Tag: Richard Pitino

Report: Louisville considering Richard Pitino as next basketball coach

The Louisville Cardinals are considering Rick Pitino’s son Richard as their next head coach after a successful season at New Mexico.

The Louisville Cardinals have an opportunity to bring a very familiar face back to campus in Richard Pitino, the current New Mexico head coach and son of former Cardinals and current St. John’s coach Rick Pitino.

Reports indicate Pitino is the top candidate to become the head coach at Louisville, and that athletic director Josh Heird has been in contact with Richard “several times over the past few days.”

Pitino led the Lobos to a 26-10 record and their first Mountain West tournament championship and NCAA Tournament appearance since 2014 this past season, his third at New Mexico.

Pitino served as an assistant coach at Louisville from 2007-2009 under his father Rick, before serving as an assistant at Florida under Billy Donovan.

He was back at Louisville in 2011-12 during the team’s Final Four run, and then spent one year as the head coach at Florida International before taking over at Minnesota in 2013 and leading the Golden Gophers to the NIT championship in his first year and two NCAA Tournament appearances before departing in 2021.

Hiring the son of the coach who led you to a national title may sound good on paper, but the elder Pitino’s transgressions at Louisville are well documented and bringing the family back into the mix is certainly a unique situation.

However, Louisville struck out on top targets Scott Drew and Dusty May, and Pitino is a reasonable candidate based on his head coaching experience, recent success, and familiarity with the program.

2024 Mountain West Championship: New Mexico Secures First MWC Tournament Title in Over a Decade with 68-61 win over SDSU

Game Recap: No. 6 New Mexico 68, No. 5 San Diego State 61 Jaelen House get’s his moment & secures his first MWC title in his last conference game. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire New Mexico secures first conference tournament title in a …

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 Game Recap: No. 6 New Mexico 68, No. 5 San Diego State 61

Jaelen House get’s his moment & secures his first MWC title in his last conference game.

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

New Mexico secures first conference tournament title in a decade, thanks to the play of Jaelen House & JT Toppin.

Las Vegas, NV–If there were any better cherry on top of what has been one of the more competitive & entertaining Mountain West seasons in recent years, it was the championship game slated for Saturday afternoon in sin city. A showdown between longtime conference rivals No. 5 seed San Diego State & No. 6 seed New Mexico.

Two teams that may not have been on everyone’s bracket in the MWC Tournament title game, but two deserving programs nonetheless. New Mexico won three straight games in three straight days to get here. Beating Air Force on Wednesday (82-56), Boise State (76-66) on Thursday & Colorado State (74-61) late Friday night.

While San Diego State got a bye into the quarterfinals on Thursday, where they narrowly squeezed by UNLV 74-71. Then upsetting No. 1 seed & regular season champion Utah State 86-70 on Friday.

It isn’t unfamiliar territory for either program, but it’s been a second home for one & a once in a while destination for the other. San Diego State have become fixtures in the Mountain West Tournament title game the last decade. Making nine appearances in ten years & cutting the nets down four times in that span.

While New Mexico made a Cinderella style run in Paul Weir’s first season in Albuquerque back in 2018. That game was also against the Aztecs & their “first year” Head Coach Brian Dutcher. The Lobos fell 82-75 to their conference rivals that year.

Missing out on the title, one they haven’t brought home to Albuquerque since Craig Neals first year in charge in Albuquerque back in 2014. Noodles inherited a Steve Alford built roster to help lift that trophy. With history & an automatic berth to the big dance on the line, each team needed to cap amazing individual seasons with an amazing win Saturday afternoon.

The Lobos momentum was still in full swing at tip-off. Hitting the floor hard in the opening minutes on a 6-2 run. A Darrion Trimmell three pointer brought the Aztecs to within one. Sparked by Jaelen Houses’ energy, New Mexico found their offensive rhythm, though San Diego State kept things close.

Richard Pitino’s squad enjoyed small runs all throughout the first half. The first thanks to five straight Jamal Mashburn Jr. points, giving New Mexico their biggest lead to that point, 16-8 approaching the ten minute mark. To be followed with four straight three point field goals (3-House & 1-Mashburn Jr.) to extend their lead to double-digits, 30-18.

After a JT Toppin layup gave the Lobos the 34-20 lead approaching the two minute mark, the Aztecs made their stand. Going on a 10-2 run before half-time, with all points coming in the paint from their frontcourt duo of Jay Pal & JaeDon LeDee. As the buzzer sounded, New Mexico went into the locker rooms up 36-30.

Second Half

Even though the Lobos surrendered the closing minutes of the first half to the Aztecs, they wouldn’t let that influence how they emerged from half-time. Earning a quick five points from their backcourt duo before San Diego State decided it was time to put the clamp down.

The Aztecs fell victim to New Mexico’s fast pace style of play most of the game. Leading to their deficit & leadless first half. But Brian Dutcher’s squad wins their games in a much slower & physically charged way. San Diego State made a stand that would turn what was a comfortable Lobo lead most of the game into a one procession dogfight the rest of the way.

The Aztecs would turn to a style of play called, pass the ball to Jaedon. A play that would see LeDee vie for position in the post, receive the ball & eight times out of ten get fouled & head to the line. The other two times out of ten he would make the shot.

Creating quite a conundrum for New Mexico, who became spooked & decided their approach would be fouling the Aztec big to make him earn his points at the free throw line. Well, it sounded nice in theory. But LeDee came into this one shooting 72.4% from the free throw line. LeDee would go to the line multiple times over the next ten minutes, slowing the game down & taking New Mexico out of their offensive rhythm almost immediately.

A Jaelen House technical foul approaching the ten minute mark would trigger a series of plays that ultimately gave San Diego State their first lead of the game at 44-43 thanks to a Reese Waters jumper.

The next ten minutes were an exchange of free throws with a few genuine field goals scattered about. It brought everything down to the final two minutes of the game. Were both squads were tied at fifty-nine a piece, a time where the only way New Mexico would pull the upset would be if someone scored true field goals & rebounded when their opponents didn’t.

In comes MWC Freshman of the Year JT Toppin, Who grabbed four rebounds & scored five points, which became the cushion needed for third year Head Coach Richard Pitino to secure his first conference title.

The Lobos began to celebrate their 68-61 win at the buzzer, as the first No. 6 seed to win the Mountain West Conference Tournament ever. Jamal Mashburn Jr. joined House & Toppin in double-figures 21 points thanks to some very clutch shooting from all three-levels of scoring.

Player Spotlights

New Mexico–JT Toppin & Jaelen House

Stat line: House-28 points, 5 rebounds & 3 steals on 10-22 (45.4%) from the floor & 3-7 (42.8%) from deep in 36 minutes of action Toppin-13 points & 11 rebounds on 6-8 (75%) from the floor in 35 minutes of action

The performance House had in the first half is the reason the Lobos were able to stay competitive as the Aztecs began chipping away at their grip on the lead. But it was also his level head in the second half as his team struggled, continuing to give effort & not letting it get to his head. His game high 28 points help attribute to an amazing final MWC game ever. And to go out cutting down the nets in the Pit West, there is no better feeling.

JT Toppin stepped up with his double-double as frontcourt mate Nelly Junior-Joseph was mainly tasked with keeping Aztec x-factor LeDee unimpactful until he absolutely couldn’t. So Toppin contributed in all the best ways down low, blocking & altering shots, securing boards of both variety & making shots when no one else could. I couldn’t give the spotlight to just one players as the game was won with the performances of both.

San Diego State F-Jaedon LeDee

Stat line: 25 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists on 7-12 shooting (58.3%) from the floor & a whopping 11-11 (100%) from the free throw line in 37 minutes of play

LeDee went scoreless in the first fifteen minutes of the game. Which is something no one realized until he began scoring every single minutes of the game going forward. The Aztec big man found his confidence late in the first half & found his role going forward, wrecking ball who can shoot free throws, exactly to his liking. LeDee can score at all three levels but is his most consistent battling for space in the paint.

No other Aztec scored in double-figures & his 100% performance from the charity stripe is the a huge piece of why the momentum of the game was laid gently in their hands most of the second-half. It was an All-Tournament level performance for the ages, a great way to cap a great career in the Mountain West.

Next Up:

With the final buzzer in Las Vegas on Saturday night, the conference postseason comes to a close with an incredible performance from all teams involved. The only thing left to do is tune in tomorrow Sunday March 17th for this year’s production of the NCAA Tournament Selection Show.

You can watch Selection Sunday on CBS at 4:00 PM MT & 3:00 PM PT. A streamed version of the show can be viewed on NCAA.com during their March Madness Live Special.

Larry Muniz covers college basketball as a writer for Mountain West Wire and WAC Hoops Digest. Also as a co-host of the college basketball podcast “Hoops Talk W/Jay & Larry”. He is also a USWBA Member.

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Utah State Secures Outright MWC Title, With 87-85 Win Over New Mexico

Game Recap: No. 22 Utah State 87, New Mexico 85 Utah State Secures Outright MWC Title, With 87-85 Win Over New Mexico Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire Darius Brown II’s game winning three pointer gives Utah State & Danny Sprinkle their first …

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 Game Recap: No. 22 Utah State 87, New Mexico 85

Utah State Secures Outright MWC Title, With 87-85 Win Over New Mexico

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

Darius Brown II’s game winning three pointer gives Utah State & Danny Sprinkle their first outright MWC title.

Logan, UT–As some teams were engaging in conference tournament championship games around the country. Teams in the Mountain West were still clashing for seeding for their own conference tournament next week in Las Vegas. Part of what could be described as “seeding musical chairs” on Saturday was what could absolutely turn into a dogfight in Logan.

New Mexico packed their bags & headed northwest. Ready to end their season on a win & looking for the sweep over league leaders No. 22 Utah State inside the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.

The last time these two met was on January 16th, back when a red hot Lobo team secured the 99-86 upset over the then No. 16 Aggies inside the Pit. And even though New Mexico has cooled off plenty since that magical run in January.

They’ve proven in the very recent past that they can beat Utah State. Something not many others have been able to say this season. With plenty on the line Saturday night, both teams put on an absolute show in Logan.

The Lobos got things started quite quickly as they normally do. With back-to-back field goals by star freshman JT Toppin in a span of about 13 seconds or so. Utah State stayed right with them after several free throws & a dunk by Ian Martinez, which gave them their first lead of the game at 7-6.

The reoccurring theme of the night would be the toe-to-toe style and pace of the game throughout. As both teams exchanged field goals with a tie at 10 a piece thanks to another Toppin layup down low & once again at 12 a piece thanks to a Nelly Junior Joseph layup soon after, both assisted by Jaelen House.

Both teams found plenty of success scoring in the paint. In fact, all scoring was done exclusively inside the arc or at the free throw line until Mustapha Amzil drained a three pointer eight minutes into the first half to bring New Mexico to within one (22-21). This after a 6-0 Utah State run gave them some breathing room until the Lobos regained their scoring form.

Amzil would find his confidence from beyond the arc in the first half Saturday night, scoring the next six Lobo points from deep to keep his squad neck and neck with Danny Sprinkle’s team. Scoring again on a layup before receiving some help via two more layups from Toppin & House.

For Utah State the three-headed attack of Brown II, Martinez & Osobor kept their guests at bay in the first half. Struggling from deep (1-8), but finding layup after layup in the lane with their offensive chemistry on full display.

New Mexico gained their first lead (39-38) since the opening few minutes thanks to a pair of Jaelen House free throws approaching the three minute mark. Javon Jackson would send him back to the line after a missed Osobor jumper on the other end. House’s clutch gene kicked in once again as he drained both free throws to extend the Lobo lead to four (42-38) approaching the two minute mark in the half.

Both teams would close the half on a rather cold note. Missing the next eight field goal attempts combined before a Martinez free throw went in for Utah State. To be followed up by what Donovan Dent does best, a layup on the other end to extend New Mexico’s lead to 44-39 before the half-time buzzer sounded.

The first half was certainly a toe-to-toe bout. With Sprinkle’s aforementioned three-pronged attack leading the way. As Great Osobor lead all scorers with 15 points & 6 rebounds, Ian Martinez being the other Aggie in double-figures with 11 points & Brown II being the catalyst for most of it with 9 points of his own to go along with 5 assists & 4 rebounds.

Without Amzil’s hotstreak in the middle of the half, New Mexico would be playing catchup after the break. Entering half-time with 13 points, primarily off of his stellar 3-4 (75%) shooting performance from deep.

JT Toppin was the other Lobo in double figures with 10 points off of 5-7 (71.4%) shooting. House posted numbers similar to his Aggie counterpart with 9 points, 5 rebounds & 4 assists, playing a similar role for the visiting squad.

The Aggies were not ready to lose their sole possession of the conference championship to New Mexico that easily. They opened the second-half with a 6-0 run thanks to three different players scoring the ball to retake the lead.

Donovan Dent scored New Mexico’s first points of the half with back-to-back driving layups to take back the lead at 48-47. Ian Martinez capitalized on a House turnover with a three pointer giving that lead right back to Utah State.

Out of a commercial timeout Josh Uduje earned his first two points of the game with two free throws to extend the Aggie lead out to 52-48. Only for that lead to be chopped at by House’s first three pointer of the game on the other end.

Each side would exchange a few made field goals after that to rapidly progress the score to 60-57 in just a few minutes of time. Keeping the style & pace of the game fast and effective. The Lobos began relying on three point attempts, finding plenty of success (2-3) while the Aggies made their money any which way they could, mainly at the free throw line.

Baker Jr.’s second three-pointer of the half drove Utah State to call a timeout as the Lobo’s 65-59 lead was setting the scene for a dangerous run. Which when hot, Richard Pitino’s group are as impossible as anyone in the country to catch up with. Just ask the Aggies, who fell victim to such a hot streak back in mid-January in Albuquerque.

Out of the timeout each side would attempt to bank on three pointers to gain a fast edge, neither succeeded. Though after a media timeout gave each side time to once again regroup, Utah State came out swinging. With back-to-back buckets at the rim, shrinking the Lobo lead to just one point, after a Martinez and one opportunity (65-64).

Two more made field goals around the basket kept things close going forward. As JT Toppin began to rediscover his touch around the basket for four straight New Mexico points.

In the midst of a relatively quite night, Mason Falslev drove to the hoop for another layup. Keeping his team to within one point & within striking distance of what was becoming a paper thin Lobo lead.

Another media timeout gave time for Coach Pitino’s group to stop the bleeding & assess the damage before sending Brown II to the free throw line. Those two opportunities he would sink, giving the Aggies back the lead for the first time in over seven minutes.

Dent would tie it up again with a free throw of his own before Martinez sank his third triple of the night on the other end (73-70). He would go on to send Junior-Joseph to the line on the defensive side.

Even after making only one of his two opportunities, Junior-Joseph found a way to tie things up once again with a layup following an Osobor turnover. Keeping fans inside the Spectrum on the edge of their seats as time wound down.

House received his 4th foul of the night soon after, sending Brown II to the line for two more free throws & himself to the bench out of caution with five minutes left to play. As Brown II drained his seventh free throw of the game on one side, Junior-Joseph tied things up once again on the other.

Uduje threw a wrench into the pound for pound style of play with a three pointer. Amzil drained a two-point jumper on the other end to keep New Mexico in it. Now down by just one at 78-77. Soon after he found himself at the charity stripe with a chance to take the lead. Amzil would go 1-2 and tie things up at 78 a piece.

Kalifa Sakho made two huge free throws on the other end to give Utah State the 80-78 lead with a little over two minutes to go in the game. Following a missed House jumper, Falslev drove to the basket in transition to give the Aggies a four point lead. Donovan Dent followed suit with a driving layup of his own to make it a one possession game again.

Sakho would turn the ball over after a New Mexico timeout but Toppin couldn’t capitalize on the other end missing an opportunity down low. Osobor secured the defensive rebound but Martinez couldn’t capitalize himself on the other end.

With a little over a minute left to go an Osobor offensive rebound & miss down low led to a official review under the two minute mark as the ball flew out of bounds.

After the suspense, New Mexico would receive the ball. With the chance to take the lead, the ball went to Donovan Dent. And the super sophomore made it look easy with the game tying layup.

As all seemed destined for overtime, Ian Martinez dunked it home on the other end to give them the 84-82 lead with forty seconds left to go in this nail bitter. You can’t ever tell Jaelen House it’s a lost cause though, as he received the inbound pass, sprinted to the other & drained the two point jumper.

With things all tied up, the ball went into the hands of Utah State’s most experienced player, Darius Brown II. As time chipped away the ball left his hands & the possible game winning three pointer found the bottom of the net to signal the thunderous applause of the home crowd.

As expected, New Mexico took the timeout to set up a possible game tying three pointer. Uduje committed the quick fouled to send House to the line, to take the possible three pointer out of the equation.

After an extremely clutch jumper in their last possession, House would make the first free throw & prepare to miss the second. As only a missed free throw would give New Mexico the chance to send things to overtime with a second chance field goal.

To add insult to injury, House would proceed to miss the second free throw & some questionable play calling (or lack there of) would ensue. Though it didn’t matter. As the final buzzer sounded, students rightfully stormed the court after an extremely successful season & Utah State earned the outright regular season championship after their 87-85 win on senior night.

Coach Pitino would go on to petition the officiating crew after House’s second free throw appeared to have not touched the rim. Something that if noticed & called by the referees would have reset the play & put a few seconds back on the clock. It might not have mattered, but it was an oversight. No such decision was made & both teams called it a night.

The visiting Lobos played valiantly, giving fans across the nation a show the Mountain West is becoming known to produce. Leaving Logan with four players in double-figures, a double-double from Nelly Junior-Joseph (13 points & 10 rebounds) & extremely solid play from it’s stars.

New Mexico fans can only buck up, after losing to the now official Mountain West Regular Season Champions & prepare for the trip next week.

It is the Aggies first outright Mountain West title ever. Not to mention the cherry on top of would could be argued as the most impressive inaugural season for a coach ever by Danny Sprinkle. Who is already seeing his name tied to openings in the upcoming coaching carousel before his team even finishes the season.

To complete the full sweep next week in Las Vegas would be something special. Which, is something this team is totally equipped to do after being picked to finish 9th way back in October of last year.

Player Spotlights

New Mexico F–Mustapha Amzil

Stat line: 18 points, 5 rebounds & 2 assists on 6-8 (75%) from the floor & 3-5 (60%) from deep in 32 minutes off of the bench.

On a team filled with capable scorers, Amzil managed to come off of the bench & be the difference maker for New Mexico Saturday night. Yes, his team didn’t win.

But I don’t think anyone would argue that the Lobos wouldn’t have even come close to a down to the wire performance in Logan without Amzil’s three point shooting & off the bench production His team high 18 points also helped fill the scoring gap left by Jamal Mashburn Jr. as he sat out entirely with an injury.

Utah State G-Darius Brown II

Stat line: 19 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals & 9 assists on 5-9 shooting (55.5%) from the floor, 7-9 (77.7%) from the line & 1 game winner in 39 minutes of action

Brown II showed everyone why he is gearing up for his likely third NCAA Tournament appearance Saturday night. The graduate transfer helped secure Utah State’s first outright Mountain West title with a beautifully clutch game winning three pointer as time expired.

Along with the biggest play of the game he made others, nearly logging an assist featured double-double with 9 assists & only four turnovers. As a few of his teammates waivered in the second-half, he stayed locked in.

Next Up:

With the wrap to the regular season coming tonight, both teams pack their bags & prepare for a trip oh so many of us make in our life. Straight through to Las Vegas baby.

The Lobos haven’t cut down the nets inside the Thomas & Mack center since Craig Neal’s first season in charge over a decade ago. This team has shown brilliant flashes this season, but will head to Vegas as a bottom half seed with their work cut out for them.

While the Aggies haven’t gotten the chance to climb the ladder inside the Thomas & Mack Center since Craig Smith’s first season back in 2018-2019. The same year they shared their last regular season title with Nevada.

Larry Muniz covers college basketball as a writer for Mountain West Wire and WAC Hoops Digest. Also as a co-host of the college basketball podcast “Hoops Talk W/Jay & Larry”. He is also a USWBA Member.

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New Mexico Steals 83-82Road Win From Nevada, Thanks to Jamal Mashburn Jr.

Game Recap: New Mexico 83, Nevada 82 New Mexico sweeps Nevada for the first time since the Craig Neal era. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire New Mexico secures the sweep of Nevada with down to the wire road win in Reno. Reno, NV-The name of …

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 Game Recap: New Mexico 83, Nevada 82

New Mexico sweeps Nevada for the first time since the Craig Neal era.

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

New Mexico secures the sweep of Nevada with down to the wire road win in Reno.

Reno, NV–The name of the game this Mountain West season is, win. By any means necessary, on any court possible & any given night. Yes, that’s certainly plenty of any’s for just one article. But that is the only way to survive in this conference this season. As teams are prepared to win at home and on the road on any given night.

Given all of the history between New Mexico & Nevada over the years, fan bases tend to show out when the other Wolf related team comes to town. The last time these two teams met was not too long ago on January 28th, when the Lobos beat Steve Alford’s Wolf Pack 89-55 in front of a packed Pit in Albuquerque.

It was a tale of two shooting performances that night, as the Lobos could not miss. Logging 50% & above shooting numbers from the field, behind the arc & from the charity stripe. While Nevada struggled from all areas of the court.

That game could be notated as the tail end of the Lobos dominant run in the Mountain West. It was also the first win for New Mexico over Nevada in nine previous meetings to go along with being the program’s first win over their former Head Coach, the proverbial cherry on top of the silver sundae.

This far into February though, both teams find themselves fighting for their own post season hopes. Even the Wolf Pack who are coming off of two impressive quad one wins over Top-25 ranked Colorado State & San Diego State just last week.

For both benches, the stakes were high inside the Lawlor Events Center Tuesday night, with eyeballs around the nation staying up late to see Nevada defend their home against New Mexico in the “Biggest Little City on Earth”.

The Lobos started as quick as they began the last time these two met. Taking a 5-2 lead with a Jaelen House three pointer. Both squads would miss a few shots until a Nick Davidson layup gave Nevada their first lead of the game. Back-to-back 4-0 runs on both sides kept things leveled at 11 a piece before a media timeout.

That media driven timeout cooled things down. As both sides received scoring from four different players in those first five minutes of action. Someone didn’t notify Jaelen House, as a quick steal & layup out of the break caused another timeout just seconds later. This time by the Nevada coaching staff.

After another Davidson layup in the paint, Jemarl Baker Jr. knocked down a much needed three pointer. That along with a defensive stop on the other end gave way for a Donovan Dent layup. The Lobos would go on to outscore their hosts 9-5 after that. With yet another Baker Jr. three pointer giving New Mexico a little cushion in their biggest lead of the game.

That lead only continued to grow, with a Mashburn Jr. three pointer increasing it to double digits (32-22) with 6:36 left in the first half.

Nevada wouldn’t stay down for long, not in their own house. Scoring seven points, including a Tre Coleman three pointer which shrunk the lead back down to single digits. But the Lobos answered back, with their long running backcourt duo of House & Mashburn Jr. chipping in four more points to get their lead back to a favorable place.

Each team gave it all they had until the half-time buzzer, as Jarod Lucas scored four straight points to keep his Wolf Pack within striking distance. It was enough to keep his team in the game. But a Mustapha Amzil three pointer was the last bucket before the half, to give New Mexico the 45-35 lead heading into halftime.

Things were pretty leveled on each side. With similar shooting totals, & longtime friends Jaelen House leading his team with 11 points & Jarod Lucas with 8 of his own. Something unexpected was New Mexico’s shooting performance at half-time, knocking down 5-8 three pointers to help give them the 10 point lead.

Nevada started scoring quickly, with a Coleman pull up jumper opening up scoring in the first possession of the second-half. One of three field goals made in the first minute of play.

The Wolf Pack wouldn’t stop there, going on a 7-0 run after having sent Lobo JT Toppin to the free throw line to make the three point play. That 7-0 run shrank the New Mexico lead to just four (48-44), their smallest deficit since the ten minute marker in the first half.

The Wolf Pack’s hot shooting on their home floor to open the half continued. With a Kenan Blackshear pull up, followed by a Nick Davidson dunk down low bringing Nevada to within one point of the Lobo lead (49-48). Prompting a much needed Richard Pitino timeout.

After the break, the two squads stayed neck and neck. Until back-to-back layups by Toppin combined with another from fellow freshman Tru Washington helped the Lobos create some cushion in their lead. Going up 58-52 before Nevada called a timeout of their own. After several misses on each side, a pair of Washington steals would lead to a pair of Donovan Dent field goals.

With the lead back to double-digits (62-52), a media timeout couldn’t have come sooner for Coach Alford. His team responded well, making shots & making New Mexico earn theirs at the charity stripe (next 4 Lobo points, come from Mashburn Jr. FTs).

But in the face of continuous comeback attempts from their hosts, New Mexico stayed composed. With Amzil’s second three pointer of the night helping widen their lead, only for a Jarod Lucas three on the other end to help close it yet again.

As both teams approached the five minute mark, a pair of Daniel Foster free throws brought the Wolf Pack back to within four. New Mexico would fail to capitalize on their next two possessions. Ultimately sending Kenan Blackshear to the line to tie things up at 71-71 with 4:43 left in the game. Nevada would take their first lead of the second-half shortly after, with Toppin sending Davidson to the line for two easy free throws.

A much needed Amzil three pointer gave New Mexico back their lead (74-73). Which was a part of a clutch performance off of the bench from the Finnish big man (12 points in 21 minutes), who went 3-6 from deep against Nevada.

There would be two more ties after that, at 75 & 77 a piece before a defensive blunder would nearly turn the tides.

A Jaelen House foul on Jarod Lucas beyond the arc sent the sharpshooter to the line for three easy ones. Giving Nevada the 80-77 lead with under two minutes to play. House would go on to miss a three pointer on the other end, but New Mexico would retain the ball.

In comes the Mountain West magic & after being subbed out only seconds prior, in comes Jamal Mashburn Junior. Draining a three pointer that would silence the crowd inside the Lawlor Events Center while tying the game at 80-80. Get ready for the tweets.

If that wasn’t enough to keep Mountain West spectators on the edge of their seat, Nevada would take the lead after another Davidson layup with just thirty seconds to go. No one called a timeout, as offensive maestro Donovan Dent was entrusted to put the ball on the hardwood & drove to the basket only to find one of his team’s best scorers ready for the ball.

A slight lapse in defensive coverage by the Wolf Pack left Mashburn Jr. briefly open in the upper corner. As the clutch shooting guard came under pressure, he fired.

With Mashburn Jr.’s clutch three pointer, he was subbed right back out for the larger Baker Junior. Tasked with preventing a shot that Lobo fans were all too familiar with, a Kenan Blackshear final possession game winner.

With that miss New Mexico earned the 83-82 road win, another quad 1 win & their first sweep over Nevada since the 2015-2016 season.

It was truly a night for scoring in Reno. With New Mexico receiving double-digit scoring from five different players, including Nelly Junior-Joseph’s fifth double-double of the season (11 points, 13 rebounds). While Nevada had four players in double figures, led by 19 point performances from Nick Davidson & Jarod Lucas.

Player Spotlights

Nevada F–Nick Davidson

Stat line: 19 points & 7 rebounds & 2 blocks on 8-15 (53.3%) shooting from the floor, including 3-3 (100%) from deep in 35 minutes on the floor

To choose just one Wolf to highlight after tonight’s edge of your seat game was difficult. I could have easily pointed to Lucas’s offensive efficiency or Blackshear’s ability to get to the free throw line all night while also dishing out 7 assists. But, I don’t think Nevada even comes close to taking New Mexico down to the wire if it wasn’t for Davidson’s play in the post.

Shooting above 53.5% against one of the more talented & lengthy frontcourts in the conference isn’t easy. And Davidson managed to do so with consistency while also challenging for boards & making some clutch free throws when needed.

Playing at maybe Nevada’s shallowest position on the depth chart, the sophomore is vital to their success.

New Mexico G-Jamal Mashburn Jr.

Stat line: 17 points on 4-7 (57.1%) from the floor, including 3-3 (100%) from deep & 6-6 (100%) from the line in just 23 minutes on the floor

Mashburn Jr. definitely deserves his flowers for Tuesday night’s performance in Reno. He was quiet but efficient for most of the game, only logging 23 total minutes on the floor.

As Coach Pitino continuously subbed him in & out, in favor of size to try in order to find their defensive edge. That didn’t shake the mental toughness of this senior guard.

He returned to the floor time & time again to contribute in a highly efficient way. Ending the night shooting 100% from both the free throw line & from deep range. That deep range performance was vital to New Mexico’s win. As they’ve struggled with effective three point shooting all season.

If you would have asked me Tuesday morning if the Lobos would win tonight’s game off of back-to-back three pointers, I would have offered you a coffee to sober up. But big players show up in big moments, and no Lobo stands taller tonight than Jamal Mashburn Junior.

Three Takeaways:

  • After getting swept by UNLV last Saturday with that tough loss at home, New Mexico needed this win. Not only for their morale & momentum to finish out the season, but for their tournament resume. The sweep of Nevada this season is also significant, having not done so in nearly eight years. Not to mention beginning a two game winning streak against their former Head Coach. A second straight win this week in San Diego could be the momentum this team needs heading into a brutal second half of February.
  • Jamal Mashburn Jr. has been overshadowed this season. With the surge in production from sophomore Donovan Dent & the always crowd pleasing & energetic Jaelen House sharing the back court with him, minutes along with praise are sometimes scarce. His team high of 17 points to go along with those two clutch three pointers to win the game for his squad on the road are huge. His confidence & production along with others on this team like Amzil, Junior-Joseph, Washinton & Baker Jr. will be needed come tournament time & to finish strong the rest of the conference season.
  • Nevada played very well Tuesday night against New Mexico. Boasting a three game winning streak coming into this one, which includes back-to-back wins over Top-25 opponents in conference front runners Utah State & perennial powerhouse San Diego State just last week. Even after the loss, they made the correct adjustments throughout the game, which eventually led to them taking control in the closing minutes. The Wolf Pack appear primed & ready to compete for their spot in the Big Dance come March. I can’t wait to see this team thrive going forward, with a favorable stretch to overcome.

Next Up:

The Lobos only get three days off & stay on the road to hopefully finish their week 2-0. With a rare Friday night game against San Diego State on February 16th. New Mexico could secure two sweeps over two of their more problematic conference foes this year. It’s a tall task but remember, any team on any night.

The Lobos haven’t swept the Aztecs since 2017. Which happened to be Craig Neal’s last season in Albuquerque & it was still called Wise Pies Arena back then. That game tips off at 8:00 PM MT and can be seen on FS1.

While the Wolf Pack stay in Reno to host their southern in-state rivals, UNLV. The first game in the hardwood edition of the Battle for Nevada takes place on Saturday February 17th.

This rivalry may have seen some better days with UNLV’s inconsistency & NCAA Tournament drought over their last decade or so. Both programs are attempting to fight their way out of their mid-table positions.

But have proven their lethality to other team’s tournament hopes this season. That matchup tips off at 8:30 PM PT and can be seen on FS1.

Larry Muniz covers college basketball as a writer for Mountain West Wire and WAC Hoops Digest. Also as a co-host of the college basketball podcast “Hoops Talk W/Jay & Larry”. He is also a USWBA Member.

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No. 25 New Mexico Achieves Sweep of Wyoming On the Road, Winning 91-73 in Laramie

Game Recap: No. 25 New Mexico 91, Wyoming 73 New Mexico sweeps Wyoming for the first time in three seasons. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire No. 25 New Mexico sweeps Wyoming after second double-digit win over the Cowboys this season. Laramie, …

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 Game Recap: No. 25 New Mexico 91, Wyoming 73

New Mexico sweeps Wyoming for the first time in three seasons.

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

No. 25 New Mexico sweeps Wyoming after second double-digit win over the Cowboys this season.

Laramie, WY–The month of February is a special time of year. A time for love related holidays while also known for being the shortest month of the year. But maybe most importantly, it’s do or die time in conference play. And as far as must win games go, look no further than New Mexico’s trip north to face an always dangerous Wyoming team at home.

When Wyoming traveled to Albuquerque back in early January, they suffered a lopsided 77-60 loss in one of the toughest environments in the country. Since, the Cowboys have logged quality conference wins over rivals Colorado State & Nevada among others. Mostly due in part to the elevated play of Mason Walters & Brendan Wenzel to go along with the season long stellar play from Sam Grffin & Akuel Kot.

Both programs have split this regular season series the past two seasons. Including a double-digit avenging win by Jeff Linder’s squad inside the Pit by last Valentine’s day. Which happened during the Lobo’s Mountain West stretch without Jaelen House.

A healthy and dangerous New Mexico squad traveled to Laramie Tuesday night. Looking for their first sweep over the Cowboys since the 2019-2020 season, before Linder came to town. Something easier said than done as of late in an elevated Mountain West.

Things started off slow for both sides, with Wyoming missing their first five field goals and the Lobos committing two turnovers in the first few minutes of play. It wouldn’t last long as the Lobos took the early 9-3 lead soon after.

The Cowboys kept pounding the ball to Walters in the Paint, hoping to get him going early. Though in turn he missed all three of his field goals. An Akuel Kot three got Wyoming back in the game. Not to take all the credit, as New Mexico had five turnovers to that point. A Sam Griffin three pointer tied things up at 12 a piece at the 10:20 mark.

After a rare air ball by Jaelen House, he would drain his next to help end his team’s scoring drought. Both teams continued to trade buckets before the Lobos went on a 9-0 run to take the 33-20 lead with five minutes left in the first half.

Back-to-back Donovan Dent buckets combined with seven straight missed Cowboy field goals gave New Mexico the edge. Wyoming players looked winded in their own arena thanks to the Lobos’ elite offensive tempo just before half-time. They didn’t quit though. As a 5-0 Cowboy run after a timeout caused a Richard Pitino timeout of his own as momentum began to swing the other way.

It was enough to give New Mexico’s head man a bit of a scare but his squad still went into the locker room up 40-25 at the half.

Both teams began the second half quickly, with Mason Walters making only his second field goal of the night in the Cowboys opening possession. As Lobo freshman JT Toppin responded with a three pointer on the other end.

The Lobos would increase their lead with six straight points from Jamal Mashburn Jr. paired with a Jaelen House three as the cherry on top of that 9-0 run. Both teams would continue to trade buckets the rest of the way, but New Mexico’s lead stayed comfortably in the double-digits during that stretch.

Wyoming had a few runs which helped them shrink the Lobo lead to as little as 13 points as the game clocked chipped away, but it wasn’t enough. Thanks to that Lobo run mid-way through the first-half, the Cowboys never caught up.

It was a valiant effort though, with four Cowboys in double figures. Including 12 points & 7 rebounds from Cam Manyawu off of the bench for a quality 23 minutes. The freshman was joined by Akuel Kot (13 points), Sam Griffin (19 points) & Brendan Wenzel (20 points, read more below). As a whole Wyoming shot well with 27-67 (40.3%) made field goals but had a horrific night from beyond the arc on 6-26 (23.1%) shooting.

On the New Mexico side of things, they couldn’t miss. Shooting 45.1% from the field on a whopping 71 attempts, including shooting 13-35 (37%) from deep. Those 13 made three point field goals nearly tied their season high of 14 made against New Mexico State back in early December.

Five Lobos logged double-figures, Donovan Dent (19 points), Jamal Mashburn Jr. (15 points), Jaelen House (17 points), Mustapha Amzil (13 points) & a JT Toppin double-double (11 points, 13 rebounds). Giving him the record of most double-doubles by a freshman in a single season (8).

“It was a complete game. We built a lead and I thought they would throw a punch and they are really good offensively. We did a good job of sustaining it, getting some stops when we needed to and convert on the other end. I was concerned about this game. It is always a unique element with the elevation. I thought our guys were so locked in and were mature.” said Richard Pitino

These games may not feel super exciting, especially looking at a sparse crowd inside Arena-Auditorium Tuesday night. But at the end of the day, these are the games you have to win.

A loss to anyone outside of the top-half of the conference standings is nothing but a blotch on your resume at this point of the season. And the Lobos knew that. They also knew it could have been an entirely different outcome in Laramie, just ask Nevada and Colorado State. Kudos to New Mexico for winning a game they were predicted to win in more than convincing fashion.

Player Spotlights

New Mexico G-Donovan Dent

Stat line: 19 points, 7 assists on 8-13 (61.5%) from the floor in 36 minutes on the floor

Dent continues to show an ability to receive the ball on the offensive end and make it look like he’s the only one on the floor as he drives to the basket. He also continues to show the ability to stay hot as his teammates around him cool off along with an ever evolving game which including several pull up jumpers. An area in which he didn’t necessarily excel early in the season.

Dent’s 11 points were a big part of New Mexico’s first-half dominance after Wyoming kept things even in the first ten minutes or so of play. In the second-half his teammates stepped up in the scoring column, with plenty of credit going to dent with his 7 assists on the night. Not to mention his efforts defensively with 2 steals & 1 block in between all of that scoring.

Wyoming G/F–Brendan Wenzel

Stat line: 20 points & 5 rebounds on 7-15 (46.6%) shooting from the floor, including 4-9 (44%) from deep in 39 minutes on the floor

Wenzel’s play as of late has helped give Wyoming their Cardiac Cowboys moniker and made them an opponent that keeps opposing fans on their seat until the final buzzer sounds. On Tuesday night it wasn’t enough, as his offensive absence in the first half hurt Wyoming from keeping up as New Mexico began to pull away.

A stellar second half performance made things sort of respectable. Ending the night with 20 points thanks to a monster shooting night, especially from beyond the arc.

Next Up:

The Lobos head back to Albuquerque to finish their week against UNLV on Saturday February 10th. New Mexico hosts the Runnin’ Rebels after a tough road loss to Kevin Kruger’s group in Las Vegas at the start of conference play.

It’s likely that the Lobos are looking to avenge that loss, this time facing UNLV on their home court. That game tips off at 6:00 PM MT and can be seen on the CBS Sports Network.

While the Cowboys stay in Laramie to host league leaders Utah State on Valentines day. Even with the Aggies dropping their last two games, they’re an NCAA Tournament team with plenty of weapons.

Wyoming will use their bye week to prepare for a home court upset, which has been common as of late inside the Arena-Auditorium. That matchup tips off at 8:00 PM MT and can be seen on FS1.

Larry Muniz covers college basketball as a writer for Mountain West Wire and WAC Hoops Digest. Also as a co-host of the college basketball podcast “Hoops Talk W/Jay & Larry”. He is also a USWBA Member.

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No. 19 New Mexico Fall To Boise State 86-78 Inside the Pit

Game Recap: Boise State 86, No. 19 New Mexico 78 New Mexico receives first home loss of the season to Broncos. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire Boise State travels to Albuquerque to hand No. 19 New Mexico their first home loss of the season. …

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 Game Recap: Boise State 86, No. 19 New Mexico 78

New Mexico receives first home loss of the season to Broncos.

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

Boise State travels to Albuquerque to hand No. 19 New Mexico their first home loss of the season.

Albuquerque, NM–The Mountain West has turned into the bridge between high major and mid-major basketball. With the conference consistently ranked just behind or inside the coveted six high major conferences on KenPom.com in recent years.

With that jump in metric respect comes what fans and media around the conference like to call, the Mountain West Gauntlet. In short, it means that any team on any given night could fall. And taking a brief look the conference season thus far is all the proof you’ll need.

But, that high stakes basketball certainly gives way to entertaining and must watch action around the conference week in and week out. Take Tuesday night’s late night clash between the No. 19 New Mexico Lobos & Boise State Broncos.

Both squads were not immune to that aforementioned gauntlet as conference play begun. Richard Pitino’s Lobos began with a 1-2 record while Leon Rice’s Broncos have some high quality wins to go along with some less than stellar losses.

The Broncos have won four times inside the Pit, most recently back in 2022. But maybe more interesting, the last time Boise State faced a ranked New Mexico team in the Pit was back in 2013. Yes Leon Rice was the coach back then as well, so he’s familiar with the territory more than most.

Though with the Lobos coming into this match ready to defend an undefeated record on their home court and being renowned as one of the hottest teams in the country, fans were in for a treat.

The Lobos opened things up like they have done all January, with high energy, hustle & a zoned in focus. That gave them an early 10-2 lead over the Broncos and warranted a timeout from Leon Rice. Boise State responded with five straight points out of that timeout to silence the Pit crowd for just a moment.

The Broncos used that momentum to trade buckets with their hosts for the next five minutes or so. Mustapha Amzil came off of the bench with some instant offense.

With Coach Rice’s group making the adjustment to battle with their hosts down low where they have a deep array of bigs to choose from. It worked as the Broncos took their first lead of the game in the 9:49 minute mark with a Jace Whiting layup in a wide open lane.

They would go on a 6-0 run to further extend their lead in a ever so quiet Pit. The Broncos would shoot just 3-10 from deep but 8-10 down low during that stretch.

A Donovan Dent three pointer reignited the Lobo offense and cut the deficit down to one with just over five minutes of play in the half. Both squads would once again trade buckets to finish out the half. To the tune of a 41-38 Bronco lead. Thanks to their solid interior offense in the middle of the half and Max Rice’s three pointers.

The second-half began in similar fashion. A Broncos squad that was looking to do battle in the paint. The Lobos regained the lead just two minutes into the second half, going up 45-43 after a JT Toppin three pointer.

Both sides would continue to exchange buckets, in three point form, layups and free throws. The offense was everywhere on both sides and these two programs looked like one of the more even matchups in the Mountain West.

The Broncos were reluctant to give up their lead and found necessary buckets to maintain it. The only problem, Donovan Dent. The Lobo sophomore had his way with both Roddie Anderson III & Jace Whiting. Making drive after drive to keep the Lobos winning hopes alive.

Jamal Mashburn Jr. came off the bench to give Dent a much needed breather. And right off of the bench he sank a game tying three pointer to make things even at 67 a piece with about seven minutes on the game clock.

The Broncos answered with a Max Rice three and O’Mar Stanley field goal to regain their lead. A formula that treated them well all night. It continued to work all the way until the final buzzer.

It was the Lobos first loss inside the storied Pit this season. One fans and media alike saw coming eventually, but it still hurts regardless of the mental preparation. Boise State gave Leon Rice his fifth win inside the Pit during his tenure.

“Max Rice just continues to hurt us, O’Mar Stanley was such a great addition from the portal for them.” mentioned Richard Pitino “We got six days off until Wyoming, so we have to rebound & learn from this.”

Player Spotlights

Boise State G–Max Rice

Stat line: 35 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals on 12-20 shooting from the floor, including 7-14 (50%) from deep in 38 minutes on the floor

Rice gave Boise State their advantage in the first half with his three point shooting. Posting 11 points on 4-8 shooting (3-7 from deep). It wasn’t pretty but it was a difference maker. He continued to do the same in the second half. While even taking his game inside with his mismatched defenders on his hip and scoring in the process.

Max Rice was fun to watch, hitting threes, dishing to bigs and making cuts when those bigs got in trouble. The rest of his Boise State teammates had their woes but when your hand is as hot as Rice’s was, that doesn’t matter. His 35 points were a new career high, his previous of 30 points was also against the Lobos in Boise.

New Mexico G-Donovan Dent

Stat line: 31 points, 2 assists on 12-18 from the floor in 36 minutes on the floor

Jaelen House went to the bench early with 2 fouls, 2 points & no field goals early. Mashburn Jr. wasn’t his usual self either with a little too much size defensively for Boise State. So, in comes Donovan Dent.

With fearless drives filled with acrobatic plays, speed & strength. Which paired well with his confidence and play making abilities for others. Without him Leon Rice’s group would have had double-digit lead going into half-time.

Dent had an absolute showing in the second-half. Scoring 18 points off of 7-9 shooting, all two point field goals by the way. Cutting through the Boise State defense like butter. Dent’s 31 points were his new career high.

Three Takeaways

  • These games are necessary to experience in order to build a championship team and NCAA Tournament team. New Mexico realized that tonight. That sometimes the other teams size will be a factor and shots won’t fall for you. But that’s when your stars need to step up or relinquish that title.
  • This was the first game I’ve seen an opponent take the Lobos out of their game. They usually, force turnovers, score in transition & play tough defense. Either on the interior or perimeter, not always at the same time. Boise State did their job by taking them out of this style of play early. Not to mention the points lacking from their normal group of scorers and contributors. You can’t win when House goes 1-15 from the floor, that’s not all on him, but that usually spells doom.
  • Boise State came into the Pit and luckily had Max Rice with them on the flight over. The other broncos played key roles but Rice had one of the hottest hands I’ve seen in the Pit in recent memory. They’ll head home with a quality win in one of the toughest places to do so in the country. I can’t say much more about their performance than, good job Max Rice. Let’s hope he can keep that rhythm for the remainder of conference play. If so, the Broncos have found their go to scorer and are that much more dangerous.
  • I wanted to add a surprise 4th takeaway for those who have made it this far. Anyone can win, any given night.

Next Up:

The Lobos take the time to get right and take the weekend off before their next game. New Mexico hasn’t had a one game week so far this season and after such a hot turnaround beginning in January, it’s much needed.

After that, they’ll head on the road to face an always problematic Wyoming Cowboys squad in Laramie. That contest tips off at 6:30 PM MT on Tuesday February 6th and can be seen on the Mountain West Network.

The Broncos return home with a quality win to host a dangerous Air Force team on Saturday. One with plenty of scorers capable of master mining the upset.

Every game counts in this year’s edition of the Mountain West, so a home game against a bottom-half conference foe is a must win for Leon Rice. That game tips off on Saturday February 3rd at 2:00 PM MT and can be watched on the Mountain West Network.

Larry Muniz covers college basketball as a writer for Mountain West Wire and WAC Hoops Digest. Also as a co-host of the college basketball podcast “Hoops Talk W/Jay & Larry”. He is also a USWBA Member.

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No. 25 New Mexico Continues Hot Streak, Beating Nevada 89-55

The Lobos achieved their first win over the Wolf Pack in five years, in convincing fashion. Ending a 9-0 losing streak to Nevada on Sunday.

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 Game Recap: New Mexico 89, Nevada 55

New Mexico slams Nevada by 34 points at home Sunday night.

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

The Lobos achieved their first win over the Wolf Pack in five years, in convincing fashion.

Albuquerque, NM–A conference rivalry like no other. Two programs that share a similar mascot, a lopsided series record as of late & a shared appreciation for Steve Alford. The latest installment of that rivalry, was also the lone Mountain West game on Sunday night.

Meaning there were plenty of fans, regionally & bystanders nationally tuned in to see if New Mexico was the real deal & if Nevada was going to be the team to expose them.

Richard Pitino’s group put peddle to the metal against their visitors Sunday night, opening things up with a 10-0 run and not really looking back. Receiving contributions from seven Lobos in the first twenty minutes of action, New Mexico took the lead from the get go and never let go of the reins. Heading into half-time up 38-24, after what was an 18-point Lobo lead was chipped away by Nevada in the closing minutes.

It was a team effort in the first half, but New Mexico was led by 10 points, 6 rebounds & 2 blocks from Nelly Junior-Joseph. While Pitino’s trio of guards went for 17 of his squad’s 38 points, shooting 7-14 from the floor. Stud freshman JT Toppin was sidelined early with 5 points & two fouls, but it didn’t matter, not tonight.

Nevada struggled to knock down shots, looking for their first bucket for nearly five minutes into the game & trailing the rest of the way. Their best chance came with around 12:57 left to go in the second-half. As a Nick Davidson dunk sparked a 7-0 Wolf Pack run, which helped Nevada shrink their deficit to just nine points (their smallest all night).

That momentum was short lived as New Mexico responded with back-to-back three pointers, which livened the crowd inside the Pit. The home team’s lead reached 20-points soon after and only got larger as time went on.

As the final nail in the coffin coming in the form of a 7-0 run around the five minute mark, the Lobos had done it. Earning their first win over Nevada since January of 2019. Not to mention their first win over Steve Alford since his return to the Mountain West.

It was an impressive display from the Lobos and much needed after what Kenan Blackshear did inside that arena just a year ago. The win was also their fifth straight, all by double-figures & by an average margin of victory of 20.8 PPG. Also placing them in sole possession of second place in the Mountain West, behind No. 18 Utah State, whom the Lobos have already beaten once this season.

Player Spotlights

New Mexico G-Jaelen House

Stat line: 21 points, 6 steals & 6 assists on 7-13 (53.8%) shooting, including 4-8 (50%) from deep

House had one of his most impressive games of the season. Which seems like something I’ve written multiple times this season. But Sunday’s performance had flair, passion & efficiency to boot. Shooting a monster 53.8% from the floor & knocking down shots from everywhere on the floor. Thanks to a huge second-half, where he had 14 of his 21 points.

Not to mention a 2:1 assist to turnover ratio and a dominant defensive performance on the perimeter with six logged steals & countless other disruptions. House has always had poise and confidence but shooting 50% on a night with four other Lobos reaching double-figures was what was needed to send the Wolf Pack home in convincing fashion.

Nevada F–Tylan Pope

Stat line: 5 points, 4 rebounds & 1 block in just 12 minutes on the floor

Maybe the toughest player spotlight choice of the season, as no Wolf Pack player’s performance stood out. A player who played hard during his time on the floor & didn’t look intimidated by the score was Tylan Pope.

Nevada Sports outlets have been praising the Tulane transfer for his play off of the bench as of late. I see why after this dunk through traffic that the Nevada Twitter account doesn’t have a video of.

Three Takeaways

  • This Nevada loss was bound to happen sometime during Alford’s tenure in Reno. An undefeated record against his old employers is nothing to snuff at, but Sunday’s bombardment likely changes the power dynamic between these two programs for now. It wasn’t the most dignified way to lose (34 points and all), but New Mexico is one of the hottest teams in the country at the moment. Not to mention they’ve already done the same to Utah State & San Diego State this season.
  • Back in early January when UNLV handed the New Mexico their second loss in conference play I said things needed to change in the Lobo locker room. They couldn’t have an amazing non-conference performance just to fold in conference play like they did last year. Someone in that locker room felt the same way and since New Mexico has looked like a different team. One with confident stars playing in rhythm and role players like Junior-Joseph & Amzil thriving to give Richard Pitino one of the more dangerous squads in the country. Anything short of a No. 20 ranking come Monday would be a bit of an insult.
  • This Lobo team is playing with a passion, energy & confidence that I haven’t seen in maybe over a decade. One of the moments that I feel perfectly encapsulates this idea, is one of the many Lobo fast breaks of the night. A defensive stop from a mix of House, Junior-Joseph & Dent that led to all three of those players well ahead of any Wolf Pack player, which resulted in House rising in support of a then Dent slam dunk. It’s great to see, a revitalized fan base, student section & along with players inside the program.

Next Up:

The Lobos take their win and continue their two game homestand against a struggling but always dangerous Boise State squad. The two sides split their home and home series last season, but each team defended their home courts. That 8:30 PM MT tip-off can be seen on FS1 as the sole MWC game of the night.

While Nevada return home to host San Jose State on Friday February 2nd inside the Lawlor Events Center. The Wolf Pack look to return to their winnings ways after dropping four of their last five. That 8:00 PM PT tip-off can be seen on the FS1.

Larry Muniz covers college basketball as a writer for Mountain West Wire and WAC Hoops Digest. Also as a co-host of the college basketball podcast “Hoops Talk W/Jay & Larry”. He is also a USWBA Member.

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No. 25 New Mexico vs. Nevada: Game Preview, How To Watch, Prediction & More

New Mexico vs. Nevada: Game Preview, How To Watch, Prediction & More The Lobos head back home to put their winning momentum on the line. Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire No. 25 New Mexico heads home to host Steve Alford & his Nevada Wolf Pack …

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New Mexico vs. Nevada: Game Preview, How To Watch, Prediction & More

The Lobos head back home to put their winning momentum on the line.

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

No. 25 New Mexico heads home to host Steve Alford & his Nevada Wolf Pack in Super Sunday Showdown.

WHO: No. 25 New Mexico (17-3, 5-2 in the MWC) vs. Nevada (16-4, 3-3 in the MWC)

WHEN: Sunday, January 28th, 8:00 PM MT/7:00 PM PT

WHERE: University Arena aka “The Pit”, Albuquerque, NM

TELEVISION: FS1

STREAM:  FuboTV – Get a free trial

Line: KenPom ($), The Lobos are favored by 6 Points

A date circled on many Lobo fans calendars this time of year, the return of maybe their “winningest” Head Coach ever. A day that stirs up emotion among the New Mexico fan base, both good and bad. But another gameday to overcome nonetheless, regardless of who fills the opposing team’s bench.

Steve Alford left New Mexico for a dream job at one of college basketball’s blue chip gigs, UCLA. Fans understood why he left, but never truly forgave their former head coach. Lobo basketball since his departure has struggled to climb back to what is seen as their peak of the 21st century.

Because of that history, fans pack the pit when the other wolf team comes to town. Look no further than last season’s matchup, where 15,004 fans packed University Arena to witness one of the biggest buzzer beaters in Mountain West history. It was one of two Lobo losses last season resulting from a buzzer beater at home and one of two losses to the Wolf Pack last season.

In fact the last time a ranked Lobo team went up against Nevada was just a little over a year ago inside the Lawlor Events Center. The Wolf Pack added to the win column in Coach Alford’s record against his old employer. Which is perfectly intact at 8-0.

The Lobos will put their red hot momentum and top-25 ranking on the line Sunday night. As they prepare to host a team, like themselves, make opposing coaches hold their breath until the final buzzer sounds. New Mexico is coming home after a two-game road trip that resulted in convincing wins over Air Force & San Jose State.

Those are games the Lobos needed to win & couldn’t afford to lose, so give Richard Pitino and his group some credit for not fumbling those road wins. Maybe give more credit to their nationally renowned perimeter trio of Jaelen House, Jamal Mashburn Jr. & Donovan Dent who have led this New Mexico team to potentially their first NCAA Tournament trip since current Nevada Assistant Coach Craig Neal took them to ten years ago.

It really has been a team effort for the Lobos this season. Certainly led by that trio of guards but supported by stellar transfers & impactful freshman. New Mexico has slowly become the team national media were giving attention to in the offseason.

While Nevada is coming off of a 77-64 win against No. 24 ranked Colorado State on Wednesday. A much needed win that ended a three game losing streak for the Wolf Pack. A team like their hosts, are looking for an NCAA Tournament birth come March.

They are led by former transfers and now longtime Wolves Kenan Blackshear & Jarod Lucas. A perimeter duo who are making their last run around the Mountain West before running out of eligibility.

The guys over at Heat Check CBB have Nevada as one of the First Four Out in their most recent Bracketology release while other outlets have them as a Last Four In selection.

The path both of these teams have taken to Sunday’s matchup appear similar. Great non-conference performances, some tough losses but some high value “upsets” in conference play.

As the lone Sunday game of the entire Mountain West Conference slate, there will be eyeballs aplenty available to watch this clash of wolves.

Players to Watch:

F JT Toppin–New Mexico

23-24 Stats: 13.4 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 1.8 BPG & 1.2 SPG while shooting 66.3% from the floor in 25.0 MPG

Last time out: 14 points, 10 rebounds, 5 block on 5-11 (45%) shooting, including 4-5 (80%) from the line against San Jose State

If you haven’t gotten a chance to see a Lobo game this season, make time. New Mexico is a deep and talented team this year with leadership and true potential. With maybe JT Toppin having one of the more exciting freshman seasons since Kendall Williams well over a decade ago.

The 6-9 freshman four man is a site to see in the paint. Recently tying the record for most double-doubles by a freshman (7), previously held by Lobo legend & former NBA journeyman Kenny Thomas.

Toppin’s offensive game is primarily focused around the rim, with second chance layups & turnaround hook shots being his weapons of choice. Along with finishing in transition. While defensively he has active hands, which lead to opponent turnovers and those aforementioned dunks in transition. Big Lobo wins are usually accompanied by big Toppin nights, so they may need one from him in order to put away a team they haven’t beaten in a long time.

F Kenan Blackshear –Nevada

23-24 Stats: 16.2 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 4.9 APG while shooting 51.3% from the floor in 31.1 MPG

Last time out: 20 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists on 9-12 (75%) shooting against Colorado State

Blackshear’s name will live in infamy inside the heads of Lobo fans after his buzzer beating mid-range jumper inside the Pit last season. The true definition of a dagger that deflated an entire arena filled with fifteen thousand people in an instant.

Blackshear’s game is tough to stop. A 6’6 combo guard who often towers over his opponents on the perimeter. He has a deadly inside game, a 1.8 assist to turnover ratio but virtually no outside game.

An element of his game that you think would make him easier to guard or at least point to where on the floor opponents should push him towards, but it doesn’t. I don’t see Nevada securing the win without a big night from Blackshear.

Keys to the Game

For New Mexico:  Force Turnovers, Get to the line & minimize fouls

The Lobos make their money in transition off of missed field goal attempts and more often turnovers. If you blink you’ll miss it, but New Mexico’s points off of turnovers are no joke. They’ll need plenty of those to avoid playing to one of Nevada’s strengths, which is getting to the line & knocking them down.

The Wolf Pack are ranked in the top-20 in the country in free throw attempts (14th) and makes (16th). The Lobos need to play smart and keep them off of the line Sunday night. A foul heavy night in Albuquerque could doom the Lobos. As that slows down the game and possibly takes away one of their own strengths/advantages.

By the same token, the Lobos need free throws of their own if three-point & mid-range jumpers aren’t falling, which they rarely do. It’s an odd mix but one New Mexico needs to find to secure the win.

For Nevada:  Get to the line, Control the tempo & Crowd the Paint

The Lobos make plenty of their money at the line, but the Wolf Pack does it better. If Nevada can slow down the tempo and take New Mexico’s elite transition offense out of the game while getting to the free throw line at the same time. I can’t see a better reason to use the phrase, two birds with one stone in college basketball more than that exactly.

The Wolf Pack don’t necessarily have a dominant big man down low like say a Jaedon Ledee or Great Osobor. In my opinion that’s an advantage, because they won’t be as cautious when it comes to foul trouble or relying on points from their frontcourt to secure the win.

Instead, they can use that frontcourt on the defensive side and make it difficult for New Mexico’s bigs to earn their living down low. They can do so by sending those bigs to the line, where as a whole, they shoot a poor 59.2% from the charity stripe.

Prediction: New Mexico 80, Nevada 74

The power of the Pit has treated the Lobos well all season (10-0). With their only three losses of the season coming on the road. KenPom has New Mexico as 6-point favorites, which feels accurate given the margin of victory the Lobos have dealt to their opponents as of late but not forgetting Nevada’s offensive abilities any given night.

Though at this point in the season, teams are playing for their tourney resumes and at-large bids. A win in Albuquerque over a ranked New Mexico team means a heck of a whole lot for Nevada. While a homestand win for the Lobos not only gives them their first win over Steve Alford, but a solid quad 2 win to add to their own resume.

I think the current form the Lobos are in combined with their homecourt advantage gives them the win. It could be close but I see New Mexico pulling out the win Sunday night.

Larry Muniz covers college basketball as a writer for Mountain West Wire and WAC Hoops Digest. Also as a co-host of the college basketball podcast “Hoops Talk W/Jay & Larry”. He is also a USWBA Member.

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MWC Basketball Quick Hitters: Tuesday January 16th Results

Overtime in Colorado, A California Clash, the nation’s longest winning streak gone & the No. 16 Utah State gets first MWC loss.

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MWC Basketball Quick Hitters: Tuesday January 16th Results

The Lobos win over No. 16 Utah State may highlight a wonderful night of hoops in the Mountain West.

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

Overtime in Colorado, a California clash, the nation’s longest winning streak gone & No. 16 Utah State gets first MWC loss.

Mountain West Action was in full effect Tuesday night. Full of storylines, quad 1 wins & plain old conference fun. The conference has a chance, no matter how small at sending six teams to the big dance in a couple of months. It’s far fetched & sending 5 teams (last done in 2013) would be considered huge progress, but hope keeps fanbases alive this time of year right? And fans were treated to some pretty riveting games from the Rocky Mountains to the West Coast.

Even as wins for some can be considered resume boosting & losses for others considered resume blotches this time of year. The Mountain West is a gauntlet & if you hope to survive, you bring your A game.

Colorado State 78, Air Force 69

In-state matchups seemed to be all the rage in the Mountain West on Tuesday night. As a struggling Colorado State team who was coming off of two straight losses after having one of the more impressive non-conference performances welcomed southern conference foes Air Force.

The Falcons like have elevated their competitiveness under Joe Scott. With three players averaging 15+ points a game & having all-conference caliber seasons. But they’ve done so in a Mountain West that has elevated it’s competitiveness as a whole.

Tuesday night inside Moby arena was yet another testament to how tough the Mountain West is year in and year out it seems. As the Rams were likely looking forward to sleeping in their own beds tonight after a two game road trip. But the Falcons forced Colorado State into overtime on their home court. Though, Niko Medved’s group managed to dominate their opponent in overtime (14-5). Giving them the 78-69 victory, no matter how ugly it was.

Joe Scott’s team shot an impressive 10-22 (45%) from beyond the arc, led by Ethan Taylor (18 points, 5-11 3FG) & Beau Becker (18 points, 4-8 3FG). With Colorado State nearly matching them with 10-24 (41%) but the x-factor as proclaimed by his Head Coach, being Joe Palmer off of the bench with 11 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, a key block & shooting 3-6 from deep.

Fresno State 85, San Jose State 82 (Click For Recap)

The Bulldogs & Spartans may find themselves towards the bottom of one of the more competitive Mountain West Conferences in recent memory. But it doesn’t mean they can’t treat the fans inside the Save Mart Center to a fun in-state clash on a Tuesday night right?

Tim Miles continues to make the Spartans a respectable & competitive team in year three in the Bay Area. While now sixth year Bulldog Head Coach Justin Hutson still seeks stability in the Central Valley. As they met on the court neither squad backed down on Tuesday night.

Instead they kept things close & an Isaiah Hill buzzer beater was needed to seal the deal, giving Fresno State’s their first conference win of the year. A 30-point night from Tibet Gorener wasn’t enough to lift his team to the win on the road, even if he made 7-9 3-pointers. On the other side of the court, super senior Isaiah Hill’s 24 points, 9 assists with no turnovers & 5-8 three pointers gave himself a new season high in scoring & his team a much needed win.

UNLV 68, Boise State 64

The Runnin’ Rebels walked into the fortress known as ExtraMile Arena in Boise. The Broncos have managed to turn their home court into a topic of discussion by national media. The largest winning streak in the nation, twenty-two games at home was on the line for Boise State. For UNLV it was another chance to prove how tough this conference truly is.

Kevin Kruger’s group did their job, taking an undefeated (in conference play) Boise State team down to the wire to put an end to that Bronco fairytale. Twenty-four points from Tyson Degenhart wasn’t enough to keep the W in Boise. Leon Rice’s team needs to stay focused & avoid a dip in conference play, like others have done this far. Tuesday night may be the wake up call they need before they face San Diego State on Saturday on national television.

While UNLV was led by junior college transfer Robert Whaley Jr., who has taken some time to acclimate to the D-I game. Maybe he’s acclimated, as Whaley Jr. dropped 18 points on 8-11 shooting tonight. The Runnin’ Rebels have taken some tough losses thus far and handed them out jus the same. Don’t worry about their place in the current standings just yet, with plenty of basketball to still be played & weapons galore.

New Mexico 99, No. 16 Utah State

The Lobos looked like the team media all across the country were high on to in the preseason Tuesday night. Handing No. 16 Utah State their first conference loss and ending a seven game losing streak to the Aggies in the process. Danny Sprinkle’s group never gave up and had 5 players in double figures by the nights end.

As I said on Twi..whoops I mean X, Utah State didn’t have a bad game, far from it. The Lobos simply had a better one in front of 13,000 fans on a Tuesday night for a 8:45 PM tip-off. New Mexico had 6 players in double figures & were led by a double-double from Donovan Dent (15 points & 14 assists, just 1 turnover) & a breakout performance from Nelly Junior-Joseph (26 points, 8 rebounds, 5 blocks, 3 steals on 91% shooting from the floor).

Ian Martinez had a huge second-half, which included 14 points & a 11-0 run of consecutive made three pointers & an acrobatic layup to shrink what had turned into a 20-point Lobo lead with more than half of the game left to play. If not for him, a respectable 13-point loss inside one of the toughest opposing arenas to walk into in the country, could have turned into a nationally televised blowout.

Current MWC Standings

1-No. 16 Utah State 4-1, 16-2

2-Boise State 3-1, 12-5

3-San Diego State 3-1 14-3

4-New Mexico 3-2, 15-3

5-Nevada 2-1, 15-2

6-Wyoming 2-2, 9-8

7-Colorado State 2-2, 13-3

8-UNLV 2-2, 9-7

9-Fresno State 1-3, 8-9

10-San Jose State 1-4, 8-10

11-Air Force 0-4, 7-9

Larry Muniz covers college basketball as a writer for Mountain West Wire and WAC Hoops Digest. Also as a co-host of the college basketball podcast “Hoops Talk W/Jay & Larry”. He is also a USWBA Member.

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New Mexico vs. No. 16 Utah State: Game Preview, How To Watch, Prediction & More

New Mexico vs. No. 16 Utah State: Game Preview, How To Watch, Prediction & More Can the Lobos pull off the encore & secure back-to-back top-25 win? Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire New Mexico hosts No. 16 Utah State, in search of second …

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New Mexico vs. No. 16 Utah State: Game Preview, How To Watch, Prediction & More

Can the Lobos pull off the encore & secure back-to-back top-25 win?

Contact/Follow @HardwoodTalk & @MWCwire

New Mexico hosts No. 16 Utah State, in search of second straight top-25 win.

WHO: New Mexico (14-3, 2-2 in the MWC) vs. No. 16 Utah State (16-1, 4-0 in the MWC)

WHEN: Tuesday, January 16th, 8:30 PM MT

WHERE: University Arena aka “The Pit”, Albuquerque, NM

TELEVISION: FS1

STREAM:  FuboTV – Get a free trial

Line: KenPom ($), The Lobos are favored by 4 Points

Encore performances are a beautiful aspect of all kinds of entertainment, sports included. The ability to satisfy an audience’s demand of an incredible performance is special. And believe me Lobo fans are demanding an encore against No. 16 Utah State on Tuesday night.

It’s a big ask, but the Lobos haven’t even had the chance at back-to-back top-25 wins since 2012. They were actually presented with three such opportunities that year, all against San Diego State & UNLV. Their first two meetings resulted in losses, while the Lobos swept the next four.

New Mexico is coming off of what can be argued the biggest win of the Richard Pititno era in Albuquerque Saturday afternoon. When they welcomed a nationally ranked rival in San Diego State and performed a comeback for the ages.

The rest of conference play isn’t going to be a cake walk, it never is. But the momentum built on Saturday needs to be carried over against Utah State. That’s if the Lobos still have March Madness aspirations.

Because Utah State is enjoying an incredible inaugural year in the Danny Sprinkle era in Logan. In year one, Coach Sprinkle has managed to produce a 15-game winning streak including a 4-0 start in conference play. Not to mention the program’s first top-25 ranking since 2019. The program is absolutely rolling, continuing to be a mid-major jumping off point for up and coming coaches.

Tuesday night’s matchup against one of the hottest programs in college basketball is important to say the least. That 15-game Aggie winning streak is also the longest in the nation. And as of Monday, Utah State is the sole Mountain West team in the AP Top-25. After a tough week left the likes of Colorado State & San Diego State bruised and beaten out of the rankings all together.

So on a night filled with Mountain West action, the game with the most weight, might be in Albuquerque.

Players to Watch:

G Jaelen House–New Mexico

23-24 Stats: 15.7 PPG, 4.1 APG, 3.3 RPG, 2.7 SPG & 38.5% 3FG

Last time out: 26 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals on 7-16 (43.8%) shooting, including 4-9 (44.4%) from deep against No. 19 San Diego State

House is fun to watch, whether you love him or hate him, he’s good for college basketball. As his passion and never give up attitude on the floor resembles a video game cheat code, just ask San Diego State.

Without House’s resurgence and continued hustle on both sides of the ball, I’m not sure the Lobos even make it close. He is the x-factor for New Mexico and likely a focal point of Utah State’s gameplan.

F Great Osobor-Utah State

23-24 Stats: 18.9 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 2.8 APG, 1.5 BPG & 58.5% FG

Last time out: 24 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks on 6-12 (50%) shooting, including 12-13 (92.3%) from the free throw line against UNLV

Great Osobor is an absolute tank down low. A tank with great hands to go along with a great feel around the rim. He moves well in transition and is on the receiving end of plenty of passes from fellow former Bobcat Darius Brown II. Who just happens to rank 3rd in the entire nation for assists (7.4).

Osobor is enjoying a red hot breakout season, logging double-digit scoring outputs in all of but two games so far. That also includes eight 20+ games and eight double doubles. If the Aggies are looking to secure another quad 1 win to add to their resume, a good night from Osobor is key.

Keys to the Game

For New Mexico:  Interior Defense, Get to the line & Defend the perimeter

The Lobos didn’t look well balanced in the first ten minutes or so against San Diego State. They eventually found their defensive rhythm & put an end to the Aztec’s slow but potent offense.

It took a little longer to figure out how to put points in the basket after shooting horribly to start the game. The solution, three guards shooting a combined 12-12 from the free throw line when nothing else seemed to fall.

On the defensive side, it was 14 blocks (11 in the first half) & 8 steals. Ten of those blocks belonged to the Lobos’ frontcourt starters. They’ll need a similar performance against one of the toughest interior matchups in the country right now, Great Osobor.

For Utah State:  Solid looks for Osobor, Ball Security & Clog the lanes

Some nights Great Osobor is a walking bucket. A walking 6’8 245 pound wrecking ball with great hands type of bucket. With a completely new roster, it’s obvious now that Osobor was the gem of this recruiting class. He’ll need a big night against a Lobo squad that hasn’t been known for their interior defense all season.

The Aggies will also need top notch ball security as the Lobos are one of the best teams in the country at creating offense off of turnovers. Lastly, Utah State will have to clog the lanes & force New Mexico to the free throw line to earn their points or to take & make the three (which has proven to be impossible some nights).

Prediction: New Mexico 80, Utah State 76

The power of the Pit was on full display Saturday afternoon. But a sold out & ruckus crowd isn’t always enough to secure two consecutive wins over top-25 caliber opponents. The Lobos need a similar offensive & defensive balance that gave them their weekend upset.

KenPom has New Mexico as 4-point favorites, which feels accurate given these two teams offensive capabilities. As the Lobos and Aggies are leading the conference in scoring at number one and two. It might just come down to who gets there first.

Larry Muniz covers college basketball as a writer for Mountain West Wire and WAC Hoops Digest. Also as a co-host of the college basketball podcast “Hoops Talk W/Jay & Larry”. He is also a USWBA Member.

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