He oversaw construction of Carlisle Gymnasium in 1928 and Zimmerman Field in 1938, the first football stadium at UNM.[9]. [202] Noise levels up to 125 decibels have been measured, close to the pain threshold for the human ear. 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. 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. [172] The Lobos' strength of schedule powered them to a #2 RPI ranking, and they won a program-record 15 games away from The Pit. [154] Alford had led the program back to national prominence, attaining its best six-year stretch ever while improving academic achievement. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Bob King transformed the New Mexico program, becoming known as the "Architect of Lobo Basketball. They lost in the conference tournament but received a three-seed in the NCAA tournament. [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. [7] Basketball was primarily an intramural sport, with occasional games against other schools, including Albuquerque High School, and no regular schedule. They got into foul trouble and could not stop George Washington's strong inside game, falling in an upset and finishing the season 247. Unfazed, Long scored 22, Shields had 17, and bench reserves added 33 points as the Lobos won handily. [114] The 199596 team added to that nucleus Albuquerque High star Kenny Thomas, a USA Today and Parade magazine High School All-American. The Lobos notched wins over Santa Clara and Pepperdine before losing to eventual tournament runner-up St. Louis, finishing the season at 2211. [107] Brown averaged 19.3 points a game, scoring over 30 four times, often in pivotal games, with a season-best 42; junior Marlow White averaged 17, senior Notch Neves 13, and promising freshman Charles Smith added over ten a game. Both had close friends and long-time teammates still on the Lobo roster. The NCAA investigation into the scandal found 34 violations of recruiting rules, and the Lobo program was placed on probation and banned from post-season appearances for three years. The Lobos stood at 7-2 after losing to #10 Syracuse, then rattled off 14 straight wins, including a home-and-away sweep of #9 UNLV, pushing them into the national rankings and eventually into the top ten. The team began the season 83 but struggled away from The Pit, losing its first seven road games. They lost in the first round to #14 Oklahoma State to finish 2010. [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. Media Guide 201314, p.91. [91], Bliss inherited a strong nucleus of senior Charlie Thomas, junior Darrell McGee, and sophomores Luc Longley and Rob Robbins. [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. Media Guide 201314, pp.65,116. Lobo is known as the most active advocate for women's basketball. [30] A week later the Lobos beat #5 Wyoming at The Pit, pushing them to 143 and earning a #19 ranking, their first appearance in the polls since Lobogate. Media Guide 201314, pp.76,79. [55] The team finally broke through, winning another exciting game at UNLV, beginning a string of nine wins in its last ten games. Gary finished his Lobo career second in games played, second in career free throws made, and is now fifth in career assists. [90] Knight recommended Bliss, who had been his assistant at Army and Indiana before serving as head coach at Oklahoma and SMU. [33] King continued as AD until retiring the next year. [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. King then left to become head coach and Athletics Director at Indiana State University. [40] They fell into a 610 slide, however, including 19 on the road, a chronic weakness of the Lobos under Colson, whose teams compiled a 2465 record in road games. [91] Smith led with 16 points and seven rebounds in his final game as a Lobo. In 197273, the Lobos raced out to a 90 record, including road wins at Oregon State and eventual Southwest Conference champion Texas Tech, leading to their first appearance in the national rankings in nearly four years. 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. [218] During the 1980s, a popular chant among Lobo fans was "Everyone's a Lobo, Woof Woof Woof! In 1957, while still on faculty, Johnson oversaw construction of the 7,800-seat arena that bears his name, Johnson Gymnasium. [27] Instead, they started the season 170, rising to #6 before beating #5Utah in the Pit, propelling the Lobos to #4. [79] The Lobos scored over eighty points a game and set the team record for most total points in a season. [153], An early objective for Alford was to change the culture of the program regarding discipline and academic focus. The Lobos began the season 71, beating Cincinnati, which later reached #7, but losing to Massachusetts, later #13; they lost to Kansas, which peaked at #2, but beat Marquette. Udeze finished with 25 points and 9 rebounds, House went for 24 points and 5 assists and UNM on Tuesday night shot a blistering 58.2% in a 94-80 . [169] The Lobos went to the NIT and beat UTEP before losing at Alabama, finishing 2213. They rode the momentum into the WAC tournament championship game and beat the Utes behind a dominant 30-point, 17-rebound performance by Thomas, earning their tenth straight win and a berth in the NCAA tournament. [109] The team was undefeated at home in conference and won a key road game at BYU to seal the league championship, led by a torrent of points from Brown. 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. The Official Athletic Site of the New Mexico Lobos, partner of WMT Digital. The Lobos won the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) championship in 1964 and 1968, making frequent appearances in national rankings. King transformed a moribund program into a consistent winner and produced future ABA MVP Mel Daniels. Bairstow and Williams were named first team All-MWC; Kirk was third team. The Lobos had only two winning seasons from 1947 to 1962, compiling a 113252 (.310) record, including a dismal 42149 (.220) during the last eight years. Following a familiar pattern, the Lobos fell behind early then battled back. Thomas tallied 1,158 points and 529 rebounds in his career and ranks third in career field goal percentage. The Lobos attained their first national ranking in the 196465 season, reaching #10 in the AP poll. McGee played in 137 games and dished out 684 assists. Richard Pitino has been hired as the next head coach of the New Mexico men's basketball program less than 24 hours after Minnesota announced his firing, the program announced on Tuesday. The following table summarizes the records and accomplishments of the coaches before Bob King. [70][71] The Lobos opened the season with two losses before beating USC and Washington and winning at #7 UCLA. Smith and Thomas were named All-WAC, and Bliss was again named WAC Coach of the Year. Media Guide 201314, p.91. [61] Six players were dismissed from the team in the opening weeks of the 197980 season, and another was suspended. The Lobos lost Daniels and Monroe to graduation and were picked in the 196768 preseason to finish last in the WAC. [184] The team struggled at times as the bench developed, suffering a pair of home upsets to leave them 124. [97] In the NIT, the Lobos knocked off Oregon, Oklahoma State, and Hawaii to make the Final Four in New York. They went to the NIT and beat South Florida before losing at eventual champion Wake Forest, finishing 1814. [115] The young Lobo squad jumped out to a 100 start and a #25 ranking before losing a pair of league road games. [225] New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson declared May 8, 2008 as "Mike Roberts Appreciation Day" in honor of the sportscaster. [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. [37][64] He then became the lead assistant for Bobby Knight at Indiana for ten seasons, from 1990 to 2000,[34] and later coached in the NBA and WNBA. SHARE Why this former BYU coach is dumbfounded by Cougars' lack of success in league tourney. Utah would go on to reach the Final Four and lose to Kentucky in the national championship game. Starting center Greg "Stretch" Howard was ineligible due to an NCAA rule disallowing transfers to play in postseason games; without his 14 points and 10 rebounds a game, the Lobos' balanced attack withered, and Nelson was their only consistent offense. Uguak is a 6-foot-7 starting senior forward . Facing #22 Villanova, the Lobos shot 18% in the first half, scoring just eleven points and trailing by as much as 24. Shields scored 1,837 points. [103] The Lobos returned to the NIT, where they beat Louisiana Tech and Washington State before losing at Virginia, finishing the season 2013. [119] Against five-seed Syracuse, however, the depleted Lobos shot under 26% and lost to finish the season 248. In 1999, Sports Illustrated ranked The Pit as one of the Top 20 Sporting Venues of the 20th Century. Williams hit a school-record 10 threes and scored 46 points at Colorado State, both MWC records. Williams also finished first in Lobo history in career free throws made and attempted, and second in career minutes played. Lobo, at 6'4", played the center position for much of her career. [22][170] Williams and fellow sophomore Tony Snell scored in double figures. [106] They then faced six-seed Louisville in a closely contested game that went down to the final play. The inconsistent squad started 55 but then stunned 21-point favorite, #2 Arizona in Tucson, the highest ranked opponent the Lobos had beaten on the road since 1966. 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.. Snell paced the offense down the stretch, averaging 18 points a game and leading the Lobos to the MWC tournament championship. ", coupled with a hand gesture emulating a wolf. Gordon became a dominating inside presence in 201112, averaging 14 points and 11 rebounds, registering 19 double-doubles, and setting the Lobo season record for rebounds. The Lobo basketball programs were established in 1899, but began its first competitive teams in 1903 and 1906, respectively. The plucky squad lacked depth, but its veterans found ways to win, building a 164 record. The Lobos had a roller-coaster season in 198990, buoyed by record-setting performances by Longley, Robbins, and McGee. [55], Before the 197778 season, Ellenberger installed what he called the "Equal Opportunity Motion Offense", a run-and-gun attack emphasizing picks and passing as players rotate through each position, taking advantage of his versatile, athletic lineup. As a player Alford had been a prolific scorer and two-time All-American at Indiana, winning a national championship, and earning an Olympic gold medal with the U.S. national team. Updated: Dec 1, 2020 / 08:00 PM MST. [35], The "Lobogate" scandal involved forged academic transcripts, payments made for bogus Junior College credits, and other devices to attain eligibility for players who lacked academic credentials. 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. On March 16, 2021, Richard Pitino was named the 22nd head coach of the Lobos. Johnson coached the UNM basketball team for all but two seasons from 1920 to 1940. The team reached the NIT tournament final in 1964 and received its first bid to the NCAA tournament in 1968. [17][197], Attendance at Lobo games in The Pit has consistently been among the national leaders in college basketball, averaging over 15,400 fans per game since it opened. He played professionally for eight seasons then coached in the NBA for eight more before joining Alford at Iowa. The program thrived, and Ellenberger became a local celebrity, restaurateur, and man-about-town, earning the nickname "Stormin' Norman" for his flashy attire and fiery coaching style.[35][36][37][38][39]. (Credit: UNM men's basketball) Adam Kradle - Managing Editor of BVM Sports Updated: October 19, 2021 Updated: Feb 27, 2023 / 01:50 PM MST. [65] The team limped to a 622 record. 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. Fraschilla was hired days after Bliss resigned, touted as a great recruiter and up-and-coming coach after leading Manhattan and St. John's to the NCAA tournament. Media Guide 201314, p.79. Former Lobo men's basketball teammate George Scott recalls watching that game-winning dunk by 6-foot-1 Kelvin Scarborough over 6-8 Pat Durham: "Scar caught the ball at the opposite free throw. 22 San Diego State (22-5, 13-2 . [30], The 197677 team featured JC arrivals Michael Cooper, Marvin Johnson, and Willie Howard, the nucleus for a successful and exciting two-year run. [203] Jim Boeheim, Lute Olson, and Steve Fisher have praised Lobo fans and the exciting atmosphere coaching at The Pit. Media Guide 201213, p.120. PG- Greg Brown. [224] He was an integral part of the Lobo fan experience, especially before most games were televised. [72] Top ten-ranked UTEP foiled the Lobos, however, sweeping their regular season match-ups and knocking them out of the WAC tournament. [121], The 199798 Lobos had four starters returning and entered the season ranked #11. [55] [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). Scott is the Lobo career leader in FG percentage, at .622 (198285). 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. The Lobos stood at 72 after losing to #10 Syracuse, then rattled off 14 straight wins, including a home-and-away sweep of #9 UNLV, pushing them into the national rankings and eventually into the top ten. The Lobos remained in the WAC race late in the season, but road struggles relegated them to third place and a 1911 final record. [148] After losing at Oral Roberts, they beat #20 Texas Tech and a Dayton squad that would go on to win the NIT. That means over three thousand players. The following 59 pages are in this category, out of 59 total. Western Athletic Conference 1964, 1968, 1974, 1978, 1994. [104] The team had relied heavily on three-point shooting, hoisting over 100 more attempts than in any previous season, making 39%. [29] Longley was again named All-WAC and finished his career as Lobo leader in scoring and rebounding, falling since to sixth in points and second in rebounds. Road struggles slowed them, however, and despite another strong finish they ended up a game out of the lead. A cause of death was not made public. [220] The student section in The Pit, Section 26, is particularly noteworthy for the antics of its raucous fans, taunting and intimidating opposing players, often with personal remarks, and offering enticing visuals for television broadcasters: They chant, jump up and down in unison, shake newspapers and signs to make noise and create distractions, and some dress in costumes and body paint. They began their WAC schedule with losses at Utah and BYU but rebounded to win eight of their next nine. Former UNM assistant Brandon Mason announced on Tuesday the return of a Lobo alumni all-star game to be played July 11 in the Pit. [154] They struggled to win against first round opponent Montana, and Hobson injured his wrist and back. "[112][113], The 199495 season was a rebuilding year for the Lobos, who finished 1515 but won six of their last eight games. 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. [223], Sportscaster Mike Roberts was the "Voice of the Lobos" on KKOB radio in Albuquerque from 1966 to 2008, becoming an icon among Lobo fans. They hosted their first-round game in The Pit but lost to unranked Santa Clara. [42] Bill Hagins replaced Minniefield, and the team was again dominant inside. Media Guide 201213, pp.76,89. Ellenberger served as interim head coach at UTEP for a period when Haskins was ill. Bobbi Roquemore. [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. 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 strong finish earned the Lobos an NIT bid, where they lost to Texas A&M, finishing the season 1910. [143][144] A grim year for the program began with a severe spinal cord injury to guard Senque Carey, who would recover fully but never play again. [23] He averaged 16 points and five rebounds a game as a Lobo, also leading the team in assists and steals. [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. Media Guide 201314, pp.7576,79. [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. [36][39][56] The team played at a frenetic pace and led the nation in scoring at 97.5 points per game. The team played exceptional defense, allowing under 60 points per game, its fewest in the shot clock era, placing among national leaders in several categories. [171] After two early losses, the Lobos won 13 straight en route to a 152 mark. The 196768 preseason to finish last in the Pit as one of the page across the. And another was suspended Brandon Mason announced on Tuesday the return of a Lobo the 196465,. 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