By
Joel Welser
The Danny Granger era turned
New Mexico
into a legitimate place to play college basketball. The future
is bright, but the year after Granger leaves will prove to be
difficult for the Lobos. Only four players return who averaged
over nine minutes per game last year, leaving little time for
the newcomers to adjust.
Who’s Out:
Danny Granger filled up the stat sheet last year averaging 18.8
points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 2.1 steals and 2.0 blocks per
contest. Fellow starter Troy DeVries averaged 11.0 points and
2.5 assists. Forward Alfred Neale started 13 contests averaging
10.3 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. Sean Phaler, Bambale Osby
and Ryan Wall weren’t huge contributors last year, yet were
solid contributors off the bench. All three will be transferring
to other schools.
Who’s In: A
group of four junior college transfers will have to be ready to
play immediately and they are talented enough to make a huge
impact from the get go. Power Forward Joel Box will be battling
for that frontcourt spot next to returnee David Chiotti. Box, a
6-8 250 pound transfer from John Wood Community College, has the
ability to play inside and out and is a nice pick up for Coach
Ritchie McKay. Justin Holt has signed with Oregon State and
Virginia Tech but ended up at the junior college level. The 6-7
small forward is a solid scorer and rebounder from the wing and,
if the third time’s the charm, Holt will be seeing significant
minutes in Albuquerque. Kyle Prochaska, another juco small
forward, provides another option on the wing. The 6-6, 205
pounder from Wahoo, Nebraska earned a spot on the 2005 NJCAA
Division I All-American first team, averaging 12.7 points and
8.9 rebounds at Iowa Western Community College. He’s a gritty,
hard worker who will see plenty of action in 2005-2006. Rounding
out the group of junior college transfers is Anthony Teague. The
6-5 guard is a tremendous shooter and adds some needed depth to
the backcourt. Incoming freshman Ryan Kersten and redshirt
freshman Chad Toppert will also see some minutes backing up the
guards. Kersten, a product of the famed Australian Institute of
Sports, has plenty of experience for a freshman and can play
either guard spot. At 6-6, Toppert has nice size for a backcourt
player. He has gotten stronger in his year off and is expected
to be a contributor. Toppert has a nice stroke and his
aggressiveness will create a spark off the bench. The final
addition to the long list of newcomers is center Daniel Faris.
Faris is a true post player who can step out and hit the short
jumper. The local product still has some work to do, but should
be a major contributor in the years to come.
Who to Watch:
With the Danny Granger playing in the NBA,
this will be David Chiotti’s time to shine. The 6-9, 245 pound
forward earned third team all-conference honors last year and
will need to continue to improve. Chiotti averaged 10.4 points
and 5.1 rebounds last year and will have the opportunity to take
a lot more shots this year.
Projected Conference Rank:
If there will be a bad year for UNM any time
soon, this will be the one, but a 4th place finish in
the MWC and a trip to the NIT doesn’t sound all bad. Mark
Walters, Kris Collins and Tony Dandridge have experience and
David Chiotti is ready for a breakout year. If the newcomers
adjust quickly, the bench will have some depth and plenty of
talent.
Projected Post-season Tournament:
NIT
Projected Starting Five:
Kris Collins, Senior, Guard, 8.0 points per game
Mark Walters, Senior, Guard, 10.5 points per game
Tony Danridge, Sophomore, Guard, 3.0 points per game
Joel Box, Junior, Forward, DNP last season
David Chiotti, Senior, Forward, 10.4 points per game
