Former NMSU basketball player shares insight on hazing allegations
LAS CRUCES, N.M. (CBS4) — The New Mexico State University Board of Regents will meet on Thursday behind closed doors to discuss personnel matters.
This will be the second closed meeting they have had since hazing allegations shut down the men’s basketball team for the rest of the season.
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The allegations detailed players removing a teammate’s shorts, slapping his rear and grabbing his genitals.
C.J. Bobbitt, a former NMSU basketball player, said that during his three seasons on the team, he never experienced or witnessed hazing.
Bobbitt said the team treated one another like family which left no room to disrespect each other.
“We would always bring each other up. Like we would always want to see all we would always want to see each other succeed. And we would always want to see the best for all of us," he said.
Bobbitt added his coach at the time, former head coach Chris Jans, always set an example for the team and made sure to develop a relationship with the players, on and off the court.
“Coach Jans would always bring us over for he would just bring us over sometimes to his house just to eat as, like, as a team. I want to say right before the season, and then like two more times during the season, we would go to his house and just hang out," he said.
While hazing was not part of his experience as an Aggie, Bobbitt shared some insight on locker room culture and how he believes hazing could develop.
Bobbitt believes it stems from players not respecting each other.
“I would probably just say egos. Honestly, I feel like that's the only thing that I could probably say, especially with hazing. A lot of people have this stigma that they're coming from, like, wherever they came from was better than where you just came from.”
Bobbitt also shared a message to current and future Aggies looking to join the team:
“I'm very sorry, and I am. I'm feeling your pain right now. But I promise you, these are dark days, but it will get better. Always remember that.”
NMSU’s Board of Regents will meet virtually on Thursday at 1 p.m.
Count on us to bring you any updates about the meeting.
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