New Mexico State Suspends Men's Basketball Program 'Until Further Notice'

New Mexico State Suspends Men's Basketball Program 'Until Further Notice'

New Mexico State has suspended its men's basketball program 'until further notice' due to "new allegations" not related to the November shooting incident. Additionally, they placed their coaching staff on paid administrative leave.

Under first-year head coach Greg Heiar, the Aggies are 9-15 and 2-10 in WAC play this season. Heiar was hired last March after Chris Jans left for Mississippi State.

LAS CRUCES — The New Mexico State University men’s basketball program has been suspended “until further notice” due to “new allegations” not related to the November shooting incident.

New Mexico State University announced Friday that their men's basketball program has been suspended "until further notice" due to "new allegations" not related to the November shooting incident that killed a UNM student. As a result, some members of the program have been placed on paid administrative leave and additional suspensions are expected against other staff members as well.

According to KTSM, police searched the hotel where New Mexico State University's basketball players were staying in Albuquerque during late November while serving search warrants. Police were looking for Marchelus Avery, Issa Muhammad, and Anthony Roy - three players involved in the Peake incident - during this search.

Police were able to identify Avery and Muhammad, as well as two other NMSU players on surveillance footage reported by KTSM. Avery, Muhammad, and Roy could be seen helping Peake carry the gun used in the shooting into a yellow Camaro that arrived shortly afterward.

Lorenzo Jenkins, another NMSU player, accompanied Peake to the hotel where shooting occurred. He told KTSM that Peake had his tablet with him along with an unknown New Mexico state administrator's phone number in his backpack.

After the shooting, NMSU head coach Greg Heiar packed his team onto a bus and left town. Fearing there might be reprisals for what had transpired, Heiar decided not to include Peake or any of his fellow NMSU players who had picked him up and taken him to the hospital after the incident.

Heiar then reached out to Taylor and instructed him to retrieve Peake's gun from the hotel. Additionally, He instructed Taylor to call him again when he returned from the hotel.

Body camera footage from the hotel reveals Taylor answering the phone. In the video, a detective asks if Taylor has possession of the gun and Taylor confirms it.

Body camera footage also captures Jenkins, a special assistant to Heiar, telling the detective he had Peake's tablet in his backpack as well as an anonymous New Mexico state administrator's phone number.

NMSU’s Board of Regents issued a statement in support of the decision.

Las Cruces -- The New Mexico State University Board of Regents issued a statement in support of their decision to suspend men's basketball "until further notice."

In a release, NMSU announced it will suspend its next scheduled game against California Baptist and place all of its coaching staff, including first-year head coach Greg Heiar, on paid administrative leave.

According to NMSU's statement, staff were recently apprised of "new allegations," separate from the shooting incident that occurred last November, regarding potential violations of university policy.

University spokesperson Justin Bannister provided a statement to USA TODAY Sports regarding their investigation. It remains uncertain if it is related to the shooting incident or if the men's basketball program has been suspended solely for its own benefit.

"NMSU has suspended its men's basketball program while it investigates new allegations unconnected to the events in Albuquerque late last year," a university spokesperson informed USA TODAY Sports. They stressed that this suspension had nothing to do with the shooting incident in November nor was it connected to Dr. Scott Carruthers' firing as athletic director earlier this week.

USA TODAY Sports' follow-up email to NMSU spokesperson Justin Bannister seeking clarification regarding whether the decision to suspend operations had been made by their athletic department or at the university level was unreturned.

On Monday morning, graduate workers, faculty and undergraduate allies gathered outside NMSU Board of Regents meeting to demand answers from the graduate workers union about poverty wages and crushing fees that they claim put graduate students at a disadvantage in their pursuit of education, as well as their legal right to unionize.

The graduate workers union is demanding the regents address their worries and answer their questions before they meet with a contract negotiation committee this December. To this end, they plan to bring along a petition signed by over 1,100 supporters as well as public comments during the gathering.

At NMSU's graduate workers union meetings, they've grown frustrated with the regents' unwillingness to collaborate, instead turning to outside lawyers instead of trying to reach an understanding. They believe this is holding NMSU back from realizing its full potential as a research university; one example given was the university's lack of full tuition remission for graduate students.

NMSU’s coaching staff was placed on paid administrative leave.

Las Cruces -- The New Mexico State University men's basketball program has been suspended "until further notice" amid "new allegations" not related to the November shooting incident. A statement released Friday afternoon stated that they had been informed of potential violations of university policy and Aggies coach Greg Heiar and other staff members were placed on paid administrative leave while an investigation into these matters took place.

Heiar had served as head coach of NMSU's men's basketball program for only one season, having been hired from Northwest Florida State where his team finished last season 27-7 and beat No. 5 seed UConn in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. Prior to this role, Heiar served as an assistant at ETSU, LSU and Wichita State before accepting this new role at NMSU.

On Monday morning, KTSM reported that Peake had been lured to UNM's campus Saturday by a 17-year-old girl. She intended for him to be ambushed by 3 other men as revenge for an altercation he had during a football game on October 15; according to an arrest affidavit, Peake met up with her at her dorm room where they agreed that three men would push him down and she should run away.

The affidavit also states that Peake had been in contact with the 17-year-old girl over the weekend and took an Uber to meet her at her dorm. When he arrived, however, three men approached him and pointed a gun at him.

According to an affidavit, Peake fled after the incident. He threw his phone under his car knowing that it could be tracked back via GPS signals.

Smith was interviewed by police and determined that he was present when Peake was shoved down. He reported seeing one of the other men hit Peake with a bat, then ran away as Travis fired his gun.

NMSU’s next game was canceled.

Las Cruces, N.M. -- Following the tragic shooting on the University of New Mexico campus that claimed one life and left another hospitalized, the men's team's next game against NMSU has been postponed. UNM Director of Athletics Eddie Nunez announced Tuesday that both November 19 and December 3 games between these schools have been postponed.

Mario Moccia, the director of athletics at NMSU, reached out to other FBS programs in search of a replacement game but received no interest. Instead he decided to add another non-conference matchup against FCS Valparaiso on Saturday and move up the date of their home matchup against San Jose State until midway through their 13-game schedule.

Moccia made an unusual decision, considering both teams had been struggling to win at home and had already played one non-conference game. Yet he believed his team was only one win away from bowl eligibility and wanted to ensure players had a chance to play their full schedule this year.

On Saturday afternoon, New Mexico State Aggies were set to play San Jose State Spartans at Aggie Memorial Stadium in Las Cruces at 4 p.m. MT for a battle between 5-6 NMSU and 5-7 SJSU teams that were ineligible for a bowl due to the tragic passing of freshman running back Camdan McWright.

On the days leading up to that game, reports of a fight between UNM and UTEP students on campus had surfaced. Police reports state Travis and several other UNM students were involved in an altercation which left Peake with a broken leg and another man with serious injuries.

Peake's injury was the focus of an investigation that continued through Monday and Tuesday, during which time he remained in the hospital in Albuquerque. It is expected that he will remain there for at least another day or two.

New Mexico State Suspends Men's Basketball Team

On Friday night, New Mexico State suspended its men's basketball team and put its coaching staff on paid administrative leave while investigating unspecified potential violations of university policy. This decision was made after "new allegations" were recently revealed, the school said in a statement.

On Saturday, California Baptist had been scheduled to play the Aggies. With a record of 9-15 this season and sitting in last place in the Western Athletic Conference, this matchup was cancelled.

New allegations

Friday afternoon, New Mexico State University announced the suspension of their men's basketball program indefinitely due to 'new allegations, separate from what occurred last year in Albuquerque'. They noted that an investigation is underway into potential violations of university policy which have sparked this investigation.

Three months have passed since Aggies forward Mike Peake was involved in a shooting at Albuquerque that claimed one student and injured another. This tragedy occurred while Peake and his teammates were here for a game against the Lobos.

Peake was not charged in the predawn shooting on the UNM campus that day, so that game and its rematch with NM State in Las Cruces were cancelled.

ESPN reported that police wanted to interview Peake and two other players in the days following the shooting. Investigators said they informed head coach Greg Heaar of their plans and that he should make sure none of them needed legal representation.

After the shooting, Heiar loaded his team onto a bus and left town. However, police soon noticed it along with one member in a car, leading to an exciting car chase that culminated with an officer speeding down Interstate 25 with sirens sounding.

Once the bus had been stopped, authorities discovered Peake's gun in assistant coach Dominique Taylor's possession. At first, Heiar claimed not to know where it was but later admitted it to officers that he did indeed possess it.

Heiar was then placed on administrative leave, becoming the first New Mexico State coach to be suspended since Chris Jans left to take over at Mississippi State last spring.

In a statement, the New Mexico State University Board of Regents expressed their approval of university leaders' actions and are sure that a thorough and impartial investigation will be carried out, they added.

According to KTSM, the men's basketball team has been facing new allegations of hazing by multiple players on multiple occasions. A police report filed within 24 hours has prompted the shutdown as a result.

Officials at NMSU have yet to disclose how and when the hazing allegations were discovered. However, sources indicate they were part of an internal investigation that included Rodey Law Firm. On Friday night, the school released a statement informing students and faculty of 'new allegations' prompting an investigation and placing all coaching staff members on paid administrative leave.

Canceled game against Cal Baptist

Friday night, New Mexico State announced the suspension of their men's basketball program and placed the coaching staff on paid administrative leave. NMSU personnel had recently been informed of "new allegations," separate from events that transpired late last year in Albuquerque, regarding potential violations of university policy.

On Saturday, NMSU's game against Cal Baptist was cancelled and their season has been suspended indefinitely. A statement issued after the decision said nothing of the fatal shooting that caused national outrage last November in Albuquerque that sparked this nationwide controversy; nevertheless, the school also confirmed it would continue its investigation into the incident.

The Aggies are 9-15 and 2-10 in Western Athletic Conference play, under first-year coach Greg Heiar. With Chris Jans having left for Mississippi State in July, leadership at the school is under review after board of regents decided not to renew Chancellor Dan Arvizu's contract.

Heiar's team has been plagued with injuries this season, including junior forward Deshawndre Washington (knee), who was ruled out for Saturday's game against California Baptist due to an injury. Furthermore, sophomore guard Xavier Pinson - who missed all of last season due to a broken ankle - will miss the remainder of this year due to an undisclosed issue.

Meanwhile, the Lancers are 2-2 in Western Athletic Conference play with their only loss coming against Grand Canyon. They lead the league in 3-point field goal percentage and allow opponents to shoot just 42.9% from the field.

Battin led CBU with 18 points as they cruised past NM State 70-61 on Saturday. He made 3 of 6 3-pointers and scored on a drive to the basket while in transition, giving the Lancers an early lead that they would hold onto for good.

Late in the second half, Washington had a chance to take the lead with a drive of their own. But Battin hit an impressive triple from above the key to make it 56-47 with 6:29 remaining. On his next possession, Armstrong found him open for another goal and extended their advantage back up to 10 points with 1:20 remaining.

Suspended indefinitely

New Mexico State has suspended their men's basketball team indefinitely due to "new allegations" unrelated to last year's shooting, the school announced Friday night.

The school announced it was placing the coaching staff on paid administrative leave after learning of "new allegations" in the program, which were "separate from events that occurred late last year" in Albuquerque.

According to Jeff Goodman of Stadium, multiple players allegedly hazed a teammate multiple times. A police report filed 24 hours prior to the Aggies game against Cal Baptist prompted the suspension, the school announced.

As it relates to the November shooting incident, some of Peake's teammates and coaches helped him remove the gun used in shooting from campus. One of them was Lorenzo Jenkins, who serves as special assistant to coach Greg Heiar. The gun had been wrapped in a towel at a hotel where Heiar and assistant coach Dominique Taylor were staying and had an identification tablet on top which police could have used to identify Peake.

Following the shooting, some NMSU players and coaches reached out to the university's lawyers and turned over the weapon. Later that day, they called Peake's coaches to explain what had transpired.

Unified Communications' spokesperson confirmed that three UNM students lured Peake to campus with the intent of assaulting him but were not charged in the shooting. It appears that shooting occurred after several altercations between Peake and these three students.

Mike Peake of New Mexico State University was suspended indefinitely in early December while a third-party investigator looked into his possible involvement in the shooting. He was taken to a hospital for medical treatment but has not been charged in connection with it. Additionally, according to NMSU's athletic department, the district attorney in Albuquerque is conducting their own separate investigation into the incident.

NMSU statement

After being informed of new allegations regarding potential violations of university policy, New Mexico State University has temporarily suspended operations of their men's basketball program until further notice. Furthermore, head coach Greg Heiar was placed on paid administrative leave as a precautionary measure.

On Friday night, the school issued a statement clarifying that these allegations are unconnected to an incident last year in Albuquerque that resulted in fatal shooting. Both the school and Albuquerque District Attorney's office have launched separate investigations into the shooting as well as any actions taken by staff, coaches or players related to it.

The university has also hired a third-party investigator to review the shooting, and will not release personnel files on coaches and staff members until after the investigation is concluded. This review will be separate from the legal investigation currently led by New Mexico State Police and examine how well the university responded in the days after the shooting.

Peake has been permanently suspended from the team and has not played since the shooting on December 17th - one day before NMSU/UNM's rivalry game in the Pit. He is recovering from two surgeries and has not commented publicly about what has occurred.

Reports by KTSM 9 News indicate the allegations pertain to potential violations of university policy. These assertions were made on Friday and are unconnected to the November 19 shooting that took place on campus at rival University of New Mexico, in which a student killed another.

This is the first suspension of a men's basketball player in NMSU history and their fourth this season. The Aggies, who are 9-15 and currently last in the Western Athletic Conference, have had an up-and-down season this year.

Peake was charged with aggravated assault and conspiracy to commit a felony in the shooting, leading to his suspension by NMSU in early December while an independent third-party investigator looks into his involvement. Initially, the school planned on hiring its own staffer but ultimately chose to bring in an outside agency for investigation.

Peake is currently hospitalized in Las Cruces and has not played since the shooting that occurred during NMSU-UNM rivalry day on March 12. He followed NMSU's game against UTEP on Wednesday night from his hospital bed, calling teammates at halftime, as reported by senior guard Xavier Pinson to The Journal.