UNM men’s basketball
I’ve been a loyal fan of NM basketball for 60 years (through good and bad). I have never seen a worse basketball game or coaching job than I saw when UNM played Air Force on Feb. 24. Air Force made more layups and dunks than I’ve ever seen a Lobo team give up. There were no defensive adjustments made at halftime, so I gave up on a game that they eventually lost to an 8-17 team with way less talent. I’m very frustrated with this team and their coaches. Welcome to the NIT Lobos.
— MARK E DANIELL
After the euphoric win against CSU, we had a crushing let down against Air Force at the Pit on Saturday afternoon. As a former player, I know that let downs aren’t planned, they just kinda subconsciously happen. Sometimes they’re unavoidable. Drives coaches and fans nuts. Coach Richard Pitino spoke about it in the days leading up to the Air Force game, but the dreaded let down still snuck up on us and punched us in the mouth like a Tyson left hook. We’re down, but not out. We’ve gotta close out our home slate against Fresno State and at worst, split the upcoming road trips to Boise and Fresno and hope the teams ahead of us in the league standings also have a let down.
— GEORGE SCOTT
There’s something missing with Richard Pitino. Not sure what it is. I predicted two weeks ago the Lobos would not make the NCAAs. I hold by that. But a lot of people will be impressed when 5,000 to 8,000 people show up at the Pit to watch them play in a meaningless NIT game. In his news conference after the Air Force stunner, he didn’t seem disappointed. He seemed resigned. This is Pitino’s history. There’s just something missing.
— CHRISTOPHER LALLEY
Air Force entered their Saturday game in the Pit with the Lobos in Albuquerque, on Feb. 24 as an 18.5-point underdog. Air Force won when the Lobos allowed a wide-open shot for 3-pointer with 7 seconds left in the game. Giving Air Force an “improbable win Saturday,” (Geoff Grammer/Journal Staff Writer). Mr. Grammer reported that the Lobos left Air Force’s leading scorer “wide open at the top of the key for a 3-pointer.”
Mr. Grammer noted that Air Force took advantage of “several Lobo miscues, to win in the Pit for the first time in 17 years, “shocking the announced, vocal, Lobo crowd of 15,011.” Air Force was a team our Lobos beat in January 2024 by 17 points at Air Force last month.
This was a “missed opportunity,” according to UNM Lobo Coach Pitino. “Give Air Force credit, They made big plays — made big 3s,” said Pitino. “We know this was a missed opportunity and we’re going to have to find a way to rebound from it.” 15,011 of us who watched Lobos come undone, wonder what that “way” is going to be now, Coach Pitino?”
— ROSS PERKAL, UNM ALUMNUS, MEN’S AND WOMEN’S LOBOS FAN FOR
49 YEARS
If Coach Pitino is not second guessing himself in leaving a freshman on the floor at crunch time during the Air Force game in lieu of an experienced time-tested senior, he should be. Why would he do this? IMHO, a terrible decision. Pitino has to accept sole responsibility for that loss, and now faces an uphill struggle for an NCAA bid.
— BOB FERGUSON
Air Force runs the late Pete Carril’s Princeton motion offense and one facet is to exploit an aggressive man-to-man defense. Pitino could have zoned them a better part of the game. AF had a dozen uncontested layup dunks and back-door buckets, practically outscored the Lobos in the paint. With a few minutes left in the game, Pitino used a 1-3-1 zone for one play. These modern-day coaches think zone defense is impotency.
The Lobos lost by a point, missed free throws, missed 3-point shots and easy layups missed you can’t control, but not recognizing a defensive change when your man-to-man isn’t working, then it’s on the coach. A defensive change stops just half of the back-door dunks, the Lobos win by five or more. This onedimensional man-to man defense led to a second-half collapse last year and will lead to a quick exit at the March Dance. This was one game they could not afford to lose, much less to a 273 NET team. Pitino got beat by a dead man, Pete Carril (July 10, 1930 – Aug. 15, 2022).
— VINCE GUILLEN
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