Transfers hope to m their mar with Lobo
Two transfers hoping they can standout with Lobos
WALBUQUERQUE hile Kansas celebrated the start of the college basketball season with Snoop Dogg, stripper poles and a money gun in venerable Allen Fieldhouse, the University of New Mexico kept its finger off the nitro booster as it held its first official event for its men’s team Saturday night.
Sitting at midcourt in The Pit was a glossy black piano. Without a rapper in sight, UNM’s 6-foot-10 center Carlton Bragg came out in a too-small sports coat to tickle the ivory for a few off-key songs.
With that, Lobos fans were greeted for the annual Cherry & Silver Game, the successor to the discarded tradition that was once the Lobo Howl as the unofficial start of hoops season. There was a 20-minute scrimmage and contests for 3-point shooting (won by JaQuan Lyle) and dunks (Emmanuel Kuac).
In the middle of it all was that group of a half-dozen newcomers whose names and faces are still a mystery to Lobos fans. Players like Kuac, J.J. Caldwell, Kurt Wegscheider and Daniel Headdings still need nametags so fans can put a name to a face.
The other two — well, it shouldn’t take long for UNM fans to fall in love with them. Both are expected to make big contributions because of equal parts talent and feistiness.
In one corner you have the lefthanded Zane Martin, a 6-foot-4 junior transfer from Towson and a strong candidate to eat up plenty of minutes at point guard. In the other there’s 6-5 sophomore Vante Hendrix, a talented two-guard who left Utah midway through his freshman season.
Sit in one of the team’s practices long enough and you’ll quickly learn that each is the type capable of making a highlight reel play just as much as they are getting in someone’s face. Each is quick to mix it up when need be.
“It’s something that I obviously enjoy,” Lobos head coach Paul Weir said. “I grew up playing hockey in Canada, so sandpaper and rough stuff and all that I deep-down kind of like. There’s obviously a sportsmanship component to the game you hate to cross, but at the end of the day, I like athletes like that.”
Both players have been kicked out of practice multiple times for going too far. The latest came Wednesday when Hendrix was tossed for drawing a technical during a simulated 20-minute game.
Hendrix has developed a reputation for wearing his emotions on his sleeve. His last game at Utah was a loss to Hawaii in November. He drew a technical late in the second half and was subbed out by head coach Larry Krystkowiak. The two appeared to exchange words, and just days later, Hendrix took to Twitter to announce his departure from the Utes program.
He’s not eligible to join the Lobos until the end of the fall semester in December, although he’s cleared to practice and participate in team drills. It hasn’t taken him long to make his mark in practice.
While he definitely has the skills to put the ball in the bucket, Hendrix’s bread and butter is his defense. He said he got serious about it his senior year in high school.
“Ever since, I just been playing defense and it got me a lot of places,” Hendrix said.
What got Martin noticed was just the opposite. He’s a scorer, facilitator and all-around menace with the ball in his hands. He averaged 19.8 points a game his sophomore year at Towson, then landed at UNM while sitting out last season as a redshirt.
He and Caldwell are battling for the top spot at point guard, although each is expected to see significant minutes.
“I think the year Zane sat out was probably not as productive as I would have liked or he would have liked,” Weir said.
“There were a lot of times in the past year that I didn’t know which way it would go, but since we started practice two weeks ago, he has moved his way up the ladder like I don’t think any kid I’ve ever seen before.”
Martin said he has found what he is looking for as a Lobo.
That means becoming something more than just a guy who can dribble the ball and hit from anywhere inside 25 feet.
His teammates have allowed him to grow the way he always wanted to as a player.
“Just from my past situations, I felt like I could bring some leadership to this team,” Martin said.
It’s that commitment to working in Weir’s system that has helped change the coach’s view of him.
“He’s gone from bottom of the second team to sitting on the red team,” Weir said. “It’s been fun to watch him grow.”
And with that, welcome to Lobo basketball season.
“... Since we started practice two weeks ago, [Zane Martin] has moved his way up the ladder like I don’t think any kid I’ve ever seen before.” Lobos coach Paul Weir