LAS CRUCES, N.M. - With the 2025-26 season on the horizon, Chris Dortch's Blue Ribbon Yearbook has unveiled its annual preseason forecast for Conference USA, and NM State senior guard Jemel Jones was tabbed Conference USA Newcomer of the Year while also landing a spot on the All-Conference Team. The publication projected NM State to finish third in the league standings, trailing only Liberty and Kennesaw State and marking a notable rise from last year's sixth-place forecast.
Jones arrives in Las Cruces following a standout season at CSU Bakersfield, where he emerged as one of the nation's most dynamic scoring guards.