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June 26th,
2006
By Joel
Welser
Broadcast Basketball
New Mexico
Lobos
Overall Rank:
#135
Conference
Rank: #7 MWC
2005-06:
17-13, 8-8, 5th
2005-06
postseason: none
 For
a team that lost six of its top eight players, there sure is a
lot of hope at New
Mexico. And rightfully so. The Lobos needed a star and
go-to-guy; now they have two. J.R. Giddens and Aaron Johnson, a
pair of transfers, will immediately create a dangerous
inside-outside combination. However, there are problems. With
such a large turnover of players, the team chemistry will be
interesting to watch and that will mostly fall on the shoulders
of Giddens.
Who’s Out:
The
inside-outside combination of Mark Walters and David Chiotti
were the senior leaders last year. As a senior, Walters
averaged 15.5 points and 3.1 assists. Chiotti added 11.8 points
and a team high 6.3 rebounds. Kris Collins, who started 18
games, and Jeff Hart, the main long range threat off the bench,
have also run out of eligibility. If that wasn’t enough,
Anthony Teague, Joel Box and Kyle Prochaska are all
transferring.
Who’s In:
Giddens
averaged 10.1 points and 3.8 boards two years ago as a sophomore
at Kansas. The 6-5 wing has an amazing amount of athleticism
and will provide some fun finishes at The Pit. Johnson, a
transfer from Penn State, is a monster on the glass and led the
Big Ten in that category two seasons ago. The 6-9 Exton,
Pennsylvania product is solid on the offensive end as well,
averaging 11.8 points per game as a junior. Jamaal Smith is a
high scoring point guard who averaged over 20 points per game
last year at Indian Hills Community College in Iowa. One of the
top point guards in the juco ranks, Smith should be running the
show from the get go. Fellow junior college transfer Jeffrey
Henfield will fill in some minutes at the shooting guard spot.
Incoming freshman Roman Martinez will need some time to develop
his game, but the two guard has the skills to contribute this
year. Forward Sean Imadiyi and center Derek Oestreicher will
battle for minutes in the post. Imadiyi is an athletic player
who can play on the wing as well as the post. The 6-7 Tempe,
Arizona native averaged 17.5 points and 9.5 rebounds as a senior
at Corona del Sol High School. Oestreicher is a true paint
player. The 6-10, 230 pounder isn’t afraid to battle inside,
but could use a redshirt season to gain some strength.
Who to Watch:
Tony
Danridge is the only player returning who started over half of
the games last season. The 6-5 swingman didn’t put up great
numbers, averaging 8.4 points and 2.5 rebounds. Danridge,
despite playing at the two and three spots, isn’t a three-point
shooter. With the decent shooting newcomers headed to
Albuquerque, Danridge will be confined to the small forward
spot. The lack of long range shooting has been a hindrance to
New Mexico, but it shouldn’t be anymore.
Final
Projection:
The depth isn’t
too bad in the backcourt with Ryan Kersten and Blake Harden
having starting experience. The frontcourt, outside of Johnson,
is worrisome. Forward Daniel Faris saw very limited minutes as
a freshman, but given the opportunity, could become an impact
player off the bench. Walk-on Kellen Walter is another
frontcourt option. The 6-10 senior played in all 30 games last
year, averaging just 5.9 minutes per contest. Walter did prove
to be a productive option though and could see some more minutes
if the other choices take a while to adjust. In the end, with
the newcomers, it’s all about team cohesion. It might take a
little while, but this could end up being a dangerous team.
Projected
Post-season Tournament:
none
Projected
Starting Five:
Jamaal Smith,
Junior, Guard, DNP last season
J.R. Giddens,
Junior, Guard, DNP last season
Tony Danridge,
Junior, Forward, 8.4 points per game
Sean Imadiyi,
Freshman, Forward, DNP last season
Aaron Johnson,
Senior, Forward, DNP last season
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