[176] The Lobos lost on the road to ranked San Diego State and UNLV but beat both at home and won nine out of ten to clinch the league title. [91][92] Deciding it was time to move on, Bliss resigned and accepted the head coach position at Baylor, reportedly more than doubling his UNM salary. Media Guide 201314, p.71. After an early loss at Kansas, the Lobos won ten straight, later building a 193 record and attaining a #10 national ranking, their first appearance in the AP poll. Based on this conversation, the FBI launched an investigation that led to a federal indictment of Ellenberger on seven counts of fraud and forgery of academic transcripts, though he was acquitted of those charges at trial. McGee played in 137 games and dished out 684 assists. Unfazed, Long scored 22, Shields had 17, and bench reserves added 33 points as the Lobos won handily. [13] The team posted wins over Kansas and at Purdue and received a berth in the 1964 National Invitation Tournament (NIT) at Madison Square Garden in New York City. [224] He was an integral part of the Lobo fan experience, especially before most games were televised. The team was again defense-oriented, surrendering just 60 points a game and grinding out close wins, frequently coming from behind. [43] After a string of road losses, the Lobos recovered to win six of seven and secure the WAC championship in a strong season for the league when five of eight teams were ranked at some point. [163] In the second round the hobbled Lobos could not keep up with athletic, fast-breaking Washington. [203] Contributing to the intimidating environment for visitors is the mile high elevation of The Pit,[199] emphasized to visiting teams with a message along the wall of the tunnel from the locker rooms down to the playing floor saying, "Welcome to the legendary Pit, a mile high and louder than"[204], The Pit has garnered praise as one of the top venues in college basketball from sports reporters, announcers, and opposing coaches. [23], The 197879 Lobo squad returned starters Abney and Saunders while adding another strong JC class including Larry Belin. The Lobos notched wins over Santa Clara and Pepperdine before losing to eventual tournament runner-up St. Louis, finishing the season at 2211. [97] In the NIT, the Lobos knocked off Oregon, Oklahoma State, and Hawaii to make the Final Four in New York. In 1920 a head coach would be hired, Roy W. Johnson. The team began the season 112 but lost four straight, struggling on the road. [59] In July 1981, however, he was convicted by a state District Court on 21 of 22 counts of fraud and submitting false public vouchers. They beat Iowa and USC on the way to another showdown with #9 UNLV, losing a high-scoring game, then losing to #10 Arizona. [152], Steve Alford coached the Lobos for six seasons, compiling a 15552 (.749) record with three NCAA tournament appearances, at least a share of four league titles, and two conference tournament championships. "[199], The Lobo Howl is an event held initially on midnight of the first day the NCAA allows teams to practice. Former players have joined forces and are in town for TBT, and they met up with this year's squad for a dinner. The highlight of the season was a 75-66 win over No. Gary finished his Lobo career second in games played, second in career free throws made, and is now fifth in career assists. [55] Attendance at The Pit jumped to over 17,000 a game, second most in the nation, as fan enthusiasm soared. Phil Abney and Russell Saunders were JC additions; Abney initially backed up Howard but later moved into the starting line-up. They were again relegated to the NIT, losing to Oregon State and finishing 2510, the team record for wins in a season at the time. [151] The 200607 team featured talented Kansas transfer J. R. Giddens, who led the team with 16 points a game, but discipline problems limited his playing time. McAfee signed with Weatherford College in Texas before transferring for one year with the University of Louisiana Rajun Cajuns in the 2020-2021 season. The Lobos won the MWC regular season championship in 2009, 2010, 2012, and 2013, and they won the conference tournament in 2005, 2012, 2013, and 2014. Five months later, and with the New Mexico still proving to be the only team all season capable of beating the Aztecs on their home court in Viejas Arena, No. [62] The damage to the program was devastating, as it was forced to rebuild virtually from scratch, beginning in mid-season. UNM left the Border Conference in 1951 to join the Mountain States Conference, then known as the Skyline Eight. [87] In the end, fans wanted more than Colson had managed to achieve, and despite the respect he had earned for rebuilding the program, the disappointment of failing to reach the NCAA tournament fueled support for a change. [119] The Lobos then fell to eventual national champion Connecticut, shooting just 26%, to finish 259. Bairstow led with 24 points and eight rebounds, but the team shot poorly and their comeback fell short. [114] The 199596 team added to that nucleus Albuquerque High star Kenny Thomas, a USA Today and Parade magazine High School All-American. 22-year-old Destiny McAfee is a former all-district basketball and volleyball player for the Lobos and graduated in 2019. The Lobos won their fourth WAC championship with a 131 league record, losing only at ranked Utah, and entered the NCAA tournament ranked #5 and seeded second in the West Regional, with the opportunity to play in The Pit for the regional final with a win. The Lobos, Aggies, and Miners played one another twice every season, home-and-away, and a fierce rivalry grew among them. [19] Hardin led the way, averaging 17 points a game, and the team became the highest scoring Lobo squad to date at over 84 points a game. Johnson coached the UNM basketball team for all but two seasons from 1920 to 1940. Hosting #18 Gonzaga, Douglas missed a pair of free throws to send the game into overtime, and the Lobos lost; point guard Marlon Parmer ripped teammates in the locker room, beginning a string of problems on court and off. Several players left the team, some claiming abuse by Fraschilla. They beat Texas A&M in the NIT before losing at Fresno State to finish the season 1913. Ellenberger was well-respected as a teacher of defense,[34][39] and he was a frequent participant in basketball coaching camps and workshops, where he became friends with UNLV coach Jerry Tarkanian. 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. [226] In 1999, Roberts was inducted into the University of New Mexico Athletic Hall of Honor by the Alumni Lettermen's Association and received the Distinguished Service Award. Topic starter. [164] Martinez was honored as an Academic All-American and received the NCAA Chip Hilton Player of the Year Award for outstanding character, leadership, integrity, and talent.[165][166]. Former University of Kansas and New Mexico Lobos basketball player Gethro Muscadin has died from injuries sustained in a one-car crash during the early-morning hours of Dec. 30, 2021.. [72] Top ten-ranked UTEP foiled the Lobos, however, sweeping their regular season match-ups and knocking them out of the WAC tournament. [155][160] Versatile JC transfer Darington Hobson joined lone senior Roman Martinez, junior Dairese Gary, and eight sophomores and freshmen. [22][170] Williams and fellow sophomore Tony Snell scored in double figures. The Pittsburgh Steelers . Media Guide 201314, p.91. [183] Williams averaged 16 points and five assists, and Kirk added 13 points and nine rebounds. [2][46] The Lobos finished in the top five nationally in attendance 16 times in their first 20 years at The Pit, reaching second five times, and they were in the top ten all but one season through 2002. Shields scored 1,837 points. When Ellenberger was fired in December 1979, lead assistant Charlie Harrison was elevated to head coach for the remainder of the season. [115] The young Lobo squad jumped out to a 100 start and a #25 ranking before losing a pair of league road games. UNM played their "home" games at various venues outside of New Mexico due to the restrictions against sports competitions from COVID-19 in New Mexico. The University of New Mexico's 50 greatest Men's Lobo basketball players through 2020 1) Mel Daniels PF 65-67 2) Michael Cooper SG 77-78 3) Kenny Thomas PF 96-99 4) Danny Granger SF 04-05 5) Charles Smith SF 94-97 6) Luc Longley C 88-91 7) Ira Harge C 63-64 8) Marvin Johnson SF 77-78 9) Darington Hobson SF 2010 10) Royce Olney SG 96-99 They discussed an arrangement to transfer bogus credits from a California Junior College to the office of the UNM registrar. [18] The team began the 196667 season ranked 6th in the country and rose to #5 before winning at #2UTEP, the defending national champion and highest-ranked team New Mexico had ever beaten at that point. [106] They then faced six-seed Louisville in a closely contested game that went down to the final play. In his first season, Weir posted a 19-15 record and finished in 3rd place in the Mountain West. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) - Former Lobo basketball player and now Australian Rules Football player, Hugh Greenwood started his first season with the Gold Coast Suns this past year, and with the . [21] The Lobos started 111, losing at Texas Tech but beating #11 Arizona and rising to #11 themselves. Lobo, who played at UConn from 1991-95, was at a pre-draft camp for WNBA players and she didn't have childcare for her six-month-old daughter. Former WNBA basketball player and olympian Rebecca Lobo is seen analyzing the game between UConn and UCLA in a semifinal for the Albany Regional of the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship at the Times Union Center on Friday, March 29, 2019 in Albany, N.Y. (Lori Van Buren/Times Union) Lori Van Buren / Albany Times Union Show More Show Less 3 of 10 The 2020-2021 season was completely played out of New Mexico. They then won 11 of 12, taking the WAC lead into the last month of the season. Norman Dale Ellenberger (August 2, 1932 - November 15, 2015) was an American football, basketball, and baseball player and coach. Thomas tallied 1,158 points and 529 rebounds in his career and ranks third in career field goal percentage. [19][40] The team was led by the strong inside scoring and rebounding of Darryl Minniefield, Bernard Hardin, and Mark Saiers. [49] His defensive prowess made him an eight-time recipient of NBA All-Defensive Team honors, as well as the Defensive Player of the Year Award in 1987. Nov. 2Gethro 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. [7] Basketball was primarily an intramural sport, with occasional games against other schools, including Albuquerque High School, and no regular schedule. The hiring search after Colson's departure included a brief flirtation with Indiana coach Bobby Knight, who visited Albuquerque and was reportedly offered the job. [87] Former UNM AD John Bridgers believed Colson had never received the full support of the Lobo community. [66] Harrison and his players gained fan appreciation for persevering under difficult circumstances, but he served primarily as a caretaker until a new head coach was named. He established regularly scheduled games against regional colleges, and in 1931 UNM joined the Border Conference as a founding member. [23] Hobson was named as MWC Player of the Year and a third-team All-American. [215], On September 18, 2020, it was announced that the naming rights deal with Dreamstyle Remodeling was ending after only three years. 22 Wyoming. Smith led with 20 points, but the rest of the team shot a combined 29%, including 18% from three-point range. 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. They have been regularly ranked from the 200910 through the 201314 seasons. Two road losses made them settle for a share of the regular season MWC title, but they again beat ranked SDSU and UNLV to secure the conference tournament championship, the first time they won both titles in a season. [5], Roy Johnson, nicknamed "Old Iron Head", was fundamental to the early development of Lobo athletics. [68] The callow Lobo squad led for much of the game, encouraged by a delirious crowd at The Pit. "[112][113], The 199495 season was a rebuilding year for the Lobos, who finished 1515 but won six of their last eight games. [138][142] His father played at UNM for Bob King, but McKay had only coached for brief stints at Portland State, Colorado State, and Oregon State, with an 8389 career record. He was selected as the 30th pick in the first round of the 2008 NBA draft by Boston. [67] A highlight of Colson's first season was his fourth game as head coach, hosting an Arizona State team that would reach #3 in the nation led by future NBA players Byron Scott, Fat Lever, Alton Lister, and Sam Williams. Alford applied a strict regimen and Giddens responded with a standout senior season, leading the team with 16 points and nine rebounds a game. [213] On April 27, 2017, UNM asked WisePies to relinquish the naming rights, per the terms of the agreement, and WisePies agreed to do so. BYU coach Steve Cleveland looks on from the sideline of the BYU-Utah game at the Marriott Center in Provo. The team reached the NIT tournament final in 1964 and received its first bid to the NCAA tournament in 1968. [35] Colson adhered strictly to NCAA rules, as UNM officials watched the program closely, wary of falling back into disfavor with the NCAA. [23] He was selected as the ninth pick overall in the 1967 NBA draft by the Cincinnati Royals, but he chose to play in the fledgling American Basketball Association (ABA), becoming one of its greatest all-time players. The Lobos defeated Drake and NYU before falling to Bradley in the championship game, finishing with a 236 record and ranked 16th in the UPI poll. Whether he's scoring 46 against Colorado State or facing New Mexico State at The Pit, Williams never disappointed Lobo Nation with his exciting style of play. [91], Bliss inherited a strong nucleus of senior Charlie Thomas, junior Darrell McGee, and sophomores Luc Longley and Rob Robbins. Ira Harge. 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. While the criminal charges were cleared from Ellenberger's record, he would never be a college head coach again. They went 7414 (.841) from 1967 to 1970, including a 273 season in 196970 in which they were ranked in the top five most of the year, culminating in a Final Four appearance. [10] The Lobos won 165 games with Johnson as head basketball coach, a school record for over 30 years and currently third on its all-time list. 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. Shields again led with 19 points. [187] Williams finished his career as the fifth leading scorer in Lobo history, third in assists, and the MWC career assists leader. The Lobos shot their best field goal percentage in a season, .542, placing them second in the nation, and McGee established the still-standing record for assists in a season. 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 . [124] The Lobos were 213 and back at #11 when they lost at #19 TCU, at #5 Utah, and had a team record 41-game home-winning streak ended by BYU. 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. The Lobos were 102 in games decided by six or fewer points. [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. 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