Long article on Reggie and New Mexico State, but well worth the read...
http://www.sacbee.com/351/story/132477.html
Theus' star power has helped breed success at New Mexico State
The Road To Arco: An odyssey to the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament
By Paul Gutierrez - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 10:06 am PST Sunday, March 4, 2007
It's approaching midnight, and there is no end in sight to the well-wishers, explanation seekers and those simply wanting to, in a sense, kiss the ring. Reggie Theus, the first true Sacramento Kings star, has evolved into a college basketball coach in his second year at nondescript New Mexico State, and he does nothing but oblige as he leans on his table in the middle of the sports bar, a Godfather-like figure.
The resurgent Aggies have survived against Utah State, and the mood is festive.
One beer-swigging fan asks Theus why he got into a shouting match with Utah State's Nick Hammer. The fan wants to know what Theus said to Hammer after the guard dived into a loose-ball scrum that ended with New Mexico State's Fred Peete being helped off the court with a fractured ankle.
Another fan wonders about game strategy, when the Aggies blew a 20-point lead before holding on for the 76-73 victory Feb. 22.
Theus, drinking in nothing more than the atmosphere, is in his element, mingling with the people while keeping an air about himself and smiling that mega-watt smile of his.
* * *
How big is Theus in Las Cruces? As large as the Organ Mountains that ring the city with their jagged ridges.
Consider: Theus succeeded in one game-day pep rally that drew 1,000 where the legendary Lou Henson and the infamous Neil McCarthy failed in years of trying -- getting the student body to stop chanting, "Nice shot, (expletive)," after an opponent makes a free throw. That fans merely changed the offending descriptive noun to a Spanish slang word for the same body part was a victory in Las Cruces, where legend has fans throwing jalapeños on the court to intimidate visitors.
"My main goal is to build a program that's about the program in general, not just when we're winning," Theus said. "I don't compare us to other mid-major programs. I compare us to the North Carolinas and the Louisvilles because that's all I know. I don't have a clue as to how a mid-major program is supposed to be, what second-rate is."
And therein lies what many see as both the greatest strength and biggest weakness of the artist formerly known as "Rush Street Reggie," the man-about-town with the Chicago Bulls who was as polarizing a figure ever to have graced an NBA court -- his self-assuredness in the face of criticism that he is merely a shameless self-promoter with an ego larger than the Afro he wore in his college days.
"He's a very confident person," said Dr. McKinley Boston, New Mexico State's athletic director. "Some would call it arrogance. I think it's a quiet arrogance.
"Obviously, the students love him. He's really brought that swagger here."
So much so that the campus bookstore is having trouble filling orders for the "Reggie Nation" T-shirts.
When Theus makes his entrance before games, walking down the stairs from the concourse through the student section rather than via the tunnel with his team from the annex of the newly built, $26 million Pan American Center, fans chant his name while slapping fives with him. It reeks of showmanship, but a smiling Theus says the walk is simply shorter.
Whenever his picture is shown on the big screen, coeds shriek as if Justin Timberlake just walked into the building.
And when Theus gets animated on the sideline with officials -- one referee half-jokingly asked him to keep his hands down lest the crowd get overly excited and rush the court -- the ear-splitting chants of Reg-gie, Reg-gie, Reg-gie fill the arena.
After the Aggies spanked upstate rival New Mexico by 31 earlier this season, Theus grabbed the microphone and whipped the crowd into a further frenzy by saying, "That's what I'm talking about."
He makes no apologies.
"Although I'm 49, sometimes I probably act like a student," he said with a laugh.
He has started a foundation in Las Cruces and makes regular rounds on the town's speaking circuit.
"It's kind of surreal," he said. "I had no idea that my impact would be this great. I'm very candid, very upfront. I'm in your face. I even yelled at our students once during a game because someone threw something on the floor. I grabbed the microphone, and I lit into him really hard, and they cheered me after. It was crazy."
Need more proof? The Aggies' average attendance of 9,077 this season nearly doubled what they drew the year before Theus arrived.
"Aggie fans have been abused by UTEP and New Mexico fans a lot," he said. "That third-wheel mentality in this region, I think we've blown it off its hinges."
Oozing charisma, Theus would be huge in this desert town of 78,000 people in southern New Mexico simply by spreading his toes in the local sand, what with his diverse résumé of a 13-year NBA career -- he spent almost five years with the Kings in both Kansas City and Sacramento and was a two-time All-Star, a TV personality and a matinee idol persona. But it's how he has awakened sleepy Las Cruces -- bringing an exciting brand of basketball that has produced a winner in such short order -- that has Theus owning the town.
..cont...
http://www.sacbee.com/351/story/132477.html
Theus' star power has helped breed success at New Mexico State
The Road To Arco: An odyssey to the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament
By Paul Gutierrez - Bee Staff Writer
Last Updated 10:06 am PST Sunday, March 4, 2007
It's approaching midnight, and there is no end in sight to the well-wishers, explanation seekers and those simply wanting to, in a sense, kiss the ring. Reggie Theus, the first true Sacramento Kings star, has evolved into a college basketball coach in his second year at nondescript New Mexico State, and he does nothing but oblige as he leans on his table in the middle of the sports bar, a Godfather-like figure.
The resurgent Aggies have survived against Utah State, and the mood is festive.
One beer-swigging fan asks Theus why he got into a shouting match with Utah State's Nick Hammer. The fan wants to know what Theus said to Hammer after the guard dived into a loose-ball scrum that ended with New Mexico State's Fred Peete being helped off the court with a fractured ankle.
Another fan wonders about game strategy, when the Aggies blew a 20-point lead before holding on for the 76-73 victory Feb. 22.
Theus, drinking in nothing more than the atmosphere, is in his element, mingling with the people while keeping an air about himself and smiling that mega-watt smile of his.
* * *
How big is Theus in Las Cruces? As large as the Organ Mountains that ring the city with their jagged ridges.
Consider: Theus succeeded in one game-day pep rally that drew 1,000 where the legendary Lou Henson and the infamous Neil McCarthy failed in years of trying -- getting the student body to stop chanting, "Nice shot, (expletive)," after an opponent makes a free throw. That fans merely changed the offending descriptive noun to a Spanish slang word for the same body part was a victory in Las Cruces, where legend has fans throwing jalapeños on the court to intimidate visitors.
"My main goal is to build a program that's about the program in general, not just when we're winning," Theus said. "I don't compare us to other mid-major programs. I compare us to the North Carolinas and the Louisvilles because that's all I know. I don't have a clue as to how a mid-major program is supposed to be, what second-rate is."
And therein lies what many see as both the greatest strength and biggest weakness of the artist formerly known as "Rush Street Reggie," the man-about-town with the Chicago Bulls who was as polarizing a figure ever to have graced an NBA court -- his self-assuredness in the face of criticism that he is merely a shameless self-promoter with an ego larger than the Afro he wore in his college days.
"He's a very confident person," said Dr. McKinley Boston, New Mexico State's athletic director. "Some would call it arrogance. I think it's a quiet arrogance.
"Obviously, the students love him. He's really brought that swagger here."
So much so that the campus bookstore is having trouble filling orders for the "Reggie Nation" T-shirts.
When Theus makes his entrance before games, walking down the stairs from the concourse through the student section rather than via the tunnel with his team from the annex of the newly built, $26 million Pan American Center, fans chant his name while slapping fives with him. It reeks of showmanship, but a smiling Theus says the walk is simply shorter.
Whenever his picture is shown on the big screen, coeds shriek as if Justin Timberlake just walked into the building.
And when Theus gets animated on the sideline with officials -- one referee half-jokingly asked him to keep his hands down lest the crowd get overly excited and rush the court -- the ear-splitting chants of Reg-gie, Reg-gie, Reg-gie fill the arena.
After the Aggies spanked upstate rival New Mexico by 31 earlier this season, Theus grabbed the microphone and whipped the crowd into a further frenzy by saying, "That's what I'm talking about."
He makes no apologies.
"Although I'm 49, sometimes I probably act like a student," he said with a laugh.
He has started a foundation in Las Cruces and makes regular rounds on the town's speaking circuit.
"It's kind of surreal," he said. "I had no idea that my impact would be this great. I'm very candid, very upfront. I'm in your face. I even yelled at our students once during a game because someone threw something on the floor. I grabbed the microphone, and I lit into him really hard, and they cheered me after. It was crazy."
Need more proof? The Aggies' average attendance of 9,077 this season nearly doubled what they drew the year before Theus arrived.
"Aggie fans have been abused by UTEP and New Mexico fans a lot," he said. "That third-wheel mentality in this region, I think we've blown it off its hinges."
Oozing charisma, Theus would be huge in this desert town of 78,000 people in southern New Mexico simply by spreading his toes in the local sand, what with his diverse résumé of a 13-year NBA career -- he spent almost five years with the Kings in both Kansas City and Sacramento and was a two-time All-Star, a TV personality and a matinee idol persona. But it's how he has awakened sleepy Las Cruces -- bringing an exciting brand of basketball that has produced a winner in such short order -- that has Theus owning the town.
..cont...
