As we’re in a bit of a lull in terms of Lobo news, the release of the men’s basketball schedule for next year is a welcome sight (you can find it here). Also because we’re in a bit of a lull, we might as well overanalyze the schedule now. Of course, these thoughts should be taken with the usual caveat that we’re still five months away from any meaningful basketball being played, so it’s anyone’s guess as to what any of these teams will really look like in the future. Will basketball even still be played in the future? Probably!
Category: Lobo Basketball
How to Destroy Your Basketball Program in 7 Easy Steps
Dear intrepid athletic director, are you tired of this whole basketball thing? Are you sick of the effort it takes to field a competitive team, year in and year out? Well, have I got news for you! Thanks to the tireless research performed by the athletic department at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, a new, state-of-the-art method has been developed that can decimate even the most proud of basketball programs. Yes, even those with a National Championship in their past! So without further ado, here are the 7 easy steps to destroy your basketball program:
Jalen Harris Signs with the Lobos
He committed over the weekend, but Jalen Harris to the Lobos didn’t become official until yesterday, when he put ink to paper and – more importantly – announced his signing on Twitter. The point guard out of Word of God Christian Academy in North Carolina takes up the last available scholarship and should help fill the void left by Cullen Neal’s transfer to Ole Miss. By the sounds of it, he’s a quick, pass-first point guard who is willing to score when needed, which sounds like a great fit for the Lobos. With those abilities, if he can get up to speed quickly, he should see plenty of action next season. So, what does his signing mean to the team as a whole?
Men’s Basketball: Players of the Game Results
Now that the NCAA Tournament is over and the dust is starting to settle, it seems as good a time as any to start looking back on this Lobo basketball season to take stock of the highs and lows they experienced, and ultimately start to get an idea of what the future might hold. First things first, we spent the entire season giving out points to the top players of each game, so it seems like we should probably see how that ended up going.
Thoughts On Yvonne Sanchez Firing
As I am sure you are well aware by now, Yvonne Sanchez was let go after five years as the head coach of the UNM women’s basketball team. She had her share of detractors when she was hired and later when she was extended, but I believe that it was simply a good hire that didn’t work out and that it was the right call to give her an extension. Clearly, the last five years haven’t gone as planned, neither for us as fans or for Coach Sanchez herself, which is what led to AD Paul Krebs deciding that a change needed to take place. While we don’t know what the future holds for the team right now, it is clear that Coach Sanchez helped mold the program to where it is today and helped create high expectations for both herself and every coach who follows her.
Cullen Neal to Transfer
News got out this morning that Cullen Neal has made the decision to transfer from the Lobos and play his two remaining college seasons elsewhere. Recently, there were rumblings about this potentially happening, so it’s not particularly surprising, but it is really disappointing to see. And maybe the worst part about it is that his decision is completely understandable.
Men’s Basketball vs. Nevada (MWCT) Recap
In college basketball, March brings about something that can go missing in February: hope. Teams that underperformed and teams that were overmatched earlier in the season are given one last chance to fulfill a dream and to make the NCAA Tournament. However, for 283 teams, that dream dies and each program is left trying to figure out what went wrong and where to go from there. Unfortunately, the Lobos are one of those teams. With their 64-62 loss to Nevada, their season is over and what could be a tumultuous offseason begins.
Women’s Basketball: MWC Tourney (Semifinal Update)
The Lobos (17-13, 9-9) advanced to Wednesday’s semifinals to face the top-seeded CSU Rams (29-1, 18-0) by controlling the whole game against SJSU and winning 65-51. In the game, the Lobos were able to control the pace of the game and limit SJSU’s good looks from three. Khadijah Shumpert dominated the game, scoring 26 points (11 of 15 shooting), with 5 rebounds, a block, and 2 steals. Most importantly, Shumpert only picked up two fouls in the game, so she was able to play her normal minutes. Bryce Owens was fantastic in the point guard spot, finishing with 7 points (3 of 10 shooting), 12 rebounds, 5 assists, a steal, and only 2 turnovers. The Lobos had a very balanced scoring attack after Shumpert’s 26, with nine Lobos scoring in total leading to the 65 points.
Men’s Basketball: Mountain West Tournament Preview
It’s been a long season, but here we are: MWC Tournament week. No team has proven to be invincible in the conference this year, so this tournament feels as wide-open as it has ever been. Also, because no team seems to have a lock on an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, we have 11 teams who feel like they need to win out this week in order to make it to the Big Dance. All of that should make for a fun week.
Women’s Basketball: MWC Tournament Preview
The Lobos (16-13, 9-9) are on a two-game winning streak as they enter the Mountain West Tournament as the 5 seed. They will take on the 4th seeded SJSU Spartans (13-16, 11-7) at 3:30 MT on Tuesday in the quarterfinals. The two teams have already played twice this season (here’s the preview for the first game, and here’s the preview for the second), with the Lobos winning the game in Albuquerque by 14 and the Spartans winning the game in San José by one. Since the last meeting, SJSU is 3-2 in their last five games, while the Lobos are 4-2 in their last six games. The key to this game will be if the Lobos will be able to control the tempo, they have been able to do this in each of the first two meetings.