Lobos open season with high expectations
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No more warmups. No more talk.
Richard Pitino and the Lobos know there are an awful lot of eyeballs and curious onlookers 鈥� both those who will be in the Pit for Monday night鈥檚 season opener against Texas Southern as well as some around the country 鈥� who expect this season鈥檚 UNM men鈥檚 basketball team to be, well, pretty good.
And why not?
The Lobos are the only team in the Mountain West with two preseason All-Mountain West selections in dynamic guards Jaelen House and Jamal Mashburn Jr.. Add to that arguably the league鈥檚 best sophomore in Donovan Dent, the league鈥檚 highest-rated freshman recruiting class with guard Tru Washington and forward JT Toppin and add four Division I transfers who were all major contributors for their previous team, and the expectations aren鈥檛 lacking.
鈥淲hat I told (the team) is this is going to be a very challenging year for everybody because I don鈥檛 know where the minutes are always going to go,鈥� Pitino said. 鈥淏ut at the end of the day, it鈥檚 going to be about winning. Always. It鈥檚 going to be about winning. And you鈥檙e gonna have to push each other in practice every single day. When you鈥檙e put in the game, you鈥檙e gonna have to perform.鈥�
To be clear, none of Pitino鈥檚 peers feel particularly sorry for the third-year Lobos coach about the challenge of having a roster full of depth, talent and experience.
It is true, however, the start of the season may be a bit choppy as chemistry was clearly lacking in two preseason exhibition games.
The team was so injured in October that it cancelled its annual preseason Lobo Howl fan event because it didn鈥檛 have enough bodies to scrimmage. Also, Iona transfer Nelly Junior Joseph, the team鈥檚 starting center, has not yet been in the United States two weeks after a student-visa delay kept him in his native Nigeria until Oct. 24 and away from his first-ever practice with his Lobo teammates until Oct. 25.
鈥淲e kind of had to hit reset with Nelly getting here and seeing what we have with him, as well as all the injuries,鈥� Pitino said. 鈥淏ut we鈥檝e got to be ready because it鈥檚 a big week ahead of us.鈥�
TWO NUMBERS TO KNOW: The Lobos roster boasts 649 Division I games played and 375 Division I starts.
HOW HEALTHY IS HEALTHY? While Pitino said on Sunday the Lobos are at 鈥渇ull strength鈥� for Monday鈥檚 game, three key players 鈥� House, Jemarl Baker Jr. and Isaac Mushila 鈥� didn鈥檛 play in last week鈥檚 exhibition win over New Mexico Highlands. Two of those three who were out injured 鈥� House (leg) and Mushilla (broken hand) 鈥� missed pretty much the entire month of October.
So, what does healthy really mean?
鈥淚 always tell Ben Felz (the team鈥檚 athletic trainer) I don鈥檛 do the whole minute-limitation thing. We鈥檙e not the NBA,鈥� Pitino said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 ridiculous. Either they鈥檙e cleared to play or they鈥檙e not. And my assumption would be I believe all three (players) will be clear.鈥�
LET鈥橲 PLAY TWO: Ticket holders for either Monday鈥檚 5 p.m. women鈥檚 game or the 7:30 p.m. men鈥檚 game can attend both games, but may not be able to sit in the seat they purchased for both games.
UNM鈥檚 spirit squad will be at every entrance with open tickets available for both games. Fans must show the ticket they purchased and can then get a paper ticket for the other game.
Fans cannot pick their seat to the free game. Those wishing to do so will have to buy a ticket for both games. Between games, any women鈥檚 game ticket holder who is in a seat purchased for the men鈥檚 game will have to move to the designated seat on their complimentary ticket. Men鈥檚 ticket holders who come early can鈥檛 sit in their designated seats until after the women鈥檚 game.
Gates open at 4 p.m. for both games.
