. Not ideal.

— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) March 20, 2022

https://twitter.com/HaydenBalgavy/status/1505370243056775171

This was not an efficient performance for Notae—he finished 5-of-18 from the field. But he was also the one Arkansas player who didn't seem shy when it came to attacking New Mexico State's defense. The Razorbacks needed his offense, even if it wasn't consistent. 

Oh, and he had eight steals. Eight. He was a big contributor to Arkansas' impressive defensive performance.

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McCants Tried to Pick Up the Slack for Allen

With Allen never establishing any rhythm in this game—he finished 5-of-16 from the field, a tough performance for a player who averaged 19.9 points per game this season—the Aggies needed someone to pick up the slack to keep themselves afloat. 

McCants did his darndest to be that guy. He was not only New Mexico State's most reliable offensive weapon in the second half, but also the team's energizer:

NEW MEXICO STATE WITH AUTHORITY 😳 https://t.co/aNqqxD8BOo

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 20, 2022

Johnny McCants WILL NOT BE DENIED. pic.twitter.com/6mgKMv6h2O

— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 20, 2022

Holy moly. Johnny McCants just gave this place a huge jolt of energy with a tomahawk slam to cut the lead to two. He comes over to the crowd trying to get everyone on their feet. The crowd is going bezerk. Hogs lead 30-28.

— Stephen Wagner (@stephenwagOn3) March 20, 2022

Johnny McCants is in another zone right now. He lays it in to tie and then takes ANOTHER charge. The Las Cruces native. The Sixth Year Senior. He does NOT wanna go home.

Game tied at 30. Buckle up.

— Nate Ryan (@nateryansports) March 20, 2022

Ultimately, his team's offensive woes rendered his effort moot. But when someone needed to step up on Saturday, he did everything he could.

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What's Next?

Arkansas will face the winner of No. 1 seed Gonzaga vs. No. 9 seed Memphis on Thursday, with tipoff time to be determined.

The UConn Huskies became the latest No. 5 seed to fall, suffering a 70-63 upset loss to the No. 12 New Mexico State Aggies in the first round of the men's NCAA tournament on Thursday.

Junior guard Teddy Allen poured in a game-high 37 points to lead the way for the Aggies, who improved to 27-6 this season.

NEW MEXICO STATE CLOSING OUT UCONN https://t.co/0MpB1VkXOo

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 18, 2022

UConn, which finishes the year at 23-10, joins Iowa as the No. 5 seeds to go down on Thursday.

New Mexico State blitzed UConn early, putting together a 17-6 run over the final 6:15 of the first half to take a 32-22 lead heading into halftime. The Aggies led by as many as 14 early in the second half before the Huskies clawed their way back into the game.

UConn managed to tie the game a couple times but never took the lead. The Huskies evened things up for the first time at 52-52, but Clayton Henry answered with a three-pointer. The game was tied again at 58-58 with just over two minutes left, but Allen drilled a triple on the ensuing possession to put New Mexico State in front for good.

Allen carried the Aggies on his back Thursday as no other player on the team scored in double figures. But New Mexico State was boosted by an efficient performance from beyond the arc, shooting 11-of-17 (64.7 percent). Allen was also the only player on the team to get to the free-throw line, shooting a perfect 13-of-13.

R.J. Cole led UConn with 20 points in the loss. Adama Sanogo was the only other player to reach double digits with 10 points. The Huskies struggled with their outside shot, connecting on just 7-of-23 three-point attempts (30.4 percent).