May 9, 2006
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The University of New Mexico men’s basketball team ended its 103rd season with a tough 65-64 loss to UNLV in the first round of the Mountain West Conference Tournament in Denver. The Lobos finished 17-13 overall for their 20th winning season in the past 23 years. UNM did lose four of its last five games following a four-game winning streak. New Mexico was 8-8 in the MWC, good for fifth place, which is exactly where it was picked to finish in the preseason polls. UNM was denied postseason play for only the fourth time in the past 23 seasons, since 1983-84.
LOBO NITTY-GRITTY
The Lobos have a 43-20 record the past two seasons, tied with Utah for the most wins among Mountain West Conference schools…the Utes are 43-21
The 43 wins the past two seasons are the most by UNM in consecutive years since gathering 43 in 1998-99 (25) and 1999-00 (18)
Likewise, the 18 MWC victories are the most in back-to-back conference campaigns since winning 18 in 1998-99 (9 in the WAC) and 1999-00 (9 in MWC)
The Lobos have recorded 22 non-losing seasons – including 20 winning campaigns – in the past 23 years…New Mexico’s only sub-.500 record since 1983-84 was 10-18 in 2002-03
Thanks to a tenacious defense the last six games of the regular season, the Lobos led the MWC in FG percentage defense in conference games only, at 42.8%…that was a dramatic turnaround from the first 10 MWC contests when UNM was allowing 48.6%, worst in the league
Lobo senior Mark Walters and Air Force’s Jacob Burtschi were the only players in the MWC to rank in the top-20 in points, rebounds, assists and steals…Walters was named first team all-MWC
Walters was named first team all-MWC…the Lobos have had a first team pick all four years that Ritchie McKay has been at UNM, a feat no other school in the league can claim: Ruben Douglas in 2003 and Danny Granger in 2004-05
Senior David Chiotti became just the eighth Lobo to reach 1,100 points and 600 boards in a career, joining Mel Daniels, Willie Long, Hunter Greene, Luc Longley, Clayton Shields, Kenny Thomas and Lamont Long…Chiotti was named second team all-MWC
Chiotti was the sole interior player in the MWC who ranked in the top-20 in assists…the 6-9 senior tied for 19th with 70, or 2.33 a game
A fitting accomplishment for teammates and roommates, Mark Walters and David Chiotti each gained admttance into UNM’s 1,000-point club Jan. 14 at Wyoming…the last time two Lobos reached 1,000 points in the same season, let alone the same game, was Luc Longley and Rob Robbins in 1989-90
Walters fell 17 rebounds shy of becoming the 14th Lobo to amass 1,000 points and 500 rebounds in a career
Walters finished No. 2 in MWC history with 153 career steals…UNLV’s Marcus Banks had 158 from 2001-03
LOOKING AHEAD: 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PIT
The 40th anniversary of the first Lobo game played in The Pit will be Dec. 1, 2006. It’s unknown at this time whether UNM will have a home game on that date next year, however, school officials are planning a year-long recognition of the historic season. Specific details are still in the planning stages. On Dec. 1, 1966, sixth-ranked New Mexico opened it’s shiny new facility with a 62-53 victory over Abilene Christian in front of 12,020 fans.
Senior David Chiotti |
WHO’S GONE, WHO’S BACK
UNM’s four seniors – David Chiotti, Kris Collins, Jeff Hart and Mark Walters – combined to play in 378 games and start 250 in their careers. With the departure of junior Joel Box, the Lobos lose four of their top-five scorers and their top-three rebounders. The seven returning lettermen have combined to start just 52 career games and represented only 32% of the team’s points, 27% of the rebounds and 37% of the minutes from 2005-06.
THE NEW LOBOS
The University of New Mexico received national letters-of-intent from three future Lobos during the November early-signing period: Jeffrey Henfield (Nassau, Bahamas), Roman (pronounced ro-MAHN) Martinez (El Paso, Texas) and Derek Oestreicher (Shasta Lake, Calif.) all committed to join New Mexico’s men’s basketball program in 2006-07.
Henfield is a 6-4 swingman who averaged 19 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists his freshman year at Northeast Nebraska Community College. Martinez, a 6-7 wing from El Paso Montwood High School, averaged 15 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 blocks as a junior. Oestreicher (pronounced A-striker) is a 6-10, 240-pound center from Liberty Christian HS in Shasta Lake, Calif. He averaged 21 points, 10.8 rebounds and 2.4 blocks as a junior.
In April, McKay inked Sean Imadiyi (a-MAH-dee), a 6-7 forward from Corona del Sol High School in Tempe, Ariz., and Jamaal Smith, a 5-9 point guard from Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa, Iowa.
Imadiyi averaged 17.5 ppg and 9.5 rpg as a senior when he led Corona del Sol to a 28-2 record and the Arizona 5A state championship game. He comes from the same high school as former Lobo Lamont Long, (1997-2000) who ranks third on UNM’s scoring list.
Smith led Indian Hills to a 25-6 record last year and was a Junior College All-American, averaging 20.2 ppg, 2.9 apg and 2.0 rpg. A native of Las Vegas, Nev., Smith’s father, Robert, played at UNLV (1974-75) and spent seven seasons in the NBA from 1977-85.
AND TWO TRANSFERS READY
The Lobos also have two pretty solid transfers who will be eligible in 2006-07. J.R. Giddens, who came to UNM from Kansas, will have two years of eligibility remaining. Aaron Johnson is a transfer from Penn State who will be a senior in 2006-07 and have one year left.
A 6-5 wing, Giddens was a McDonald’s High School All-American in 2003 coming out of John Marshall HS in Oklahoma City. He was ranked as the 17th-best prospect in the country by ESPN.com. Giddens was a two-year starter for the Jayhawks, playing in all 63 games with 56 starts. He was KU’s third leading scorer in 2004-05, averaging 10.1 points. Giddens averaged 11.3 points per game his freshman season, receiving Big 12 All-Freshman Team and honorable mention all-Big 12 honors.
The 6-7, 255-pound Johnson led the Big Ten in rebounding as a junior in 2004-05, averaging 9.9 boards a game. His career averages at Penn State were 10.2 ppg and 8.2 rpg. Johnson grabbed 24 rebounds in a win over Western Carolina, tying for the second-highest single-game total in the NCAA in 2004-05. He was the only player in the NCAA that year with multiple 20+ rebound games with three.
Senior Jeff Hart |
TRUE STUDENT-ATHLETES
All four of UNM’s outgoing seniors will graduate either at the end of the spring semester or in December. Kris Collins (University Studies), David Chiotti (Communications) and Mark Walters (University Studies) will get their sheepskins in May, while Jeff Hart (Physical Education/Athletic Training) should finish in December just because his curriculum takes longer to complete.
Of the 11 Lobos that have completed their eligibility since Ritchie McKay took over the UNM program four years ago, eight have, or are expected to, receive their diplomas. The other three – Ruben Douglas, Danny Granger and Javin Tindall – are all playing professional basketball at some level, Granger with the Indiana Pacers.
The men’s basketball team combined for a 2.82 grade point average during the 2005 fall semester. That’s the third highest semester GPA by the program since UNM began charting grades in the fall of 1988, and the highest since a 2.86 in the spring of 1998.
GOV. RICHARDSON MAKES FINANCIAL PLEDGE TO PIT RENOVATION
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson announced at a news conference Jan. 28 that he is pledging $15 million to improving athletics facilities at the University of New Mexico. The focal point of Richardson’s capital outlay is an $8 million down payment for the renovation and modernization of The Pit/Bob King Court. The venerable arena opened Dec. 1, 1966. All renovations in the past 40 years have been limited to locker rooms and offices.
Additionally, Richardson said $6 million will be provided to construct an indoor workout complex for Lobo football and other Olympic sports, while $1 million is targeted for projects for men’s and women’s soccer.
The preliminary scope of work at The Pit includes the expansion of the north, east and west concourses. The north concourse will house a new entrance, ticket office and Lobo Store. The expansion of the east and west concourses will provide new restrooms and concessions areas and easier mobility for fans. Richardson said he would like to see the project at The Pit completed in the next two years.
“It has been almost 23 years since Jim Valvano and North Carolina State won the national championship in The Pit,” said Gov. Richardson. “If it is to continue to be one of the best arenas in college basketball, it has to be updated, and this is the first step.”
“One of the last things Con Colbert (UNM deputy athletics director) and I wanted to see happen before we retired was a renovation plan for The Pit,” said director of athletics Rudy Davalos. “Governor Richardson’s generous commitment to not only the arena, but to the indoor facility and soccer facility, has made this possible.”
NEW DIGS FOR HOOPS: RUDY DAVALOS BASKETBALL CENTER
Both the UNM men’s and women’s basketball teams are now operating and practicing in a new facility adjacent to The Pit. The $4.2 million Rudy Davalos Basketball Center was funded by Gov. Bill Richardson and members of the state legislature during the 2004 and 2005 legislative sessions.
The UNM Board of Regents announced in October that the facility would be named for Davalos, the Lobos’ athletics director who announced his retirement effective Aug. 31, 2006. Davalos has been the A.D. at UNM since November of 1992. A dedication of the facility was held on April 14 in front of nearly 400 guests.
The new facility was designed by the Albuquerque architectural firm of Molzen-Corbin & Associates. The general contractor was The Jaynes Corporation of Albuquerque.
The facility provides more than 26,000 square feet. In addition to the practice court and offices, the complex has coaches’ locker rooms, a video room, computer lab, hospitality area with caterer’s kitchen and a stylish lobby entrance that showcases the rich history and strong tradition of the men’s and women’s basketball programs.
LOBO HEAD COACH Ritchie McKay
Ritchie McKay has completed four seasons in charge of Lobo hoops and 11 years as a collegiate head coach. He was named UNM’s 18th head coach on March 28, 2002.
He has a career record of 150-141, 66-52 at New Mexico. McKay is 57-14 in Albuquerque, 40-21 in all non-conference games, 36-7 in non-league games at The Pit and 5-14 in road/neutral games. He is 27-31 in MWC contests, 22-7 at home and 5-24 on the road.
The 26-7 record in 2004-05 is easily the best season of McKay’s career, 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, while posting the second-highest win total in school history. 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).
BIG-TIME TURNAROUND UNDER McKAY
Head coach Ritchie McKay’s first two Lobo teams went 24-32, but UNM had just eight scholarship players available in his first season of 2002-03 and only 10 in his second year. Since the 5/8 rule was repealed after the 2003-04 season, the Lobos have posted a 43-20 record since 2004-05, tied with Utah for the most wins among MWC schools.
McKay, Norm Ellenberger and Dave Bliss are the only head coaches to take the Lobos to the NCAA Tournament within their first three years at the post
Picked to finish 4th in the MWC in 2004-05, the Lobos finished 26-7 overall, 2nd in the conference at 10-4, won the MWC Tournament for the first time in nine years and only the third time in school history, and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in six years
The 26 wins in 2004-05 is the second-best total in school history and were a 12-win improvement from 2003-04…that tied for the 2nd-largest jump in program history and tied for the 3rd-highest in NCAA Div. I men’s basketball
New Mexico won five straight games away from The Pit in 2004-05, a feat last accomplished in 1977-78
Five Lobo seniors who completed their eligibility at UNM between 2003-05 are now playing professionally (Javin Tindall, Ruben Douglas, Alfred Neale, Troy DeVries and Danny Granger)…the other two – Ryan Ashcraft and Senque Carey – had their careers cut short by injury
ROUGH START FOR McKAY AT UNM
It was a daunting challenging for McKay in his first two seasons at New Mexico. In his second game as Lobos head coach on Nov. 25, 2002, starting senior point guard Senque (sen-Q) Carey suffered a freak spinal cord injury in the first half against Northwestern (La.) State. He was partially paralyzed for several weeks before regaining full movement, but was unable to resume his playing career. Carey’s absence left New Mexico with just eight scholarship players and two walk-ons. Of those 10 players, seven were in their first year at UNM.
Sophomores Jamaal Williams (Washington) and Chad Bell (Nevada) transferred after the 2002-03 season, leaving New Mexico with just 10 scholarship players for the 2003-04. Mark Walters suffered a torn ACL in May of 2003 and never fully recovered until the 2004-05 season. In August of 2003, Billy Feeney, a promising 6-9 sophomore who had transferred from Portland State, took his own life.
The elimination of the 5/8 rule really helped before the 2004-05 campaign as it was able to add five scholarship players, reaching the full complement of 13.
MWC TOURNAMENT RECAP & NOTES
Ricky Morgan sank two free throws with 16 seconds left to cap a comeback from a 13-point second-half deficit that gave UNLV a 65-64 win over New Mexico in the Mountain West Conference quarterfinals.
After a timeout, Jeff Hart, a former walk-on who set a career high with five steals and tied a career high with 15 points on five 3-pointers, shot a hurried air ball from beyond the arc. A wild scramble for the rebound ensued and Lobos guard Kris Collins ended up with the ball at midcourt but his desperation heave was way short as the buzzer sounded.
Morgan led UNLV with 16 points. His two free throws capped a comeback from a 43-30 deficit with 16:16 left that was fueled by a tenacious fullcourt press, New Mexico’s poor free-throw shooting and several close calls that went UNLV’s way in the final few minutes.
The Lobos made just 5-of-12 free throws, negating their 9-of-19 performance from beyond the arc.
After UNLV tied it at 62 on Wendell White’s jumper with 2:06 remaining, Tony Dandridge (11 points) restored New Mexico’s lead with a 15-foot jumper at 1:45.
Louis Amundson hit one of two free throws to pull the Rebels to 64-63 with 1:12 remaining. Dandridge was fouled with 24 seconds left but after a timeout missed both free throws and White grabbed the rebound for the Rebels. Hart fouled Morgan, whose two free throws gave the Rebels their first lead since 4-3.
The Lobos took a 34-24 halftime lead despite foul trouble from center David Chiotti. Hart sank a trio of 3-pointers in the final six minutes of the first half to give the Lobos a double-digit cushion they maintained until the Rebels began their charge with seven minutes left.
In and out of the lineup in the second half with four fouls, Chiotti finished with 6 points, half his average. White scored 14 points, Amundson 11 and Jo’Van Adams 10 as the Rebels avenged a 47-39 loss to the Lobos in Albuquerque on March 1 when they shot a season-worst 24 percent and matched their lowest scoring output in the program’s history.
New Mexico has never beaten UNLV in four conference tournament games, including an 0-3 mark in the Mountain West Conference Tournament…UNM is 3-2 since the MWC Tournament moved to the Pepsi Center in Denver, both losses coming against UNLV by a combined 3 points.
Before the UNLV game, UNM was 6-1 in games decided by 5 points or less…this was the Lobos’ first 1-point loss since 51-50 at Air Force on Feb. 14, 2004
UNLV made 13 of its last 17 shots after it was down 43-30
The New Mexico men and women were both eliminated from the conference tournament (by UNLV) after the first round for first time since 2000
UNM and UNLV each allowed 50% shooting from the floor…the Lobos and Rebels were ranked No. 1 and 2 in field goal percentage defense during MWC play, allowing opponents to hit just 42.8% and 43.3%, respectively
Senior Kris Collins |
In its last two games, New Mexico made 20-40 (50%) attempts from beyond the 3-point arc, but was just 10-24 (41.7%) from the free throw line…senior David Chiotti went 0 for 8 from the stripe in his final two games at UNM
The Lobos shot 50% or less from the FT line in five of their last six games, going 34 of 70, or 49%…the team had shot below 50% from the charity stripe just twice in the first 24 games of the season
Senior Jeff Hart matched his career-high for the second straight game with 15 points on 5 3-pointers…he also had a career-high 5 steals and tied a career-best with 39 minutes played…his 5 threes tied for the most ever by a UNM player in a conference tournament game…three others hit five during the Western Athletic Conference Tournament: Rob Robbins vs. Air Force (1989) and UTEP (1990), Clayton Shields vs. San Diego State (1996) and Royce Olney vs. San Jose State (1997)
Hart scored 41 points in his last 3 games (13.7/game) after scoring a total of 56 in his first 24 games of the season (2.3/game)
Hart (15-26) and junior Kellen Walter (8-15) combined to go 23-42 (55%) from 3-point the last 4 games
Sophomore forward Tony Danridge scored in double figures for the first time in 9 games, finishing with 11 points off the bench…he scored 18 points the last 2 games after getting just 22 in the previous 7
Seniors David Chiotti and Mark Walters combined for 14 points and 6 rebounds and totaled just 33 points and 14 rebounds in their last 2 games at UNM…the pair averaged a combined 27.8 points and 10.9 rebounds per game during the regular season
Blake Harden (9), Jeff Hart (30), Chad Toppert (3) and Kellen Walter (12) – all current or former walk-ons – scored 54 of UNM’s 131 points the last 2 games, making 16 of 27 shots (59%) from 3-point
Mark Walters: A LOT OF TOOLS
Senior guard Mark Walters ranked in the top-20 in the Mountain West Conference in seven different statistical categories during the 2005-06 season. Walters is one of only four Lobos all-time to collect 1,100 points, 450 rebounds, 220 assists and 130 steals. The others are Hunter Greene, Charles Smith and Lamont Long.
BYU ENDS HOME WINNING STREAK…AGAIN
Before the loss to BYU on Feb. 1, New Mexico’s 21-game home winning streak tied for the 3rd-longest streak in school history and was the 4th-longest active string in NCAA Div. I. The Cougars have now snapped the top-three home winning streaks in Lobo history.
The last home loss for the Lobos before BYU was 81-74 to No. 5 Wake Forest on Dec. 22, 2004. UNM had also prevailed in 10 consecutive MWC home games, the most recent loss being dealt by UNLV (78-75) on March 1, 2004. After going 18-1 at home last year, the Lobos have won 32 of their past 35 in The Pit.
HISTORIC COMEBACK
The Lobos’ overcame an 11-point second-half deficit to win at Colorado State 80-78. UNM trailed 40-29 after CSU scored the first six points of the second half. The 11-point margin is New Mexico’s largest comeback in an MWC game under head coach Ritchie McKay. The previous best was 9 points against UNLV last year in The Pit. The Lobos trailed in that game 38-29 only to win 62-58.
The last time New Mexico came back from at least an 11-point second-half deficit to win a road game was at UTEP on Jan. 20, 1996. The Lobos trailed 30-13 in the first half and 30-18 at the break, but rallied to beat the Miners 64-60.
STATS TRENDS
The Lobos were 15-3 when they shot better than their opponent…since 2003-04, New Mexico is 51-5 in that situation…the only losses came in 2004-05 against Air Force (UNM 69.2% to AFA’s 50%) and to Villanova (29.8% to 28.3%) in the NCAA Tournament, and this year against Washington (54% to 50%) and twice to BYU (UNM 53% to BYU’s 49% in The Pit, UNM’s 51% to BYU’s 46% in Provo)…the record is 90-9 since 2000-01
New Mexico was 7-1 when it out-rebounded the opposition, and is 22-3 since 2004-05
Since 2004-05, the Lobos are 38-6 when they lead at halftime, however, five of the losses came this year: at Kansas State, at Wyoming, BYU twice and UNLV in the MWC Tournament
From 1992-2005, New Mexico never had a losing record over an entire season when shooting 50% or better in a game…the Lobos were 133-14 in such situations over that 14-year span…the run ended this season as UNM went 4-6 when making at least 50%
Under Ritchie McKay since 2002-03, UNM is 6-34 when it trails at halftime, however, four of the wins came this year:
DEFENSE NOTES
The Lobos allowed just 62.4 points a game, 2nd-best in the conference…that’s the lowest figure in 22 years, since the 1983-84 Lobos yielded just 59.2 ppg
The Lobos were 9-1 this year when allowing less than 60 points and are 22-2 over the past two seasons
New Mexico opened the year by doing something it had not accomplished in 60 years and that is holding its first three opponents to less than 50 points: (South Carolina State 47, Ole Miss 42 and Southern Utah 48)…in 1945-46, UNM shackled New Mexico State twice (38-31 and 50-23) and Arizona (42-37) to begin the season
The Lobos held TCU to just 21% (13-62) shooting in a 53-42 victory at Fort Worth on Feb. 11…that’s the poorest accuracy by a Lobo opponent in nearly 42 years…UNM held Howard Payne to 15% (6-40) accuracy in a 102-32 victory at Johnson Gym on Dec. 23, 1964
In that win at TCU, UNM allowed its fewest points in a road game since Jan. 23, 1984, when it defeated Wyoming 40-38 at Laramie…also, New Mexico allowed its fewest points in a conference game – home or away – since beating BYU 74-32 in The Pit on Feb. 3, 1997
The Lobos allowed just 87 points in back-to-back games in February: a 53-42 victory at TCU and a 47-45 decision over Wyoming…that’s the fewest points given up in consecutive games since December of 1985 when UNM beat New Mexico State 54-44 and Kent State 52-40…it’s the fewest points in consecutive conference games in 57 years…playing in the Border Conference, the Lobos knocked off Arizona State 41-38 and Northern Arizona 46-41 in February of 1949
UNM held TCU and Wyoming to less than 30% shooting from the floor…the last time that happened in back-to-back games was the first two games of the 1981-82 season against Midwestern State (26.9%) and Missouri Baptist (27.9%)
New Mexico beat UNLV 47-39 in the Pit on March 1…it matched the Runnin’ Rebels lowest point total in program history…UNLV also scored 39 in a 59-39 loss at Virginia on Jan. 3, 1994
The Lobos held the Rebels to a season-low 24.2% (15-62) shooting from the floor, including 18% (3-17) from 3-point…it’s the 4th time this season a Lobo opponent has shot less than 30% in a game
SEASON NOTES
From 2002-05 (85 total games), the Lobos were 7-10 in games decided by 5 points or less…they were 6-2 this year
The 53-point victory margin over Ole Miss (95-42) ties for UNM’s 7th largest win in school history and ties for the 5th-widest margin in The Pit
New Mexico was outrebounded 33-20 at Kansas State…that’s the fewest caroms for UNM in eight seasons, since gathering 20 in a 77-62 win over Colorado State on Feb. 7, 1998
LOBOS IN THE PIT
The 2005-06 season marked the 40th year of basketball in The Pit/Bob King Court, which was completed in December of 1966. UNM has an all-time mark of 569-135 (81%) in the building that resides 37 feet below street level. The Lobos, who had won 21 straight before a Feb.1 loss to BYU, have had a winning record in The Pit in 39 of their 40 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 170-33 (84%) at home.
SEASON NO. 103 COMPLETE
The 2005-06 season was the 103rd in school history. The Lobos first laced up the hightops on Feb. 2, 1900, when they lost 8-6 to the Albuquerque Guards. While this season was actually the 105th 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 1,249-980 (.560). New Mexico was 418-495 (.458) from 1900-62, but has gone 831-485 (.633) over the past 44 seasons, an average of nearly 19 wins per year. The Lobos have made 27 trips to the postseason during that span, including 11 appearances in the NCAA Tournament and 16 showings in the NIT.
POSTSEASON PERENNIALS
UNM has appeared in the NCAA Tournament or NIT eight of the past 10 years and 19 times in the last 22 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 eight NCAA Tournament appearances since 1991, including a school-record four straight from 1996-99, moving to the second round each time.
3s AND COUNTING
UNM has made a 3-point basket in 516 straight games, the 12th-longest active streak in NCAA Div. I hoops. UNLV is 1st at more than 615.