UNM still has work to do
MWC champs want to build momentum, impress NCAA
So that’s it. It’s all over, right? No. 14 New Mexico (25-4, 12-2 Mountain West) on Saturday wrapped up its fourth Mountain West Conference title in five seasons with its victory over Wyoming and secured the No. 1 seed in the MWC tournament.
So what is there to play for Wednesday at Nevada and Saturday at Air Force?
Plenty says coach Steve Alford.
“Our guys are playing well, so the last thing we’re going to do, just because we won a championship here in season two, is let up,” Alford said. “If we lose, somebody’s going to have to beat us. I want momentum.”
The opportunity in front of the Lobos is to pick up two more road victories — something the NCAA Tournament selection committee looks closely at when determining what seed a team gets.
UNM has 10 wins away from the Pit — 7-3 in road games and 3-0 in neutralcourt games.
“Whether it’s 12 games we win in this league, 13 or 14, the road games just help build your résumé,” Alford said. “We’ve got a great road record the way it is now, but that will help build your résumé for the national tournament.”
As for the possibility of a letdown following Saturday’s
championship and senior day celebrations, Alford isn’t concerned.
“Monday when we get ready, we know it’s all Nevada,” Alford said, referring to his team returning to practice this afternoon. “Come Monday, ‘Coach, what are we doing to beat Nevada? What’s our game plan?’ That’s the way they’ve been every Monday. They’ve done it every Thursday after Wednesday games. ‘What’s the game plan?’ So coaches better be ready Monday to give them a game plan or the players aren’t going to be very happy.”
SEEDING DEBATE: It’s becoming clear the Lobos will likely be a talking point around the country come Selection Sunday on March 17.
Some think their résumé is deserved of as high as a No. 1 seed, others see it much lower in the No. 4 or 5 range. The program’s highest seed was in 2010 when they were a No. 3.
As of Sunday, UNM had the No. 2 RPI, No. 3 strength of schedule, 17 wins against RPI Top 100 teams (no other team in the country has more than 13), and eight top 50 RPI wins.
“We’re going to make the (selection) committee look long and hard at New Mexico,” Alford said.
The biggest hurdle between UNM and a No. 1 seed, aside from the fact that it still has games to play, is when the focus is narrowed to elite wins. Looking at the 16 teams projected Sunday morning on ESPN.com’s Nitty Gritty report, UNM was one of three teams (Gonzaga and Kansas the others) without one win over a top 15 RPI team based on Sunday’s RPI replication by ESPN. com. CBSSports.com and RealTimeRPI.com had UNLV as the No. 14 RPI team, giving UNM one top 15 RPI victory.
NOODLES IS ON IT: Entering this season, the Lobos used the motto “Drive for Five” referring to the fact that they had four championships (three MWC regular season titles, one MWC tournament title) and wanted another.
Now they’re in need of a new motto, something UNM senior Jamal Fenton says will likely be in the hands of associate head coach Craig Neal, who the 5-9 Lobos guard suspects is behind all the team’s catch phrases.
“I think he does (come up with them),” Fenton said. “He always has little sayings. Since I’ve been here my freshman year he comes up with all these little sayings. Sometimes they’re catchy. Sometimes they’re corny. Coach Alford takes the catchy ones.”
Alford said there is an early favorite in the clubhouse for next year’s motto that may refer to the team’s drive for a fifth regular season title.
“April through October when it’s golf season, coach Neal and I will discuss what next year’s (motto) might be,” Alford said. “The early favorite is ‘One for the thumb.’”
Tournament title rings, apparently, are kept on the other hand.
AP VOTING: New Mexico went 2-0 since being ranked a season-high No. 14 in the Feb. 25 Associated Press Top 25.
Four of the six teams ranked ahead of UNM from No. 8 through No. 13 lost games this week, including No. 11 Arizona and No. 12 Syracuse losing twice.
TOP DEFENSE? Entering Saturday’s game in the Pit, Wyoming led UNM in scoring defense in league play, allowing 59.6 points per game to UNM’s 59.8. With the Lobos’ 53-42 win, Wyoming’s scoring defense actually improved but not enough to hold off the Lobos from taking the league lead. Entering the last week of the regular season, UNM is allowing 58.6 points per league game and Wyoming is allowing 59.2.
Wyoming edged UNM for the best scoring defense in league play in 2012, allowing 59.3 points per game to the Lobos’ 59.6.
The Lobos have two road games this week at Nevada and at Air Force, teams ranked seventh and fifth in scoring offense, respectively. The Cowboys’ final game of the regular season is at home Wednesday against Colorado State, the league’s top scoring team in MWC games.