Jan. 6, 2012
New Mexico vs. North Dakota Game Notes 
New Mexico Lobos Men’s Basketball – In The Pit
Saturday: 1:30 p.m., North Dakota at New Mexico Lobos
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By Richard Stevens – Senior Writer/GoLobos.com
He’s a pest. He’s a penetrator. He’s a press breaker. He’s a crowd-pleaser. He’s a jet. And on Saturday Lobo Jamal Fenton probably will be a starter.
The value of a bench – and the wisdom in developing a bench – steps to the forefront at 1:30 p.m., Saturday in The Pit when a 6-8 North Dakota team looking for a nickname hopes the Lobos don’t decide to name the score.
North Dakota, which officially dropped the nickname Fighting Sioux on Dec. 31, will not get a look at Lobo Hugh Greenwood, who is out with a high ankle sprain.
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“We are very confident with Jamal. He knows how to run a team and he is playing at a high level.” |
On the scoreboard, the loss of Greenwood probably won’t be noticed. Actually, Fenton fits in well with the up-and-down pace expected to dominate The Pit on Saturday. Fenton is a difficult Lobo to stop. He blows by people.
And in the past six games, the 5-foot-9 junior has been playing at a high level physically and mentally. He is making shots. He is making good decisions.
“He is playing the way Jamal needs to play,” said Lobo Coach Steve Alford. “(When you are 5-9) you have to play that way. You have to be all over the place. You have to be an energizer guy. You have to be a penetrator on offense. You have to be a pest defensively.
“Jamal has done all those things.”
Fenton picked up two starts before Alford moved the steady Greenwood into the starting lineup. In UNM’s first nine games, Fenton failed to crack double figures in scoring. In the past six games, he has scored 10, 11, 16, 9, 10 and 4. He had 16 points and eight assists vs. Missouri-Kansas City.
That 16/8 line probably reflects Fenton at near perfection. He can score. He can break down defenses both at half-court and full-court pressure. The combination of Greenwood and Fenton at the point is a nice one and allowed Alford to alternate throwing different styles at opposing defenses.
Greenwood has averaged 22.2 minutes and Fenton 16.5 minutes. They combine for a 13.1 scoring average and 5.3 assists per game.
The worst thing about having Greenwood, a freshman, on the bench Saturday is the Lobos had established a consistency, a rhythm in substituting. It’s doubtful that rhythm will be hurt much with Greenwood on the bench for a single game. And North Dakota is not Wyoming — the team UNM opens up Mountain West play with Jan. 14 in Laramie.
“That’s going to get disrupted a little bit,” said Alford of his substitution pattern. “We are down to 40 minutes (before Mountain West play) and we have 40 minutes without Hugh.
“Now, we have an injury to deal with. That’s all part of it. We have to find a different rotation with Hugh out. Somebody will get more minutes. People have to step up.
“But we are very confident with Jamal. He knows how to run a team and he is playing at a high level.”
Fenton has been a major spark off the UNM bench, but one of the strengths of this Lobo team is that bench. Demetrius Walker is averaging 7.5 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists. Senior Phillip McDonald finally is healthy and has hit double figures in two of UNM’s past four games. McDonald’s 3-point touch likely will be a big factor in the upcoming Mountain West race.
“I’m getting better,” said McDonald. “I just had to be patient with the injuries. With conference season about to start, that’s when I want to get my game up. I should be good.”
Cameron Bairstow has to fight for playing time inside behind seniors Drew Gordon and A.J. Hardeman, but Bairstow’s consistency as a sub makes it easy for Alford to call to the 6-9 sophomore.
Chad Adams and Dominique Dunning are in the same situation as Bairstow, but at a different location on the court. The Lobos’ perimeter is loaded with talent and that talent on the edge has been playing at a high level both in production and chemistry. Adams and Dunning have seem limited minutes, but they have made positive impacts during their time on the court.
North Dakota likely offers Alford another opportunity to develop his bench. “This team is deep,” said Alford. “With Hugh having an injury, we are very confident that people will step up in his minutes and try to do the things that he’s been doing for us.”
The used-to-be-Fighting Sioux has lost three of four and six of eight games. They were blasted 84-54 at Kansas on Dec. 31. They also crumbled 92-54 at South Dakota State, but then beat the SDSU Jacks by 19 at home. Go figure.
North Dakota has four players in double figures: Troy Huff (13.6), Aaron Anderson (12.1), Patrick Mitchell (11.1) and Jamal Webb (10.6). Mitchell is the tallest of those scorers at 6-foot-8. North Dakota has nine players averaging in double-figure minutes.
If you liked what you saw in UNM’s 98-61 run past Houston Baptist, you should like what you see Saturday. North Dakota is from the same conference, undersized, and likes to run.
“They get up and down,” said Alford. “They want transition like we do. What we have to do is continue to work to get better. We have to continue to improve.”
If there is one difference between North Dakota and Houston Baptist, it might be that the No Names from Grand Forks, N.D., try to play defense.
North Dakota might find their visit to The Pit Saturday unpleasant on the scoreboard, but it won’t be all bad. The forecast for Grand Forks for Saturday is 29 degrees. Maybe the team should call itself the North Dakota Freeze.
Hugh Greenwood — out with sprain |
NEW MEXICO LOBOS 2011-12 ROSTER/STATISICS
| Possible Starters | HT | Position | Season Statistics |
21 – Tony Snell6-7Wing13.9 Pts. – 3.1 Rebs
32 – Drew Gordon6-9Post12.9 Pts. – 10.9 Rebs.
10 – Kendall Williams6-3Guard10.9 Pts. – 4.2 Asts..
13 – Jamal Fenton5-9Guard6.8 Pts. – 2.5 Asts.
00 – A.J. Hardeman6-8Forward4.3 Pts. – 4.1 Rebs.
| The NM Bench | HT | Position | Season Statistics |
40 – Demetrius Walker6-2Guard7.5 Pts. – 2.7 Rebs.
03 – Hugh Greenwood6-3Guard6. 3 Pts. – 2.8 Asts.
04 – Chad Adams6-6Wing3.8 Pts. – 1.6 Rebs.
23 – Phillip McDonald6-5Guard5.2 Pts. – 1.6 Rebs.
41 – Cameron Bairstow6-9Post4.1 Pts. – 3.7 Rebs.
05 – Dominique Dunning6-4Guard2.2 Pts. – 1.1 Rebs.
02 – Chris Perez6-1Guard0.8 Pts. – 0.0 Rebs.