King then left to become head coach and Athletics Director at Indiana State University. Ellenberger was well-respected as a teacher of defense,[34][39] and he was a frequent participant in basketball coaching camps and workshops, where he became friends with UNLV coach Jerry Tarkanian. [87] In the end, fans wanted more than Colson had managed to achieve, and despite the respect he had earned for rebuilding the program, the disappointment of failing to reach the NCAA tournament fueled support for a change. All returned for 200405, and Granger turned in a spectacular season, averaging 19 points and nine rebounds a game to gain All-American recognition. They lost four straight early in the year, then won their next five; they lost seven of nine, but won their last seven regular season games; they carried that momentum into the NIT and reached its Final Four. Giddens led the MWC in rebounding and was among the league leaders in numerous other categories. The four seasons with Kenny Thomas in the line-up was the best stretch by the Lobos to date. They went to the NIT and beat Bliss-led Baylor and Pepperdine in The Pit before losing at Memphis to finish 2113. [49] His defensive prowess made him an eight-time recipient of NBA All-Defensive Team honors, as well as the Defensive Player of the Year Award in 1987. For the school's women's players, see Category:New Mexico Lobos women's basketball players. [155][160] Versatile JC transfer Darington Hobson joined lone senior Roman Martinez, junior Dairese Gary, and eight sophomores and freshmen. [110][111] Bliss stated, "[a]s a coach, I have never compromised more of my offensive principles than while coaching Greg Brown. During his nearly 40 years at UNM, Johnson coached every men's sport the school offered, while teaching physical education. McGee played in 137 games and dished out 684 assists. Daniels averaged over 17 points and 11 rebounds a game, providing the fast-growing Lobo fan base a preview of things to come. Harge later had a successful career in the ABA. "[199], The Lobo Howl is an event held initially on midnight of the first day the NCAA allows teams to practice. [143][144] A grim year for the program began with a severe spinal cord injury to guard Senque Carey, who would recover fully but never play again. [159] Senior Tony Danridge led the unit with 15 points a game, though they again relied on balance and teamwork. [155][178] Snell was selected by Chicago with the 20th pick in the first round of the NBA draft. Mar. While he initially relied on JC transfers to fill the roster, he also began the slow process of rebuilding the program around freshmen recruits, with a greater emphasis on academics. [115] The young Lobo squad jumped out to a 100 start and a #25 ranking before losing a pair of league road games. Lobo starred for the Huskies when they won a national championship in 1995 following an undefeated season and was also an Olympic gold medalist for Team USA in 1996. [153], An early objective for Alford was to change the culture of the program regarding discipline and academic focus. Cooper is among the best overall players ever produced by the Lobo program and was named an All-American in 1978. Full New Mexico Lobos roster for the 2022-23 season including position, height, weight, birthdate, years of experience, and college. The Lobos got to 21-9 Tuesday by defeating. [29][53] The Lobos finished the season 244 and ranked #12, and Ellenberger was voted runner-up for the US Basketball Writers Coach of the Year award. 2-Rob Robbins. [55][69] Despite the struggles of the team, attendance at The Pit actually improved in Colson's early years, remaining in the top four nationally.[46]. [23], The 197879 Lobo squad returned starters Abney and Saunders while adding another strong JC class including Larry Belin. (Journal illustration) Rob Robbins'. Lobo basketball fans will remember Kendall Williams from any number of Lobo highlights throughout his college career. [55] Attendance at The Pit jumped to over 17,000 a game, second most in the nation, as fan enthusiasm soared. [191] He was dismissed from the team. 25The Sweet 16 thus far remains elusive to Lobo basketball. 1Perfection really is the enemy of the good. [154] Under McKay, J.R. Giddens had frequently missed games due to disciplinary problems. [126] Gibson finished as Lobo career leader in minutes played. The Lobos stood at 72 after losing to #10 Syracuse, then rattled off 14 straight wins, including a home-and-away sweep of #9 UNLV, pushing them into the national rankings and eventually into the top ten. Mitchell was named to the Albuquerque Sports Hall of Fame in 1991 and to the UNM Alumni Lettermen's Hall of . The Lobos were among the top 12 in the nation in scoring for Ellenberger's final three years, topping a hundred points 25 times and registering six of the school's top eight single-game scoring totals. The early departure of Hobson left the Lobos with just one senior again in 201011: Gary led with 14 points and 5.5 assists a game, carrying the young team at times. Lamont Long averaged 18.7 points a game to lead the league and earn All-MWC honors, finishing his career as the third leading scorer in Lobo history, three points ahead of former teammate Shields.[137]. Feb. 28Whatever happens next week in Las Vegas at the Mountain West Tournament and beyond, Lobo seniors Morris Udeze and Jaelen House made sure the final regular season impression their fans would have of them in the Pit would be a memorable one. [218] During the 1980s, a popular chant among Lobo fans was "Everyone's a Lobo, Woof Woof Woof! Forward Johnny Brown turned in an All-WAC performance, but the other inside players were young, and the loss of Greene left a hole in the backcourt. Cleveland is as puzzled as anyone that the Cougars haven't won a conference tournament title since 2001. They began the year 111, rising to #8 before losing at #15 UCLA. His first team went 169, the best Lobo record in 17 years. [36][46] The top six largest crowds ever at The Pit were during this period. [114] The 199596 team added to that nucleus Albuquerque High star Kenny Thomas, a USA Today and Parade magazine High School All-American. Media Guide 201314, pp.6769,87,94. The 197980 roster appeared once again loaded with talent, and fan expectations were again high, but disaster struck the program in the early weeks of the season as the "Lobogate" scandal unfolded. [198][199][200] A study of decibel levels at collegiate basketball arenas found that a game at The Pit registered as the loudest at 118 decibels,[201] comparable to a turbo-fan aircraft at takeoff power. [23] The #21 Lobos received a five-seed in the NCAA tournament facing Long Beach State. [204] Rick Majerus, who compiled a 511 record against the Lobos at The Pit, tying him with Don Haskins for most wins by a visiting coach, noted the intensity and dedication of Lobo fans and their knowledge of the game,[207][208] The Pit hosted the 1983 NCAA Final Four, the last time the event was held on a college campus. They then lost five of six to finish in a tie for third. Media Guide 201314, p.79. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) - Former Lobo women's basketball player Miranda Sanchez died Monday. Ritchie McKay was head coach at New Mexico for five seasons with a record of 8269 (.543) and one NCAA tournament appearance. [101] The team started slowly, including a home loss to #2 Arizona, but later won seven of eight to gain an early share of the WAC lead. [142][148] They won 12 of 13 after Granger returned, however, winning the MWC tournament final over #15 Utah and receiving a 12-seed in the NCAA tournament. Gordon had 18 points and 13 rebounds, while Williams added 16 with two late baskets to seal the win. They nevertheless reached the NIT, losing to Texas and finishing 1714. Fan criticism had reached a crescendo and attendance at The Pit had been dropping significantly. Updated: Feb 27, 2023 / 01:50 PM MST. [37][64] He then became the lead assistant for Bobby Knight at Indiana for ten seasons, from 1990 to 2000,[34] and later coached in the NBA and WNBA. He remains the Lobo career leader in blocks and blocks per game; second in career field goals made; and the only Lobo to record a triple-double, doing so twice. With the help of transfers JaQuan Lyle, J.J. Caldwell, Carlton Bragg Jr., and Vance Jackson, UNM exploded to a 15-3 start. The Lobos won the MWC regular season championship in 2009, 2010, 2012, and 2013, and they won the conference tournament in 2005, 2012, 2013, and 2014. The University of New Mexico's 50 greatest Men's Lobo basketball players through 2020 1) Mel Daniels PF 65-67 2) Michael Cooper SG 77-78 3) Kenny Thomas PF 96-99 4) Danny Granger SF 04-05 5) Charles Smith SF 94-97 6) Luc Longley C 88-91 7) Ira Harge C 63-64 8) Marvin Johnson SF 77-78 9) Darington Hobson SF 2010 10) Royce Olney SG 96-99 This was short lived, however, and the Lobos went 3-11 to finish out the season. The 2020-2021 season was completely played out of New Mexico. In 1962, the Lobos became a founding member of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). The highlight of the season was a 85-58 win over No. Fraschilla was hired days after Bliss resigned, touted as a great recruiter and up-and-coming coach after leading Manhattan and St. John's to the NCAA tournament. They went to the NIT and beat South Florida before losing at eventual champion Wake Forest, finishing 1814. [148] They lost in the conference tournament but received a bid to the NIT, losing at Cal to finish 249, the most wins for a first-year Lobo coach to date. Two road losses made them settle for a share of the regular season MWC title, but they again beat ranked SDSU and UNLV to secure the conference tournament championship, the first time they won both titles in a season. Five months later, and with the New Mexico still proving to be the only team all season capable of beating the Aztecs on their home court in Viejas Arena, No. Ellenberger was fired on December 17, 1979, and the season continued with the remaining players not caught up in the scandal, along with several walk-ons. [99] Robbins finished his career with the Lobo record for best career free throw percentage, third best three-point shooting percentage, and second most minutes played, having started all 133 games of his career. The Lobos won the WAC championship, Nelson was named a Helms All-American,[23] and the Lobos earned their first NCAA tournament appearance. Former New Mexico Players Currently In The NBA * NBA stats from the 2022-2023 season. The Lobos won the Border Conference in 1944 and 1945, and they appeared in the NAIA post-season tournament in 1947, losing to Hamline University in the first round. The Lobos defeated Drake and NYU before falling to Bradley in the championship game, finishing with a 236 record and ranked 16th in the UPI poll. They received a seven-seed in the NCAA tournament, facing Stanford. His teams won twenty or more games and reached post-season tournaments in ten of his 11 seasons, and he coached the four leading scorers in Lobo history. [213] On April 27, 2017, UNM asked WisePies to relinquish the naming rights, per the terms of the agreement, and WisePies agreed to do so. Due to the success of King's first three seasons, attendance at Johnson Gym more than doubled, and plans to build a larger arena began to take shape. Greene completed his career as the only Lobo ever to surpass 1,500 points, 600 rebounds, 300 assists, and 200 steals, averaging 16 points and six rebounds a game as a Lobo. Gary Colson rebuilt the Lobo program virtually from scratch after Lobogate, restoring its integrity and eventually its success on the court. [58] In an investigation into illegal gambling, the FBI had placed a wiretap on the phone of a major Lobo booster. They went on to lose in the first round in the Mountain West Championship against Nevada. He was named the first ABA Rookie of the Year in 1968, ABA Most Valuable Player in 1969 and 1971, and he led the Indiana Pacers to three ABA championships.[24]. But eventually that college career came to an end and it . [19][40] The team was led by the strong inside scoring and rebounding of Darryl Minniefield, Bernard Hardin, and Mark Saiers. Media Guide 201314, pp.66,90. Coach King died on December10, 2004. [211] The upgrade reduced seating capacity to 15,411,[212] trading some seating for greater comfort and amenities. Whether he's scoring 46 against Colorado State or facing New Mexico State at The Pit, Williams never disappointed Lobo Nation with his exciting style of play. Page also holds the Lobo record for career points per game (26.2), the top career scoring average in WAC history. [119] He was again named All-WAC and finished as the leading scorer in Lobo history, with 1,993 points, and the leader in field goals made, having started every game of his career. By contrast, Marvin "Automatic" Johnson was one of the greatest scorers in Lobo history. Gibson later taught in the Albuquerque Public School system for more than three decades, gaining recognition as a mentor and role model, and he was named to the New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame in 2000. For yearly records and game results from 1899 to 1962, 202223 New Mexico Lobos men's basketball team, Border Intercollegiate Athletic Association, List of New Mexico Lobos men's basketball seasons, A Perfect Storm: The 197778 New Mexico Lobos, 198081 Arizona State Sun Devils Roster and Stats, 198081 Pacific-10 Conference Season Summary, 198384 New Mexico Lobos Roster and Stats, 198687 New Mexico Lobos Roster and Stats, 199495 New Mexico Lobos Roster and Stats, 200708 New Mexico Lobos Roster and Stats, 201112 New Mexico Lobos Roster and Stats, New Mexico Lobo Men's Basketball 201112 Season Review, Mountain West Announces 201314 Men's Basketball All-Conference Awards, Craig Neal Relieved of Duties as Mens Basketball Coach, "Lobos hire NMSU's Paul Weir as next men's basketball coach", "Month by month: A dreary 2020 for sports on most fronts in New Mexico - Albuquerque Journal", "Female UNM athlete shot at NE ABQ party - Albuquerque Journal", "Lobo basketball suspends JaQuan Lyle for house party, shooting incident", "A timeline of JaQuan Lyle's wild, tumultuous college basketball journey", "New Mexico turns the lights out on New Mexico State in 101-94 rivalry win", UNM asks WisePies to relinquish Pit naming rights, Dream deal for UNM nets $10 million over 10 years, "The 'dream' is over: UNM, Dreamstyle naming right agreement ends", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=New_Mexico_Lobos_men%27s_basketball&oldid=1135196029, Sporadic games, six in 1908 most for one year, Carlisle Gym opens, regular schedule established, Johnson, 10438 (.732) from 1924 to 1934; 13773 (.652) after 1936; 2873 (.277) in last four seasons, Clements, 4119 (.683) from 1944 to 1947, 72100 (.419) thereafter, Pre-Border Conference: 14570 (.674) from 1899 to 1931, Border Conference: 205235 (.466) from 1931 to 1951, Skyline Eight: 70195 (.264) from 1951 to 1962, Total Win/Loss (18892017): 15001110 (.575), 4 Steve Alford (MWC: 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013), 7 Dave Bliss (1991, 199394, 199699), 47 record in NCAA tournament, This page was last edited on 23 January 2023, at 05:57. 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