LAS CRUCES, N.M. — It's no secret New Mexico State's top players are starting guards Jonathan Gibson and Jahmar Young. And while it's largely untested, there's depth and talent down the rest of the roster, too.

Coach Marvin Menzies sees that as a positive as his team prepares to open Saturday against UC Riverside.

"The important thing is that we have talented guys waiting to come into the game," Menzies said. "I feel like anyone I go to off the bench on a given night is capable of starting. If we develop the way that we want, I think our strength of our team will be our bench."

Just as he did last year in his first season at New Mexico State, Menzies doesn't emphasize the starting five.

Young and Gibson likely will be on the floor at tipoff every night. After that, there are up to five players who will earn starts based on matchups or other factors.

Two more, including sophomore shooting guard Gordo Castillo, could see important minutes off the bench.

"I think guys are preparing themselves better," Castillo said.

Castillo and sophomore Robert Lumpkins will come off the bench this season, as well as freshman point guard Hernst Laroche.

In the frontcourt, centers Hamidu Rahman and Chris Gabriel and forwards Troy Gillenwater and Wendell McKines will see playing time, whether in the opening minutes or down the stretch.

"It's not important who starts a game anyway," Menzies said. "Who finishes a game is more important to me."

Menzies believes roles will work themselves out as the season goes on.

In the case of a player like McKines, who started 12 games last year, Menzies believes he will play a key role this season even if Gillenwater is on the floor to start.

"He is just valuable anyway and it's not important to him, or to Troy," Menzies said.

The Aggies were docked one scholarship, down to 12, by the NCAA for Annual Progress Report penalties from the 2008-09 season.

"It hurts us in practice, so we are not able to get the reps we want," Menzies said. "We have been going more intense and shorter on time. The good thing about it is we have eight or nine guys who will be in great shape."

Whatever lineup Menzies goes with, it will be young.

With a youth movement taking shape at New Mexico State, there is likely to be between two or three freshmen, a sophomore and a junior in the starting five at any point.

By contrast, Menzies started three seniors last year and had a fifth-year senior coming off the bench.

"This year, we have scorers who can come in and pick up the slack, but I haven't seen a guy defensively yet who I can put in to lock somebody up, which is what I'm looking for," Menzies said.

A solid bench will be important if a younger player gets off to a bad start.

"I don't think anyone will have a really off night, but if they get off to a slow start, we have to be able to come in and make shots and play defense," Castillo said.