Jan. 12, 2012
2012 Men’s Basketball Mountain West Preview
New Mexico Lobos Men’s Basketball – On The Mountain West Road
Saturday: 1:30 p.m., New Mexico Lobos (14-2) at Wyoming Cowboys (14-2)
On The Air The Mtn-TV; 770-AM KKOB/Lobo Radio Network
GoLobos.com: Game Story, Stats, GameTracker
By Richard Stevens – Senior Writer/GoLobos.com
In the shifting of perceptions and questions as teams head into the Mountain West race, there are at least two that leap out at you.
1. The 16-2 UNLV Rebels, now ranked No. 12 in the nation, have slipped past the New Mexico Lobos (the preseason favorite) as the perceived bully on the Mountain West block.
2. Is this 14-2 Wyoming team for real?
The 14-2 Lobos have a chance to throw some additional data at that Wyoming question when New Mexico invades Laramie for a 1:30 p.m., tip on Saturday. The San Diego State Aztecs, ranked No. 22, have the opportunity to alter the perception about Vegas’ perceived superiority when UNLV visits San Diego.
Yep, it’s getting good.
It’s really no surprise that Vegas is exceptional and that SDSU has simply reloaded. But these happenings in Laramie are as mind-numbing as a Wyoming snowstorm.
For sure, the Cowboys have been aided to their 14 wins by a pleasant schedule. The Cowboys lost 52-44 at Green Bay and lost 57-46 to the Denver team that Colorado State just whipped, 79-75. Wyoming beat Colorado, 65-54.
But this isn’t simply a Wyoming team beating up on folks the Cowboys should be beating up on. The Cowboys also are doing it by playing basketball the way basketball is supposed to be played.
The Cowboys play defense. The Cowboys take care of the ball. The Cowboys take good shots. The Cowboys make their free throws. It’s those fundamental things that make the Cowboys scary. They usually don’t beat themselves. They have some talent, too.
“Our biggest concern is their post play,” said Lobo Coach Steve Alford. “(Adam) Waddell hurt us up there last year and (Leonard) Washington is one of the better transfers around. He is a very gifted individual.
“It starts with their inside game. I think this game will be won inside.”
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MW STANDING |
Inside, the Lobos have arguably the Mountain’s best post player in Drew Gordon. The Lobos also have tremendous talent and depth on the edge. Alford likes to see his Lobos run in transition and place that talent in open-space opportunities. The Cowboys will work hard to take this away.
“They limit possessions and we want more possessions,” said Alford. “That’s going to be something that’s a struggle; which tempo is going to be played. That’s going to be a big key. They want a shortened game.”
The Cowboys defend opponents with the same ferocity they defend their Arena-Auditorium (AA). Wyoming is 11-0 in the AA and the Lobos ride in on a 12-game win streak. Something – and somebody – has to break.
“With the winning streak, comes confidence,” said Gordon, who has a double-double average for UNM with 12.7 points and 10.9 boards. “We have to get a little bit of revenge back at their place.”
The Lobos lost 67-66 a season ago in Laramie as the Cowboys got off three shots in the final ten seconds with the final one by Francisco Cruz dropping in at the buzzer. “I always hate losing on last-second shots and that’s what it came down to,” said Gordon.
The Lobos will be challenged by the Wyoming tempo, but also by the Wyoming defense. Only one team has scored more than 60 points against the `Pokes in 16 games. And that team lost to Wyoming.
“They have been able to beat teams because of what they are doing defensively,” said Alford. “They are really defending.”
Wyoming has the No. 1 defensive team in the Mountain allowing 52.1 points per game. Wyoming scores at a 67.2 clip, so the `Pokes have been stomping on teams. Defensive totals are usually influenced by tempo, but here is a more telling stat: Wyoming is No. 2 in the Mountain in field-goal percentage defense.
The Cowboys hold teams to 37 percent shooting. UNM is No. 1 at 36.5 percent. Wyoming guns at a 47.5 percent rate and UNM shoots at 46.5 percent. Wyoming tops the Mountain in 3-point defense at 28 percent and UNM is No. 2 at 29.6 percent.
“Once you get into league play, everybody knows everybody’s tendencies,” said Alford. “So, execution, both offensively and defensively, are at a high premium. You can get away in non-conference by not executing. It’s really hard to do that in league play.”
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“We have a really good conference. Every night is going to be pretty much a dogfight.” |
The Lobos’ execution might take a small hit Saturday in Laramie as point guard Hugh Greenwood (ankle sprain) might not play. That would increase Jamal Fenton’s time at the point, but the 5-9 junior has been playing his best ball over the past seven games.
“He is very pivotal to what we do. He is doing a lot of good things,” Alford said of Fenton.
The Cowboys attack with balanced scoring behind 6-4 Luke Martinez (13.5), 6-3 Francisco Cruz (12.1), 6-6 Leonard Washington (11.6) and 6-10 Adam Waddell (10.0). They get exceptional game management from 5-9 senior JayDee Luster, who is No. 1 in the Mountain in assist-to-turnovers.
Wyoming is not overpowering on the glass and not exceptional from shooting behind the line, but those areas can’t be called weaknesses. Martinez went 5-of-5 from 3-point range in Wyoming’s 73-49 romp over Idaho State. The `Pokes almost doubled Idaho State on the boards – 33-to-17.
Alford’s Lobos have played seven games away from The Pit and that travel is by design.
“We go into league play knowing not only how to play away from home, but we know how to win away from home,” said Alford. “You are going to have to do that, if you are going to (be competitive) in the league race.
“It’s hard to win on the road. That’s why we always put a premium on it. Wyoming is obviously a difficult place. Nobody has been able to win up there yet.”
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NEW MEXICO LOBOS 2011-12 ROSTER/STATISICS
| Possible Starters | HT | Position | Season Statistics |
21 – Tony Snell6-7Wing13.8 Pts. – 3.0 Rebs
32 – Drew Gordon6-9Post12.7 Pts. – 10.9 Rebs.
10 – Kendall Williams6-3Guard11.5 Pts. – 4.3 Asts..
13 – Jamal Fenton5-9Guard7.1 Pts. – 2.7 Asts.
00 – A.J. Hardeman6-8Forward4.2 Pts. – 4.1 Rebs.
| The NM Bench | HT | Position | Season Statistics |
40 – Demetrius Walker6-2Guard7.8 Pts. – 2.9 Rebs.
03 – Hugh Greenwood6-3Guard6. 3 Pts. – 2.8 Asts.
04 – Chad Adams6-6Wing3.8 Pts. – 1.6 Rebs.
23 – Phillip McDonald6-5Guard5.6 Pts. – 1.6 Rebs.
41 – Cameron Bairstow6-9Post3.8 Pts. – 3.7 Rebs.
05 – Dominique Dunning6-4Guard2.0 Pts. – 1.3 Rebs.
02 – Chris Perez6-1Guard0.6 Pts. – 0.0 Rebs.