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Mar. 16—There were cheers, some woofing from fans and genuine excitement as the UNM Lobos and a few hundred of their fans gathered in the Pit on Sunday to watch the NCAA Tournament Selection Show.
The Lobos are the No. 10 seed in the South Region of the bracket and will face No. 7 Marquette of the Big East in Cleveland on Friday at 5:25 p.m. (7:25 p.m. local start in Cleveland). The winner will advance to play either No. 2 Michigan State or No. 15 Bryant.
The UNM men's basketball program wasn't sweating whether the team would get in; watching the show was more about finding out where the Lobos would be seeded and who their opponent would be.
The Lobos ended a 10-year NCAA Tournament drought last season after winning the Mountain West Tournament as the No. 6 seed and earning the league's automatic bid. They lost as an 11th seed to sixth-seeded Clemson in their first game.
This season, the team won the MW regular season, and despite losing in the conference tournament semifinals expected to make the NCAA Tournament.
And though the team has more a more businesslike approach to the NCAA Tournament this season, coach Richard Pitino isn't about to let his team forget to take a moment to enjoy what has happened.
"I told the team afterwards, do not take this for granted. Only 19 percent of college basketball gets to play in this tournament, and it's special," Pitino said. "We set two goals at the beginning of the year. One was to win the Mountain West regular season. We did that. And two was to make the NCAA Tournament. Obviously, we did that as well.
"So very appreciative all the support that we get — fans, administration, boosters, collective, all those people that have helped us along the way. It's been a special year to go 17-3 in a league that got four bids. Was amazing."
Now, back to business.
The Lobos will face a team Pitino is somewhat familiar with already, having watched the Golden Eagles play three times this season against St. John's, coached by his father, Rick Pitino.
The Golden Eagles, coached by Shaka Smart, whom Richard Pitino once replaced as an assistant coach at Florida under head coach Billy Donovan, went 23-10 this season, 13-7 in the Big East.
Marquette is ranked 28 in KenPom.com and 26 in the NCAA's NET ratings. UNM is rated 41 and 42 in those systems, respectively.
The scouting process has already begun for the Lobos, and now the challenge is making the week as normal as possible in as uniquely challenging a week as they've had all season in terms of distractions.
"We'll dive into film tonight and we'll give them little bits and pieces of Marquette tomorrow and a little bit more the next day, and just prepare for a win-or-go-home type deal," Pitino said. "Other than that, enjoy it. As I said before, it's not like football. Football gets 60 percent (of teams into) bowl games. This is 19 percent of college basketball goes to the NCAA Tournament, and we got an at-large bid. So be proud of it. But tomorrow, if you came to our practice, nothing will be different."
The Golden Eagles are led by potential first-team All America point guard Kam Jones, a 6-foot-5 senior who averaged 19.3 points, 5.9 assists and 1.4 steals this season.
Jones vs. UNM point guard Donovan Dent will be one of the marquee player vs. player matchups in the entire first round of the tournament.
Dent, the 6-2 junior and Mountain West Player of the Year, who has appeared on at least two All-America teams so far, averaged 20.6 points, 6.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game.
ON THE AIR: The Lobos' first round game will be broadcast on TBS with Spero Dedes on the call along with analyst Jim Spanarkel and courtside reporter Jon Rothstein.
GOING TO CLEVELAND? For those making the trip, the Lobo game will be in the second session Friday in Cleveland at Rocket Arena. Lobo-specific sections are 121 and 122.
NEED A RIDE? People interested in a chartered bus ride to and from Cleveland for the game can contact Bobby Aragon with Amazing Jumps, Tents & Events. The owner of the company has for years also organized trips annually to Las Vegas for the Mountain West Tournament. There are packages available for bus ride only, or bus ride and hotel and shuttle service to and from the game.
Call Aragon at (505) 974-0215 for more details.
MAKING A BRACKET: Think you know more about college basketball than the Journal sports staff? Join the Albuquerque Journal group via ESPN to see how your bracket matches up with Journal staff brackets. Play along here: https://bit.ly/ABQJournalBracket
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The Lobos are the No. 10 seed in the South Region of the bracket and will face No. 7 Marquette of the Big East in Cleveland on Friday at 5:25 p.m. (7:25 p.m. local start in Cleveland). The winner will advance to play either No. 2 Michigan State or No. 15 Bryant.
The UNM men's basketball program wasn't sweating whether the team would get in; watching the show was more about finding out where the Lobos would be seeded and who their opponent would be.
The Lobos ended a 10-year NCAA Tournament drought last season after winning the Mountain West Tournament as the No. 6 seed and earning the league's automatic bid. They lost as an 11th seed to sixth-seeded Clemson in their first game.
This season, the team won the MW regular season, and despite losing in the conference tournament semifinals expected to make the NCAA Tournament.
And though the team has more a more businesslike approach to the NCAA Tournament this season, coach Richard Pitino isn't about to let his team forget to take a moment to enjoy what has happened.
"I told the team afterwards, do not take this for granted. Only 19 percent of college basketball gets to play in this tournament, and it's special," Pitino said. "We set two goals at the beginning of the year. One was to win the Mountain West regular season. We did that. And two was to make the NCAA Tournament. Obviously, we did that as well.
"So very appreciative all the support that we get — fans, administration, boosters, collective, all those people that have helped us along the way. It's been a special year to go 17-3 in a league that got four bids. Was amazing."
Now, back to business.
The Lobos will face a team Pitino is somewhat familiar with already, having watched the Golden Eagles play three times this season against St. John's, coached by his father, Rick Pitino.
The Golden Eagles, coached by Shaka Smart, whom Richard Pitino once replaced as an assistant coach at Florida under head coach Billy Donovan, went 23-10 this season, 13-7 in the Big East.
Marquette is ranked 28 in KenPom.com and 26 in the NCAA's NET ratings. UNM is rated 41 and 42 in those systems, respectively.
The scouting process has already begun for the Lobos, and now the challenge is making the week as normal as possible in as uniquely challenging a week as they've had all season in terms of distractions.
"We'll dive into film tonight and we'll give them little bits and pieces of Marquette tomorrow and a little bit more the next day, and just prepare for a win-or-go-home type deal," Pitino said. "Other than that, enjoy it. As I said before, it's not like football. Football gets 60 percent (of teams into) bowl games. This is 19 percent of college basketball goes to the NCAA Tournament, and we got an at-large bid. So be proud of it. But tomorrow, if you came to our practice, nothing will be different."
The Golden Eagles are led by potential first-team All America point guard Kam Jones, a 6-foot-5 senior who averaged 19.3 points, 5.9 assists and 1.4 steals this season.
Jones vs. UNM point guard Donovan Dent will be one of the marquee player vs. player matchups in the entire first round of the tournament.
Dent, the 6-2 junior and Mountain West Player of the Year, who has appeared on at least two All-America teams so far, averaged 20.6 points, 6.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game.
ON THE AIR: The Lobos' first round game will be broadcast on TBS with Spero Dedes on the call along with analyst Jim Spanarkel and courtside reporter Jon Rothstein.
GOING TO CLEVELAND? For those making the trip, the Lobo game will be in the second session Friday in Cleveland at Rocket Arena. Lobo-specific sections are 121 and 122.
NEED A RIDE? People interested in a chartered bus ride to and from Cleveland for the game can contact Bobby Aragon with Amazing Jumps, Tents & Events. The owner of the company has for years also organized trips annually to Las Vegas for the Mountain West Tournament. There are packages available for bus ride only, or bus ride and hotel and shuttle service to and from the game.
Call Aragon at (505) 974-0215 for more details.
MAKING A BRACKET: Think you know more about college basketball than the Journal sports staff? Join the Albuquerque Journal group via ESPN to see how your bracket matches up with Journal staff brackets. Play along here: https://bit.ly/ABQJournalBracket
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Continue reading...
