Nov. 10, 2011
New Mexico Game Notes Vs. New Orleans 
2011-12 LOBO MEN’S BASKETBALL PREVIEW
Who/When:
7 p.m., New Orleans at New Mexico Lobos
On The Air: My50-TV; KKOB 770-AM – Lobo Radio Network
GoLobos.com:Game Story, Stats, GameTracker
By Richard Stevens – Senior Writer/GoLobos.com
Maybe the best way to preview the New Mexico Lobos 2011-12 season is to use the words of Tony Snell: “We have a big target on our backs.”
So true. Really, the target was placed there because of the excellence established by Steve Alford’sprogram: back-to-back Mountain West titles in 2009 and 2010. The target probably got a little bigger last month when the Lobos were picked to outrace – or outlast – UNLV to the 2012 MW crown.
“I guess we are being rewarded for success,” said Alford. “This is the first time we’ve been picked to win it.”
For sure, these Lobos are good and they are deep. It’s pretty much the same team that tossed out 22 wins in 2010-11, minus Dairese Gary, but better in a lot of other ways. UNM returns four starters.
One way the Lobos are better, and different, is that Alford actually has a few seniors on his roster. The Lobo coach has taken to the floor with one of the younger teams in the nation the past few seasons. A few of those Lobo pups finally grew up.
The Lobos will have two seniors inside in A.J. Hardeman and Drew Gordon, and another senior on the edge in Phillip McDonald. These are outstanding Lobos. Gordon, the preseason pick for the Mountain’s Player of The Year, is on almost every awards list in the nation. Hardeman is a savvy and unselfish workhorse and McDonald has one of the more feared 3-point shots in the West.
Before these Lobos gave Alford a trio of seniors, he went into the annual hoops wars with back-to-back seasons with a lone senior.
“These seniors know what the expectations are in this program and we expect them to do the things on and off the court to keep that level of success going,” said Alford. “They know the blueprint and they know what is expected of them.”
What Alford expects is a complete game of honest effort on both sides of the court. He demands defense, good shot selection, good ball handling, fierce rebounding and unselfish play. It’s a simple blueprint, but when you combine that plan with exceptional coaching and talent – well, a few good prognosticators will pick you to win your league.
The Lobos won 22 games last year, 30 games in 2010, and 22 games in 2009. Another trademark of Alford’s Lobos is toughness on the road. Remember the 14-game MW win streak in 2010? It’s not reasonable to expect this year’s version of Lobos to duplicate that streak because, really, that streak was impossible.
But Alford’s Lobos (like UNLV) have the talent to once again charge to the top of the MW mountain. The Lobos have gobs of talent at the point, gobs of talent on the edge, and exceptional talent inside, but not a lot of inside depth.
Alford does have his three seasoned seniors, but with only two juniors (Chad Adams and Jamal Fenton), there is a lot of youth on this year’s team. But the young Lobos know what has happened before them and those championship expectations rub off. Or else!
The Lobos slipped into the NIT last year and the expectations in 2011-12 are a four-lettered word: NCAA. That NCAA door might be easier to knock down with Brigham Young and Utah out of the league, but also because the Mountain climb ahead of UNM in 2012 won’t be as nasty.
The Mountain saw its best season ever last year behind national powers BYU and San Diego State. Those teams were exceptional and cast shadows on the very good Lobos and the very good UNLV Rebels. This year the race is expected to be Rebels chasing Lobos. It should be a good one.
The question at this point isn’t if Alford’s Lobos are going to be good. The question is will the 2011-12 Lobos be exceptional? Here is an overview of the 2011-12 Steve AlfordLobos breaking the team down into “The Point,” “The Perimeter,” and “The Bigs”:
THE POINT
Is it possible that Kendall Williams will be a better point guard than Dairese Gary? Well, the swift and confident 6-foot-3 sophomore might never have the build of “Bulldog” Gary, but Gary will never have Williams’ speed.
Hugh Greenwood is expected to see a lot of time at the point in 2011-12.
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Gary used to finish his drives with muscle and will power. Williams finishes with quickness and finesse. Williams also will play the two-guard this season (maybe a lot), because the Lobos are loaded at the point.
The 5-9 Jamal Fentonseems more prepared for point duty this year. He is more mature with the ball and has two years in Alford’s system. He still will be a spark off the bench with his defensive pressure and his high energy. The Pit loves Fenton.
The Pit will soon love 6-3 Hugh Greenwood, too. Greenwood comes to UNM by way of Australia and international ball. He is a freshman in eligibility, but his experience with the Australian national squad makes him an “old” freshman. He knows basketball and once he feels comfortable with Alford’s system and his UNM teammates, his improvement should be fast. If his shot develops, he also could see time at the two-spot.
Demetrius Walkeralso could play the point or the two-guard position.
“I’ll be looking for leadership in stress times,” said Alford. “We have a lot of go-to guys who can score. It’s more about developing the thought process that goes into running a team in the last five minutes.”
THE PERIMETER
Alford really has no holes to fill here. He just has a few more talented bodies and needs to figure out a way to rotate that talent onto the court.
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“The strength of our depth is on the perimeter,” said Alford. “There are a lot of guys good enough to play here, but I’ll be looking for the right combinations and the right effort. It’s a nice problem to have.”
McDonald is the most proven perimeter gun. He probably needs to take a step up this season in consistency and aggression. Hey, he’s a senior now! Chad Adamsalso has two years under Alford’s system and is athletic and quick enough to play on the edge, while his 6-6 frame allows him to give help inside.
The Lobos might be looking for a breakout year from Tony Snell. The 6-7 sophomore worked on his frame over the summer and the new muscle seems to have produced some new confidence. Snell is still slender, but the added strength will help him on his drives to the hoop.
The Lobos also have first-year Lobos on the perimeter in the 6-2 Demetrius Walker and the 6-4 Dominique Dunning. These Lobo rookies don’t yet have the experience of other Lobos battling for playing time on the edge, but they are talented, quick and hungry.
THE BIGS
If you have seen 6-9 Cameron Bairstow lately, you might think he is the MW Preseason Player of The Year and not Drew Gordon. Bairstow also must have found Mark Paulsen’s weight room this summer and he made the same gains as Snell.
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Hey, you get stronger for the rough play at the D-I level and you also gain confidence. Bairstow was a pleasant surprise inside as a freshman and he has raised his game another level for his sophomore campaign. That gives Alford a mental lift because it looks like 6-10 Alex Kirkwill redshirt the 2011-12 season following surgery.
Bairstow might see more playing time than first expected, but he has two extremely talented and motivated Lobos in front of him in Gordon and Hardeman. Gordon was counted on to have a big year in 2010-11 and he did. That’s why his name is on almost every list for national honors.
Gordon knows how to finish underneath, is a fierce rebounder and he runs the floor like a wing. Gordon was a focus of a lot of defenses late last season, and he probably will be targeted early this season, too. But if the UNM perimeter game kicks in like it should, teams will be hard pressed to double down too much on Gordon.
Gordon’s presence inside also opens things up for Hardeman. Hardeman’s versatility is probably underrated. He can create. He is a determined rebounder and defender. He is savvy enough to find the garbage buckets and convert. He also runs the court like a big guard.
Like last year, Alford can go small and quick with outstanding shooting. He also can throw out a big lineup which also can score, run the court and defend. His lineup will be full of choices. They all will be good choices, but chemistry counts. Here is a thumb nail sketch of Alford’s 2011-12 roster:
Chad Adams:Adams is a talented player on both ends of the court, but his minutes have been hurt by so many other talented Lobos vying for minutes. He also has explosive moments on the court and can be a spark off the bench. His playing time also might be influenced by his defensive play and decision making.
Kory Alford:This could be a good pickup for the Lobos. Alford has a promising 3-point shot and the balance of UNM’s offense plus the penetration potential should create a lot of open looks from the edge. Alford needs to adjust to the speed and physical aspect of the college game, but what better place to learn than against these quick and talented Lobos? Could be looking at a redshirt season.
Cameron Bairstow:Bairstow’s role might be one of the more important ones on the team this season. He will be expected to produced consistent minutes inside the paint as a sub for either Gordon or Hardeman. Bairstow threw out a heads-up freshman year and showed remarkable consistency and decision-making for a rookie. He shot 60 percent from the floor – a percentage that was bumped up by not forcing many bad shots. His fundamental soundness helps him with rebounding and defense.
Dominique Dunning:When you call Dunning a “talented freshman,” you summarize two components that will influence his playing time in 2011-12. He is talented. He is a freshman. Dunning is athletic and explosive and should be a solid addition to UNM’s perimeter game and up-tempo look. If he can do some of those other things that Alford likes – defense, taking care of the ball, taking good shots – he could develop into a major player as the season progresses.
Jamal Fenton:At 5-9 (maybe), Fenton’s size can be a factor on the court. But his quickness and tenacity is more of a factor. Fenton came off the bench the last couple of seasons to give the Lobos instant energy with defensive pressure and rocket-like bursts on offense. This season he also should add an element of maturity during key stretches of games and the season.
Drew Gordon:There are obvious reason why Gordon was tabbed as the league’s Preseason Player of The Year. He can score. He can rebound. He is consistent at both. Gordon threw out a double-double in 2010-11 at 13.0 (scoring) and 10.5 (rebounding). Of course, the Lobos are looking for similar numbers and consistency this season. The presence of other threatening Lobo scorers should limit opposing team’s tendencies to double-down on Gordon on defense.
Hugh Greenwood: Greenwood has the skills to make the loss of Gary up front less painful. But can he show that same Gary-leadership down the stretch in clutch situations. Greenwood has been seasoned by international play and won’t really come into the program as an untested freshman. He has the skills to immediately help on the scoreboard, but his decision-making (playmaking) will be key to his minutes this season.
A.J. Hardeman: Hardeman’s presence inside was effected by the addition of Drew Gordonand Hardeman accepted his role change with a “team-first” attitude. He has moved into more of a power forward slot, which is more suited for his body type. Hardeman can have explosive moments on both ends of the court, but his main calling this season might be rebounding, defense and cleaning up misses from other Lobos.
Alex Kirk:This product of Los Alamos High had back surgery in the off-season and probably won’t take to the practice court until after UNM’s winter break. That makes him a candidate for a redshirt season, which has its plusses with Gordon and Hardman in their season seasons. If Kirk stays on the bench, the role of Bairstow is even more critical for success in 2011-12.
Phillip McDonald:If you could add anything to the impressive array of talent that McDonald brings to the court, it might be more toughness. McDonald is no wimp, but when he plays with a high level of tenacity, he can be a beast on the court. This senior is a proven scorer (27 at CSU) and is among the most feared MWC players from the 3-point range. His athletic ability and his timing in rebounding could make him a factor for UNM on the boards.
Chris Perez:Perez had one of the tougher jobs on any team as a walk-on probably destined for his best moments to be played out on the practice floor. Often a walk-on sees the fruits of his labor from the bench since his main role is to make his teammates better.
Tony Snell:Snell also had moments in 2010-11 when his athletic ability astounded you. Like his 19 points vs. Wyoming. He also has the ability to make clutch baskets in clutch games. He is a long, willowy 6-7 and has the quickness and the length to develop into a defensive stopper.
Demetrius Walker: Walker transferred in from Arizona State and sat out the 2011-11 season. So, he has a year in Alford’s system, but not in live games. However, he played as a freshman at ASU, so he’s no rookie to D-I basketball. Walker reminds you a bit of Kendall Williams– quick and explosive – but with a little more muscle and a little more physical presence. He should see action at both the point and at the off-guard position.
Kendall Williams:As a freshman, Williams was amazing. The Mountain West obviously fears and respects him by placing him on the Preseason All-MWC team. Williams averaged 11.6 points a year back and has the quickness and the 3-point shot to bump that number up a bit. What’s not to like here. He is quick, smart, aggressive, confident and can also create with penetration and passing.
Editor’s Note: Richard Stevens is a former Associate Sports Editor and Sports Columnist for The Albuquerque Tribune. You can reach him at rstevens50@comcast.net.