Lobos: Sam Logwood is back with the team, but coach Paul Weir isn’t saying if he will play again.
Weir won’t say if team leader will ever play again; unlikely to play against No. 23 Arizona
All he wants for Christmas is a second chance.
For the time being, all the Lobos are willing to give him is a practice jersey and an opportunity to run plays on the scout team.
Senior Sam Logwood walked away from The University of New Mexico men’s basketball team last week to contemplate his future, leaving a team already paper-thin in the post even thinner without its leading rebounder and scorer. The Lobos lost their next game, a home date with New Mexico State, then launched into finals week not sure if their former starting small forward would return.
He did just that on Wednesday, practicing with the team after meeting with head coach Paul Weir. He was back out on the floor for practice again Thursday.
Weir stopped short of saying Logwood is back in good graces and didn’t say if the 6-foot-8 senior would ever suit up in a game again.
“It’s a unique situation,” Weir said. “I wish there was a playbook. I wish, you know, I had been through something like this before. All I can do is manage this situation.”
Logwood started the first nine games of the season but surprised Lobo fans everywhere when he announced Dec. 8 he was stepping away. Jachai Simmons started in his place against NMSU, a game the Lobos missed a chance to win when Antino Jackson was off the mark with a potential go-ahead shot in the closing seconds.
Weir and the rest of the team remained tight-lipped about the entire situation, deflecting all questions about Logwood and his decision’s impact on the team.
After the NMSU game, Weir flatly said he had nothing new to report, but he and the Indianapolis native met early in finals week to discuss the possibility of Logwood rejoining the team in a limited capacity.
The Lobos are set to host No. 23 Arizona in The Pit on Saturday. Weir didn’t exactly offer hope of Logwood playing in that game.
“It’s really premature to
even talk about Saturday, but I wouldn’t suspect so, no,” Weir said when asked if Logwood would get playing time against the Wildcats.
“I think when Sam left it was a mutual decision between the two of us, and I think at the point that Sam returns it will be a mutual decision between the two of us,” Weir said. “And that is not official, by any means.”
Arizona’s overwhelming size presents a number of problems for UNM with or without Logwood. The Wildcats (7-3) are led by freakishly athletic 7-1 freshman Deandre Ayton, who averages 20.5 points and 11.9 rebounds. He ranks fifth in the country in rebounds and is the fourth-leading freshman in the nation.
There’s no doubt UNM could use the help, but Weir isn’t budging.
“When Sam made the decision to take some time it was something I was fully supportive of, and whenever — or if ever — Sam rejoins our team officially, it will be that same decision,” he said.