New Mexico Lobos Basketball

The 2013 version of March Madness is rolling along, and in the midst of the exciting games, there are probably millions of brackets across the country that have been reduced to wadded-up failure that started out with so much hope.

What is it with filling out a bracket for an NCAA tournament? Why in the world would we think that our collection of guesses, hunches and inklings would result in anything but a wasted and misguided research effort?

Truthfully, I have won bracket pools in the past. Perhaps that is part of the problem. After I won several years ago, I should have walked away on top like Michael Jordan hitting that jumper in the NBA Finals after pushing off on Bryon Russell.

What happened to my bracket in 2013? Simple. I violated the No. 1 rule of filling out a March Madness bracket. I listened to an “expert.”

Do not listen to anyone when you fill out your bracket. Anyone.

Who led me astray? Seth Davis of CBS Sports.

Don’t believe me? Here is the tweet:

Honestly, I don't even remember who was interviewing him on the radio before the tournament began, but Mr. Davis was touting the talent of the University of New Mexico Lobos. Davis had seen them play several times, and he thought they had the ability to make a deep tournament run.

I was hooked. Don’t ask me why.

New Mexico! Yeah, that's it! That's the ticket! No one will pick the Lobos. Congratulations to me. I have officially picked the team that will sneak its way through the tournament. I will be the envy of everyone in my pool who will be in awe of my insightful wisdom.

Wrong. Nothing like having your entire bracket blown on the first weekend. Epic fail.

Note to self: Do not listen to Seth Davis. Nothing against Seth, of course. He seems like a nice enough fella.

Unfortunately, Davis is a college basketball expert. One thing that you can always count on about experts is that they do not agree, particularly when it comes to the Big Dance.

There were, of course, other obvious errors.

Harvard. Should have seen that one coming. Florida Gulf Coast. Wasn’t that one staring us all in the face? So obvious. And yet, my Final Four included Michigan State, Michigan, Miami (football school) and the previously mentioned New Mexico.

At least the Wolverines still have a shot. I suppose one out of four isn’t bad, right?

In the end, listen to your heart when you fill out your bracket next year. Just realize that your heart, along with all the other experts, knows nothing.

Follow @tpheifer

In a battle between two top-25 teams, New Mexico went down to the wire with the Colorado State Rams, but the visiting No. 16 Lobos prevailed with a 91-82 victory. 

At the heart of New Mexico's offensive effort was Kendall Williams, who entered the game with a previous season-high of 24 points. He exploded for an otherworldly 46 points on 10-13 shooting and helped the Lobos pull away in the second half. 

Thus far, Williams has averaged just over 13 points per game, but the junior put on a show in a critical Mountain West Conference matchup in record-setting fashion. 

With 10 three-pointers on the day, Williams set a conference record, despite spending a considerable amount of time on the bench after registering his fourth foul in the second half. 

Neither team enjoyed much production off the bench, as the Rams' substitutions edged those of New Mexico's by a margin of 6-4. 

The home team received strong performances by Colton Iverson, Dorian Green and Wes Eikmeier, who all put up at least 20 points in a losing effort for Colorado State, and the defeat moved the Rams to 21-6, with a conference mark of 8-4. 

For New Mexico, this game was a pivotal one for a team looking to lock up the MWC title after making NCAA Tournament appearances in two of the last three years, as the Rams would have moved into a tie for first place with a win on Saturday. 

While the Lobos got a big game out of Alex Kirk, who recorded a double-double with 19 points and 10 boards, the story of the day was clearly Williams. 

As CBS Sports' Steve Lappas put it, Williams' performance was one for the ages. 

Williams helped the Lobos improve their conference record to 10-2, and the conference confirmed that the guard put up one of the best single-game performances in MWC history. 

Kansas, Kentucky, Syracuse, Kansas State, Duke, Villanova, and Ohio State are all teams that have been regarded as being Final Four good. 

Why has no one talked about the possibility of New Mexico being a Final Four contender?

New Mexico is my more than a dark horse Final Four contender. For those of you who don't know much about New Mexico let me try and fill you in on what impresses me about the Lobos. 

To begin with, they are an impressive 27-3, first place in the super competitive Mountain West Conference. They are 11-2 vs the RPI top 100, including seven top 50 wins.

They have an out-of-conference win against Texas A&M while they still had Derrick Roland.  They beat California, Dayton, and Texas Tech while all were playing well. 

They have an incredible 10-2 road record showing their poise and ability to adapt to diffucult environments.  This was shown recently in their victory at BYU where the Cougars have one of the best home court advantages in all of college basketball. 

The Lobos are also a pretty experienced team, starting two juniors and a senior.  They have four players who score in double figures.  They have three guys in particular that can be "special."

Likely player of the year in the Mountain West Conference is Darington Hobson, the 6'7" long lefty who reminds me a lot of Michael Beasley. He is a double double waiting to happen.  Hobson averages nearly 16 points and 9 rebounds a game but more impressively averages 4.5 assists a game. 

Dairese Gary at the point guard position has put up back-to-back 23 point performances and can split defenses with blazing speed. 

Roman Martinez averages 14 points and 6 boards a game and shoots an absurd 42.6 percent from beyond the arc and has shown he can get a double-double on any given night. 

As a team the Lobos shoot an impressive 38 percent from three, averaging eight three-pointers a game, good for 19th in the country. They don't just settle for the three seeing as they rank ninth in the country in free throw attempts. They average 77 points a game. 

They grab 39 rebounds a game a ridiculous stat since their tallest player is 6'8". They are also a fantastic offensive rebounding team. They've shown they can go up and down with a team by beating Cal and sweeping BYU and they can also slow it down, as they did when they beat Texas A&M at full strength. 

Being coached by Steve Alford doesn't hurt either, who I think deserves a tie for Coach of the Year with Jim Boeheim of Syracuse.  The Lobos were predicted to finish fourth or fifth in the Mountain West and they have already clinched at least a share of the MWC title which is saying something seeing as BYU, UNLV, and San Diego State are tough teams to beat this year.

New Mexico is looking at a possible three seed in the NCAA Tournament, which would keep them out west for the first two rounds.  If they win out they could possibly sneak out a two seed giving them a chance at a great tournament run. 

They have proved that they deserve to get Final Four recognition.  If you discredit this team just because they play in the Mountain West or are not a big brand name team you could find your bracket in a whole lot of trouble. 

Fear the Lobos!

It is a long way from the campus of Manchester College in North Manchester, Indiana where Steve Alford started his head coaching career.

As a player, he was part of an Olympic gold medal-winning team that included Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing and Wayman Tisdale. He led the Indiana Hoosiers to the national championship in 1987, and although everyone remembers Keith Smart's winning jumper, it was Alford who made 7 of 10 three-pointers and scored 23 points to keep the Hoosiers in the game.

The former Indiana hero, now in his 19th year (does this seem right?) of coaching, seems to have found a home in Albuquerque as head coach of the New Mexico Lobos.

In his third year with the Lobos, Alford has the team positioned for its first NCAA appearance since 2005, and only the second since 1999.

After spending eight frustrating years at Iowa, trying to recruit against the likes of Michigan State, Indiana, Illinois et al, Alford resigned and took the New Mexico job after Ritchie McKay was fired. Generally, this was considered a step back in most circles, moving from a Big Six conference to a mid-major, the Mountain West. But for Alford, it was probably the best move he possibly could have made.

His years at Iowa could at best be described as disappointing. The Hawkeyes won two conference tournament titles during Alford's eight years but made the NCAA tournament only three times. Out of those three appearances, Iowa managed only one win and, despite being a #3 seed in 2006, were upset by the Northwestern State Demons in the first round. Overall, his squads finished with a 61-67 conference record.

In fact, Alford's greatest success in the tourney came in 1999 as the head man at Southwest Missouri State (now Missouri State) when the Bears reached the Sweet Sixteen before losing to Duke.

At New Mexico, his record has been much better. Over the past two and some seasons, his teams have compiled a 30-11 record in conference play. In some mid-major conferences this is misleading. But the Mountain West has a number of teams that can compete on the national stage, especially in a season like this, where the parity is evident. This season more than the past two, the Lobos have played a solid non-conference schedule and sit at 22-3, are ranked nationally and stand at #9 in the RPI.

This team won't be cutting down the nets in April.  They most likely won't be going to Indianapolis either. But, they will be in the tourney and they do have a chance to make some noise. And give Steve Alford a chance to return to the stage he dominated 23 years ago.

The Mountain West Conference has arrived at the unofficial half way point of the season. Conference play kicks off this week when New Mexico visits San Diego State on Tuesday.

I’ll take a different approach to this week’s Power Rankings, shifting the focus from results to predictions. This list isn’t about where the teams stand right now, but rather where I think they’ll end up at season’s end.

Since predicting the future tends to be an inexact science, results may vary.

As always, I’ll count down from nine, strictly for dramatic effect. If the anticipation becomes overwhelming, feel free to scroll down.

9. Air Force (Currently 8-5)

Yes, the Falcons are off to a respectable start and have been playing unexpectedly well.  However, there just isn’t much talent on the roster, and a lot of young players are playing significant minutes in a tricky offensive system. They have fared pretty well in their ‘tough as gravy’ non-conference slate, but I see them getting knocked around in a meaty MWC.

8. Wyoming (Currently 7-7)

The Cowboys can score, but they don’t seem particularly interested in playing defense. They have held their opponent under 70 points just once through 14 games. They suffered four non-conference home losses to South Dakota State, Monmouth, Hampton, and Akron. 

7. Colorado State (Currently 9-5)

The Rams enter conference play with a perfect 7-0 record at home. Unfortunately, they are 0-5 on the road, making them one of three MWC teams (along with Air Force and Wyoming) yet to win a road game. If they can’t take out Wyoming this week, it might be a while before they notch their first road 'W'. Their next three road trips will take them to BYU, New Mexico, and Utah.

6. TCU (Currently 7-7)

Call it a hunch, but I think the Horned Frogs are slightly better than the three teams that come in behind them in these rankings. They have virtually no depth, but have two all-conference quality players in Tuffy Moss and Zvonko Buljan. Perhaps with football season coming to an end, they’ll actually enjoy a little crowd support at home games.

5. Utah (Currently 7-7)

The Utes have looked dicey all season, but they enter conference play fresh off a big victory at LSU. Though the Tigers are having a bit of a down year, it should still serve as a nice confidence builder for the Utes. The challenging schedule that Utah battled will pay dividends in conference play.

(I personally believe that there is a huge gap between the quality of the MWC’s top four contenders and the conference’s other five teams.  I fully expect significant shuffling amongst the bottom five teams and a four way battle for the conference title. However, I would honestly be shocked if any of the five teams listed above finish anywhere higher than fifth in the standings. I just felt like that was worth sharing.)

4. San Diego State (Currently 11-3)

The Aztecs might be the most talented team in the conference. Their quickness, strength, and athleticism make them the MWC’s toughest team defensively. 

That being said, they haven’t quite put it together offensively. They can be a little sloppy and erratic and have struggled on the road. They will need to win some tough road games if they hope to take the conference title.

1a. New Mexico (Currently 14-1), 1b. BYU (Currently 14-1), 1c. UNLV (Currently 12-2)

I know that it seems like I am totally dodging the question, but I’m not.  I honestly think a repeat of last year is highly likely. We may be looking at a three way tie atop the conference standings once again.

I just don’t see significant separation between these three. I don’t see any of them dropping a conference game at home. Any number of factors could change this; an injury to a key player, a terrible shooting night, an egregious officiating error. It just seems most likely, however, that they will all take care of business because all three teams are very good and very well coached.

I’ll put it this way: Would you be surprised if all three went undefeated at home?

I know I wouldn’t. Actually, I’d be surprised if they lost more than one home game combined . They are all that tough to beat on their home floor.

If all 16 conference games were played on a neutral floor, I’d probably give the slight edge to New Mexico. Of the three, they have the best combination of stingy defense, three point shooting, and athletic playmakers. They get the slight nod over Jimmer and Friends and UNLV’s slew of talented guards. But not by much.

However the ball bounces, the MWC appears poised to send three teams to the NCAA tournament for the first time in six years.

Predictions : As a friendly bonus, I’ll include my predictions for this week’s games. Feel free to add your own predictions in the comments section.

Tuesday:

New Mexico @ San Diego State: Aztecs earn a close, hard-fought victory.

Wednesday:

Colorado State @ Wyoming: Rams remain winless on the road.

Air Force @ TCU: Falcons remain winless on the road.

UNLV @ BYU: Rebels can’t make it two in a row in Provo

Saturday:

TCU @ Utah: Utes win slugfest.

UNLV @ New Mexico: New Mexico bounces back with a win.

San Diego State @ Wyoming: Aztecs squeak past the Cowboys.

Air Force @ Colorado State: Rams stay perfect at home.

BYU @ UTEP: Cougars rally past Miners in second half.

At A Glance:

Texas Tech:  10-1. AP: 20 ESPN: 24 BP: 19 RPI: 33 BPI: 25

New Mexico:  12-1.  AP: 19 ESPN: 17 BP: 27 RPI: 17 BPI: 5

Backcourt:

The bad news for the Red Raiders is that they don’t have a lot of depth in the backcourt.  The good news is that they produce.  Iron man John Roberson (35 minutes a game) was the money man against Washington and has averaged 21 points a game in his last four outings.  If he keeps that up he has to be a first-team All-Big 12 performer.  His compatriots, David Tairu and Nick Okorie, hit more than half their shots from radar love but also turn the ball over more than they pass it successfully.

The Lobos have a little more depth but are largely dependent on their starters.  Dairese Gary is their best defender while Phillip McDonald is a reliable scorer.  Both guards average in double figures.  Waterbug Jamal Fenton is a pest off the bench while fellow reserve Nate Barth hopes to break out of a shooting slump (three for 18 his last five appearances).

Advantage:  Texas Tech.  Their trio grande are more consistent producers.

Frontcourt:

Mike Singletary evokes many overdone comparisons to his football namesake.  Against Stanford he had his best game of the season with 28 points and six rebounds.  D’Walyn Roberts had nineteen rebounds against TCU while Darko Cohadarevic also provides banging in the paint.  Bench support comes from trigger-happy Brad Reese and defensive specialist Theron Jenkins.

Darlington Hobson looks like a prototypical NBA two-guard but usually swings over to the three.  He singlehandedly pulled the Lobos from defeat in their amazing comeback over Creighton but couldn’t do the same against Oral Roberts.  His frontcourt mate Roman Martinez has increased his rebounding but has only shot four from 21 in his last two outings.  Don’t expect much offense from A.J. Hardeman but do expect a Mike Rowe-like enthusiasm for the dirty work.  Will Brown provides the lone bench support up front and has given quality minutes recently.

Advantage:  New Mexico.  As Hobson and Martinez go, so go the Lobos.

Coaching:

Pat Knight couldn’t ask for a much better start from his charges.  Only one two-point loss to a tough Wichita State team prevents them from being undefeated.  He has developed a squad that gets its points from inside and outside but gives up less than 68 points a game.  Plus he’s not calling out coaches from other schools. 

Steve Alford is quite familiar with Pat Knight, having known him since Pat was a teenage scamp at his father’s practices.  He had a disappointing run at Iowa that was rife with internal strife and has gotten the Lobos playing their best ball since 1997-98.

Advantage:  Push.  Both of these men have the same influence and are producing the same results.

Prediction: 

These teams are mirror images of each other that will push the ball but make sure they don’t neglect their defensive responsibilities.  It’s no surprise that their rankings are very close.  However, I think the Pit will make just enough of a difference in this matchup that should go down to the wire.

New Mexico 81, Texas Tech 78

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 16, 2009

Northern Arizona Lumberjacks (3-5) vs. No. 19 New Mexico Lobos (10-0)

The NAU Lumberjacks travel to New Mexico to face the No. 19 New Mexico Lobos on Wednesday at the “The Pit” in Albuquerque. It is the first ranking for New Mexico in 11 seasons.

NAU and New Mexico have met 82 times with the series tied at 41-41 overall. The two teams last met in 2004 with New Mexico posting an 81-70 victory.

New Mexico is 10-0 for the first time since the 1995-96 season and is one of 11 undefeated teams in NCAA Division I this season.

The Lobos are fresh off an 84-81 win over the No. 16 Texas A&M Aggies in a non- conference showdown at the Toyota Center in Houston on Saturday. Roman Martinez led the Lobos with 22 points, including two key free throws in the final seconds of the contest. The team notched its third win on the road and is averaging 82 PPG.

The Lumberjacks’ DeAngelo Jones and Cameron Jones led their team with 17 points each as NAU downed UC Riverside 68-56 on Sunday. The win snapped a three-game losing skid and ended the Highlanders’ five-game winning streak. Northern Arizona shot 51.9 percent from the floor in the first half while limiting UC Riverside to 30 percent efficiency.

NAU is averaging 68 points per game. NAU has played a ranked opponent 21 times in school history, facing top-ranked Arizona in 2002-03 and second-ranked Arizona teams twice in 1990-91 and 1991-92. The Lumberjacks are 0-21 all-time against ranked teams.

The oddsmakers have the Lobos as -20.5-point favorites.

The Lumberjacks are 18-24 in Albuquerque and 1-4 in “The Pit.” The last NAU victory in the series came in 1984-85 when the Lumberjacks posted a 64-56 victory.

Look for more of the same as the Lobos post a big win here, going 11-0 and possibly moving into a top 15 ranking by week's end.

It’s never easy to go on the road in college basketball. This is a top-25 breakdown of some of the toughest and most intimidating venues in college basketball.
 
Venue: University Arena
 
School Name: University of New Mexico                   
 
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico
 
Capacity: 18,018
 
It may be one of the more underrated venues in college basketball today. However, since the mid-1960s, University Arena can truly attest to the phrase “home court advantage.”
 
Known more simply as, The Pit, University Arena prepares to enter its 44th season as the hosting venue for the University of New Mexico’s men’s basketball team. With an overall winning percentage of over .800 since its opening in 1966, the Lobos can be quick to say they enjoy playing at home.
 
Throughout the past few decades, The Pit has had its fair share of big moments. On a national stage, University Arena has been the host for the Final Four. And, in 1983, in one of the more famous college basketball scenes in history, Jim Valvano is seen running around the court after his Wolfpack upset heavily favored Houston to win the National Championship.
 
Known for its intimidating and hostile fans, The Pit is perceived as one of the loudest venues in college basketball. With a packed arena of 18,000 screaming fans a night, this is of no surprise. During the 1998-'99 season, in a game against visiting Arizona, fans at University Arena registered as the loudest in college basketball that year.
 
On a more literal note, University Arena is built in a 37-foot hole on Albuquerque’s southeast mesa, hence the name, The Pit. And Lobo fans couldn’t enjoy it anymore. Since, ranking in the top 20 in attendance leaders every year since its opening in 1966, it is clear New Mexico fans love their basketball. In 1999, Sports Illustrated included The Pit in its list of the “Top 20 Sports Venues of the Century,” a list that includes the likes of Fenway Park, Roland Garros, and Wrigley Field, as well.
 
With only one NCAA Tournament appearance since 1999, the Lobos have had trouble returning to the national prominence it once had during the 1990s. However, fans have remained loyal enough each and every game and any team that enters The Pit needs to prepare for one of college basketball’s more hostile environments.