New Mexico

JR Giddens: NBA Draft Profile

Jeff Fox — Mon, 26 May 2008 09:50:42 -0700

JR Giddens

College: New Mexico

Class: Senior

Position: SG

Height: 6’5”

Weight: 205lbs

Accolades: MWC co-Player of the Year (08), First Team All-MWC (08), Honorable Mention All-American – AP (08), Third Team High-Major All-American – CHN (08), Honorable Mention All-MWC (07), Honorable Mention All-Big 12 (04), Big 12 All-Freshman Team (04), McDonald’s All-American – high school (03), Oklahoma’s Gatorade Player of the Year – high school (03).

Scouting Report: A highly decorated wing player with NBA athleticism.

Strengths: Great athlete – track athlete in high school also. Crazy vertical – reportedly 40” or more. Strong finisher – attacks the rim, dunks on people. Nice elevation & extension on his jumper. Exceptional rebounder for a guard. Long arms. Strong physique. Big time scorer in college. Decent assist man. Shot for a great percentage for a guard – 51.6% this year. Gets into the passing lanes for steals. Great shot-blocker for a guard.

Weaknesses: Age – is already 23-years-old. Horrible free throw shooter. Had off-court issues in college. Had attitude issues in the past. Needs to improve on his ball-handling for the NBA. Still inconsistent. Defense still needs improvement. Needs to become a more consistent three-point shooter for the NBA.

Projected 2008 Draft Range: Early to mid second round pick.

Consensus: Giddens has all the tools to be an NBA pro. However, the fact that he is up to four years older than other prospects and has had a shady past casts a shadow on his draft stock.

Stats: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/player/profile?playerId=15187

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= Superstar/All-NBA Potential

= Potential NBA All-Star

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= 6th Man/Fringe Starter

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= Fringe NBA Player/12th Man

0 stars = Life in the Minor Leagues

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Today's Game Predictions: NIT & CBI

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 09:18:26 -0700

New Mexico (24-8) at California (16-15)

11:00 PM ESPN2

According to the odds, this is the closest NIT game of the night, as the Bears are favored by just 3 points. Despite everybody's love of the Pac-10, Cal defines mediocrity and doesn't deserve to be hosting a game tonight. When a home team is favored by only a couple points in postseason play, its basically an admission that the road team is more talented. Cal lost to the only other MWC team they've faced, Utah at home back in December. If Cal can't beat the Utes, they probably couldn't beat UNM outside of a monster 30+ night from Ryan Anderson.

Prediction: New Mexico

UAB (22-10) at VCU (24-7)

7:00 PM ESPN2

Both of these teams were considered bubble squads up until the final week of the season.. but apparently the NIT folks didn't think highly of either. This is only a 4-5 game and somehow teams like Nebraska and FSU were seeded higher. Despite a disappointing CAA Tournament loss, VCU is still a legitimately solid team in my eyes and shouldn't have trouble putting away UAB. I like the home team to win big, surpassing the 5.5 point spread.

Prediction: VCU

Miami (17-15) at Tulsa (20-13)

8:00 PM

What might be the most competitive game of the CBI's opening round, Miami (OH) heads to Tulsa to face the Golden Hurricanes. I have little respect for anyone in the CUSA not named Memphis (like the above prediction), and I favor Miami here along with Utah against UTEP. The Redhawks started the season on fire, stunk it up in the middle, and then finished on a confident streak.. almost knocking off Kent State in the MAC Tournament.

Prediction: Miami

Previous Game of the Night (Predictions, 102-60)

March 18th - Mt St Mary's vs Coppin State (2-1)

March 14th - Kansas vs Texas (2-1)

March 14th - St. Joseph's vs Temple (1-2)

March 13th - Ohio State vs Michigan State (2-1)

March 12th - Arizona State at USC (2-1)

March 12th - Syracuse vs Villanova (2-1)

March 11th - IUPUI at Oral Roberts (3-0)

March 10th - Gonzaga at San Diego (1-2)

March 9th - Florida at Kentucky (1-2)

March 8th - UNC at Duke (2-1)

March 5th - Tennessee at Florida (2-1)

March 4th - UNLV at New Mexico (3-0)

March 3rd - Texas Tech at Kansas (3-0)

March 2nd - Clemson at Maryland (1-2)

2008 NIT Capsule: New Mexico

Joel Welser — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 19:03:30 -0700

New Mexico Lobos

Mountain West (24-8, 11-5)

Seed: #5

RPI: 60

Big Wins: 12/15 Texas Tech (80-63), 2/13 at San Diego State (73-63), 3/4 UNLV (59-45)

Bad Losses: 12/4 at New Mexico State (62-71), 1/12 San Diego State (67-72), 1/15 at TCU 72-74)

Coach: Steve Alford

Probable Starters:

J.R. Giddens, Senior, Guard, 16.0 ppg, 3.0 apg, 8.7 rpg, 1.2 bpg

Dairese Gary, Freshman, Guard, 7.9 ppg, 3.2 apg

Jonathan Wills, Freshman, Guard, 3.3 ppg, 1.2 apg

Roman Martinez, Sophomore, Guard, 7.0 ppg, 2.0 apg, 3.9 rpg

Daniel Faris, Junior, Forward, 9.2 ppg, 4.5 rpg

Key Roleplayers:

Chad Toppert, Junior, Guard, 10.6 ppg, 3.2 rpg

Jamaal Smith, Senior, Guard, 9.0 ppg, 2.2 rpg

Darren Prentice, Senior, Guard, 7.1 ppg, 2.4 apg

Johnnie Harris, Junior, Forward, 2.7 ppg, 1.9 rpg

Monquel Pegues, Junior, Forward, 1.9 ppg, 2.6 rpg

Why They Can Surprise:

Coach Steve Alford has done something for J.R. Giddens. The senior guard has seen a lot of coaches under his tutelage, but this year Giddens has finally almost lived up to his high expectations. Averaging 16.0 points per game is nothing new, but now Giddens has kept the turnovers down. In fact, the team only commits 12.2 turnovers per game thanks to the development of Giddens.

New Mexico has the best three-point field-goal percentage in the nation and it is not like they do not take a lot of long balls. Chad Toppert knocks down almost three per game and hits at a 48.3 percent clip. Jamaal Smith does not take as many shots from outside, but he hits at an incredible 50.0 percent. Those two boost the percentage, but players like Darren Prentice and Giddens will make some shots from behind the arc.

Why They Can Disappoint:

Giddens leads the team in blocked shots and that is not good since he is a 6-5 guard. The Lobos lack an interior presence on the defensive end and it can become relatively easy for bigger teams to back in and get some easy buckets. Daniel Faris, at 6-9 and 235 pounds, is often the only forward on the floor. He is not a bad defender, but he is not a shot blocker either. Yet, New Mexico still only allows the opposition to shoot about 41 percent from the floor, so they make it difficult to get the ball inside in the first place.

Who To Watch:

The Lobos have ten players who average about a dozen minutes per game or more. Giddens, Smith and Toppert will do a lot of scoring, but there are some other important players who do not put up such gaudy numbers. Dairese Gary can handle the ball and actually leads the team in assists. He is also a superb defender. At 6-6, wing Roman Martinez usually starts at the four position. He is not strong enough or tall enough to compete with most opposing power forwards, but he makes up for it with tenacity and footwork.

By the Numbers:

Scoring Offense: 74.4 (73^rd in nation, 2^nd in conference)

Scoring Defense: 62.5 (47, 3)

Field-Goal Percentage: 46.7 (54, 2)

Field-Goal Defense: 40.8 (44, 4)

Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 8.3 (41, 2)

Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 42.5 (1, 1)

Free-Throw Percentage: 66.5 (257, 8)

Rebound Margin: 2.6 (88, 4)

Assists Per Game: 16.3 (26, 2)

Turnovers Per Game: 12.2 (23, 2)

Joel’s Bracket Says: Second Round loss to Ohio State

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Today's Poll: Which Mid-Major Has the Best Shot of Making the Dance?

Shawn Siegel — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 09:35:23 -0700

Seven Day Stretch: The Week in College Hoops

Rob Carpentier — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 09:32:53 -0800

The “Curse” has returned…Kent State, Indiana and Stephen F. Austin all lost last week in games that they should have won…okay, maybe not the Hoosiers. But still, all the good vibes that last week’s “Stretch” gave these teams is now gone. So, who will be given the “kiss of death” this week?

Seven Day Savior (Team): New Mexico Lobos

Steve Alford apparently DOES know what he’s doing. The Lobos have stayed in serious contention for an at-large berth in the NCAA Tournament by defeating UNLV on Tuesday night. Alford, who landed in Albuquerque after his stint with Iowa, (by his own choosing, by the way), has been able to mold the Lobos into an image of what he was as a player; hard-working and fundamentally sound. This is a team with an RPI under 50, 23 wins and a 10-5 record in the Mountain West Conference. With the dearth of deserving teams on this year’s at-large bubble, it’s highly conceivable that New Mexico will make the NCAA field with a win at lowly Colorado State this weekend. The Lobos beat CSU by 40 earlier this season and Colorado State is winless in conference. With Iowa looking downright awful for many games this year, Alford is definitely having the last laugh on those who wanted him to leave Iowa City. The fans of New Mexico are glad they have him.

Seven Day Savior (Player): Michael Rogers, Valparaiso Crusaders

Rogers is an unheralded freshman from Jamaica by way of New York City. He was the least recruited of Coach Homer Drew’s 2007 recruiting class. Up until 10 days ago, Rogers barely saw the floor, averaging less than 2 points per game. The Crusaders, who just completed their first year in the Horizon League, were in the midst of a serious slump when starting wing Sam Haanpaa, Valpo’s best shooter, was lost for the year with mononucleosis. Enter Rogers into the starting line-up. Since his insertion, Rogers is averaging over 10 PPG and 7 rebounds per game. He went off for 21 points and 12 boards this past Saturday against Wright State, a game that clinched a home game for the Crusaders in the Horizon League Tournament, (which they won against Wisconsin-Green Bay on Tuesday). Rogers is an incredibly athletic player who simply needed time to adjust to the system that Coach Drew is running. Rogers, who is 6’6”, is another in a long line of foreign players that drew has brought to Valpo in his years on the bench. He may be the best before he’s done. Rogers and the Crusaders face Wright State again on Friday night in the Horizon quarterfinals.

News of the Week: Bobby Knight…ESPN Analyst

That’s right, folks; the man who has made no secret of his disdain for the media is now one of the hated “fourth estate”. Knight, who recently resigned as coach of Texas Tech, will join the ESPN college basketball collection of on-air talent to do commentary on the NCAA Tournament. The question is whether Knight is doing this because he is turning over a new leaf, (unlikely), whether he’s doing it because he hates being out of the national conversation at all, (a bit more likely, but not much), or whether there is some other reason. Personally, I wouldn’t be surprised if Knight is doing this on purpose almost as a way to thumb his nose at reporters in general, but especially those in the print media who seem to have been, he thinks, the bane of his existence. Knight’s a brilliant basketball guy and he does well when he’s interviewed on television, so this may be a very good fit for him. It also keeps him in the public eye in case he really does want a chance at landing another coaching job.

Game of the Week (The one you DON’T know about): UAB at Memphis

The ACC, Pac-10 and Big East all have games this week that will all determine their respective conference championships. However, all the teams involved know that they will be among the highest seeded teams in the upcoming NCAA Tourney. Because of the relative weakness of Conference-USA, however, both Memphis and UAB need this game badly. Memphis needs a victory because a single loss to a C-USA team stands a good chance of knocking the Tigers from being a 31 seed in the Big Dance. UAB needs the game even more. They aren’t sure if they are even going to get an invite to the Dance. UAB appears destined for the #2 seed in the C-USA Tournament, where they will more than likely face Houston in the conference semi-finals. They have to at least past that game to have any chance of getting into the NCAAs, unless they knock off the Tigers in Memphis. This may not seem as far-fetched as it sounds. Tennessee exposed some serious weaknesses in the Memphis system. They don’t shoot well from either the outside or the free throw line. Teams have now seen that and UAB has the personnel to perhaps take advantage of those weaknesses. Remember, it was less than three weeks ago that UAB had Memphis all but defeated when they met in Birmingham. Oh, and because of the first meeting, there’s a bit of bad blood now between the two teams.

Seven Days Under the Radar: Stanford Cardinal

You may ask how a team that is 24-4, is playing for their conference championship this week, is #17 in the RPI and is looking at a top 2 or 3 seed in the NCAAs can be considered, “under the radar”. Okay, well, can anyone out there name for me more than two starters for the Cardinal? Can you name their coach? What is Maples Pavilion? You get the point. There is no team in line for a protected seed in this year’s Big Dance that has been less talked about than the Cardinal. Part of the reason they are so unknown, or at least so unnoticed is that they aren’t pretty. They play a very defensive style of basketball, focusing on the shot blocking and rebounding of a pair of seven-foot twins; Robin and Brook Lopez. They give Stanford among the best frontlines in the country. Brook is the more skilled of the two, especially on the offensive end, but Robin provides better rebounding and defense and is often match-up on the opposing team’s best post player. The guards know their roles and the bench does a good job of resting the starters. Last year, Stanford got run off the floor by Louisville in the first round of the NCAAs. Don’t count on that happening in this year’s tournament. And for the record, the answers are; Lawrence Hill, Anthony Goods and Mitch Johnson; Trent Johnson; the homes court of the Cardinal in Palo Alto.

Seven Days on the Hot Seat: Kevin O’Neill, Arizona Wildcats

O’Neill was hired to be Lute Olson’s stand-in when Olson left the sidelines because of personal matters early in the season. As Olson began to become more of a visible presence at the McKale Center, whether it was to hold meetings with the players, work in his office, or use the training facilities, Arizona Athletic Director, Jim Livengood decided to offer O’Neill a pseudo-offer, stating that O’Neill would be the head coach of the Wildcats if Olson decided to retire at the end of this season. The idea was that O’Neill, who has coached at Marquette, Northwestern and in the NBA, would move back to an assistant’s position, much like he was before Olson took the leave of absence. This was, in fact, O’Neill’s second stint as an assistant with Olson. Then the problems started. Rumor had it that Olson began talking to the players and criticizing the schemes that O’Neill was running, specifically the set plays on offense and the man-to-man defense that O’Neill espouses. O’Neill, not surprisingly, wasn’t happy. So he and Olson haven’t spoken much since this started and now come sword the Livengood is trying to gracefully show Lute the door by getting him to retire. Bottom line is that O’Neill is in real danger of losing the job at the end of the season whether Lute returns or not. O’Neill didn’t leave Olson alone nor did he make it publicly clear that what Olson was doing was not right. Instead he tried to walk a middle ground that may have alienated some players. If Olson comes back, O’Neill is as good as gone. If Lute retires, O’Neill may not want the job now anyway.

By the way, the Pac-10 could realistically be looking at as many as four job opening this off-season; Oregon State, Oregon, California and Arizona.

Seven Days of Head Scratching: “Bargaining” for a Bid

As the calendar has turned to March, the talk has inevitably turned to the so-called “bubble” teams…at least in the world of college basketball. With the coming of the various columns in both print and on the Net about the “bubble” and the various “resumes” that particular teams have, coaches and even college administrators of those teams have begun to lobby the NCAA Tournament selection Committee regarding the reasons why their schools should have their teams announced as being chosen for the NCAA Tournament. This practice has been going on for years but has really picked up steam in the last decade as the Internet has become more and more of a powerful tool with which to dispense information, (or misinformation). I, for one, have never understood why coaches, etc. feel the need to do this. Let’s face it; it’s not as if the Committee actually listens to the lobbying that happens. The Committee has already secluded itself from the rest of the real world as they get ready to watch and debate the variances of Championship Week. The committee members watch games, often with the sound off, so that they can make up their own mind about the merits of a particular team. So, when Jim Boeheim basically begs the committee through television interviews as to why his mediocre Syracuse team should be included in the field, (and then bemoans the fact that they aren’t selected), the comments are falling on deaf ears. Why essentially do people waste their breath trying to talk a group of men into a particular decision when they don’t listen anyway? You might as well go and bang your head against a wall. In the past few years, CBS analyst Billy Packer has really been rabid in his attacks on what he believed were mistakes the committee made. The reaction of the person being interviewed, (this year it will be Committee Chair Thomas O’Conner of George Mason), has universally been one of surprise and shock, as if they had never expected the questioning at that level. Know why? Because it is one of the first times they’ve heard that kind of criticism because they don’t listen to the lobbying through February and March. This is just the practical argument, never mind that coaches who do this come off as whiners, babies and self-serving, (which in this case I guess I understand). I hate to pick on Boeheim, but he has been guilty of this multiple times in the past 10 years and he has a reputation as being a cry-baby and even a sore loser. Is that perception unfair? Absolutely! Did he bring it on himself? Absolutely! And he is far from the only one. A coach’s job is hard enough as it is at the collegiate level without having to worry about lobbying what is really a group of deaf men in Indianapolis. Besides, isn’t a coach’s job really to get his team to a point where all of this is a moot discussion anyway?

Games of the Night: UNLV at New Mexico

Shawn Siegel — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 08:47:48 -0800

A companion to our daily Three Stars of the Day, we present the top three Games of the Night.

UNLV (22-6) at New Mexico (22-7)

9:00 PM

With an RPI of 27, and marginally good OOC wins against teams like San Diego, Minnesota, Nevada, and UTEP.. UNLV is basically a Tournament lock. New Mexico meanwhile is barely in the field of 65, right there with Virginia Tech on the edge of the bubble. The Lobos have a lot of wins, but are just 2-5 against Top 100 teams.. which is rather pathetic. They are a rather good home team, but lost to the MWC's other top teams (BYU & SDSU) at home.. so a win tonight is not a given. UNM is the safe pick (a loss is simply not an option for them), but I like UNLV against the 6 point spread.

Prediction: New Mexico

#15 Purdue (23-6) at Ohio State (17-12)

7:00 PM ESPN

The Buckeyes are an embarrassing 0-9 against Top 50 teams.. but did play Wisconsin and Indiana pretty evenly in Columbus. Though they're on the outside looking in right now, a win over Purdue wouldn't place them very far behind teams like UNM or VT in the pecking order. I actually like Buckeyes to pull out a low-scoring 57-52 type win.

Prediction: Ohio State

Miami (14-13) at Kent State (23-6)

7:00 PM ESPN

Despite the wide gap in overall record, these two teams are more similar talent-wise than you'd think. Miami played a brutal non-conference schedule and their last 4 conference losses either went to OT or were decided near the final buzzer. With that said, Kent State is still the favorite at home where they're 14-0.. but the 6-point spread is enticing.

Prediction: Kent State

Previous Game of the Night (Predictions, 78-48)

March 3rd - Texas Tech at Kansas (3-0)

March 2nd - Clemson at Maryland (1-2)

February 28th - Maryland at Wake Forest (2-1)

February 27th - Miami at Clemson (2-1)

February 26th - Tennessee at Vanderbilt (0-3)

February 25th - Marquette at Villanova (2-1)

February 21st - South Alabama at WKU (1-2)

February 20th - UNC at NC State (3-0)

February 19th - Purdue at Indiana (2-1)

February 18th - Texas A&M at Texas (2-1)

February 16th - Stanford at Arizona (1-2)

February 14th - Wisconsin at Indiana (2-1)

February 12th - Michigan State at Purdue (2-1)

February 11th - Kansas at Texas (2-1)

February 10th - Indiana at Ohio State (2-1)

February 9th - Georgetown at Louisville (2-1)

February 7th - UCLA at Washington State (2-1)

February 6th - Duke at North Carolina (1-2)

February 5th - Florida at Tennessee (2-1)

February 4th - Gonzaga at SMC (1-2)

Wednesday Report Card: Foster Threes, UNM's Blown Chance..

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 09:04:13 -0800

A - Northwestern

Before February 19th, Northwestern had lost all 14 of its Big Ten games by at least 10 points. But a close hard-fought 2 point loss on the 19th at Iowa gave NW hope heading into a big home showdown with Indiana. Another hard-fought 3-point loss to the Hoosiers carried over into the Wildcats first Big Ten win in over a year, a 62-60 victory over Michigan. In what has been another forgettable season for the program, at least there's hope for next year.. as the Cats top three players (Coble, Moore, and Thompson) all return.

B - Shan Foster

Back when Foster was in high school, I had reservations about his awkward release. Writing at the 2003 ABCD Camp, I wrote, "although his outside shot isn’t the prettiest, it will go in so long as he’s squared to the hoop and has ample time to lock and load." Foster still has that same weird knuckle-ball of a shot.. but they seem to keep going down as the senior's hitting on 46% of his threes. At home he's even more deadly from long range, and is now a huge reason why Vandy upset the #1 team in the country. After losing 4 of 5 game sin January, Vandy's hot start looked like a fluke.. but they've suddenly won 7 in a row to look legit again. Should be interesting to see how they fare in the Tournament.

C - Missouri State

This is basically the end of an era at Missouri State. Last night's home game was the last at the JQH Student Center.. and probably Barry Hinson's last ever chance to coach in Springfield. After another disappointing, non-NCAA Tournament season, you have to figure Hinson will be let go in the off-season. But despite a season full of mediocrity, at least Hinson and the Bears found some glory last night, beating the 20th ranked Bulldogs of Drake.

D - Tennessee

Losing at Vandy isn't that shocking.. but what bothered me was how poorly they played down the stretch. From a game-management standpoint, it was pretty horrendous. Fouling when you shouldn't foul, not fouling when you should, driving to the basket when you need a three, the ball in the wrong person's hands, etc, etc. It wasn't even like Vandy was lights out down the stretch, missing some FT's, a bonehead foul of their own, but the Vols wasted whatever openings they had.

F - New Mexico

The Lobos blew a huge opportunity last night.. falling to BYU in OT at home. UNM had won six straight games, moved into the Top 50 RPI, was getting respect nationally.. and finally had a home game against one of the MWC's top teams. But despite taking a 58-50 lead with under 6 minutes to go.. the Lobos squandered the lead.. and perhaps their season. The fact remains UNM doesn't have a Top 50 all year, which is simply inexcusable for an at-large team.

The Daily Report Card tells you all you need to know about the day in college hoops. From good to bad and bad to worse, I'll be laying down the law.

Previous Best / Worst

February 25th - The Bubble / Villanova

February 21st - Tony Lee / Oregon State

February 20th - Hasheem Thabeet / Aaron Bruce

February 19th - Josh Duncan / Tim Welsh

February 18th - Wake Forest / NJIT

February 15th - Oral Roberts / Big Ten Predictions

February 13th - Mike Green / Ed Donato

February 11th - Charron Fisher / Tim Morris

February 8th - Big West / Virginia

February 6th - Chris Lofton / Dick Vitale

February 5th - Bob Knight / Josh Heytvelt

February 4th - New York Giants / Washington State

February 1st - Nevada / Penn

Daily Poll:Who Will Win the Mountain West?

Shawn Siegel — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 18:57:56 -0700

2007-08 New Mexico Basketball Preview

Joel Welser — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 08:39:31 -0700

New Mexico Lobos

Overall Rank: #96

Conference Rank: #5 Mountain West

2006-07: 15-17, 4-12, 8^th (t)

2006-07 postseason: none

New Mexico was way too good to go 4-12 in Mountain West Conference play last year. But even coming off an awful season, the Lobos have plenty to look forward to in 2007-2008 and beyond. Most of the excitement is revolving around new head coach Steve Alford. The former Iowa head man is already showing his worth in the recruiting department and he has some talented players to work with.

Who’s Out:

The loss of Aaron Johnson will cause a problem though. Johnson, who transferred from Penn State in order to spend one season with the Lobos, led the team with 7.3 rebounds and there are not a lot of options returning that can get on the glass and do a little post scoring like Johnson did during his senior campaign. Transfers Jeffrey Henfield and Sean Imadiyi and graduate Kellen Walter never saw too many minutes, but their departures add to the frontcourt depth concerns. Ryan Kersten will not return to the New Mexico basketball program and will instead return to his native Australia to play professionally. The guard averaged 5.5 points per game and garnered five starts last season. Little used guard David Kanyinda will not be returning to the Lobos squad either.

Who’s In:

The frontcourt is where New Mexico needs some help and a couple junior college transfers will be looked upon to provide just that. Johnnie Harris will not put up big numbers, but the 6-8, 250 pound power forward will do the dirty work in the paint and at least provide another big body. Monquel Pegues averaged 17.7 points and 7.1 rebounds at Cape Fear Community College last year and still continues to get better. Either newcomer could earn a starting job if Coach Alford does not want to force a small forward to play at the four spot, but each will at least play a very important role off the bench from day one. Guard Darrington Hobson is the most highly touted recruit of the bunch. He has the skills of a point guard, the scoring touch of a shooting guard and, at 6-7, the size of a small forward. Hobson can fill in at any of those positions and that versatility will make him a star sooner than later. Blake Harden returns to the basketball program after taking a year off from the team during the 2006-2007 campaign. The 6-5 wing started ten games in 2005-2006 and is a decent shooter, but is unlikely to see too many minutes this year. Jonathan Wills will add more depth on the wings. He is a good shooter and a decent defender, but will need some time to adjust to the level of play in the MWC. Point guard Dairese Gary could be the steal of the class when all is said and done. The 6-1 Elkhart, Indiana native can play either guard position, but it is his defensive prowess that will get him some minutes early in his career.

Who to Watch:

There is a ton of talent on the perimeter and the top five scorers, all of whom are returning, are listed as guards. J.R. Giddens is the star and the former Kansas Jayhawk led the team with 15.8 points and added 6.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. Giddens may have been a little trigger happy his first active season in Albuquerque, but with a year in the system, hopefully he will learn to trust his teammates shooting ability a little more. In any event, the Lobos will want the ball in his hands when the game is on the line. Darren Prentice spent some time at both guard positions and started 19 of the last 20 games. He is a decent shooter, but his main asset is taking care of the ball and he easily had the best assist-to-turnover ratio on the team last season. Long range specialist Chad Toppert, diminutive scorer Jamaal Smith and the emerging Roman Martinez all started at least a dozen games in 2006-2007 and will battle for minutes on the perimeter. Tony Danridge was second on the team in scoring last year and the consistent 6-5 wing continues to develop a decent perimeter game. He is not a great rebounder, but if the newcomers do not come around, he, along with Martinez, may spent some time at the power forward position.

Final Projection:

It is not like New Mexico is a small team; the guards are big, but they just do not have any proven post players. Daniel Faris started ten games last year and it is hoped that the 6-9 junior is ready to take over the fulltime starting position. Faris had a good offseason trip to the Bahamas. Well it is not really possible to have a bad trip to the Bahamas, but Faris played some hoops with his teammates while he was there and proved he can be a double-double threat. If the frontcourt can at least be decent, New Mexico will be a contender in the conference. If not, they will still be better than last year.

Projected Post-season Tournament: none

Projected Starting Five:

Darren Prentice, Senior, Guard, 8.9 points per game

Chad Toppert, Junior, Guard, 9.5 points per game

J.R. Giddens, Senior, Guard, 15.8 points per game

Tony Danridge, Senior, Guard, 12.5 points per game

Daniel Faris, Junior, Forward, 4.8 points per game

Complete Top 144 Ranking | 2007-08 Preview | Discuss the Preview

Daily Dribble: Thoughts on Coaching Changes

Shawn Siegel — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 10:45:16 -0700

- Getting Steve Alford (assuming it official happens) is a steal for New Mexico. His 152-106 record might not be overwhelming, but Alford brings a few things to the table that you have to love. A) Publicity. No one particularly paid any attention to the firing of Ritchie McKay.. and except for some love for Danny Granger, no one has paid any attention to New Mexico the past few years. B) Name Recognition. The MWC has been bringing in some decent "name" coaches the past few years. Lon Kruger at UNLV, Jeff Bzdelik at Air Force (the guy coached in the NBA), even Steve Fisher at SDSU. All of these have worked out well for the conference. C) Quality. Like I said, Alford's record at Iowa isn't overwhelming, and many would see his time there as a disappointment (only one NCAA Tournament win, off-the court issues, etc..). But, its not like New Mexico is a job that Coach K and Pitino are fighting over. Its not very often a non-BCS school can snag a coach from a BCS school who has even had decent success in recent years. Even this past year, Iowa's 9-7 conference record is impressive considering the team's expectations. - For Iowa fans, perhaps the most worrisome aspect of losing Alford (maybe the only worrisome aspect since most wanted him gone), is whether Tyler Smith will now leave the program. The Tennessee native was the Big Ten's best freshman outside of Ohio State.. but there's been rumblings that he's unhappy there. - In somewhat related news, Tom Davis, who was succeeded by Alford at Iowa, is stepping down at Drake. Davis never had great success with the Bulldogs, and this year's record was typical of his tenure. 17-15 overall, but just 6-12 in the MVC. As the Valley has improved in recent years, its been tough for Drake to keep up with schools like SIU and Creighton. Davis ends an impressive 32 year career with a record of 598 and 355 (60%). He made stops at Lafayette, BC, Iowa (where he won 13 NCAA tournament games in 9 trips), and finally Drake. Davis' son Keno (is it good or bad to be named after a Las Vegas gambling game?) takes over now.. but it wont be easy for him to produce above what dad could do. Drake is a small school of only a few thousand students.. hasn't been to the Tournament since 1971, and is overshadowed in Iowa by the larger state universities. - Going back to the MWC making a splash for a second with Kruger, Alford, etc.. it will be interesting to see what direction Utah goes. The Utes obviously haven't had much success since Majerus left and Ray Giacoletti took over. Unlike UNM, Utah will more likely go a quieter route, hiring a name BCS assistant. Michigan State's Jim Boylen seems to be a strong candidate. - Denver hired former Princeton and Air Force coach Joe Scott this week. Scott should be thrilled he has a job. He basically took a Princeton program that competed for the Ivy League title.. and brought it down to an unthinkable 2-12 conference record this past year. Denver obviously is focusing on the fact Scott was able to win in Colorado with Air Force (bringing them to the tourney in 2004 for the first time in four decades and recruiting the seniors that are now heading to the NIT semis). - Princeton now has a major decision coming up. More so than which actual coach they bring in, its a decision about what type of style they'll play. From Carril to Bill Carmody to John Thompson III.. the program kept the "Princeton offense" tradition alive. Scott kept a similar slow-down, half-court, style in place.. but its questionable whether this is the proper direction to go in the future.