unolobo

One more year.  A regular season championship and tournament championship.  That's really pretty good.  So why do I feel disappointed.  You all know the deal...Dangit.  As successful as the year was, ever since the loss at the Pit by New Mexico State, this one was a season not quite running on all cylinders.  In the end, it was a nice season and we were again rewarded by good heart, but a lack of follow through. 

You know what's frustrating?  Louisville wasn't that good this season.  They have some very good talent, but they simply aren't that good or that deep.  Michigan State will likely wipe the floor with them.

Here's what I saw last night:

-The coaching staff made some odd line-up changes- several that didn't work.  Where have we seen that before?

-New Mexico is tough on defense until they get caught up in the one and one matchups and get picked

-Fenton sparked a nice comeback and was quickly put on the bench.  The same thing happened to Bairstow.

-The Lobos did miss 3 pointers they usually make.  Several wide open looks by Snell simply wouldn't fall (my apologies Beso for mentioning the obvious excuse)

-The very talented Kendall Williams showed his "old self" and as was said so well-making spectacular plays and incredible mistakes like taking the ball inside and forcing it up towards the basket with no apparent plan against 3 or 4 defenders

-Freshman PG Greenwood had trouble against quick defenders but did show good character.  

-Drew Gordon played huge.  He did his job and should be commended.  It was great to see him come back after hurting his knee.  He could have impressed some NBA scouts with his play.  His move from UCLA was a good thing for both him and Lobo basketball.  Good for him

-The team showed good signs down the stretch coming back from 15 down, but somehow weren't convinced themselves that they were going to win

-In the after-game interviews, neither coach Pitino nor any players interviewed gave any acknowledgment to the Lobos.  They mentioned other teams they played but not New Mexico.  It was as if they knew they were going to win and weren't entirely sure who they just beat.  It was somewhere between annoying and interesting.

New Mexico basketball had some very good moments but every now and then simply didn't run right.  Boy, how many times has it been?  Something like forever.  Forever sucks.  The losses don't get any easier.  

Now what?  Well, fortunately we all have a lot of practice dealing with the "agony of defeat."  Until the Lobo Midnight Howl next year...  I guess we pine for the loss of Gordon and hope for Alex Kirk's comeback and the addition of another 7-footer.  No top recruits.  Liberal amounts of hope combined with a pinch of sober reality are needed for this Lobo fan thing.

Look, the analyst in me sees a Lobo win.  They are bigger on the perimeter.  They have multiple ball handlers, and a deeper bench.  They have more shooters and many more "looks" to them.  They are better freethrow shooters down the stretch and have learned how to close out games.  They are peaking and their best players have been improving considerably.  They have a real live Point Guard who is mature and makes great decisions.  They have at least 2 All-America level performers in Drew Gordon and Kendall Williams.  Their role players are working hard and their assist numbers are rising.  They score more points and hold their opponents to fewer.  They have the right coaching staff.  If they protect the ball and play their game, they should win by 8-12 points.

Okay, that's my head.  Yes, my head.  I see that scenario as the most likely having watched both teams quite a few times.  (Admittedly, the Lobos a bunch more times...but I've watched the Cardinals at least 8 times this season)  Now for the heart.  As a lifetime Lobo fan, this heart of mine is one that has been broken so many times, I'm still amazed at my own resiliency.  What does my heart say?  The Lobos will lose...again.  Dammit.  I've been here before.  Many, many, many times.  The Lobos simply never win two games in any tournament except for every several years in the Mountain West or the WAC, or whatever historical conference tournament iteration New Mexico called home....  Have they ever won two games in the NCAA tourney?  Sort of rhetorical, right?  I don't have the heart to answer.  After the win against a very tough and inspired Long Beach State, I see some great signs in this Lobo team and one of the most important beyond talent or character may just be luck.  Luck will play an important part in this next game against the Cardinals.  I'll tell you right now that Kyle Kuric can flat out shoot and drive and play ball.  Siva can drive against anybody in the NBA.  They just won the Big East tournament.  If the Cardinals plays to their potential, the Lobos will go right down in the same way they did against Washington and the nightmare against Cal State Fullerton so many years ago.  

So, my heart?  It says my beloved Lobos will find a way to play a poor game far below their potential which will further solidify the relational frustration against the big programs who will continue to gloat over their deserved reputations as winners.  Why?  Because it's always been that way.

Prove me wrong Lobos.  I've always been ready to be proven wrong.  Heck, I actually pray for the Lobos.  I suggest you do the same.

GO LOBOS!!! 

Here's the comparison between New Mexico and Long Beach State:  5-12 matchup-up

Experts are torn on this game, and this is one of the best 1st round matchups.  

On the Road/neutral:  

New Mexico:   13-4  (non-conference- 6-1)
Long Beach State:  13-8  (non-conference- 3-7)  *NOTE:  Long Beach State played the toughest schedule in the country...)

Common opponent:  San Diego State:  SDSU beat Long Beach State 77-73 in Veijas Arena.  SDSU lost to New Mexico in Viejas 77-67, but beat New Mexico at the Pit 75-70.  The third meeting between the Lobos and Aztecs for the MWC Championship was 68-59 win for New Mexico.

Caspar Ware is one of the top players in the country.  He was repeats his second season as being voted the POY for the Big West.  His teammate, Larry Anderson was the Big West's Defensive POY and their coach, Dan Monson was the BWC coach of the year.

Out Of Conference

OOC schedule for Long Beach State was toughest in the country (8 opponents in the field) and they hung with UNC, Kansas, Creighton, San Diego State and were beaten badly by Louisville and Kansas State.  They beat Xavier on a neutral court for their best win- that just after their fast fall after the Cincy game.

New Mexico's OOC wasn't too hot.  All the teams they played from big conferences had mediocre to flat out horrible seasons:  Arizona State, USC, Boston College, and Washington St.  Only good team played was St. Louis and the game went down to the end at the Pit. 

Conference

Long Beach State:  (15-1) and winners of the BWC regular season and BWC tourney.

New Mexico:  (13-4) Co-winners of the Mountain West Conference and tourney winner- The MWC had nearly every team with a winning record through January.  The Lobos beat Air Force, UNLV and San Diego State to win the conference tourney in Las Vegas.

Scouting Report

New Mexico is one of the deepest teams (play 10) in the country with 6 players averaging over 6 ppg.  One of the top assists teams in the country (#10).  10 players have over 40 rebounds this season.  6 players shoot from beyond the arc.   5 players have an assist/turnover ratio above 1.5.  Ranked 13th in the nation in lowest points allowed.  Ranked 29th in the nation in rebounding.  A significantly better rebounding team than Long Beach State.  Led by senior Drew Gordon averaging 13.4 ppg, 10.9 rpg (#1 in MWC; #6 in nation), 1 bpg, 1.2 spg.  

Long Beach State is best known for playing the toughest OOC schedule in the country and performing very well.  Four seniors who played together for 4 years.  Caspar Ware is a serious PG who is fearless.  He takes as many shots than the 2nd and 3rd highest scorers combined.  9 players shoot 44% from the field (or better).  7 players have 30 or more assists.  T.J. Robinson is nearly as good a rebounder as is Drew Gordon.  

Larry Anderson is in question for this game so the Lobos will continue to be favored even more than the normal 5/12 spread.

Okay lobos Showtime

I'm a hopeless romantic when it comes to Lobo ball.  I'm even going to go to the UNLV game.  I live 2,000 miles from the Pit, but I just gotta get to the stadium and see if that alarm goes off.  I always look forward to seeing those hideous sequence cheerleader uniforms that make the chicano girls look like small red tarpon.  I know what New Mexico has.  It's a motley crew.  No 5-star players.  Maybe two or three 4-stars, but a different kind of team.  No big men inside- (with Alex Kirk out), but plenty of ability.  I want to see them take it to the Runnin' Rebels.  You never know...this could be the year.  GO LOBOS!!!    

Drew Gordon is probably the team's most important player because of his rebounding ability and his defensive presence.  UCLA didn't want him anymore- but he's doing quite well at UNM.  At L.A. he was most famous for a terrible open floor miss on a dunk.  It was a You Tube sensation.  As  Lobo, luckily he doesn't miss many dunks.  It's so nice to see a rebounder who grabs the ball with both hands and holds on to it.  I wonder why he doesn't use his athleticism on the offensive end more.  He's got tremendous hops but stays flatfooted on offense-I think he confuses offense and defense.

Kendall Williams is the most talented Lobo.  Although he tends to turn the ball over almost as much as Gordon, he can drive, pass, and shoot with the best of them.  He's got a thousand circus shots in his bag of tricks.  Somehow the other players actually listen to him.

Hugh Greenwood is probably the best new talent in several years- a kid from Down Under who played on their junior national team and is showing he has a knack for getting the ball where it needs to go.  Still recovering from an ankle injury, he's still favoring that leg.  He is the player with the most potential.  If he can coninue to deliver the ball on time on the mark and hit open shots, this team could win in March.

Tony Snell may be my favorite player.  He is selfless, and is the best shooter.  He can dribble and for some reason in the last game against Boise State, he all of a sudden started taking the ball to the hole when they came out on him.  It was shocking.  I've waited for that moment, and he was doing it- and nobody could stop him because he's long, quick, and moves well with the ball.  Duh.

Phillip McDonald seems to be finally coming back around.  I know he was hurt, but he was also a streaky performer who tended to want to drive the ball and shoot off-balanced shots instead of working for an open look from the outside- which he has been doing for the last couple of weeks.  Welcome back Phillip.  It's about darned time.

A.J. Hardeman looks like a ball player.  He's tall, all muscle, long wingspan, who can jump and nearly every game has a great dunk.  He's a strong defender only in the sense that his flailing tends to change his opponents' shots.  He shoots great shots and hits them, but doesn't take enough.

Jamal Fenton has really been coming along.  He's very quick and can drive or shoot from the outside.  He's got good hands and isn't afraid of big men.    He is also showing great patience for a sophomore.  He's tough to guard because he's so low to the ground.

Cameron Bairstow could be a difference maker in that he always seems to have a hand on a loose ball and seems to figure out where he needs to be.  Another Aussie, his size is really needed if they are to compete with big teams.  He also could be the best shooter on the team from 15 feet.  

Demetrius Walker wasn't playing enough at Arizona St for his liking and wanted to move to a team that had a better chance at winning.  He's got a strange looking shot, but he is fearless.

Dunning- Not sure I see any significant talents given the hype quite yet.  He's got a good natural feel for the game, but no intensity.

 It costs New Mexico nearly 2 million dollars to pay the coaching staff.  They just completed a facelift of the Pit.  Let's go Lobos!   Let's have a team who can get to the Sweet 16.  Just once.  Too much to ask?  I don't think so.  

Alford has been the best in Albuquerque in a generation- he's winning games, but understand that historically, New Mexico basketball simply hasn't produced in relation to its fanbase, and perhaps its own reputation, when it counts- in the tourneys.  For over 40 years, New Mexico has been one of the leading home crowds in the nation.  This, through years and almost decades of mediocre production.  New Mexico's support has rivalled the top programs in the country.  We're talking about on par with Duke, UNC, Kansas, Syracuse.  You know the names.  Look at the difference in national production.  

Back in the 60's and 70's the team was of the nation's best yet has still failed to produce a serious national threat.  Even during years where the Lobos have had great seasons, they simply couldn't win tournament games.  I've seen Lobo teams with guys like Laker great Michael Cooper, or Danny Granger- and these guys weren't the only ones to come through- in some cases, the guys that went on to play in the NBA weren't the best guys on the team.  NCAA tournament wins?  National Championships?  Sweet 16's?  Two wins in the NCAA tourney is the limit to this team.  Period.  Even when ranked #3 in the country, they lost in the first round to a nobody team.  Cal State Fullerton!  I remember like yesterday listening to the game on the radio.  It was sickening.  That's Lobo basketball.  We watched UNLV and Utah produce.  Even BYU did pretty well.  The Lobos.  Never.  Ever.  Not ever even that close!  An entire part of the state focused on only one sport-  Outside the confines of this dedicated bunch of chile eaters, nobody respects Lobo basketball for good reason.  The only thing outsiders know is a vague sense that they should avoid scheduling games in the Pit.  No real accomplishments for this team.  There's no excuse for such pathetic production.     

I have seen some absolutely terrible coaches trip through the program- the vast majority lacking any bit of any real quality.  I note that Alford is different.  He was a great collegiate player- one of the best shooters of all time and leader of one of the only unbeaten teams in history.  The fact remains, however, that his schemes, substitutions, attitude, personality, and recruiting have yet to really impress me.  I would love, more than you could imagine, for Steve Alford to prove me wrong, but I see him on the bench and don't think he's much of a motivator.  I watch him struggle with "problem children" each season, and wonder if he knows what to do with them.  Phillip McDonald, Kendall Williams, and Drew Gordon are very talented ball players, but they are "problem children."  They can produce under the right tutelage.  We're all waiting coach... watching...

I appreciate Alford's emphasis on defense.  When it works, it's a beautiful thing.  He's a bit out of his element coaching anything other than 3-pt shooters, though.  Without his coaching staff, I don't think he knows what offensive plays to run.  At least he seems to show tape to his young players.  

I'm way past ready for New Mexico to win big games.  I'm way past annoyed to see them win 2 games in the NCAA tourney.  First, they need to be invited though!  I've been at this for awhile, and it's annoying to continue rooting on a team that doesn't produce when it counts.

All that said, I remain a devout Lobo fan.  I'm wearing a New Mexico Lobos shirt as I write this, in fact.  I love Lobo basketball.  I have known the stats of each Lobo player since the early 70's.  It's pathetic really.  I'm ready for Steve Alford to produce.  We're paying him big money in a terrible economy.  Let's see the wins.  Make it happen Steve!  Go Lobos!

The New Mexico Lobos are in an interesting position being 9-2.  While one might think that's worth bragging about, the Lobos are in dire straights.  While I know the dangers of looking too far ahead, I'm saying right now that the Billikens visiting the Pit is a MUST WIN game for New Mexico.  Since the Lobos messed around and lost their first game at the 76 Classic in Annaheim to Santa Clara, they have put themselves in a position to not get any respect for their out of conference play.  This is frustrating since the Lobos have beaten 3 PAC12 teams, 1 Big12 team, and 1 ACC team.  You'd think that would be enough, but unfortunately, it isn't.  Each of those big conference opponents have been struggling mightily, so instead of gaining points, it will be a wash.  The only OOC team the Lobos have met who will play in the NCAA tourney is probably St. Louis.  Perhaps New Mexico State and Santa Clara have a chance, but it's not likely.  St. Louis is a must win game.  This assumes that the Lobos will do well in the conference.  (At least 9-5, but 10-4 is much better)

 

The season that could have been... 
Since the 60's I've followed my  beloved Lobos.  It was 1964 and in Bob King's 2nd season, they won the WAC championship.  Prior to that, New Mexico basketball was a real joke- one of the worst programs in the country.  They made Army basketball look strong.  It was during that time that Lou Henson stumbled into Las Cruces and the New Mexico St. Aggies and did the same thing to that program.   Those were good times with guys like Mel Daniels and Ira Harge.  They could flat out play ball.  I've been there during the Ellenberger years and remember a young Marvin Johnson and Michael Cooper as they took the Lobos to a #3 ranking nationally and came into the NCAA tournament with the hopes of winning New Mexico's first National Championship.  That  year, the Lobos were finally better than the "Shark's" Runnin' Rebels.   They did travel to play Cal State Fullerton...and lost.  Unbelievable.  Impossible.  We had just built a new stadium.  What the?   Then frickin' Lobogate put a stop to the momentum.   57 NCAA violations later, Stormin' Norman Ellenberger walked off and the Lobo basketball program went with him out into the desert down Route 66 and never really came back.  Some decent and mostly disappointing coaches wandered through the Duke city- only Dave Bliss did much, but was not a real winner, he was a place holder for...well, we're not exactly sure.  It certainly wasn't Fran Fraschilla.  Anybody with a name like that couldn't do much, and he didn't disappoint.   Ritchie McKay was terrible.  That he was paid to coach was just incredible.   Super talents like Danny Granger walked through the door and the Lobos had some fine season but lost in the Big Dance in the first two rounds.  Granger, of course, was picked as by the Pacers and is now a viable All-Star.  I wasn't the only rabid Lobo fan listening to 77 KOB waiting for Mike Roberts to give the play by play.  Those were good times.  Mostly.     
Now the Lobos have Steve Alford.  At least he was a coach everybody had heard of.  We knew him as a great shooter from Indiana who led the Hoosiers to an undefeated season with Bobby Knight.  Who could forget?  Nobody was exactly sure how New Mexico landed him, or why Iowa didn't really want him anymore.  Perhaps it was the million-dollar salary and promises to hire his coaching staff and to bring his own scholarship players.  In his first year, he made believers out of everyone except those back in Iowa, who either hated him because of inability to do much with the Hawkeyes or because he was always seeming to try to go somewhere else.  In his first year he took the Lobos to a 24-9 record.    Then last year, an unlikely JC bobble headed transfer by the name of Darrington Hobson leaped in and joined Dairese Gary and Roman Martinez and put together the best team (statistically) in Lobo history.  28-3 record.  They ended the season ranked #8 in the country.  They won the MWC regular season but couldn't win the MWC tourney.  They went to the NCAA tourney with a #3 seed and still couldn't get the monkey off their backs in terms of winning two games in a tournament.  ANY TOURNAMENT.  One thing I have to admit.  Alford is the best coach New Mexico has had in 30 years.  Although his win percentage is better than Ellenberger, Norm had more style and personality and I miss that.  Dave Bliss was nearly as good as Alford, but was milk toast and his teams played like it.  I am reminded of Bliss when I see Alford.  I hope that's not a bad thing...


 Then 2010-11 rolls around and here we are.  All of us, hoping for a great season, then we learn that Darrington Hobson elects to enter the draft and is picked by the Milwaukee Bucks- undergoes hip surgery and is let go from the team.  Without the team's spiritual leader, Roman Martinez, (a guy who was still on all the marketing for the Lobos throughout the entire season) diehard fans were worried for good reason.  Although there was a good recruiting class of youngsters including one of the biggest catches in New Mexico, big red headed Alex Kirk from Los Alamos, there wasn't much experience.  Once everyone got to see the Lobos in their exhibition games, all looked well.  There was a little kid by the name of Jamal Fenton who was quick as lighting and another freshman, Kendall Williams, who could shoot the lights out.  If Phillip McDonald had worked during the off season and A.J. Hardeman realized that he was bigger and more skilled than most big men, this was going to be a good year.  Perhaps Dairese Gary would stop being so shy and take hold of these young Lobos and lead them on to greatness.  Always hopeful.  
 Well, it really did look o.k.   A 4-0 start out of the gates, including beating PAC-10 member Arizona St in the newly screwed up Pit.  Well, maybe I'm too harsh, but once a half the fire alarm would go off and two times the Pit was vacated during a game.  Also, the clock didn't work right for the first 6 home games.  Actually it still doesn't work right.  Everything did look good until the Lobos visited Cal- a team that gave the Lobos fits in the Pit last year until the wolves pulled away at the end.  We stuck with a decent Cal team at Berkeley through the 1st half and then something snapped.  It sounded like an ACL of the team's knee.  It was the Lobos' will to play that broke.  All of us had heard that sound before, and it wasn't good.  It was something between giving up and not having the skills to compete.  None of us wanted to believe that we were watching the Lobos of the 80s and 90s, but there it was in mute testimony.  The same team who lost to Cal State Fullerton was back on the court.  Losing.  Badly.  A 25-point beating.  Oh no. 
 Then, just when the old guard gave up on the young team, what do you know?...8 wins in a row!  That's what I'm talkin' about.  Even though nobody had ever heard of colleges named this wood or that wood, and many thought the Citadel was a high school near Socorro, they were wins and the Lobos were cracking the top 25.  Bloggers were claiming that New Mexico could be a #1 seed.  New Mexico beat Big 12 Colorado in Las Vegas and then on to the championship game against Northern Iowa, who had surprised many the year before.  New Mexico played a decent game and lost by only 4 points.  Not bad.  Then on to Texas Tech and another Big 12 win.  One more tough one against Dayton, the previous years' NIT champs and a tough loss in double OT.  The Lobos could hold up, especially after coming back to ABQ and beating the tar out of Cal St Bakersfield and seeing Alex Kirk score 31 points in 20 minutes!  Then...disaster.  A last second shot at Wyoming gives the Lobos a bottom 200RPI loss.  The problem was that Wyoming actually looked like a better team- they certainly wanted to win the game more.  These were the drinking days for Lobo fans, where watching the coaching staffs' substitutions became indiscernible and downright random.  Through the next 8 games the Lobos' leader, Dairese Gary would have more turnovers than assists.  Phillip McDonald couldn't hit the wide side of a barn and kept shooting...and wouldn't stop.  A.J. Hardeman would shoot over 60% from the field and wouldn't put up more than 5 shots in a game.  Unbeaten San Diego State came to the Pit and destroyed New Mexico, then a mediocre Utah team did the same thing- only worse, or better...depending on one's perspective.  Remember, the Pit...where the Lobos aren't supposed to lose?  Well, they weren't only losing, they were getting slaughtered and nobody seemed to be able to stop the bleeding.  Even Christmas present Drew Gordon, UCLA transfer, couldn't do much except to look like he was the only Lobo who had played basketball prior to this season.  The team began to look like they were defeated well into the 2nd half whether they were winning or not.  They would focus for the last 5 minutes of the game.  It went on until they Lobos lost as many as they won after their 12-1 start.  In the middle of the pathetic conference schedule, they figured out how to beat BYU- including smashing them at Provo- which, up to last season hadn't happened in a decade.   Tony Snell, who couldn't shoot, did shoot at Provo and never again...What the heck was going on?  Who knows, but it wasn't good enough to garner and invite to the Big Dance.  They heard the familiar NIT "invite" (hey the NIT knows they will sell ten thousand more tickets than anybody else in the country...they ain't stupid!) and won their first game against their old nemesis UTEP, who couldn't put it together either this season.   Then they lose tonight to a vaunted university who is good at...football.  Many may say that they were outplayed, but they weren't.  They were out-hustled by a team that wanted to win.  A team without heart and without leadership went down to the opposite.   
 This was a year of rebuilding and it ended worse than it began.  I truly wish it weren't just like it always has been.  A fan base that rivals that of Syracuse, North Carolina, Duke, Michigan State, Kentucky roots for a team that can NEVER PUT IT TOGETHER.  IN 50 YEARS!  ARE YOU KIDDING ME?  
O.k.  I'm better now.  I still have my season tickets and and still wearing my Lobo sweatshirt.  I'll be there at the Lobo howl and I'll report on their recruiting saga.  Maybe they'll land a 4 or 5 star recruit!   
 Next year.  We'll be better next year.  We're going to be a top 20 team for sure.  Didn't you hear the commentators?  With the returning young talent New Mexico has, along with the absence of the two Utah teams, New Mexico will run away with the MWC championship.  We'll have 3 legit big men with experience and if we pick up a great point guard, we'll be awesome.  Nobody will keep up with the athletes of New Mexico.  Neal won't take one of those big coaching jobs and everybody will be back. 

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Manana.  Tomorrow.  We'll be good then.  Like the Cat Stevens' song:  "We're going to have a good time then."  or always positive Steinbeck, "and we'll live off the fat o the lan'...won't we George?" 

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Anyone want to buy 2 courtside tickets to the NIT semi-finals and finals in Madison Square Garden?  I'll sell cheap.