LOBO HAS REASONS TO SMILE
University of New Mexico women’s basketball player Antonia Anderson is excited at the prospect of working at her best position this season.
eligible to play until after the fall 2018 semester, which would give the big man a start date of Dec. 16 against Central Arkansas at the earliest.
But Weir has said UNM filed an appeal with the NCAA to request Bragg be eligible for the start of the season. Neither Bragg, nor Weir, will say upon what grounds the appeal was filed.
Adding to the confusion of some fans is that Bragg has yet to be put on UNM’s official roster, and at every press conference since the start of the summer, Weir has repeated that the team is waiting on the NCAA to rule on Bragg.
Don’t worry, Lobo fans. He’s on scholarship. He’s practicing with the team. He will play.
We just don’t know if it will be by Nov. 6.
2. Can Keith McGee be the point guard?
The one position that is dangerously shallow is at point guard where the Lobos will be relying on point guard Keith McGee, the 6-3 sophomore transfer from South Plains College, where he was named the MVP while leading his team to a junior college national title.
Junior college players take time to adjust to the Division I level, no matter their skill level. Adding to the question marks for McGee is that while he finished course work at South Plains over the summer, he wasn’t allowed to start practicing with the Lobos until both summer sessions were over.
There is no other “PG” listed on the Lobos roster, though it’s quite possible Ohio State transfer JaQuan Lyle is the best point guard on the team. The problem there is both he and the coaching staff agree he is far more valuable to the Lobos playing as many minutes as possible off the point, only making the pressure increase on having McGee ready early.
3. Can the Lobos handle expectations? It’s one thing to be a scrappy team everyone doubted a year ago become the lovable overachievers that won back many Lobo fans by playing their way into third place in the Mountain West last season and advancing to the league’s tournament championship game.
It’s another to enter the season with the burden of very real expectations. Needless to say, this Lobos team will be expected to be good from the start. A 3-8 start to the season won’t be acceptable this go ’round, nor will even the most loyal of cherry red Kool-Aid drinkers conveniently overlook half the season when Coach of the Year talk comes up next March like they did around these parts last season.
The team has to win. Even if it can’t say everyone doubts them this time.
4. We’re ready. Is Weir ready?
The high-energy, full-of-ideas young coach has won over many Lobo fans who in recent years had jumped ship by trying new, innovative things to relight the fire under the once proud Lobos program.
A year ago he was painting walls, instituting Yoga, coaching the Canadian junior national team in the summer and whatever else came his way.
Weir and wife, Alma, welcomed their second son into the family in the offseason. He’s trying to wrap up a doctoral dissertation for a PhD he is pursuing at New Mexico State University. It’s time now to table architectural ventures like converting unused suites in Dreamstyle Arena— The Pit into office spaces, or attending every Rotary club and economic forum breakfast he’s invited to all around the state, as he’s done most offseason.
The stakes are too high for the UNM Athletics Department for Lobo basketball to fail to meet expectations this season because its leader is spreading himself too thin.
It’s time to coach. And with this roster, it’s time to focus on winning some games again.