[87] Former UNM AD John Bridgers believed Colson had never received the full support of the Lobo community. The Lobos began the season 101, but youth caught up to them in league play and they went .500 the rest of the way. Western Athletic Conference 1964, 1968, 1974, 1978, 1994. [203] Jim Boeheim, Lute Olson, and Steve Fisher have praised Lobo fans and the exciting atmosphere coaching at The Pit. For yearly records and game results from 1899 to 1962, 202223 New Mexico Lobos men's basketball team, Border Intercollegiate Athletic Association, List of New Mexico Lobos men's basketball seasons, A Perfect Storm: The 197778 New Mexico Lobos, 198081 Arizona State Sun Devils Roster and Stats, 198081 Pacific-10 Conference Season Summary, 198384 New Mexico Lobos Roster and Stats, 198687 New Mexico Lobos Roster and Stats, 199495 New Mexico Lobos Roster and Stats, 200708 New Mexico Lobos Roster and Stats, 201112 New Mexico Lobos Roster and Stats, New Mexico Lobo Men's Basketball 201112 Season Review, Mountain West Announces 201314 Men's Basketball All-Conference Awards, Craig Neal Relieved of Duties as Mens Basketball Coach, "Lobos hire NMSU's Paul Weir as next men's basketball coach", "Month by month: A dreary 2020 for sports on most fronts in New Mexico - Albuquerque Journal", "Female UNM athlete shot at NE ABQ party - Albuquerque Journal", "Lobo basketball suspends JaQuan Lyle for house party, shooting incident", "A timeline of JaQuan Lyle's wild, tumultuous college basketball journey", "New Mexico turns the lights out on New Mexico State in 101-94 rivalry win", UNM asks WisePies to relinquish Pit naming rights, Dream deal for UNM nets $10 million over 10 years, "The 'dream' is over: UNM, Dreamstyle naming right agreement ends", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=New_Mexico_Lobos_men%27s_basketball&oldid=1135196029, Sporadic games, six in 1908 most for one year, Carlisle Gym opens, regular schedule established, Johnson, 10438 (.732) from 1924 to 1934; 13773 (.652) after 1936; 2873 (.277) in last four seasons, Clements, 4119 (.683) from 1944 to 1947, 72100 (.419) thereafter, Pre-Border Conference: 14570 (.674) from 1899 to 1931, Border Conference: 205235 (.466) from 1931 to 1951, Skyline Eight: 70195 (.264) from 1951 to 1962, Total Win/Loss (18892017): 15001110 (.575), 4 Steve Alford (MWC: 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013), 7 Dave Bliss (1991, 199394, 199699), 47 record in NCAA tournament, This page was last edited on 23 January 2023, at 05:57. In 1992 the basketball court at The Pit was named "Bob King Court" in honor of the coach who made its construction possible. Gordon had 21 points and 14 rebounds, but the team shot poorly from three-point range and could not overcome the deficit, finishing the season 287. Virginia scored the last eight points of the game to take the lead, and the Lobos missed three shots at tying the game in the last 12 seconds, finishing the season at 238. 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. He remains the Lobo career leader in blocks and blocks per game; second in career field goals made; and the only Lobo to record a triple-double, doing so twice. [133] The team finished 1614 after another blowout loss at Minnesota in the NIT. 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. The success of the program continued after King departed, winning WAC titles in 1974, 1978, and 1994, winning the conference tournament in 1993 and 1996, and regularly earning post-season tournament bids. [122][123] Thomas averaged 17 points and nine rebounds, Shields 17 points and seven rebounds, and Long 14. 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. Howard led a young team, scoring 19.7 per game, with sophomores Willie Long and Petie Gibson beginning their runs as three-year starters. [62] The damage to the program was devastating, as it was forced to rebuild virtually from scratch, beginning in mid-season. In 1962, the Lobos became a founding member of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). The Lobos lost three tough road games but beat #4 Utah in The Pit, pushing them to a #9 ranking they went 180 at home for the season. [106] White was named All-WAC and Bliss was WAC Coach of the Year; Brown was named All-WAC and WAC Player of the Year. After the 197172 season, assistant coach Norm Ellenberger was elevated to head coach, and King served as Assistant Athletics Director the next season. [116] Douglas was an explosive scorer and led the team with 16 points a game. On April 11, 2017, Paul Weir was named head coach of the Lobos. The following season, 196364, the Lobos won their first WAC championship, led by Ira Harge, who King had recruited from a junior college in Iowa. But eventually that college career came to an end and it . McAfee signed with Weatherford College in Texas before transferring for one year with the University of Louisiana Rajun Cajuns in the 2020-2021 season. [23] He averaged 16 points and five rebounds a game as a Lobo, also leading the team in assists and steals. They lost in the first round to #14 Oklahoma State to finish 2010. [202] Noise levels up to 125 decibels have been measured, close to the pain threshold for the human ear. The 199091 Lobos were again led by Longley averaging 19.1 points and 9.2 rebounds a game, with Robbins adding 14 points a game. Gordon was named All-MWC and conference tourney MVP. The 2020-2021 season was completely played out of New Mexico. 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 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. [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. [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. The Lobos attained their first national ranking in the 196465 season, reaching #10 in the AP poll. [148] They lost in the conference tournament but received a bid to the NIT, losing at Cal to finish 249, the most wins for a first-year Lobo coach to date. No players found. The teams met again in the conference tournament final, and the Lobos prevailed for their third straight MWC tournament championship. [154] Alford had led the program back to national prominence, attaining its best six-year stretch ever while improving academic achievement. [23], The 199697 Lobos returned all their principal players, while adding freshman Lamont Long, who would become a starter by mid-season. Gibson later taught in the Albuquerque Public School system for more than three decades, gaining recognition as a mentor and role model, and he was named to the New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame in 2000. [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. 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. Williams was named conference tournament MVP; he and Jaxon were both named All-WAC. [154] Under McKay, J.R. Giddens had frequently missed games due to disciplinary problems. By contrast, Marvin "Automatic" Johnson was one of the greatest scorers in Lobo history. [181][182] Senior Cameron Bairstow had a breakout season, averaging 20 points and seven rebounds a game, achieving one of the best single-season improvements in school history. The 196869 season began with high expectations and the Lobos ranked in the top ten, but they dropped out after a string of road losses. Former players have joined forces and are in town for TBT, and they met up with this year's squad for a dinner. [145] Discipline trouble and player defections continued into the off-season. They then lost three league road games and fell to third in a tight WAC race. [155][178] Snell was selected by Chicago with the 20th pick in the first round of the NBA draft. Lobo basketball first achieved national prominence under Bob King, who was previously an assistant coach at his alma mater, the University of Iowa. Brown compiled career averages of 19.9 points and 6.9 rebounds a game. 22-year-old Destiny McAfee is a former all-district basketball and volleyball player for the Lobos and graduated in 2019. [74][157] The Lobos began the 200708 season 142 before losing four of six in league; they then won eight of nine to close out the regular season. Fran Fraschilla coached at New Mexico for three seasons, compiling a 5541 (.572) record with three NIT appearances. It was phased out during the '90s but has since become the signature cheer for Lobo fans. [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. [63], In their first three seasons under Colson, the Lobos struggled to a 3944 combined record. [163], The 201213 Lobo squad was dominated by juniors and sophomores, though all were veteran contributors, including three returning starters. [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. They then won 11 of 12, taking the WAC lead into the last month of the season. 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. The New Mexico Lobos men's basketball team represents the University of New Mexico, competing in the Mountain West Conference (MWC) in NCAA Division I. Shields again led with 19 points. The other team will have numerous other former Lobos and other players from around New Mexico. Elliott had an opportunity to put Arizona in the lead with a three-pointer with seconds remaining, but Greene blocked the shot to seal the win, the only time the Lobos have beaten a #1-ranked opponent. His first team went 169, the best Lobo record in 17 years. Rebecca Lobo is an American television basketball analyst and former women's basketball player in the WNBA from 1997 to 2003. Under Norm Ellenberger, the Lobos won WAC championships in 1974 and 1978 and compiled an overall record of 13462 (.684). [46], The 199899 Lobos again started strong with a 121 record, reaching #11; they stood at 162 after beating #7 Arizona but then lost four of five, struggling on the road. [19][40] The team was led by the strong inside scoring and rebounding of Darryl Minniefield, Bernard Hardin, and Mark Saiers. [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. [116] The WAC had expanded to 16 teams in the off-season, and eight WAC teams won at least 20 games. Media Guide 201314, p.79. [132] In 2003, he was forced to resign from Baylor embroiled in an ugly scandal that would end his college coaching career. The Lobos compete in the Mountain West Conference (MWC) in NCAA Division I, joining as a founding member in 1999. Thomas was held to his worst game as a Lobo, scoring just one point. Media Guide 201314, pp.66,90. They nevertheless reached the NIT, losing to Texas and finishing 1714. Like King, Ellenberger got off to a fast start in his first two seasons. [50][51] Willie Howard was a talented inside player averaging 13 points and six rebounds a game, frequently providing explosive scoring off the bench. [196] In Mountain West play, however, the Lobos went 5-12. He was named the first ABA Rookie of the Year in 1968, ABA Most Valuable Player in 1969 and 1971, and he led the Indiana Pacers to three ABA championships.[24]. Tributes honoring her memory started forming on social. 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