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The University of New Mexico men’s basketball team starts practice today — here’s what to watch

For the second straight season, the University of New Mexico men’s basketball team may need name tags for most local fans to know who’s who.

There’s been a ton of roster turnover again.

But, unlike a year ago, as the Lobos hold their first official practice of the 2018-19 season this evening in the Pit, there is one major difference entering Year 2 under head coach Paul Weir: Expectations.

They’re back. And what does that mean for the team, the coaches and Lobo fans?

The NCAA allows 30 practices between now and the season opener. Here are four questions the program hopes to have an answer for by its Nov. 6 season opener at Cal State Northridge.

1. Will Carlton Bragg play?

The easy answer is yes, but we don’t know when.

Bragg is a 6-foot-10 power forward who was a McDonald’s All-American in high school and played two years at Kansas, then transferred in the fall semester of 2017 to Arizona State University.

But Bragg never finished that semester at ASU, instead enrolling in classes at UNM in January and has been practicing with the team ever since.

The NCAA requires players to sit out a full year when they transfer. Since Bragg didn’t start at UNM until after the fall 2017 semester, he is not

JIM THOMPSON/JOURNAL Power forward Carlton Bragg, who played his first two college seasons at Kansas, will play for UNM at some point this season, but he doesn’t know when.