[163] In the second round the hobbled Lobos could not keep up with athletic, fast-breaking Washington. They were ranked in the top ten for much of the 196768 season, peaking at #4, and they were in the top 20 most of the following season. There were a multitude of reasons for this. Coach King died on December10, 2004. Gethro Muscadin, the former University of New Mexico Lobo basketball player who had been hospitalized since being in a single-vehicle crash 10 months ago in Kansas, died Monday night. This was short lived, however, and the Lobos went 3-11 to finish out the season. Lobo starred for the Huskies when they won a national championship in 1995 following an undefeated season and was also an Olympic gold medalist for Team USA in 1996. Brown again led the Lobos in 198586 with 20.9 points and 7.5 rebounds a game, earning All-WAC recognition. While Ellenberger was visiting this booster, in November 1979, he took a call on the tapped phone from assistant coach Manny Goldstein. Thomas tallied 1,931 points and 1,032 rebounds in his career, the first player in WAC history with over 1,800 points, 1,000 rebounds, and 200 blocked shots. They went on to lose in the first round in the Mountain West Championship against Nevada. Still smarting after last weekend's buzzer-beating loss to San Diego State in a sold-out Pit, the Lobos (20-9, 7-9) are fighting for survival heading into the final two games of the regular . [34] It was Ellenberger's first Division I head coaching position, but he made up for what he lacked in experience with energy and enthusiasm. Updated: Feb 27, 2023 / 01:50 PM MST. Longley was named All-WAC, averaging 18.4 points and 9.7 rebounds while setting Lobo records for blocks in a season and per game. [35] The 197576 team improved to 1611 with a largely mercenary squad of JC transfers who would later quit the team before the end of the season. [148] After losing at Oral Roberts, they beat #20 Texas Tech and a Dayton squad that would go on to win the NIT. The Lobos dropped their first two MWC games but then reeled off 15 straight wins their second longest winning streak ever[162] sweeping #10 BYU. They began their WAC schedule with losses at Utah and BYU but rebounded to win eight of their next nine. Senior Greg Brown, a 57 point guard from Albuquerque High, produced a monumental season, though, leading the Lobos to their first regular season WAC title in 16 years. The design of the arena makes it one of the loudest venues in college basketball, creating a hostile playing environment for visitors. "[198] Many fans were disappointed and outraged when Roberts was dismissed by KKOB in 2008. [155][160] Versatile JC transfer Darington Hobson joined lone senior Roman Martinez, junior Dairese Gary, and eight sophomores and freshmen. [139] The Lobos lost to #13 Stanford in their opener but moved to 103 as Douglas led the way with 18 points a game. [98] Longley was the seventh player selected in the 1991 NBA draft, by Minnesota, and he went on to win three NBA championships as a starter for the Chicago Bulls (199698). The team was again defense-oriented, surrendering just 60 points a game and grinding out close wins, frequently coming from behind. [134][135], Before the 19992000 season, the Lobos and seven other teams left the WAC to form the Mountain West Conference (MWC). In 1957, while still on faculty, Johnson oversaw construction of the 7,800-seat arena that bears his name, Johnson Gymnasium. [23] Brown also won the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award, given to the nation's top senior under six feet tall and gained an All-American Honorable Mention. [119] The Lobos then fell to eventual national champion Connecticut, shooting just 26%, to finish 259. They beat Dayton in the regional consolation game to finish the season 227 and ranked #18 in the UPI. The Lobos got to 21-9 Tuesday by defeating. [148] Danridge was named All-MWC, and Alford was tabbed MWC Coach of the Year. [36][39][56] The team played at a frenetic pace and led the nation in scoring at 97.5 points per game. Lobo basketball fans will remember Kendall Williams from any number of Lobo highlights throughout his college career. Alford was again named MWC Coach of the Year, and Gary was All-MWC. [187] Williams finished his career as the fifth leading scorer in Lobo history, third in assists, and the MWC career assists leader. [218] During the 1980s, a popular chant among Lobo fans was "Everyone's a Lobo, Woof Woof Woof! Alford applied a strict regimen and Giddens responded with a standout senior season, leading the team with 16 points and nine rebounds a game. [147] The young squad showed promising signs early but struggled in conference to finish 1414. [46] First-year Athletic Director Paul Krebs announced before the end of the season that McKay would not return for the following season. The UNM gymnasium at the time was a small wooden building where the walls were out-of-bounds markers for basketball games. Media Guide 201314, pp.65,116. [14] Harge averaged 18.8 points and 11.8 rebounds a game during his two seasons at UNM and was selected in the second round of the 1964 NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers. He was selected as the 30th pick in the first round of the 2008 NBA draft by Boston. The Lobos were ranked #11 and received a three-seed in the NCAA tournament, their best seed ever. [129] He was selected as the 22nd pick in the first round of the 1999 NBA draft by Houston and played for 11 seasons in the NBA.[130]. The Official Athletic Site of the New Mexico Lobos, partner of WMT Digital. [19][20] The Lobos reached #3 with an 111 record but then lost four straight and fell out of the rankings. They went to the NIT and beat South Florida before losing at eventual champion Wake Forest, finishing 1814. Media Guide 201314, pp.67,69,71,77,88. [106], The 199394 Lobos were picked in preseason polls to finish fifth in the WAC after losing their three leading players to graduation. [209] The video clip of NC State coach Jim Valvano celebrating at the end of the game documents one of the most famous moments in NCAA basketball history and is a staple of NCAA tournament television coverage.[5]. [36][46] The top six largest crowds ever at The Pit were during this period. The Lobo players and fan base rallied around long-time associate head coach Craig Neal, hoping to maintain continuity, and he was hired to replace Alford. Several players left the team, some claiming abuse by Fraschilla. Full New Mexico Lobos roster for the 2022-23 season including position, height, weight, birthdate, years of experience, and college. [163], The 201213 Lobo squad was dominated by juniors and sophomores, though all were veteran contributors, including three returning starters. [86], Colson was forced to resign after the season ended, a move that remains somewhat controversial. [116] Douglas was an explosive scorer and led the team with 16 points a game. [167] He was joined by UCLA transfer Drew Gordon, who averaged 13 points and 10.5 rebounds, and the program's most successful freshman class to date, including starter Kendall Williams who scored 12 points a game. They have been regularly ranked from the 200910 through the 201314 seasons. by Frank Mercogliano. The last Lobo men's basketball game played in the Pit was Feb. 29, 2020. . [204] Rick Majerus, who compiled a 511 record against the Lobos at The Pit, tying him with Don Haskins for most wins by a visiting coach, noted the intensity and dedication of Lobo fans and their knowledge of the game,[207][208] The Pit hosted the 1983 NCAA Final Four, the last time the event was held on a college campus. [6][11] For many years, Johnson Gym was the most prominent feature of the UNM campus for those driving along Central Avenue in Albuquerque, part of historic U.S. Route 66. Lamont Long averaged 18.7 points a game to lead the league and earn All-MWC honors, finishing his career as the third leading scorer in Lobo history, three points ahead of former teammate Shields.[137]. William C. Dowling, Confessions of a Spoilsport: My Life and Hard Times Fighting Sports Corruption at an Old Eastern University (2007). The current head coach is Richard Pitino Both men's and women's teams play in The Pit, formally known as Dreamstyle Arena, built in 1966. The Lobos won the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) championship in 1964 and 1968, making frequent appearances in national rankings. [190] Before the 2017-2018 season started, 10 of the 15 players from the previous season either transferred, left the team, or graduated. Scott is the Lobo career leader in FG percentage, at .622 (198285). [72] Top ten-ranked UTEP foiled the Lobos, however, sweeping their regular season match-ups and knocking them out of the WAC tournament. Against four-seed Louisville, the Lobos took an early lead, fell behind by 15, then battled back to within two late in the game. King suffered a heart attack and brain aneurysm shortly before Bird's senior season, however, and his assistant, Bill Hodges, led the team to the 1979 Final Four, where they lost to Michigan State in the championship game. The Lobos were among the top 12 in the nation in scoring for Ellenberger's final three years, topping a hundred points 25 times and registering six of the school's top eight single-game scoring totals. [10] They went 17589 (.663) in ten seasons with King as head coach, winning two conference titles and making four appearances in post-season tournaments. [210] Luxury suites and club seats were added, along with digital video boards, expanded concourses, additional restrooms and concession stands, and upgraded training facilities,[46] while preserving the historic character of the building. The day before the NCAA tournament began, UNM announced a 10-year contract extension with Alford; 10 days later, he resigned to take the head coaching position at UCLA. [114] The 199596 team added to that nucleus Albuquerque High star Kenny Thomas, a USA Today and Parade magazine High School All-American. [35] A memorable highlight of the season was the first game in a brief but intense rivalry with UNLV before the teams were in the same conference. The team entered the year #18 and would remain ranked throughout the next three seasons. [5], Roy Johnson, nicknamed "Old Iron Head", was fundamental to the early development of Lobo athletics. The success of the Lobos under Bob King led to rapidly growing fan interest. [231], The Lobos have compiled a 1611 record in MWC tournaments, reaching the final six times and winning the championship four times. After the 197172 season, assistant coach Norm Ellenberger was elevated to head coach, and King served as Assistant Athletics Director the next season. [90] Knight recommended Bliss, who had been his assistant at Army and Indiana before serving as head coach at Oklahoma and SMU. Williams hit a school-record 10 threes and scored 46 points at Colorado State, both MWC records. For now, the Lobos have six returning scholarship players in guards Jeremiah Francis, Javonte Johnson and Saquan Singleton; and three forwards in Emmanuel Kuac, Rod Brown and Valdir Manuel. The 2013 Howl drew over 10,000 fans and featured the introduction of new coach Craig Neal, who entered the arena on his motorcycle. Tributes honoring her memory started forming on social. Greene completed his career as the only Lobo ever to surpass 1,500 points, 600 rebounds, 300 assists, and 200 steals, averaging 16 points and six rebounds a game as a Lobo. Student-athletes from both men's and women's squads participate and sign autographs for fans, and the event is used to attract recruits invited to attend. Former New Mexico Players Currently In The NBA * NBA stats from the 2022-2023 season. Hobson led the team with 16 points, nine rebounds, and 4.6 assists a game, the only Lobo to ever lead in all three. They lost four straight early in the year, then won their next five; they lost seven of nine, but won their last seven regular season games; they carried that momentum into the NIT and reached its Final Four. [222] Over the years it has evolved into a family-like atmosphere held during the evening, including player introductions, practice drills and scrimmages, three-point shooting and slam dunk contests, and other festivities. They have won the MWC regular season championship and the conference tournament four times each. Media Guide 201314, pp.67,87. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. Rusty Mitchell, who coached men's gymnastics at The University of New Mexico from 1966-99, passed away over the weekend at the age of 80. Brown compiled career averages of 19.9 points and 6.9 rebounds a game. Bliss had won 246 games as Lobo head coach and reached the NCAA tournament seven times, both school records. 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