July 2, 2004
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Building a successful college basketball program takes vision. It also takes hard work, dedication and patience. University of New Mexico men’s basketball head coach Ritchie McKay has shown all of these qualities in his first two seasons at the helm of the Lobo program. Now, the Lobos are poised to reap the benefits from two seasons of hard work, dedication and patience, characteristics that will shape the future of New Mexico basketball for years to come.
When McKay took over the UNM ship in the spring of 2002, he had a vision of what Lobo basketball should look like. He wanted a team that focused on winning as much as it focused on character. McKay had the patience to sacrifice a few extra wins early on, making sure the character of the team stayed intact for the long run. He allowed those who did not share his vision to move on with their basketball careers, while those who stayed went right to work rebuilding the tradition of Lobo basketball.
Last season, McKay defined the goals of the program as two-fold. “First of all, we want a 100 percent graduation rate,” stated McKay, who is entering his ninth season as a Division I head coach. “I think anyone who does not have a commitment to a student-athlete’s academic progress is doing an injustice to the student and the university.”
The Lobos’ work in the classroom is paying off as the men’s basketball team continues to improve its overall grade-point-average. Troy DeVries was chosen CoSIDA Academic All-District last season, while four Lobos – DeVries, Ryan Ashcraft, Jeff Hart and Ryan Wall – qualified for the Mountain West Conference All-Academic team, the most honorees UNM has ever had in one season.
“Second, we want to play championship-caliber basketball. I truly believe that the University of New Mexico has a great tradition. As a result, our community, rightfully so, has an expectation where our team contends for conference championships. Certainly, we want to embrace that and continue moving our program to the top of the Mountain West Conference.”
Last year, the Lobos showed improvement from McKay’s first season, winning four more games and finishing with an even 14-14 record. New Mexico also moved up in the MWC standings, finishing in a tie for fifth place after being picked to end up seventh in the preseason. The Lobos showed promise with two huge home wins over MWC foes Utah and BYU, plus a pair of closely-fought losses against Texas Tech and at No. 6 Wake Forest, both NCAA Tournament participants a year ago.
With the abolishment of the NCAA’s 5/8 rule, which limited the number of scholarships schools were able to give each year, New Mexico has been able to reload for the 2004-05 campaign and is ready to make a run at the top of the MWC. The addition of transfers DeVries and Danny Granger on Dec. 21, 2003, against Coppin State provided the short-handed Lobos with more than eight scholarship players for the first time during McKay’s tenure at UNM. Still, New Mexico only had 10 available scholarship players even with DeVries and Granger in uniform. The Lobos will enter the 2004-05 season with 12 scholarship players, including Hart, a former walk-on who was granted a scholarship during the summer.
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“Going into the third year of our program and having the relaxed scholarship limitations, there is great optimism from both our coaching staff and players. We really think that with the return of four starters…along with the depth that we have, I think we have addressed some of our issues. We have added quality depth and experience to our roster.” |
“Going into the third year of our program and having the relaxed scholarship limitations,” claimed McKay, “there is great optimism from both our coaching staff and players. We really think that with the return of four starters, Granger, DeVries, David Chiotti and Alfred Neale, along with the depth that we have in Bambale Osby, Tony Danridge, Mark Walters, Darren Prentice, Kris Collins and others, I think we have addressed some of our issues. We have added quality depth and experience to our roster.”
Certainly McKay, his staff and players want to win every game, but his patience and vision have helped to move along the process of rebuilding to a point where the Lobos anticipate a return to postseason on an annual basis. “We knew that this would take time,” said McKay, “especially given the level of expectations from our fans. The interest in the program is what makes New Mexico such a great job. We are progressing and I definitely think we’ve got great character in our program and we have established a terrific work ethic. I know it is time for us to now win on the road, contend for a conference championship and get to postseason. Those are definitely three things that we anticipate happening this year. Who knows, with a player like Danny Granger – potentially the best player in the league – we have a chance to do more than what is expected.”
Staying true to the process of building a college basketball program that emphasizes character and winning hasn’t always been the easiest road to travel. However, McKay knew that it was a necessary one to follow if there was going to be lasting success for the Lobo basketball program. “When you build it to last, and I really want to be here for a long time,” said McKay, “you have hold true to the process. When you are limited in terms of your ability to bring in quality players it takes time, but this was going to be a good year for us with or without that scholarship limitation. That is mainly because of how we have recruited. This just means that the future is getting brighter for Lobo basketball.”
Despite not making the postseason for the second year in a row – something that has not happened in Albuquerque in more than 20 years – Lobo fans continued to spin the turnstiles at The Pit. UNM’s average crowd of 14,679 last year ranked 15th among all NCAA Division I men’s basketball programs. Over 31,000 fans poured into the sunken arena for a pair of huge wins over Utah and BYU in late January and a total of 264,277 fans saw the Lobos post a 14-4 home record in 2003-04.
The 2004-05 Lobos will mix a solid group of returners with a talented stock of newcomers, a formula that should result in better records both at home and on the road. Three seniors return in Granger, Neale and DeVries. Returning juniors include Chiotti, Hart and Walters, while the sophomore class is made up of Wall and Kellen Walter. Sean Phaler is a redshirt freshman, giving the Lobos nine players with at least one year of experience in the program. Newcomers include Collins, a junior college transfer, and freshmen Danridge, Osby and Prentice.
The 6-8, multi-tooled Granger is certainly the shining star of the group. A bonafide All-America candidate, Granger transferred to UNM from Bradley in January of 2003 and went on to lead the MWC in scoring last season at 19.5 ppg. He became the first Lobo ever to lead the team in scoring, rebounding (9.0 rpg), steals (1.72 spg) and blocks (1.41 bpg) in the one season. Granger was named 1st Team All-MWC and 1st Team All-District by the NABC and the USBWA.
“Danny is a pro,” proclaimed McKay. “He is going to play the next 15 years for money. He is one of those guys who manufactures points, but doesn’t get enough credit for his passing ability and the way he defends. Both he and David (Chiotti) have learned what it is like to compete in our conference and how the game is officiated. The more intelligently they both can play on the defensive end of the floor and stay out of foul trouble, the better we will be.”
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Junior David Chiotti averaged 12.5 ppg last season. |
David Chiotti is Granger’s returning frontcourt partner, giving the Lobos a pair of solid, experienced starters on the low post. A 6-9 junior, Chiotti made great strides from his freshman to sophomore season, increasing his scoring average from 3.9 to 12.5 and becoming a force as the Lobos’ best post defender. Chiotti earned honorable mention All-MWC honors last season and has been chosen the team’s most improved player in his first two seasons at UNM.
“David made great improvement from his freshman to sophomore year,” said McKay. “If he can make similar strides from this sophomore to junior season, we’re going to be really good. He definitely toughened us up on the post and he improved his jump shot. I just think that David’s overall maturity and leadership has started to affect our program in a positive way.”
Like Granger, DeVries also transferred to UNM during the 2002-03 season, coming from Portland State. He averaged 10.7 ppg and shot 44.6% from 3-point range last season, the sixth-best mark in UNM history. Had DeVries made one more trey, he would have placed 14th in the nation in long-range accuracy. DeVries was also the only player in the league to rank in the top-3 in 3-point percentage and 3-point FGs per game (2.45), earning him a spot on the honorable mention all-conference team.
“Troy DeVries is a great shooter who has added some needed bulk and strength,” added McKay. “I think he will be a better defender this year. He started out great for us, but faded a little bit at the end of the year. Troy has enjoyed a great spring and summer and I really believe he is going to have a very productive year.”
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Senior Troy DeVries is the leading 3-pt. threat in the MWC. |
Arguably the most athletic and versatile player on the team is the fourth returning starter, 6-5 senior forward Alfred Neale. A 7-foot-4-inch high jumper, Neale is an explosive player to watch, exciting Lobo fans with a number of alley-oop and put-back slams from high above the rim. He also was a solid defender with nearly one block a game and he tied for the team lead with 10 charges drawn. Neale had a nice touch from 3-point range and was the only forward to rank in the top-10 in the MWC in 3-point FGs (1.39) per game.
“Alfred is an explosive athlete who was just an athlete last year,” said McKay. “To his credit, he has worked hard to address his weaknesses. Lobo fans should see a more skilled athlete in November. I very much look forward to No. 21 having an excellent season. One in which, if he is good, we can be very good. I think both he and (Mark) Walters could be considered X-factors.”
Junior Mark Walters could almost be considered a fifth returning starter for the Lobos. The 6-2 guard started 20 of 28 games as a freshman and 11 of 25 games last season. He led all MWC freshmen in scoring (9.5 ppg) and rebounding (5.6 rpg) in 2002-03 but suffered a torn ACL during the offseason. Walters managed to make it back last year, averaging 4.9 ppg and 2.9 rpg, but on a less than healthy knee. Now fully recovered from that injury, he should be ready for a strong junior year.
“Mark put so much pressure on himself to get back,” said McKay, “and he wasn’t at full strength the entire season. I think he’s now healthy and is one of those guys who can score 18 points one night and then four the next night and still have the same impact on the game because of the way he defends and rebounds. He definitely could be a starter for us, but he could also be a valuable player off the bench.”
Another returning junior is 6-1 guard Jeff Hart, a former walk-on who was awarded a scholarship for the 2004-05 academic year. Hart saw action in 18 games last season, mostly as a three-point threat in end-game situations. He nailed four of his eight attempts from behind the arc and shot 47.1% from the field. “Jeff Hart is a solid player,” added McKay. “He has put on some weight, as difficult as that is for him. Jeff being on scholarship is worth mentioning just because of how hard he has worked and how committed he is to getting better.”
Returning sophomores include 6-0 point guard Ryan Wall and 6-10 forward Kellen Walter. Wall has excellent court vision, but needs to cut down on his turnovers. He played in 16 games last season, with one start, and could fight for playing time at the point this year. Walter has great shooting range for a player of his size but needs to add weight to his 205-pound frame. “Ryan Wall continues to show flashes of improvement,” commented McKay. “If he gets his confidence, he is going to be an excellent guard at this level. Kellen has put on some weight and the tougher he gets in the post, the better he is going to be for us. He has proven that he can shoot, now he has to prove he can bang with the big boys down low.”
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Senior Alfred Neale could be an X-factor in 2004. |
Phaler, a 6-9 forward, will be a redshirt freshman this season. The former UCLA signee has recovered from the back injury suffered in a car accident last summer and is ready to begin his college basketball career. “Sean Phaler came here at 168 pounds and is now 181.3, which he is excited about,” stated McKay. “His skill level is tremendous. If he can play intelligently on the defensive end and find a way to rebound for us, he is going to be another guy that could be an X-factor.”
Any member of this year’s crop of newcomers could be called upon to provide valuable minutes this season. The Lobos have brought in a pair of guards in 6-1 freshman Darren Prentice and 6-2 junior transfer Kris Collins. Joining them are a pair of promising freshmen: Tony Danridge, a 6-5 high-scoring wing player and bruising forward Bambale Osby, who checks in at 6-7 and a legitimate 240 pounds.
“Darren Prentice has such a great upside because of what he brings to the game,” said McKay. “He will get from endline to endline as fast as anyone in our conference. Tony was a great scorer at the high school level and has a good chance to be an immediate impact player in our program. Bombale will be a fan favorite very quickly in The Pit. You will hear a lot of ‘Boom’s,’ the rest of his career in The Pit. Kris Collins gives us a big, athletic guard who can do a lot of things for us at the point guard position. I also think he has a chance to have an immediate impact on our team.”
The 2004-05 Lobo men’s basketball team is bigger and deeper and could be one of the most exciting teams in recent history. Nine of the 13 players have had at least a year of practice under McKay and have become familiar with his expectations and style of play. The maturity and skill of the returning payers, combined with the athleticism and talent of the newcomers, should make for an exciting year of New Mexico basketball, and, hopefully, a return to postseason.
PRESEASON NOTES
SEASON NO. 102: The University of New Mexico men’s basketball program begins its 102nd season in 2004-05. The Lobos first laced up the hightops on Feb. 2, 1900, when they lost 8-6 to the Albuquerque Guards. While this season is actually the 106th anniversary of that inaugural year, UNM did not field a team for various reasons in 1900-01, 1903-04, 1917-18 and 1920-21.
The Lobos have been on the hardwoods continuously since the 1921-22 season and have compiled an all-time record of 1,206-960 (.557). New Mexico was 418-495 (.458) from 1900-62, but has gone 788-465 (.629) over the past 42 seasons, an average of nearly 19 wins per year. The Lobos have made 26 trips to the postseason during that span, including 10 appearances in the NCAA Tournament and 16 showings in the NIT.
HEAD COACH Ritchie McKay: Ritchie McKay begins his third season in charge of Lobo hoops and his ninth year as a collegiate head coach. He was named UNM’s 18th head coach on March 28, 2002.
McKay had previous stops at Portland State (1996-98), Colorado State (1998-2000) and Oregon State (2000-02). He has a career record of 107-121, 24-32 at New Mexico. While at Mountain West Conference member Colorado State, McKay led the Rams to the NIT in 1999. McKay is the son of the late Joe McKay, who was a three-year letterman at guard for the Lobos from 1961-63.
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Junior Mark Walters is healthy for the first time since his freshman year. |
PERSONNEL PICTURE: The Lobos return eight lettermen, including four starters, from last year’s team that finished 14-14. Sean Phaler, a redshirt last season, gives the Lobos nine players total returning from 2003-04. The biggest loss from a year ago will be senior Javin Tindall. Tindall was second on the team in scoring (12.6 ppg) and 3-pt. FG% (41.9%). He led the team in assists (98) and FT% (83.1%) and tied a school record with nine 3-pt. FG’s at UNLV. Returning starters include senior forwards Alfred Neale and Danny Granger, senior guard Troy DeVries and junior forward David Chiotti. Juniors Jeff Hart and Mark Walters, along with sophomores Ryan Wall and Kellen Walter will also be back.
It will still be a young team as the only players with more than one year of experience at UNM are juniors Hart, Walters and Chiotti.
Other lettermen not returning are 6-2 guard Ryan Ashcraft, 6-2 guard Lenny Miles, 6-2 guard Collins Ferris, 6-6 forward Mikal Monette and 6-8 forward Justin Benson. Ashcraft was a senior who graduated from UNM in May of 2004, while Ferris, a junior, decided to end his playing career and transfer to a school closer to his Ft. Collins, Colo. home. Both Monette and Miles will continue their playing careers after transferring. Monette, will transfer to Eastern New Mexico while Miles is planning on transferring to Colorado where he will try to walk on the football and basketball teams. Benson has decided to transfer to NAIA Oklahoma Baptist.
McKay and his staff will welcome four new faces to the team in 2004-05, one junior college transfer (Kris Collins) and three freshmen (Tony Danridge, Bambale Osby and Darren Prentice).
LOBO LEADERS: A look at UNM’s returning statistical leaders for the 2004-05 season (number in parentheses indicate overall ranking from last year’s team):
Scoring: Danny Granger 19.5 (1)
Field Goal Pct: David Chiotti 54.8% (1)
Rebounding: Danny Granger 9.0 (1)
3-point FG Pct: Troy DeVries 44.6% (1)
Assists: Troy DeVries 2.95 (2)
Free Throw Pct: Danny Granger 76.0% (3)
Steals: Danny Granger 29 (2)
TRYING TO REVERSE A TREND: After going 10-18 in 2002-03, UNM avoided consecutive losing seasons by posting a 14-14 record in 2003-04. The Lobos have only had four losing campaigns since former head coach Bob King arrived in Albuquerque before the 1962-63 season.
UNM has had four straight sub-.500 seasons in Mountain West Conference play, finishing 6-8 in both 2000-01 and 2001-02, 4-10 in 2002-03 and 5-9 in 2003-04. New Mexico had previously not had a losing record in league games since 1983. It is the first time the Lobos have had four straight losing seasons in coference play since 1980-83.
THE PIT: The 2004-05 season marks the 39th year of basketball in The Pit/Bob King Court, which was completed in December of 1966. UNM has an all-time mark of 536-132 (80%) in the building that resides 37 feet below street level. The Lobos have had a winning record in The Pit in 37 of their 38 years as tenants and tore off a school-record 41-game home winning streak from 1996-98. Since the beginning of the 1995-96 season, the Lobos are 137-30 (82%) at home.
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The Lobos are looking for more celebrations like this one in 2004-05. |
POSTSEASON PERENNIALS: UNM has advanced to postseason play seven of the past nine years and 18 times in the last 21 seasons, dating to 1983-84. The Lobos participated in the NIT from 2000-02, advancing to the second round in 2000 and the quarterfinals in 2001. The Lobos have also made seven NCAA Tournament appearances since 1991, including a school-record four straight from 1996-99, moving to the second round each time.
Before a first-round exit in the NIT in 2002, UNM had been one of just eight schools in the nation to win at least one postseason game (NCAA or NIT) from 1996-2001: Connecticut, Cincinnati, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan State, Purdue, Stanford and New Mexico.