Tag: New Mexico Lobos

Women’s college golf notebook: Ohio State goes west and wins, Nebraska freshman sets records, SJSU keeps winning

Caley McGinty made her first appearance with the Buckeyes.

It was an impressive debut for Caley McGinty with the Ohio State women’s golf team.

In a reunion with coach Lisa Strom, who coached McGinty when she began her college career at Kent State, the Buckeyes captured the Branch Law Firm/Dick McGuire Invitational at the University of New Mexico’s Championship Course in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Ohio State shot an 11-under 853 and finished 10 shots ahead of second-place SMU. McGinty tied for sixth, finishing at 2-under 214 for the week and tying with teammate Aneka Seumanutafa.

McGinty, who transferred to the Buckeyes from Oklahoma State, is ranked seventh in the Women’s Amateur Golf Ranking. She reconnected with Strom, and that bond could propel Ohio State to new heights this season. The team is off to a strong start.

Lauren Peter led the Buckeyes, shooting 3 under for the tournament and finishing tied for fourth. However, it was Kent State’s Mayka Hoogeboom coming away with the individual crown. She shot 8-under 208 and beat New Mexico’s Napat Lertsadwattana by one shot.

Speaking of starting a season strong, the Piedmont women’s golf team had a record-setting performance at the Transylvania Invitational. Piedmont set a program record for best 54-hole score as a team, and Erin Donovan set a program-best 54-hole record. The Lions bested the previous record by 41 shots with a 968 team score over the three rounds while Donovan’s 224 over three rounds was nine strokes better than the previous mark.

In New Orleans, it was quite the college debut for Nebraska’s Kelli Ann Strand. She was victorious in the Green Wave Fall Classic at Bayou Oaks at City Park South Course. She shot 14-under 202, beating LSU senior Latanna Stone by two shots.

En route to her victory, Strand set some records. She set a new 54-hole school record, and her 7-under 65 in the second round set a new Nebraska freshman record for best single-round score. Strand, from Challis, Idaho, shot rounds of 67-65-70 en route to the win.

On the west coast, San Jose State picked up right where it left off last season. The Spartans were victorious at the USF Intercollegiate at The Olympic Club’s Ocean Course and were the only team in the field to finish under par, carding a 4-under and winning by four shots over UCLA. San Jose State was 10 under in the final round to come from behind and claim its first victory of 2021.

In the individual competition, preseason third-team All-American Kajsa Arwefjall carded a school-record round of 7-under 64 in the final round to win by two shots at 11 under. Arwefjall birdied four straight holes to begin her back nine.

Kayja Arwefjall
San Jose State’s Kajsa Arwefjall won the USF Intercollegiate at Olympic Club. (Photo: San Jose State Athletics)

The win was the first of Arwefjall’s career. And if she can continue playing like she did in San Jose State’s first tournament, the Spartans will show last season wasn’t a flash in the pan.

Cameron Jourdan covers college and amateur golf for Golfweek. Got a college or amateur story? Email him at cjourdan@golfweek.com.

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New Mexico Lobos Preview 2022: Season Prediction, Breakdown, Key Games, Players

New Mexico College Football Preview 2022: Team breakdown, season prediction, keys to the campaign, and what you need to know

New Mexico Lobos Preview 2022: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the New Mexico season with what you need to know and keys to the season.

– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

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New Mexico Lobos Preview
Head Coach: Danny Gonzales, 3rd year at New Mexico, 5-14
2021 Preview: Overall: 3-9, Conference: 1-7
Keys To The Season
Season Prediction, What Will Happen
New Mexico Top 10 Players | New Mexico Schedule

New Mexico Lobos Preview 2022

It’s taking a little while to get this all going.

Danny Gonzales had a massive rebuild to do for a program that failed to win more than three games for three straight years and after a big 9-4 2016, and then he got thrown into 2020.

The Lobos battled hard through an 0-5 start, pulled off two wins to close out the season to give everyone a little hope, and then came the 2-0 start to 2021 and …

(cue sad trombone)

The offense fell off a cliff. The Lobos didn’t come up with more than 17 points over the last ten games, only hit 14 points twice, and it was a world of ugly.

This year’s team has enough new parts to potentially be better on offense, and the defense – Gonzales’s forte – gets back eight starters and should start to be a factor.

The program has been through tough times before – three straight 1-11 seasons from 2009 to 2011 were rough – but on the plus side there are no expectations whatsoever. The Lobos will be an afterthought in the Mountain West, and they can just turn it loose.

At least that sounds good for …

New Mexico Lobos Preview 2022: Offense

The offense had a rough time. It finished dead last in the nation overall averaging 235 yards per game, and it was dead last in scoring averaging 12 yards per outing.

How bad was the O? It was a whopping 23 yards per game worse than Colorado, and it was 3.4 points per game worse than UConn. So where to begin?

There needs to be some semblance of a steady running game. One of the few bright spots was freshman Aaron Dumas, who ran for 658 yards and close to five yards per carry, and … he’s now off to Washington. No. 2 back Bobby Cole is off in the transfer portal, putting the pressure on Nathaniel Jones, the No. 2 back in 2020 who was out all of last year.

The offensive line has to do its part, but there’s plenty of reworking to be done with just two starters back – losing left tackle Cade Briggs to Texas Tech hurts. There’s decent size but no developed depth whatsoever.

And the quarterback is … ? Isaiah Chavez did what he could in mainly a backup role behind Terry Wilson, but he wasn’t able to turn it loose for an offense that threw everyone it could find at the position. In comes Miles Kendrick from Kansas to try fixing the glitch – he’s got Big 12 experience and can run a bit.

The receivers could be a plus if the quarterbacks can get them the ball. Leading receiver Luke Wysong is back, but he made just 23 catches for 228 yards.

TE Trace Bruckler led the team with three TDs, and on the was from Arizona State is Geordon Porter adding a much-needed deep threat to the mix.

New Mexico Lobos Preview 2022: Defense

The defense did what it could considering there wasn’t any help whatsoever from the offense. Even with being put in bad position after bad position, and having to carry the team, it managed to finish fourth in the Mountain West in total defense, but it couldn’t hold up.

The Lobo defense allowed 54 points in the fourth quarters of games. The Lobo offense scored 50 points in the second half. Fortunately …

Defensive coordinator Rocky Long’s D is going to be strong. This was a relatively young group, and now the D has a tackling machine in Tavian Combs at the Lobo position in the secondary along with Ronald Wilson coming off a 54-stop season. The star, though, is veteran Jerrick Reed, a former JUCO transfer who led the Lobos with 89 stops.

In all, four starters are expected back in the defensive backfield, but they could use some help from more of a pass rush.

Leading sacker Joey Noble is done, but the line has quickness and is one of the few areas on the team with some real depth. There’s not a ton of bulk, but Bryce Santana has just enough size to hold up more on the nose.

The linebackers didn’t make enough plays in the 3-3-5, but there’s plenty of experience in place. Syaire Riley, Cody Moon, and Ray Leutele combined for 125 tackles – they’ll be a positive.

Keys To The Season
Season Prediction, What Will Happen
New Mexico Top 10 Players | New Mexico Schedule

New Mexico Lobos: Keys To The Season, Top Game, Top Transfer, Fun Stats NEXT

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New Mexico Lobos Top 10 Players: College Football Preview 2022

Who are the top 10 New Mexico players going into the 2022 college football season?

New Mexico Lobos Preview 2022: Who are the top 10 players going into the season?

– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

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New Mexico Lobos Preview 
Offense, Defense Breakdown
Keys To The Season
Season Prediction, What Will Happen
New Mexico Schedule 

New Mexico Lobos hoops commit Fedonta ‘J.B.’ White, 18, fatally shot

New Mexico Lobos basketball commit J.B. White was fatally shot early Saturday.

Another senseless tragedy strikes the sports world. Fedonta “J.B.” White, a star Santa Fe High School basketball player who was committed to play for the UNM Lobos this season, was shot and killed early Saturday, police confirmed to the Albuquerque Journal.

Per the report:

Around 3:30 a.m., deputies from the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office responded to calls of a shooting in the Chupadero area, just north of the city of Santa Fe, where officers determined White had died of a gunshot wound.

White, 18, recently completed course work to graduate from school, principal Carl Marano said, and was planning on attending the University of New Mexico, which had offered him an athletic scholarship for the 2020-21 school year. The 6-foot-8 forward was scheduled to graduate in 2021 but reclassified as a senior in the spring so he could play for the Lobos this coming year.

“The whole thing is just surreal,” Marano said. “He was an incredible young man who was getting ready to fulfill his dream and be a Lobo.”

White was offered a scholarship in the summer of 2018. He accepted in October of last year. He was preparing to move to Albuquerque next week.

Playing on Santa Fe High’s varsity squad, White was named to the Class 5A All-State second team after averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds in 2019-20. He was classified as a Top 100 player in the nation by the website Rivals.com, although it was for the Class of 2021 at the time.

“Our entire community is shocked and saddened by the loss of someone whom we celebrated during his memorable time on the court and whose talent was a joy to sports fans across New Mexico. We are deeply shaken,” Santa Fe Public Schools Superintendent Veronica García said in a statement. “We send our heartfelt condolences to his family and all who loved him. It is unspeakable to lose someone so young and with such promise for the future.”

He would have been the first Lobo player from New Mexico given a scholarship directly out of high school since Cullen Neal ahead of the 2013-14 season.

SFSO Juan Rios told the Journal the case is “still very active” and that no arrests have been made in regards to the shooting.

White is the fourth local high school student or recent graduate to be killed in recent months.

 

College Football News Preview 2020: New Mexico Lobos

College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the New Mexico Lobos season with what you need to know.

College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the New Mexico Lobos season with what you need to know.

– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Schedule Analysis
– New Mexico Previews 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015

2019 Record: 2-10 overall, 0-8 in MW
Head Coach: Danny Gonzales, 1st year
2019 CFN Final Opinion Ranking: 123
2019 CFN Final Season Formula Ranking: 120
2019 CFN Preview Ranking: 104

No one knows what’s going to happen to the 2020 college football season. We’ll take a general look at where each team stands – doing it without spring ball to go by – while crossing our fingers that we’ll all have some well-deserved fun this fall. Hoping you and yours are safe and healthy.

5. College Football News Preview 2020: New Mexico Lobos Offense 3 Things To Know

– The new coaching staff will be heavy on defense with the new guys in place, and it’ll be up to new offensive coordinator Derek Warehime – the tight ends coach at Texas under Tom Herman – to turn yards into points with a better-paced attack that throws it around a bit more.

The Lobo offense moved the ball – it averaged over 400 yards per game – but scoring was an issue. New Mexico scored 25 points or fewer nine times, all losses.

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– Keeping the quarterbacks healthy is a must. Tevaka Tuioti is the all-around playmaker who can make the offense fly, but he has only been able to get through a season – he threw for 1,460 yards and seven scores with six picks, and ran for 262 yards last year.

6-2, 188-pound sophomore Trae Hall took over late last season – he’s a decent runner – and veteran Brandt Hughes is back after seeing a little time over the last few years.

Six of the top seven receivers are expected back, but leading man Jordan Kress only made 28 grabs for 530 yards and six scores. He’s a dangerous deep threat, 6-3, 235-pound Marcus Williams is a dangerous target, and there are plenty of good options to fold into the rotation.

– The offensive line loses three starters, but 6-3, 301-pound senior Kyle Stapley is a good center to work around and a slew of JUCO parts along with Minnesota transfer Ben Davis should fill in the holes. This was a good group for the running game, and it should quickly adapt. Now the running backs have to follow.

Ahmari Davis is gone after leading the team with 832 yards and seven scores, but Bryson Carroll is a speedy 5-7 junior who averaged over five yards per carry on his 536 yards. There’s decent depth that didn’t get a whole lot of work last year, but should be ready to do more – the O is loaded with smallish, fast backs.

NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: New Mexico Lobos Defense 3 Things To Know

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Guy Wimberly, a trailblazer in New Mexico golf, dies at 81

Guy Wimberly, who made major contributions to the game of golf in the Southwest part of the United States, has died at the age of 81.

Guy Wimberly, who made major contributions to the game of golf in the southwest part of the United States, has died at the age of 81. Wimberly was a longtime PGA professional and one of the founding fathers of the Sun Country PGA Section. In fact, he was nicknamed “Mr. New Mexico Golf.”

Wimberly played college golf at the University of New Mexico, where he won a Western Athletic Conference title and earned the distinction of being an All-American. His time in Albuquerque spanned eight years – 1957 to 1964 – because of a stint in the military. Eventually, however, Wimberly earned his degree in journalism and speech. Interestingly, according to the Albuquerque Journal, he covered golf for that paper while a Lobo student-athlete.

Wimberly found his calling as one of the leaders in golf tourism for New Mexico. His first job in the golf industry was as the pro at San Mateo Golf Center. He had a hand in elevating several New Mexico golf facilities, especially Arroyo del Oso in Albuquerque beginning in 1969. Under his direction, according to the PGA of America, the 27-hole facility serviced more than 140,000 annual rounds.

He went on to serve from 2006 to 2008 as PGA director of golf at Sierra del Rio Golf Club in Elephant Butte, New Mexico.

Wimberly also guided the formation of the Sun Country Amateur Golf Association and the Junior PGA Tour in his state. In 1979, Wimberly and Bob Meiering, with whom he had taken over Arroyo del Sol, were co-recipients of the PGA Merchandiser of the Year for Public Facilities. In 1988, Wimberly earned the Horton Smith Award for contributions to PGA education.

In addition to Meiering, Wimberly’s older brother Herb, the longtime golf coach at New Mexico State, as well as his own college coach Dick McGuire were among the men he worked alongside in elevating New Mexico golf.

Wimberly holds a place in several local and national halls of fame, including the New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame and the UNM Alumni Letterman’s Hall of Honor. He also was inducted into the PGA of America Hall of Fame in 2011.

Utah State heads to The Pit to face New Mexico on Senior Night

Utah State at New Mexico: Game Preview, TV, Radio, Live Stream, Odds, More Aggies can clinch #2 seed in MW Tournament with win Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire GAME DETAILS WHO: Utah State (23-7, 12-5 MW) at New Mexico (17-13, 6-11 MW) …

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Utah State at New Mexico: Game Preview, TV, Radio, Live Stream, Odds, More

Aggies can clinch #2 seed in MW Tournament with win

Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire

GAME DETAILS

WHO: Utah State (23-7, 12-5 MW) at New Mexico (17-13, 6-11 MW)

WHEN: Saturday, February 29 – 8:00 p.m. Mountain

WHERE: Dreamstyle Arena, Albuquerque, New Mexico

WATCH: CBS Sports Network; Get a free 7-day trial of FuboTV.

LISTEN: ListenLive

ALL-TIME: The Aggies lead the series, 26-11.

ODDS: Utah State -6, per KenPom

GAME PREVIEW

Utah State will descend into The Pit on Saturday as they wrap up their Mountain West regular season against New Mexico. The Aggies can clinch a second-place finish in the league with a victory, but the Lobos’ seniors will be looking to make their final game in Albuquerque a memorable one.

The Aggies came into the season as the clear-cut favorites to win the Mountain West, but the team struggled to meet those expectations as they dealt with an extended absence from Neemias Queta and traversed some rocky terrain as they worked to reincorporate the Portuguese big man into the fold.

Despite those midseason bumps, Craig Smith has managed to get his club back into the NCAA Tournament conversation. The Aggies were one of the last four at-large teams in the current BracketMatrix projections, which reflect games played through Thursday night.

Utah State may not need to get in with an at-large bid, though. With the Mountain West Tournament on the horizon, the Aggies are looking to lock up the #2 seed and perhaps a slightly easier path through to the finals.

A win over New Mexico might trigger a rematch of the two teams at the Thomas & Mack Center next week, as the Lobos are a good bet to be the #7 seed if they lose. They currently sit tied with Fresno State in the standings at 6-10. The Bulldogs and Lobos split their season series, but New Mexico holds the tiebreaker by virtue of having a better record against Boise State. Fresno State hosts last-place Wyoming on Saturday, in a game they are favored to win.

New Mexico has struggled through the back half of a once-promising season that has been marred by injuries and off-the-court incidents. They have lost five straight games coming into Saturday’s matchup with the Aggies.

For all the turmoil surrounding the Lobos team this year, the team still has two seniors eager to make a good final impression in front of the home crowd at Dreamstyle Arena.

The soon-to-be-departed JaQuan Lyle and Corey Manigault will be honored before the game, but they will be more focused on earning postgame accolades as they look to play spoiler to the Aggies.

If Utah State manages to survive their trip into the vipers’ nest, they will take another leap forward toward securing a second-straight NCAA Tournament appearance. A loss to the faltering Lobos could sink those hopes, though, so the Aggies have much more on the line than just preferential seeding in next week’s Mountain West Tournament.

Andrew is a current USBWA member, covering college basketball for multiple outlets, including Mountain West Wire of the USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Busting Brackets of the FanSided Network. He also runs the Dieckhoff Power Index, a college basketball analytics system, and provides bracketology predictions throughout the season.

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Utah State Leads The Race for #2 Seed in MW Tournament

The Mountain West title has already been won, but a battle is brewing for 2nd place – and a spot on the other side of the bracket from SDSU.

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Utah State Leads Six Teams Vying for #2 Seed in MW Tourney

Aggies have the inside track, but any slip-ups could cause chaos

Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire

SDSU has already clinched the top spot, but how will things play out beneath them?

With the Mountain West regular season title already locked up by San Diego State—and with the Aztecs focusing on bigger things, like a potential #1 seed and a chance to cut down the nets in Atlanta—the major storyline in the league has shifted to who will finish in second place.

Currently, there are five teams leading the fight for the Mountain West’s silver medal: Utah State, Colorado State, Nevada, Boise State, and UNLV. The Aggies currently hold a half-game edge over the Rams and Wolf Pack, with the Broncos a full game back. UNLV is in sixth place, but their 8-6 record is only one and half games off Utah State’s pace.

Why is the race for second place so important?

Because with undefeated San Diego State on the other side of the bracket, the teams that finish in second and third will have a few extra games before they have to play the Aztecs. The teams that earn the #4 and #5 seed will face the difficult task of playing an above-average team in their first game and SDSU in the next.

With just two weeks remaining in the regular season, each game holds massive sway over seeding for the Mountain West Tournament. To give you an idea of just how contentious these next few weeks will be, take a look at some of the big matchups remaining on the schedule:

  • 2/18 – Nevada @ New Mexico
  • 2/18 – Colorado State @ UNLV
  • 2/22 – UNLV @ San Diego State
  • 2/23 – New Mexico @ Boise State
  • 2/25 – Colorado State @ San Diego State
  • 2/26 – Boise State @ UNLV
  • 2/29 – San Diego State @ Nevada
  • 2/29 – Utah State @ New Mexico

With so many important games remaining, there are myriad scenarios of how the standings will look on March 1. Here’s a quick investigation into how each team can find their way to second place in the Mountain West.

NEW MEXICO (17-10, 6-8 MW)

Remaining Schedule: 2/18 vs. Nevada, 2/23 @ Boise State, 2/26 @ Air Force, 2/29 vs. Utah State

Yes, that’s right. The Lobos are still in it.

New Mexico is currently in seventh place and below .500 in league play, but they have just enough rope that if everything goes right—and it really is almost everything—they could end up finishing in second place.

Here’s how: Wyoming would need to beat Utah State and Nevada. San Jose State would need to beat Colorado State, Utah State, and UNLV. Air Force would need to beat the Rams in Fort Collins. If all of that happens, and New Mexico takes care of its own business against the Wolf Pack, Broncos, and Falcons, it would set up a spectacular season finale in The Pit.

If the Lobos could win that game, then New Mexico, Utah State, Nevada, Boise State, and Colorado State would all finish with a league record of 10-8. Tiebreaking procedures dictate that the team with the best record against these opponents will receive the highest seed. The Lobos and Aggies would move into a two-way tiebreaker by virtue each having gone 4-2 against these opponents.

The tiebreaker then moves to head-to-head record, which would give New Mexico the advantage—the final game of the season would be the only regular-season meeting of the two teams.

There is virtually no chance that all of that would happen. But the mere fact that it is even still a possibility is amazing, considering how quickly the Lobos have fallen off the map after their 15-3 start to the season.

UNLV (13-14, 8-6 MW)

Remaining Schedule: 2/18 vs. Colorado State, 2/22 @ San Diego State, 2/26 vs. Boise State, 2/29 @ San Jose State

It would still take some major chaos in the Mountain West for the Rebels to finish in second place, but it’s not as far-fetched as New Mexico’s bid. UNLV has plenty of roads into second place—even without a win over San Diego State.

Like New Mexico, the Rebels would really need Utah State to fall apart down the stretch, with the other three teams currently ahead of them stumbling as well. But UNLV could lose to the Aztecs and still finish 11-7. A handful of scenarios could see the Rebels sitting clear of everyone else in the #2 position.

Interestingly, if the Rebels can’t land in the #2 or #3 spot, they may actually have better luck down as the #6 or #7 team. They could stay away from San Diego State and will still have the benefit of playing at home for the Mountain West Tournament.

These scenarios are much, much more likely than the Rebels finishing second. But even more likely is that one of the next four teams will take home the silver. [CONTINUED]

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Bulldogs Host Shorthanded Lobos at Save Mart Center

Mountain West basketball resumes this weekend, as Fresno State hosts conference rivals New Mexico at the Save Mart Center on Saturday.

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New Mexico at Fresno State: Game Preview, TV, Radio, Live Stream, Odds, More

Fresno State could inch closer to Lobos with a win

Contact/Follow @andrewdieckhoff & @MWCwire

Lobos desperate to stop the bleeding as suspensions, injuries take toll on Paul Weir’s roster

GAME DETAILS

WHO: New Mexico (16-7, 5-5 MWC) at Fresno State (7-14, 3-7 MWC)

WHEN: Saturday, February 1 — 2:00 P.M. PT / 3:00 P.M. MT

WHERE: Save Mart Center, Fresno, Calif.

WATCH: AT&T Sports Net/Mountain West Network

LISTEN: TuneIn

ALL-TIME: New Mexico leads the series, 17-14

ODDS: Fresno State -2, per KenPom

GAME PREVIEW

A short-handed New Mexico squad heads to the Save Mart Center on Saturday to face Fresno State, as the Lobos try to stop a skid that has seen them drop four of the past five games. The Bulldogs haven’t fared much better over the same stretch, but they did manage to score a tough road victory on Tuesday against Air Force. The game tips at 2:00 PM Pacific.

New Mexico will continue to play without Carlton Bragg, JaQuan Lyle, and JJ Caldwell. Bragg was dismissed from the team after multiple off-the-court incidents, while Lyle and Caldwell have been suspended for their own transgressions. Compounding those absences is the health of Vance Jackson, who will also likely sit with a knee injury that has kept the junior out since January 15.

While many have raised questions about the lack of foresight with respect to Paul Weir’s roster construction, not all of his decisions have backfired. Towson transfer Zane Martin is well-equipped to step into a starting role in the backcourt, and teammates Corey Manigault and Makuach Maluach have developed well in their latest season under Weir’s administration. Vante Hendrix has also provided a good bit of scoring after sitting out the first semester as part of his transfer from Utah.

Still, the New Mexico team that began the season 15-3 seems a distant memory.

The Lobos have tumbled down the Mountain West leaderboard in recent weeks. Considering the somewhat unexpected success of Colorado State and UNLV, the Lobos no longer project as a top-half finisher in the conference. The Mountain West Tournament grants first-round byes to the top five schools, but New Mexico will likely have to play an extra game in their pursuit of an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

One of their possible opponents in that first round could be Fresno State, a team that has limped out to a 3-7 start in league play.

The Bulldogs enter Saturday’s game in high spirits after escaping Clune Arena with a victory that pulled them even with the Falcons in the standings. Fresno State’s season has been a major drop-off from last year’s 23-win campaign, but the performance of freshmen such as Orlando Robinson and Jarred Hyder provide a glimmer of hope for Justin Hutson’s program. Young players such as Aguir Agau, Niven Hart, and Jordan Campbell could also develop into important building blocks for the future.

As for Fresno State’s more seasoned veterans, Nate Grimes has also delivered another stellar season for the Bulldogs, averaging nearly a double-double on his way to a probable All-Mountain West nod. Guards New Williams and Noah Blackwell have also improved on their early-season struggles. Unfortunately for this trio of seniors, their final season in Fresno will almost assuredly end without a postseason appearance, barring an improbable run through the Mountain West Tournament.

Securing this road victory would be an important turning of the tide for Weir at this crucial point in the season. If his team can find a way to embrace their new-look lineups, they may yet be able to stop the bleeding and could re-enter the conversation for one of those first-round byes.

On the other hand, if the home side prevails, the Lobos will drop below .500 in conference play, creating a clear division between the top and bottom halves of the Mountain West. The win would also bring Fresno State within one game of New Mexico in the league standings.

Andrew is a current USBWA member, covering college basketball for multiple outlets, including Mountain West Wire of the USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Busting Brackets of the FanSided Network. He also runs the Dieckhoff Power Index, a college basketball analytics system, and provides bracketology predictions throughout the season.

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Special Teams Coordinator Set To Head To New Mexico

Special teams coordinator and tight ends coach Derek Warehime is set to join New Mexico Lobos as offensive coordinator.

Anwar Richardson of OrangeBloods.com is reporting that special teams coordinator and tight ends coach Derek Warhime is set to join the New Mexico Lobos staff as offensive coordinator.

On the heels of Tim Beck leaving for North Carolina State, Warehime leaves Texas to take over as playcaller for the Lobos. Head coach Tom Herman will now be looking to find a new tight ends coach and special teams coordinator. The special teams under Warehime was anything but special in Austin.

Warehime returns to New Mexico where he coached from 2012-2014. Derek was on staff with Herman in Houston before coming over to Texas. He hasn’t been an offensive coordinator since 2009 with Arkansas-Monticello.