25The Sweet 16 thus far remains elusive to Lobo basketball. The Lobos shot their best field goal percentage in a season, .542, placing them second in the nation, and McGee established the still-standing record for assists in a season. The Lobos were 102 in games decided by six or fewer points. They were ranked for much of the 197374 season, reaching #8, and again in 197778 when they peaked at #5. [133][138] The Lobos started the season 122, with an overtime win at Sweet 16-bound Gonzaga, but a blowout loss at #1 Stanford began a 16 slump, including several poor road performances. The scheme also employed a full-court pressing, trapping defense to generate points off of turnovers. Ira Harge. The success of the Lobos under Bob King led to rapidly growing fan interest. Due to the success of King's first three seasons, attendance at Johnson Gym more than doubled, and plans to build a larger arena began to take shape. The team began 92 with an upset over #8 Wichita State but wilted in league play, going 412 and finishing 1517. [152], Steve Alford coached the Lobos for six seasons, compiling a 15552 (.749) record with three NCAA tournament appearances, at least a share of four league titles, and two conference tournament championships. [210] Luxury suites and club seats were added, along with digital video boards, expanded concourses, additional restrooms and concession stands, and upgraded training facilities,[46] while preserving the historic character of the building. Gary finished his Lobo career second in games played, second in career free throws made, and is now fifth in career assists. Here is my list. In 1992 the basketball court at The Pit was named "Bob King Court" in honor of the coach who made its construction possible. William C. Dowling, Confessions of a Spoilsport: My Life and Hard Times Fighting Sports Corruption at an Old Eastern University (2007). Elliott had an opportunity to put Arizona in the lead with a three-pointer with seconds remaining, but Greene blocked the shot to seal the win, the only time the Lobos have beaten a #1-ranked opponent. [23], The 200910 Lobos were again a young squad picked to finish fifth in the MWC in preseason polls. Media Guide 201314, p.71. New Mexico Lobos men's basketball players, Category:New Mexico Lobos women's basketball players, New Mexico Lobos men's basketball statistical leaders, Charles Smith (basketball, born August 1975), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Category:New_Mexico_Lobos_men%27s_basketball_players&oldid=950612294, College men's basketball players in the United States, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 13 April 2020, at 00:11. The Lobos rose to #8 in the polls and won the MWC title. [54] The injection of talent made the Lobos exciting and competitive, but they took time to gel as a team, beginning the season 64 with a couple of disappointing losses. Ellenberger was fired on December 17, 1979, and the season continued with the remaining players not caught up in the scandal, along with several walk-ons. "[199], The Lobo Howl is an event held initially on midnight of the first day the NCAA allows teams to practice. [34] It was Ellenberger's first Division I head coaching position, but he made up for what he lacked in experience with energy and enthusiasm. Fan criticism had reached a crescendo and attendance at The Pit had been dropping significantly. They lost four straight early in the year, then won their next five; they lost seven of nine, but won their last seven regular season games; they carried that momentum into the NIT and reached its Final Four. [149], McKay continued to attract strong transfer players, but discipline issues persisted in 200506. [75][76] The team slipped to 65 before winning eight out of nine, gaining a share of the WAC lead. Stoking the popularity of Lobo basketball by this time was the success of two longtime rivals. ", coupled with a hand gesture emulating a wolf. Former WNBA basketball player and olympian Rebecca Lobo is seen analyzing the game between UConn and UCLA in a semifinal for the Albany Regional of the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship at the Times Union Center on Friday, March 29, 2019 in Albany, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren/Times Union) Lori Van Buren / Albany Times Union Show More Show Less 3 of 10 He declared for the 2010 NBA draft and was selected in the second round by Milwaukee. Daniels averaged over 17 points and 11 rebounds a game, providing the fast-growing Lobo fan base a preview of things to come. The Lobos defeated Drake and NYU before falling to Bradley in the championship game, finishing with a 236 record and ranked 16th in the UPI poll. That may be the way to rationalize what a lot of Lobo men's basketball fans are feeling now. [103] The Lobos returned to the NIT, where they beat Louisiana Tech and Washington State before losing at Virginia, finishing the season 2013. [74][157] The Lobos began the 200708 season 142 before losing four of six in league; they then won eight of nine to close out the regular season. Smith led in scoring for the third straight season, averaging 17.5 a game, while Shields scored 15.5, and Thomas added 14 points and seven rebounds a game. New Mexico began playing New Mexico State in 1904, currently totaling over 200 games; they first played UTEP in 1929, with over 140 games total. His first team went 169, the best Lobo record in 17 years. The current head coach is Richard Pitino Both men's and women's teams play in The Pit, formally known as Dreamstyle Arena, built in 1966. In addition, former Lobo men's basketball director of operations and current associate AD at UNM, Ryan Berryman, will serve as the team's assistant general manager. They lost in the conference tournament but received a three-seed in the NCAA tournament. The Lobos have appeared in 19 National Invitation Tournaments with a combined record of 1820. [213] On April 27, 2017, UNM asked WisePies to relinquish the naming rights, per the terms of the agreement, and WisePies agreed to do so. Carlton Bragg Jr. was accused of sexual assault and later arrested for a DWI in January 2020. The team began the season 83 but struggled away from The Pit, losing its first seven road games. [70][71] The Lobos opened the season with two losses before beating USC and Washington and winning at #7 UCLA. All returned for 200405, and Granger turned in a spectacular season, averaging 19 points and nine rebounds a game to gain All-American recognition. Everybody knows that's not a great basketball play, but for us it was terrific. His teams won twenty or more games and reached post-season tournaments in ten of his 11 seasons, and he coached the four leading scorers in Lobo history. [17][197], Attendance at Lobo games in The Pit has consistently been among the national leaders in college basketball, averaging over 15,400 fans per game since it opened. [19] Four starters averaged in double-figures in scoring, led by senior guard Ron Nelson at 19.5 points a game. [154] Alford had led the program back to national prominence, attaining its best six-year stretch ever while improving academic achievement. The UNM gymnasium at the time was a small wooden building where the walls were out-of-bounds markers for basketball games. [43] After a string of road losses, the Lobos recovered to win six of seven and secure the WAC championship in a strong season for the league when five of eight teams were ranked at some point. [29][53] The Lobos finished the season 244 and ranked #12, and Ellenberger was voted runner-up for the US Basketball Writers Coach of the Year award. Will Webber. [164] Martinez was honored as an Academic All-American and received the NCAA Chip Hilton Player of the Year Award for outstanding character, leadership, integrity, and talent.[165][166]. Page was the only consistent offensive threat on the team, averaging 28 points a game, still the Lobo record for best season average. They were again relegated to the NIT, losing to Oregon State and finishing 2510, the team record for wins in a season at the time. PF-Kenny Thomas. [99] Robbins finished his career with the Lobo record for best career free throw percentage, third best three-point shooting percentage, and second most minutes played, having started all 133 games of his career. In addition to Daniels, other prominent players produced by the Lobo program include five-time NBA champion Michael Cooper, three-time NBA champion Luc Longley, NBA all-star Danny Granger, and Kenny Thomas. [41] In late February the Lobos were 213, ranked #15, and leading the WAC, before losing their last two games and finishing second in conference. [37][64] He then became the lead assistant for Bobby Knight at Indiana for ten seasons, from 1990 to 2000,[34] and later coached in the NBA and WNBA. 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. [74] The Lobos beat a good Arizona team before losing a close game to #1 Georgetown, led by Patrick Ewing, the first time the Lobos had faced a top-ranked opponent. [119] The Lobos then fell to eventual national champion Connecticut, shooting just 26%, to finish 259. The 197475 Lobo team was depleted by graduation and slipped to a 1313 record. Mar. Roberts noted the noise level in The Pit as a challenge for a broadcaster: "There were a lot of times when I knew I was calling the game because my lips were moving, but I couldn't hear a thing I said. [155][156] Six other players averaged between seven and ten points as balanced scoring became a hallmark of Lobo squads under Alford. [169] The Lobos went to the NIT and beat UTEP before losing at Alabama, finishing 2213. Brown is now head basketball coach at Volcano Vista High in Albuquerque. McKay faced a major rebuilding project in 200203 compounded by further dismissals and injuries that cut the team to seven scholarship players. [226] In 1999, Roberts was inducted into the University of New Mexico Athletic Hall of Honor by the Alumni Lettermen's Association and received the Distinguished Service Award. 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