former lobo basketball players
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Because the playing surface is 37 feet below grade, students nicknamed the arena "The Pit," and the nickname stuck. Fraschilla felt he had his system and recruits in place going into the 200102 season, and Lobo fans were eager for the team to return to the NCAA tournament. [10] They went 17589 (.663) in ten seasons with King as head coach, winning two conference titles and making four appearances in post-season tournaments. Stoking the popularity of Lobo basketball by this time was the success of two longtime rivals. Whether he's scoring 46 against Colorado State or facing New Mexico State at The Pit, Williams never disappointed Lobo Nation with his exciting style of play. Former UNM assistant Brandon Mason announced on Tuesday the return of a Lobo alumni all-star game to be played July 11 in the Pit. The 198384 Lobos relied almost exclusively on four senior starters, led by Smith and Tim Garrett, to the point that they took over the top four positions in school history for minutes played in a season. The Lobos won the WAC championship, Nelson was named a Helms All-American,[23] and the Lobos earned their first NCAA tournament appearance. They received a seven-seed in the NCAA tournament, facing Stanford. They were upset in the first round by unranked Cal State Fullerton, however, in another disappointing tournament performance. Everybody knows that's not a great basketball play, but for us it was terrific. It's a stretch with Thomas I know, but he did move Albuquerque in high school and play for AHS his senior year. Media Guide 201314, p.71. The Lobos jumped out to a 120 start with wins over #25 Cal and #16 Texas A&M, vaulting to #12 in the national rankings. [79] The Lobos scored over eighty points a game and set the team record for most total points in a season. [55], Before the 197778 season, Ellenberger installed what he called the "Equal Opportunity Motion Offense", a run-and-gun attack emphasizing picks and passing as players rotate through each position, taking advantage of his versatile, athletic lineup. [91] Smith led with 16 points and seven rebounds in his final game as a Lobo. Daniels averaged over 17 points and 11 rebounds a game, providing the fast-growing Lobo fan base a preview of things to come. Harge later had a successful career in the ABA. Facing Butler in the first round, the Lobos were already without an injured Olney when Gibson suffered a concussion and broken finger; Thomas again spent the game in foul trouble. [136] The team meandered to a 1311 record but then won four straight, including over #21 Utah. He oversaw construction of Carlisle Gymnasium in 1928 and Zimmerman Field in 1938, the first football stadium at UNM.[9]. Both had close friends and long-time teammates still on the Lobo roster. [44] The Lobos earned their second trip to the NCAA tournament and tallied their first tournament victory, downing Idaho State before losing to San Francisco in the second round. Longley finished with 1,729 points, 922 rebounds, and 336 blocks. The Lobos beat both in The Pit in the final week, however, then upset BYU on the way to winning their first WAC tournament championship, and securing a trip to the NCAA tournament. Like King, Ellenberger got off to a fast start in his first two seasons. The following season, 196364, the Lobos won their first WAC championship, led by Ira Harge, who King had recruited from a junior college in Iowa. The Lobos won the MWC regular season championship in 2009, 2010, 2012, and 2013, and they won the conference tournament in 2005, 2012, 2013, and 2014. The last Lobo men's basketball game played in the Pit was Feb. 29, 2020. . [55][69] Despite the struggles of the team, attendance at The Pit actually improved in Colson's early years, remaining in the top four nationally.[46]. Media Guide 201314, pp.67,69,71,77,88. Johnson coached the UNM basketball team for all but two seasons from 1920 to 1940. [100], The 199192 Lobos featured a balanced offense, with all five starters averaging in double figures, but they lacked a go-to scorer. One team in the game will be named Team J.B. White in. 2-Rob Robbins. [35] Colson adhered strictly to NCAA rules, as UNM officials watched the program closely, wary of falling back into disfavor with the NCAA. The 199091 Lobos were again led by Longley averaging 19.1 points and 9.2 rebounds a game, with Robbins adding 14 points a game. Williams was named MWC Player of the Year, and Alford was named Coach of the Year.[23]. [29][45] Attendance at The Pit surged to its best ever, a trend that would continue throughout the Ellenberger years, regularly earning placement among the top five in the nation. Richard Pitino has been hired as the next head coach of the New Mexico men's basketball program less than 24 hours after Minnesota announced his firing, the program announced on Tuesday. The team entered the year #18 and would remain ranked throughout the next three seasons. [163], The 201213 Lobo squad was dominated by juniors and sophomores, though all were veteran contributors, including three returning starters. So all time UNM team with NM players. As a player Alford had been a prolific scorer and two-time All-American at Indiana, winning a national championship, and earning an Olympic gold medal with the U.S. national team. J.J. Caldwell was also kicked off the team in January because of a domestic violence accusation. [93] The Lobos got off to a slow start in 198889, including losses to #11 Arizona and #6 Oklahoma. In 1999, Sports Illustrated ranked The Pit as one of the Top 20 Sporting Venues of the 20th Century. In 1920 a head coach would be hired, Roy W. Johnson. For the school's women's players, see Category:New Mexico Lobos women's basketball players. Robbins led the nation in free throw shooting, making 93.5% of his attempts, including 52 in a row at one point, both school records. [190] Before the 2017-2018 season started, 10 of the 15 players from the previous season either transferred, left the team, or graduated. The success of the program continued after King departed, winning WAC titles in 1974, 1978, and 1994, winning the conference tournament in 1993 and 1996, and regularly earning post-season tournament bids. The Lobos averaged 63.7 ppg, their lowest output since 195859, while holding opponents to 59.2 ppg, the lowest since Bob King's early years. When Ellenberger was fired in December 1979, lead assistant Charlie Harrison was elevated to head coach for the remainder of the season. The Lobo players and fan base rallied around long-time associate head coach Craig Neal, hoping to maintain continuity, and he was hired to replace Alford. At 259 in a strong WAC, Lobo fans retained hope that New Mexico would gain an at-large berth to the tournament. New Mexico Lobos men's basketball statistical leaders B Cameron Bairstow Nick Banyard Carlton Bragg Jr. Don Brkovich Greg Brown (basketball, born 1972) Johnny Brown (basketball) C David Chiotti Michael Cooper D Mel Daniels Curtis Dennis Troy DeVries Ruben Douglas E Arthur Edwards (basketball) F Daniel Faris Don Ford Kavossy Franklin G Dairese Gary [177] In the interim, Snell announced he was declaring for the NBA draft. They were ranked in the top ten for much of the 196768 season, peaking at #4, and they were in the top 20 most of the following season. From 1951 to 1962, the Lobos competed in the Mountain States Conference, known at the time as the Skyline Eight. [124] The Lobos were 213 and back at #11 when they lost at #19 TCU, at #5 Utah, and had a team record 41-game home-winning streak ended by BYU. [154] They struggled to win against first round opponent Montana, and Hobson injured his wrist and back. [19][30] The team finished the season 179 but failed to receive an NIT berth. The Lobos had four starters returning in 1985-86 until Greene was injured in the preseason. The success of the Lobos under Bob King led to rapidly growing fan interest. The team reached the NIT tournament final in 1964 and received its first bid to the NCAA tournament in 1968. [35], The "Lobogate" scandal involved forged academic transcripts, payments made for bogus Junior College credits, and other devices to attain eligibility for players who lacked academic credentials. [104], The 199293 Lobos had an experienced core with Williams, Logan, and Jaxon returning as seniors. Media Guide 201213, pp.76,89. [155][178] Snell was selected by Chicago with the 20th pick in the first round of the NBA draft. Because his best play is to dribble down the court and shoot it. Virginia scored the last eight points of the game to take the lead, and the Lobos missed three shots at tying the game in the last 12 seconds, finishing the season at 238. After the 197172 season, assistant coach Norm Ellenberger was elevated to head coach, and King served as Assistant Athletics Director the next season. Ritchie McKay was head coach at New Mexico for five seasons with a record of 8269 (.543) and one NCAA tournament appearance. Norman Dale Ellenberger (August 2, 1932 - November 15, 2015) was an American football, basketball, and baseball player and coach. [86], Colson was forced to resign after the season ended, a move that remains somewhat controversial. [150] Versatile senior guard Mark Walters led the team with 16 points a game, but after winning four straight to build a 169 record, they lost four of five to finish 1713 and did not receive a post-season bid. They were ranked briefly in 1988 and 1993, then throughout 1996 to 1999. The Lobos won the conference basketball championship in 1944 and 1945, seasons with shortened schedules due to World War II. [35] The 197576 team improved to 1611 with a largely mercenary squad of JC transfers who would later quit the team before the end of the season. That may be the way to rationalize what a lot of Lobo men's basketball fans are feeling now. Utah would go on to reach the Final Four and lose to Kentucky in the national championship game. [168] They beat #3 BYU in Provo to sweep the regular season series but lost to the Cougars in the conference tournament. King then left to become head coach and Athletics Director at Indiana State University. 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