Jackson’s return doubtful for Tuesday game against SJSU
Bragg’s accuser files restraining order; recruit Matos enrolls in spring semester classes
In what will surely go down as one of the most bizarre seasons in the recent history of the University of New Mexico’s basketball program, along comes a Tuesday night home game where there’s no way to predict what could happen next for the reeling Lobos.
At 15-5, they’re coming off consecutive blowout losses fed by an injury to a key player, questions about whether the team quit in its most recent game and, of course, the perpetual flurry of scandalous off-court headlines.
The low-hanging fruit for a quick fix would be a home game against a beatable opponent, but solutions that seemed so easy a few weeks ago are now giant question marks. San Jose State (6-13, 2-5 Mountain West) comes in looking for a season sweep, having already beaten the Lobos on New Year’s Day.
The main issues in the rematch revolve around UNM’s perimeter defense, which has been chewed up and spit out against teams with accurate 3-point shooters. SJSU’s Richard Washington hit seven of them in the first encounter, but one of the Lobos’ big weapons that night, guard Vance Jackson, remains doubtful for the rematch.
He had 25 points against the Spartans last time but injured his left knee in the 33-point loss at Colorado State last week. He took to Instagram this week to show himself doing rehab and getting a new tattoo, but a date for his return remains a mystery.
It leaves UNM with essentially five players; guards JaQuan Lyle and Zane Martin, wings Makuach Maluach and Vante Hendrix, and an overused and highly targeted Corey Manigault in the low post. All five played at least 31 minutes in the blowout loss at UNLV over the weekend and by game’s end it was apparent that the group was either exhausted or had mailed it in.
The live television feed showed players struggling to get back on defense in the closing seconds and even head coach Paul Weir said after each road
game that depth is an issue. The Lobos, he said, must simply figure out a way to re-invent themselves with the players they still have.
MORE BAD BRAGG NEWS
The woman who accused now former Lobo Carlton Bragg of attempted criminal sexual penetration has filed a restraining order against him in Second Judicial District Court in Albuquerque.
Court documents filed last Friday say Bragg threatened one of the woman’s friends after UNM’s game against Fresno State in The Pit on Jan. 7. That was the first game the 6-foot-10 center was allowed back with the team after serving a three-game suspension stemming from the initial report about he and the plaintiff.
Bragg was initially handed an indefinite suspension Dec. 22 after the Albuquerque Police Department forwarded the case to the Bernalillo County District Attorney.
According to the APD report, the woman claimed Bragg made a series of unwanted advances toward her after a night of drinking in August.
UNM suspended Bragg just minutes prior to the Lobos’ Dec. 22 game without offering an explanation. He sat out three games before the athletic department reinstated him in time for the Fresno State game. He played in that contest and the team’s next game against Air Force, but was subsequently kicked off the team on Jan. 12 after his arrest for alleged aggravated DWI early that morning.
Bragg has not been arrested nor charged in the alleged sexual penetration incident, and the case has been forwarded to the Twelfth Judicial District Court in Otero County due to a potential conflict of interest since the Bernalillo County District Attorney, Raul Torrez, is married to UNM dean of students Nasha Torrez. Nasha Torrez handled UNM’s internal investigation into Bragg’s involvement in the August 2019 incident.
FRIENDLY CONFINES
The Lobos are 12-0 in The Pit and have won 14 straight at home dating to last season. It’s their best start at home since joining the Mountain West two decades ago.
MATOS MANIA
One of the four players UNM has signed for next season is 6-foot-8 power forward Bayron Matos-Garcia, a McDonalds All-American nominee from Tennessee. As first reported by fan website www.thelairnm. com, he has already arrived in Albuquerque and has enrolled in classes at UNM.
The spring semester begins Tuesday and is, conceivably, eligible to play immediately should both he and Weir agree to put him on the active roster. Matos-Garcia essentially has two options: Enter redshirt status and become eligible for the 2020-21 season or get put on the active roster right now and use this as his freshman season.
Either way, he is cleared to begin working out with the team in practices and all team activities starting Tuesday.