SAN JOSE, Calif. — The first time Daniel Mullings went to dinner with Sim Bhullar on a road trip, the New Mexico State guard realized he was eating with a tourist attraction

Complete strangers approached the 7-foot-5, 340-pound Bhullar and asked to take a picture with the freshman because they had never seen anyone of his size before.

"It's pretty much everywhere we go,"Mullings said. "Even students on campus too. They just can't get past how big he is."

[Also: The top 10 NBA prospects playing in the NCAA tournament]

Everyone from little kids in airport terminals, to waitresses at restaurants, to students in his sociology class flock to Bhullar to take pictures with him, but he has proven he's more than just a novelty act in his first season at New Mexico State. Bhullar averaged 15 points, 12.5 rebounds and 4 blocked shots in the semifinals and finals of the WAC tournament last week, leading his team to a second straight title and earning the Aggies an opening-round NCAA tournament matchup with fourth-seeded Saint Louis on Thursday.

"He's not just big -- he's good and big," Saint Louis coach Jim Crews said. "That's a real compliment to him because we saw some tape earlier in the year and how he has progressed has been really enjoyable to watch from a coaching standpoint. That's pretty neat."

When Bhullar was gasping for air after a few possessions during offseason pick-up games and lagging well behind his teammates during early-summer conditioning, it seemed unlikely he would make more than sporadic impact as a freshman. Instead he shed 30 to 40 pounds during the summer and fall by cutting candy and junk food from his diet and ramping up his conditioning work before and after practices.

Getting into better shape has enabled him to play more minutes without tiring so quickly, a vital development for the Aggies after starting center Tshilidzi Nephawe went down with a season-ending injury in December. Whereas Bhullar averaged only 13.6 minutes per game in November, he played 28 or more in New Mexico State's final 13 games of the season, helping the Aggies win 11 of those with his ability as a low-post scorer, rebounder and rim protector.

"He's a very cerebral player, he's an excellent passer and he has very good hands," New Mexico State coach Marvin Menzies said. "He's still a freshman and he's still learning and he's going to make mistakes like most players, but his maturity for his age is very advanced."

Bhullar's size and potential and his Indian heritage give him a chance to be a basketball trailblazer.

Though Bhullar grew up in Toronto, both his 6-foot-4 father and 5-foot-10 mother were born in India. As a result, Bhullar and 7-foot-3 younger brother Tanveer, a promising high school prospect, both have the chance to be the first prominent basketball players of Indian descent.

New Mexico State opted not to make Bhullar available for an interview on Wednesday citing a policy of not having freshmen talk to the media, but his teammates and coaches say he has embraced the chance to make history.

[The Dagger NCAA tournament previews: East | Midwest | South | West]

"I don't think it's a burden for him at all," Bhullar's former AAU coach Mike George said. "I think he views it as a great opportunity. It's always awesome to be the first of anything in the history book, and he's definitely eager for that challenge."

Already 6-foot-3 by the time he started sixth grade, Bhullar has always been big for his age. George said Bhullar "didn't look like he could tie his shoes and chew gum at the same time" when they first met, but gradually the young big man gained more coordination and developed into a major college prospect.

Story continues