LAS CRUCES, N.M.-The New Mexico State Athletics Department has created a men’s basketball Ring of Honor and former head coach Lou Henson, Sam Lacey and Billy Joe Price will be the inaugural inductees. The Aggies are also celebrating the 40th reunion of the 1967-68 team. The ceremony for both these events is set for halftime of the Boise State game, Feb. 9 at 5:00 p.m.
Henson began his head coaching career at NMSU in 1966. After two stints as his alma mater, Henson is the all-time winningest coach at NMSU with 289 wins and he is seventh all-time in career Division I wins with 779. He is one of only 11 coaches to take two different schools to the Final Four. During his Aggie career, Henson’s teams made the only Final Four appearance, 19 NCAA appearances, four NIT appearances, won two conference championships and produced five all-Americans.
Currently, Henson ranks third all-time in games coached with 1,191 and he was the 15th fastest coach in history to reach 700 wins. Henson is also one of only eight coaches to have 20 wins or more with two different schools. Henson ranks 12th all-time in most Division I 20-win seasons with 20 and is tied for eighth all-time for most consecutive Division I 20-win seasons with nine in a row.
Lacey was a member of the Aggie team from 1968-70 and Basketball News named him a first team all-American. He was also selected to the NCAA Midwest Regional All-Tournament Team. Lacey holds the school record for career rebounds with 1,265 and all five individual school rebounding records. He is also No. 7 on NMSU’s all-time scoring list with 1,448 points. Last season, he was named to the NMSU All-Century Team.
Price played for the Aggies from 1958-61 and he was one of the first players to score 1,000 points. He still ranks No. 14 on the all-time scoring list with 1,159 points. Price is third on the school’s single-season rebounding list with 354 boards. He is only one of three Aggies to post a double-digit rebounding average in his career (10.7). In the 1958-59 season, Price led the team in scoring (19.0), field goals made (209) and rebounding (12.6).
The 1967-68 team made quite an impact with the Aggies fifth NCAA Tournament appearance in school history. NMSU defeated Weber State, 68-57, in the first round of the West Regional in Salt Lake City, Utah, before falling to UCLA, 58-49, in the semifinals. The Aggies rebounded to defeat New Mexico, 62-58, to claim third place.
Courtesy: New Mexico State University
