The Lobo Howl is this Friday, which means that we are oh-so-close to seeing the Lobos take the court again. This team has a couple of legitimate stars, a lot of returning players, and some talented newcomers, which makes me feel like they have a real shot at returning to the NCAA Tournament this year. So it’s a little weird to me that it doesn’t feel like there’s the same level of excitement for this coming season as what I typically see from the fan base. Maybe that’s to be expected after a couple of relative down years, which have tempered some expectations, but I think this has the potential to be a very exciting year of Lobo Basketball. Here are a few reasons why:
Category: Men’s Basketball
Premature Thoughts on the Men’s Basketball Schedule
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!
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.
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.
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.
Men’s Basketball at Nevada Recap
In a game that turned out to have very few implications for the MWC Tournament (aside from determining who the “home” team is the when these two face each other on Thursday), but did have a lot of implications for the Lobos’ morale, UNM came out with a much-needed win. They now turn their attention to the most important week of their season, and a chance to make it to the NCAA Tournament.
Men’s Basketball at Nevada Preview
There’s no way around it: the Lobos are on a major skid right now. They’ve lost four straight, managed to go from 2nd to 5th in the conference, and have seen a bunch of fans turn on them. The last time this happened – back in December, when they went on the worst trip to Hawaii ever – the Lobos banded together to pull out a nice win at home against Nevada. Coincidently, next on the schedule: Nevada. Let’s see if history can repeat itself.