Nov. 9, 2005
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The University of New Mexico completes its exhibition season Saturday when it entertains Seattle Pacific. Tipoff is 7:05 p.m., from the The Pit/Bob King Court in Albuquerque. This is the first meeting between the two schools. The Falcons defeated a team called Another Level Blue Angels 102-79 in a preseason game on Nov. 1. SPU plays at BYU Thursday.
Due to a conflict with Saturday’s Lobo football game at Utah, the Seattle Pacific game will be broadcast on 610 AM The Sports Animal.
New Mexico head coach Ritchie McKay is a 1987 graduate of Seattle Pacific, an NCAA Div. II institution. A four-year letterman and a three-year starter for SPU from 1983-87, McKay still holds the school single-game record for steals (10). He ranks No. 3 all-time for steals and is No. 5 in assists.
McKay was a Falcons assistant in 1990-91 for head coach Ken Bone, who is now the head man at Portland State.
The 103rd regular season of New Mexico basketball gets underway Nov. 18-20 as UNM hosts the Jim Thorpe Classic. Ole Miss, South Carolina State and Southern Utah will be in town for the round-robin tournament that features three games in as many days for all four participants.
The South Carolina State affair will be game No. 2,200 for New Mexico since the first encounter on Feb. 2, 1900.
TICKETS – Season tickets are on sale at the UNM athletic ticket office at The Pit through Friday, Nov. 18. Individual game tickets are available at the following: online at unmtickets.com, by calling (505) 925-5858, at the UNM athletic ticket office at The Pit, at the box office at the UNM Bookstore and at all Oshman’s and Raley’s stores. Ticket office hours at The Pit are 8:30-5 Monday through Friday. For Saturday games, the box office opens three hours before tipoff. Call (505) 925-5626 for more information.
EXPERIMENTAL RULES – The NCAA Basketball Rules Committee stated that all certified games (previously “exempt” games) that occur before January 1, 2006, will be required to use the following experimental rules in at least one exhibition game (Seattle Pacific) and in the Jim Thorpe Classic:
1) Moving the 3-point line 1 foot beyond the current line to create a new distance of 20 feet, 9 inches.
2) Widening the free-throw lane by 1 foot on each side.
3) Placing a restricted area arc which is to be 3 feet from the center of the basket.
LOBOS PREDICTED FOR 5TH-PLACE FINISH IN THE MOUNTAIN WEST – New Mexico was picked to finish fifth in the 2005-06 Mountain West Conference race during the league’s preseason media gathering last month in Salt Lake City. Voters were a combination of head coaches and media. UNM was picked to finish fourth in 2004-05, but ended up second behind Utah.
EXHIBITION HISTORY – The Lobos have been playing exhibition games since the 1972-73 season. UNM has a 51-5 all-time record, 46-5 in The Pit. Last year, UNM defeated Eastern New Mexico (99-67) and Sul Ross State (94-63). Average attendance for 51 home exhibition games is 15,159.
HIGHLANDS RECAP – New Mexico hit 17 3-point field goals and shot 56 percent from the field as it opened the with a 110-79 exhibition victory over New Mexico Highlands. All 13 Lobos who played scored led by junior forward Joel Box and junior wing Kyle Prochaska, who played in their first games at New Mexico and finished with 15 points apiece.
Box and Prochaska were two of five Lobos to score in double figures as senior guard Kris Collins added 13 while senior forward David Chiotti and senior guard Mark Walters each had 10.
Prochaska was a perfect 6-of-6 from the field, including 3-of-3 from beyond the arc. Freshman forward Daniel Faris led UNM in rebounding with five boards to go along with seven points, while sophomore guard Darren Prentice had a team-high six assists.
Both teams started the game hitting three after three as Highlands connected on 6-of-13 in the first half with the Lobos nailing 9-of-15 to take a 52-32 halftime lead.
The Lobos’ hot shooting continued in the second half, making 67.6 percent from the field on 23-of-34 shooting.
MORE ON SEATTLE PACIFIC – The Falcons were 20-9 last season, advancing to the NCAA Div. II tournament for the ninth time in the past 12 seasons. SPU lost to the University of Washington, a No. 1 seed and Sweet Sixteen particpant last year, by a very respectable 89-71 margin a year ago.
Three starters return in point guard Tony Binetti, wing Dustin Bremerman and forward Chad Williams. SPU did lose its top two scorers in Jason Chivers (15.7 ppg and 10.2 rpg) and Jordan Lee (13.9 ppg).
Head coach Jeff Hironaka has a 50-33 record in his fourth year with SPU. He guided the Falcons to the NCAA Tournament quicker than any previous Falcons coach. Hironaka was an assistant on the SPU team that played in the 2000 Final Four.
SPU was picked to finish fourth in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. The league’s membership includes Alaska-Anchorage, Alaska-Fairbanks, Central Washington, Humboldt State, Northwest Nazarene, Seattle University, Saint Martin’s, Western Oregon and Western Washington.
LOBO HEAD COACH Ritchie McKay – Ritchie McKay begins his fourth season in charge of Lobo hoops and his 10th year as a collegiate head coach. He was named UNM’s 18th head coach on March 28, 2002.
The 26-7 record in 2004-05 is easily McKay’s best season, surpassing a 19-11 ledger at Colorado State in 1998-99. The Lobos won the MWC Tournament and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1999. It was McKay’s first trip to the Big Dance.
McKay had previous two-year stops at Portland State (1996-98), Colorado State (1998-2000) and Oregon State (2000-02). He has a career record of 133-128, 50-39 at New Mexico. In three years at UNM, McKay is 42-12 at home, 31-16 in non-conference games, 26-7 in non-league games at The Pit and 5-9 in road/neutral games. He is 19-23 in MWC games, 16-5 at home and 3-18 on the road.
NEW DIGS FOR LOBO HOOPS – Groundbreaking for the new practice facility and coaches’ office for UNM men’s and women’s basketball began last May and should be completed in the next four to eight weeks. The $4.2 million project was funded by New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson and members of the state legislature during the 2004 and 2005 legislative sessions.
The UNM Board of Regents announced last month that the facility will be called the Rudy Davalos Basketball Center, in honor of the current Lobos’ athletics director, who announced his retirement effective Aug. 31, 2006. Davalos has been the AD at UNM since November of 1992.
The new facility was designed by the Albuquerque architectural firm of Molzen-Corbin & Associates. The general contractor is The Jaynes Corporation of Albuquerque.
“We want to express a sincere debt of gratitude to Governor Richardson and those in the state legislature who supported the governor in funding this project,” said Davalos. “The facility will be a tremendous asset to our men’s and women’s programs.”
The facility will provide more than 26,000 square feet. In addition to the practice court and offices, the complex will have coaches’ locker rooms, a video room, computer lab, hospitality area with a caterer’s kitchen, media workroom and a stylish lobby entrance that will showcase the rich history and strong tradition of the men’s and women’s basketball programs.
“It’s awesome, absolutely awesome,” said men’s head coach Ritchie McKay. “For Governor Richardson to see fit to fund this facility for the benefit of Lobo basketball and the entire UNM Athletics Department is greatly appreciated. This will be a great addition for both the men’s and women’s basketball programs at New Mexico.”
Quick Facts on the Rudy Davalos Basketball Center
26,100 square feet
six baskets with one full-size court (94 feet running east-west) or two courts measuring 85 feet, runnning north-south
offices for men’s and women’s basketball coaches and staff
coaches’ locker room
video room
computer lab for student-athletes
media workroom
hospitality room with a caterer’s kitchen
a main lobby featuring display cabinets and kiosks showcasing the tradition and history of Lobo basketball
the practice court will also be used as a media workroom for upcoming NCAA Basketball Championship events, including the 2006 Women’s Albuquerque Regional
LOOKING AHEAD TO THE JIM THORPE CLASSIC – The Jim Thorpe Classic will be held in The Pit Nov. 18-20. The Lobos, Ole Miss, South Carolina State and Southern Utah will play each other in the three-day round-robin tourney. The schedule:
Friday, Nov. 18
New Mexico vs. South Carolina State, 6:05 p.m.
Ole Miss vs. Southern Utah, 30 minutes after
Saturday, Nov. 19
New Mexico vs. Ole Miss, 6:05 p.m.
South Carolina State vs. Southern Utah, 30 minutes after
Sunday, Nov. 20
Ole Miss vs. South Carolina State, 2 p.m.
New Mexico vs. Southern Utah, 30 minutes after
Ole Miss Rebels: Located in Oxford, Miss., and playing out of the Southeastern Conference, Ole Miss lost four starters from last year’s team that finished 14-17 overall and 4-12 in the SEC
The leading returning scorer is senior F Londrick Nolen, who averaged 9.8 ppg and 4.4 rpg in 2004-05
Head coach Rod Barnes (Ole Miss `88) is 127-93 in his eighth year at the school…he took over for Hobbs, N.M., native Rob Evans after Evans went to Arizona State…Barnes, the 2001 Naismith National Coach of the Year, has the most wins in his first seven years of any Ole Miss coach ever
Ole Miss hosts Spring Hill College in an exhibition on Nov. 11
South Carolina State Bulldogs: Located in Orangeburg, S.C, and playing out of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, SCSU returns a pair of starters from last year’s team that finished 19-12 overall and 11-7 in the MEAC…the Bulldogs won at Miami (Fla.) last year, 60-50
South Carolina State was chosen as the favorite by the head coaches and Sports Information Directors to win the 2005-06 MEAC title…SCSU received 10 of the 20 first-place votes and was chosen over last year’s champion Delaware State
The leading returning scorers are senior F Thurman Zimmerman (15.2 ppg and 7.2 rpg) and sophomore C Chris Lee (13.5 ppg and 5.0 rpg) in 2004-05…Zimmerman and Brian Mason were selected to the MEAC preseason all-conference team…Zimmerman was placed on the first team for the third time in his career
Head coach Ben Betts, Jr. (Roanoke College `90) is 37-23 in his third year at SCSU
The Bulldogs host Claflin in an exhibition on Nov. 9
Southern Utah Thunderbirds: Located in Cedar City, Utah, and playing out of the Mid-Continent Conference, Southern Utah returns three starters from last year’s team that finished 13-15 overall and 6-10 in the MCC…SUU has just five returning players and nine newcomers, including walk-ons and redshirts
The leading returning scorer is senior wing Rand James, who averaged 8.7 ppg in 2004-05
Head coach Bill Evans (Southern Utah `72) is 183-189 in his 14th year at SUU…he is the winningest coach in school history
The Thunderbirds defeated Western New Mexico 77-65 in an exhibition on Nov. 5…they host Adams State in another exhibition on Thursday
LOBOS VS. THORPE CLASSIC PARTICIPANTS
UNM/Ritchie McKay vs. South Carolina State: First meeting for the Lobos. McKay’s 2001-02 Oregon State team defeated the Bulldogs 62-46 in Corvallis on Dec. 23, 2001.
UNM/Ritchie McKay vs. Ole Miss: The 16th-ranked Lobos topped Ole Miss 75-64 in the championship game of the 1996 Lobo Invitational. Rebels Ansu Sesay and Keith Carter were named to the all-tournament team. UNM’s Clayton Shields was the MVP. The victory completed a 11-1 start for a UNM team that would finish 25-8. Ritchie McKay’s first game as a head coach came at Ole Miss on Nov. 23, 1996. The Rebels squeaked out a 56-54 win over Portland State.
UNM/Ritchie McKay vs. Southern Utah: The Lobos are 1-1 against the Thunderbirds with both games played at The Pit. UNM won 62-57 on Dec. 11, 1999, and lost 69-57 on Dec. 21, 2002 when current Lobos David Chiotti, Jeff Hart and Mark Walters were freshmen. McKay is also 1-1 against SUU. The loss was three years ago in Albuquerque, while the victory came when he was at Oregon State, 73-61 on Nov. 30, 2001.