Now that conference play is about to start up, we figured that it’s time to take a step back to see how all of the teams in the conference fared so far this year and then try to figure out what we think will happen these next few months. There are no terrible teams in the conference this year, but there also aren’t any great teams either, which means that this year has the potential to be pretty wild.
Author: Jono
Men’s Basketball Midyear Player Report
Now that we’re done with non-conference play, it seems like a worthwhile time to take a step back and see how all of the players are performing so far. As we did in our season preview for the players, we’ll be looking at some advanced stats to try to get a sense of what’s working, and what’s not working, for each player.
Some Scattered Thoughts about Men’s Basketball
After last night’s drubbing at the hands of Arizona, the Lobos head into the holiday break at a definitive low point. In lieu of actually recapping that atrocity of a game, here are a few scattered thoughts about what’s happened so far this season.
Men’s Basketball Game 12 Preview: Arizona
After facing a clearly-overmatched opponent in Arkansas-Pine Bluff at home, the Lobos head to Tucson, AZ to face a team on the other end of the spectrum. The Lobos will take on the 19th-ranked Arizona Wildcats Tuesday night, looking for what would be a huge upset win that would definitely get their season back on track.
Men’s Basketball Game 11 Preview: Arkansas-Pine Bluff
It’s been a week since the Lobos headed down to Las Cruces, where they put out an uninspiring performance on way to an 84-71 loss. Based on what we’ve heard about their practices this week, that loss may have lit a fire under the Lobos, which could serve them well in the long run. They’ll need to bring the intensity tonight though, as they’re playing an Arkansas-Pine Bluff squad that’s hard to get excited about and with Arizona looming around the corner, this could be a classic trap game.
New Mexico Bowl Preview: UNM vs UTSA
It’s time to go bowling! After a long postseason drought, the Lobos are now making their second straight appearance in the New Mexico Bowl. Unlike last season, where they came into the game as underdogs, they’re the favorites this year. As such, there’s every expectation that the Lobos will pick up their first bowl win since 2007, and only their second since 1961.
Men’s Basketball Game 10 Preview: NMSU
After a thrilling come-from-ahead then come-from-behind win against UTEP, the Lobos travel down south to take on the NMSU Aggies again. While the Lobos have been a little up-and-down since the two teams first met a few weeks ago, the Aggies have been on a hot streak. Hopefully the Lobos can snap that streak to come out with a sweep of the season series.
Men’s Basketball Game 8: Illinois State
Fresh off of winning the 50th anniversary game for the Pit, the Lobos head back out on the road to take on Illinois State. This game is part of the Mountain West-Missouri Valley Challenge, where most of the teams from the two conferences are playing each other. It’s a good opportunity for the conference to prove its mid-major superiority, so hopefully the Lobos can do their part to help.
Men’s Basketball Game 7: Abilene Christian
The Lobos return home from their trip to the Wooden Legacy to celebrate the Pit’s 50th anniversary tonight. They’ll do so by hosting Abilene Christian, who they played in the Pit’s first game, which is pretty cool. Hopefully the Lobos will be able to celebrate in style.
Men’s Basketball: Thoughts from the Wooden Legacy
The Lobos spent the holiday weekend in SoCal, playing in the Wooden Legacy against a tough field. They ended up getting 6th place after going 1-2 with a loss to Virginia Tech, a win against Cal State Northridge, and a loss to Dayton. In some ways, this outcome wasn’t surprising, as they lost to the teams they were expected to lose to and beat the team they were expected to beat, but that doesn’t mean that it wasn’t disappointing in its own right. But, now that it’s over, there are a few things that we’ve learned about the team from this early part of the season.