UNM MEN'S BASKETBALL
Lobos ink exhibition series with Oklahoma State, season opener and rivalry games set
UNM hoops schedule includes two exhibition games and eight of 14 nonconference games
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Landing power conference teams on the nonconference schedule in college basketball is almost impossible for mid-majors like New Mexico in the current sports landscape.
But that doesn't necessarily apply to the preseason.
The UNM Lobos have signed a contract for a home-and-home preseason exhibition series with the Big 12's Oklahoma State University 鈥� playing this game in Stillwater, Oklahoma, with the Cowboys returning to the Pit for a preseason exhibition in October 2027, according to a public records request filed by the Journal.
The game is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 11 鈥� the day after the Cowboys host Big 12 foe Central Florida.
The contract was signed in May by both schools.
That makes two of a possible three exhibition games this October for the Lobos: at Oklahoma State (Big 12) and vs. Washington State (Pac-12).
The Journal's records request also indicates the Lobos, in early May, signed a one-game contract to open the season against Big Sky school Utah Tech in the Nov. 2 season opener in the Pit 鈥� paying the Trailblazers $92,500 for the game.
Wednesday afternoon, UNM also announced its annual Rio Grande Rivalry game against New Mexico State University has been scheduled for Dec. 5 in the Pit. That's a Saturday game one day after the scheduled Friday, Dec. 4 Mountain West football championship 鈥� a game the Lobos would certainly be disappointed if they aren't playing in based on preseason hype around the program.
So far, the Lobos 2026-27 schedule, based on announced games and those reviewed by the Journal through records requests, looks like this:
Exhibition: at Oklahoma State, Oct. 11
Exhibition: vs. Washington State, Oct. 18 (The Pit)
vs. Utah Tech, Nov. 2 (The Pit)
vs. Northern Arizona, Nov. 10 (The Pit)
at Santa Clara, Nov. 14
vs. Utah State, Nob. 29 (The Pit)
vs. New Mexico State, Dec. 5 (The Pit)
vs. Saint Mary's, Dec. 12 (The Pit)
vs. Boise State, Dec. 21 or 23 (TBD event in California)
vs. Oregon State, Dec. 21 or 23 (TBD event in California)
The NCAA this season allows Division I teams to play up to three exhibition games and up to 32 regular season games.
The Lobos have filled two exhibition spots, will play an 18-game Mountain West schedule and has now finalized eight of 14 nonconference games they will need to fill.
Former Lobos on TBT roster
As The Enchantment, the New Mexico-based team competing later this summer in the $2 million TBT (The Basketball Tournament) event, starts unveiling its roster this week, several Lobos of the past are on board.
The team 鈥� which is primarily set up to be a UNM Lobos alumni team but will have a few other players from New Mexico State University and others with connections to the state 鈥� is competing for the fourth time in TBT and plays a best-of-three series in Wichita, Kansas, in July against the Aftershocks, a Wichita State alumni team.
So far, the Enchantment roster includes former Lobos Donovan Dent (captain), Luke Haupt, KJ Jenkins, CJ Noland and former NMSU Aggies forward Johnny McCants.
It is unclear when The Enchantment or TBT plans to unveil the entire roster, but they've been posting it one by one on their social media accounts (@enchantment_tbt).
Sibling rivalry update
In the Journal鈥檚 ongoing quest to update readers anytime Dax Hall gets the better of older brother Jake Hall, the Journal can report the two Lobo guards, now roommates in sa国际传媒官网网页入口 for the past few weeks, are getting along just fine and even played a round of golf recently at the sa国际传媒官网网页入口 Country Club.
When younger brother beat older brother at a round of golf shortly after this past season ended, Jake Hall was none too happy having to acknowledge the defeat. Wednesday, he begrudgingly admitted Dax got him again 鈥� "but just by one (stroke), and I got my first eagle, so I was OK with it."
Jake Hall, who also insists he had a better mile time last summer as a freshman than Dax Hall, who last week, clocked a beginning-of-summer baseline testing time of 5 minutes, 40 seconds. Jake said he has no doubt he will beat his younger brother on the golf course the next time they go out.
As for how the teammates part of the summer is going, Jake told the Journal on Wednesday he's mostly trying to let Dax feel his way out without coaching him up to much for now.
"I've been trying to kind of let him do his thing right now, and if he asks for advice or asks about what to do, I'll tell him," said Jake Hall. "But I just think we're super hard on ourselves as it is, so I try to get away from that. He doesn't need more of it, and there are leaders on this team (other than Jake) who do a great job with all the new players."
Reach Geoff Grammer at ggrammer@abqjournal.com or follow him on Twitter (X)
