Livescore
New Mexico State announced Friday that it is suspending the operations of its men’s basketball team and placing the coaching staff on paid administrative leave “until further notice.” The decision comes after university personnel were “informed of new allegations” separate from an earlier deadly November shooting involving an NMSU player as part of what has been a tumultuous season off the court for first-year coach Greg Heiar.
The new allegations center around the repeated hazing of a team member, according to Stadium’s Jeff Goodman, who reported that a police report filed on the issue led to the university’s action. In its statement, NMSU said the allegations involve potential violations of university policy that are “separate from the events that took place in Albuquerque late last year.”
In November, a New Mexico State player was hospitalized after a shooting on New Mexico’s campus in the early morning hours before the in-state rivals were scheduled to play. The player, Mike Peake, was hospitalized and then suspended for his role in the incident, which left a New Mexico student dead.
New Mexico State’s next game, scheduled for Saturday against California Baptist, will not be played.
The Aggies are 9-15 and 2-10 in the WAC after finishing last season 27-7 and beating No. 5 seed UConn in a first-round NCAA Tournament game. Following last season, coach Chris Jans left for Mississippi State and the school hired Heiar from Northwest Florida State, a power in the junior college ranks. Heiar previously worked as an assistant at ETSU, LSU, Wichita State and Southern Miss.
New Mexico State’s Board of Regents released a statement saying it supports the program’s suspension “and is confident a full and thorough investigation will be conducted.”
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