A Mile High and Louder Than...

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1 A Mile High and Louder Than...

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4 Danny Granger st Round Pick of the Indiana Pacers 2006 NBA All-Rookie Team Coach McKay helped me develop into a more versatile player and added range to my game. What he taught me and what I learned during my time at New Mexico enabled me to get to the NBA, and more importantly, gave me a chance to be successful once I got there. Mark Walters st Team All-MWC Coach McKay helped me reach my goals as a player, and he is still helping me reach my goals in life. He cares about you when you are a part of the Lobo program, and he keeps you in the Lobo family after you graduate. I can t say enough about him. David Chiotti Three-Time All-MWC I loved my time at New Mexico. Coach McKay made me become the best player I could be, and he helped me prepare for life after basketball. I wouldn t trade my experiences at New Mexico for anything.

5 NEW MEXICO FAST FACTS School... University of New Mexico Location... Albuquerque, N.M. Enrollment... 26,500 Founded by Territorial Legislature Colors... Cherry and Silver Nickname... Lobos Conference... Mountain West Arena/Capacity.. The Pit/Bob King Court (18,018) Acting President... David Harris Director of Athletics... Paul Krebs Faculty Representative... Breda Bova TEAM INFORMATION Head Coach... Ritchie McKay (Seattle Pacific 87) Career Record (years) (10) Record at UNM (years) (4) Asst. CoachesBrad Soucie (Christian Heritage 92)... Scott Didrickson (Washington 95)... Duane Broussard (Bradley 93) Director of Basketball Operations.. Grant Farmer Overall Record MWC Record /5th Postseason... none Lettermen Returning/Lost... 6/6 Starters Returning/Lost... 1/4 Newcomers... 8 The New Mexico Men's Basketball Yearbook is a production of the New Mexico Athletics Media Relations Office: Greg Remington, Director; Jay Blackman, Brook Brandenburger, Alfredo Moreno, RaeAnn Feenaughty, Chris Deal, Rachel Burnett, Elaina Matsko and Eric May. Design and layout by Jay Blackman. CREDITS Printing by Lithexcel, Albuquerque, N.M. PHOTOGRAPHY Dave Benyak, J.B. Gallegos, Matt Dunn, Steve Bercovitch, Jesse D. Garrabrant NBAE/Getty Images, Frank McGrath, Steve Maikoski/USA Basketball, Vinnie Doosevic, Toby Jorrin, Adolphe Pierre-Louis, Lou Capozzola, Roy Turenne, Fernando Medina, Nathaniel Butler, Andy Hayt, John Soohoo, Don Grayston, Layne Murdoch, Jeff Reinking, Bill Baptist, Kim Stallknecht, Lee B. Morgan of Eagle's Eye Photo, sports information offices of UNM's opponents, the UNM Library and selected National Basketball Association teams. ON THE COVER Senior Aaron Johnson and juniors Tony Danridge and J.R. Giddens. Past players and coaches faded into the background include (clockwise from top l- r): Michael Cooper, Charles Smith, Danny Granger, Mel Daniels, Bob King, Kenny Thomas and Luc Longley. TO PURCHASE THE MEDIA GUIDE Copies of the publication can be purchased for $15 in person or $18 by mail. Send check or money order to: UNM Athletics Media Relations MSC University of New Mexico Albuquerque, NM Make check payable to: The University of New Mexico New Mexico Basketball Schedule Date Opponent Time TV Nov. 2 Western N.M. (Ex.) 7 p.m. Nov. 10 Abilene Christian 7 p.m. Nov. 12 Sacramento State 1 p.m. mtn. Nov. 14 Colorado 7 p.m. mtn. Nov. 21 Kansas State 6 p.m. mtn. Nov. 28 New Mexico State 7 p.m. mtn. Dec. 3 at UTEP 1 p.m. CSTV Dec. 5 at New Mexico State 7 p.m. Dec. 16 North Carolina A&T 1 p.m. Dec. 17 Longwood LVHC# 6 p.m. Dec. 19 Charleston Southern LVHC# 7 p.m. Dec. 22 Wichita State LVHC* 8:30 p.m. Dec. 23 USC/Kansas State LVHC* 6 or 8:30 p.m. Comcast Lobo Invitational Dec. 28 Alcorn State 6 p.m. Binghamton vs. Pepperdine Table of Contents 8:15 p.m. Dec. 29 Consolation Game 6 p.m. Championship Game 8:15 p.m. Jan. 1 at Texas Tech 10 a.m.espn2 Jan. 3 at TCU 6 p.m. Jan. 6 Colorado State 3 p.m. mtn. Jan. 9 at Air Force 7 p.m. Jan. 13 Utah 7 p.m. Jan. 17 at San Diego State 8:30 p.m.mtn. Jan. 24 BYU 8 p.m. mtn. Jan. 27 at UNLV 8 p.m. mtn. Jan. 30 Wyoming 7 p.m. CSTV Feb. 3 at Colorado State 4 p.m. CSTV Feb. 10 Air Force 3:30 p.m.mtn. Feb. 14 at BYU 7 p.m. mtn. Feb. 17 TCU 7 p.m. mtn. Feb. 20 San Diego State 7 p.m. mtn. Feb. 24 at Utah 3:30 p.m.mtn. Feb. 28 UNLV 8 p.m. mtn. March 3 at Wyoming 1 p.m. mtn. MWC Tournament Thomas & Mack Center (Las Vegas, Nev.) March 6-10 home games in bold *MWC game LVHC - Las Vegas Holiday Classic (# at The Pit; * at Las Vegas) all times Mountain all dates and times subject to change additional TV games may be added at a later date Lobo Men s Basketball ON THE INSIDE National Exposure The Pit... 8 Bob King... 9 Top-10 Games Basketball Facilities Lobos in the NBA Life After Basketball University of New Mexico Albuquerque New Mexico Academics OUTLOOK & PROFILES Outlook Aaron Johnson Kellen Walter Tony Danridge J.R. Giddens Jeffrey Henfield Darren Prentice Jamaal Smith Chad Toppert Daniel Faris Ryan Kersten Sean Imadiyi David Kanyinda Roman Martinez Derek Oestreicher Rosters Ritchie McKay Brad Soucie Scott Didrickson Duane Broussard Grant Farmer Support Staff OPPONENTS Mountain West Conference Opponents Comcast Lobo Invitational UNM Record vs. All Opponents All-Time Series Results UNM vs. Other Conferences SEASON REVIEW Review Statistics MWC Review Departed Seniors Box Scores RECORDS Team/Individual Records in The Pit Miscellaneous/Overtime/Exhibition National Rankings Honors ,000-Point Club Conference Stat Champs/UNM in the NCAA Stats Team Highs/Slam Dunks HISTORY Toby Roybal/Greg Brown Year-by-Year Scoring Leaders/Stats Conference Champions Conference Tournament History NCAA/NIT Tournament History All-Time Lettermen All-Time Head Coaches/Conf. Finishes Year-by-Year Results STAFF/MEDIA INFORMATION President David Harris/University Adm Director of Athletics Paul Krebs Athletics Department Staff/Lobo Club Athletics Season Recap Lobo Coaches Spirit Squad Lobo Tradition UNM Hall of Honor Media Information Arena Diagram/Tickets Radio-TV Roster

6 National Exposure LOBOS ON TV Nearly every University of New Mexico men s basketball game is on live television. The Mountain West Conference s new affilition with CSTV and the mtn. (Mountain West Network) will give the Lobos 19 games on TV for the season, the most televised games since the campaign. What a terrific atmosphere for college basketball. Great building...great history...18,000 screaming fans. IT S BIG TIME HOOPS, BABY! - Dick Vitale ESPN Lobo Men s Basketball

7 National Exposure What a homecoming for all of us at CBS. The Final Four in 1983 was so special, but even then, we didn t get to experience the real home crowd and spirit of the Lobo fans. Our return for the Utah game (an 8771 UNM victory on Feb. 1, 1997) was fantastic; outstanding basketball environment that rivals any in the country. - Billy Packer CBS Sports Lobo Men s Basketball 7

8 The Pit One of college basketball s most famous and recognizable buildings, University Arena is the home of New Mexico basketball. The season will be the 41st year that University Arena has served as home for Lobo hoops. The first game was played on Dec. 1, 1966, with New Mexico beating Abilene Christian A total of 704 games have been played overall. The Lobos have come away the victor in 569 of those good for a stunning.808 winning percentage. What is even more impressive about UNM s home court is that more than 11 million fans have flocked into this sunken edifice to see their beloved Lobos play basketball. The exact figure stands at 11,023,733. The Lobos have averaged an astounding 15,659 fans the past 40 years, an amazing 95% of capacity. The Lobos have finished second in the nation in attendance five times, third on four occasions and fourth six times. UNM hosted NCAA men s basketball tournament action nine times, including the NCAA Championship in 1983 and the 1988 McDonald's High School All-American basketball game. The Pit is built in a 37-foot hole on Albuquerque s southeast mesa. First the roof was constructed, then the hole was dug and the Arena built. That all happened in The unique Behlen roof (338 by 300 feet) was set up by contractors and then 55,000 cubic yards of earth were removed. About 28,000 yards of concrete were poured in the initial construction, which allowed a seating capacity of 14,831. The cost an incredibly economical $1.4 million. Arena expansion was undertaken when it became apparent that fan interest was too great even for the original structure. The expansion in 1975 cost near $2.2 million and involved the extension of a cantilevered deck above the existing facility. There are six rows in the deck, with a seating capacity of 2,300. Reserved standing-room-only spots increase The Pit s capacity to 18,018. NEW MEXICO S TOP HOMECOURT WINNING STREAKS Streak Start End Opponent 41 Feb. 10, 1996 (UTEP) Feb. 26, 1998 Brigham Young 24 Dec. 3, 1973 (Oregon State) Jan. 25, 1975 Brigham Young 22 Dec. 28, 2004 (Miss. Valley St.) Feb. 1, 2006 Brigham Young 21 Dec. 21, 1991 (Tennessee State) Jan. 21, 1993 Colorado State 17 Feb. 15, 1990 (Brigham Young) Jan. 5, 1991 Wyoming 17 Jan. 4, 1978 (Puget Sound) Dec. 30, 1978 Idaho State 16 Mar. 3, 1966 (Arizona) * Mar. 4, 1967 Wyoming 16 Dec. 16, 1967 (Pepperdine) Mar. 15, 1968 Santa Clara 16 Nov. 13, 1998 (DePaul) Feb. 1, 1999 Utah 13 Nov. 29, 1972 (Cal Poly-Pomona) Feb. 23, 1973 Wyoming 13 Nov. 20, 1987 (Weber State) Jan. 23, 1988 Brigham Young 13 Feb. 28, 1963 (Utah) Feb. 8, 1964 Texas-El Paso 13 Feb. 15, 1964 (Wyoming) Jan. 16, 1965 Wyoming 12 Feb. 19, 2000 (Utah) Jan. 6, 2001 New Mexico St. 12 Dec. 18, 1993 (UT-Pan Am) Nov. 17, 1994 San Francisco *Started at Johnson Gym and ended at The Pit ATTENDANCE IN THE PIT NATIONAL HOME YEAR ATTEND. GAMES AVG. RANK RECORD , ,778 2nd , ,920 5th , ,665 3rd , ,673 3rd , ,144 2nd , ,333 6th , ,352 6th , ,528 4th , ,025 4th , ,439 2nd , ,770 2nd , ,235 2nd , ,291 3rd , ,838 7th , ,033 3rd , ,525 4th , ,334 4th , ,701 7th , ,248 4th , ,050 4th , ,695 8th , ,875 9th , ,201 8th , ,629 8th , ,355 7th , ,605 11th , ,144 7th , ,648 8th , ,085 9th , ,026 9th , ,173 6th , ,625 7th , ,386 6th , ,443 8th , ,418 8th , ,426 7th , ,186 12th , ,679 15th , ,309 14th , ,387 21st 15-2 Totals 11,023, , NEW MEXICO'S TOP-10 CROWDS IN THE PIT No. Attendance Opponent Date Score 1. 19,452 Nevada-Las Vegas Jan. 17, 1976 L, ,796 Arizona Feb. 9, 1978 W, ,676 Arizona Jan. 24, 1976 L, ,670 Arizona State Feb. 11, 1978 W, ,614 Nevada-Las Vegas Jan. 17, 1978 W, ,490 New Mexico State Dec. 9, 1975 W, ,372 Texas-El Paso Jan. 28, 1984 L, ,309 New Mexico State Dec. 20, 1986 W, ,192 Texas-El Paso Jan. 25, 1986 L, OT ,188 Arizona State Jan. 23, 1976 W, Lobo Men s Basketball

9 On October 2, 1992, University of New Mexico President Richard E. Peck announced that the basketball court at University Arena would be named in honor of Bob King, former UNM basketball coach. King coached the UNM men s basketball team to national prominence in the 1960 s. "We wanted to recognize Coach King s contributions to Lobo basketball," Peck said. "UNM s Memorial Committee recommended that we honor Coach King s accomplishments, and the naming of the court has allowed us to do so without diminishing the recognition which has already been paid to his colleagues, including former Director of Athletics Pete McDavid. The Bob King Court and the Pete McDavid Lounge are a tribute to two of the men who are responsible for the success of the facility we fondly call The Pit." The Bob King Court was dedicated at formal ceremonies on Dec. 1, King passed away on Dec. 10, 2004, at the age of 81. Bob King ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF BOB KING AS AN ATHLETE All-State basketball player at Gravity (Iowa) High School Was a member of the University of Iowa s freshman team and graduated from Iowa in three years EDUCATION Bachelor s degree in Physical Education from University of Iowa in Master s degree in Educational Guidance and Psychology from Drake University in AS A COACH record in 12 years at Britt and Algona HS in Iowa, and West High in Rockford, Ill. Assistant coach at Iowa ( ) under Sharm Scheuerman Head coach at University of New Mexico ( ) where he compiled a record and is the second-winningest coach in Lobo history led UNM to two Western Athletic Conference titles (1964, 1968), to three NIT appearances, including the finals in 1964, and one NCAA Tournament produced 10 All-WAC performers and two All- Americas in Mel Daniels and Ron Nelson before King s arrival at UNM, the Lobos had not had a winning season since never had a losing season at UNM UNM has had just three losing seasons since King has been called the Architect of Lobo Basketball. biggest accomplishment was the building of University Arena, or The Pit, after UNM began winning under his auspices in King s first three years at UNM, attendance doubled in Johnson Gym responsible for the Lobo Invitational, UNM s post-christmas tournament now in its 41st year and the fifth-oldest regular season tournament in the nation AS AN ADMINISTRATOR Assistant Athletics Director at University of New Mexico ( ) Athletics Director at Indiana State University ( ) the Sycamores advanced to the NCAA Championship in 1979 with Larry Bird leading the way - lost to Michigan State in the finals during his tenure, King elevated the Indiana State football program to Division I status, ISU gained admittance to the Missouri Valley Conference, and interest and attendance improved at ISU basketball games Bob King was head coach at New Mexico from , compiling a record. King's success early in his Lobo career was the primary reason The Pit was constructed in (Front L. to R.): Bob King, former head coaches Gary Colson and Norm Ellenberger. (Back L. to R.) Current head coach Ritchie McKay and former UNM Athletics Director Rudy Davalos at the Lobo Legend Banquet in September, SPECIAL HONORS, CONTRIBUTIONS Officer in the Air Force ( ) Inducted into Albuquerque Sports Hall of Fame (1982) Inducted into UNM Athletic Hall of Honor (1987) Lobo Men s Basketball 9

10 The Pit TOP-10 GAMES IN PIT HISTORY University Arena has long been recognized as one of the most special places in the nation for college basketball, due to the tremendous support and enthusiasm of Lobo Basketball through the years. The Pit is known, first and foremost, for being THE loudest arena in college basketball, but also for being the domain where the Lobos rarely lose. In addition to providing an enormous home-court advantage for UNM, The Pit has also been the home for some very entertaining basketball games over the years. Some of the obvious classic contests include the 1983 NCAA national championship between Houston and upstart North Carolina State and the 1968 NCAA Tournament when Lew Alcindor and UCLA won a pair of games on their way to the national championship. However, when reconciling the top-10 greatest games in Pit history, only games in which New Mexico was involved were considered. The list was compiled in the summer of 1999 by a blueribbon panel of writers and fans who have witnessed great basketball action at University Arena. Jan. 2, 1988 New Mexico 61, Arizona 59 Top-ranked and undefeated Arizona came into The Pit for an ESPN late-night matchup to tip-off the New Year 1 and provided the greatest upset in school history. Behind an unconscious Jimmy Rogers, UNM bolted out to 2 a 25-9 lead 10 minutes into the game. The Wildcats, led by All-Americans Sean Elliott and Steve Kerr, who combined for 38 points on the night, clawed back and cut the lead to two, 61-59, with under two minutes remaining. Arizona had a chance to win the game in the final seconds when Elliott was open for a three-pointer, but Hunter Greene blocked the shot, thus securing the upset. Rogers had 15, while Darrell McGee outplayed Kerr with 13 points and 5 assists. 3 The final minute of an upset of No. 1 Arizona. Feb. 1, 1998 New Mexico 77, Utah 74 Royce Olney buried a legendary 25-foot three-pointer with 4.7 seconds remaining in the game to give the Lobos an improbable victory over highly-touted Utah. The Utes entered the contest as the nation's only remaining undefeated team at 18-0, and ranked third in the nation. Utah dominated throughout the game, leading from the outset and enjoyed as much as a 13-point advantage in the second half. Down with 2:27 remaining, the Lobos began their comeback. Clayton Shields knocked down a three to cut the deficit to six, then scored the Lobos next four points to trim the Utah lead to with 1:32 remaining. The teams traded baskets and then came the controversial play of the game. While trying to bring the ball upcourt, Utah's Andre Miller collided with Olney in the backcourt and lost the ball. With the Utah bench screaming for a foul, Olney collected the ball, ran to the corner and drilled a three to cut the Ute lead to Kenny Thomas hit two free throws to give the Lobos the lead, and after Alex Jensen made one of two charity tosses to tie the game, Olney took the ball across midcourt and pulled up from downtown, nailing the game-winner for the 14th-ranked Lobos. March 8, 1996 New Mexico 104, Fresno State 99 (3OT) In perhaps the most draining game in Pit history, the Lobos outlasted Fresno State in three overtimes in the semifinals of the Western Athletic Conference Tournament. Tied at 74 at the end of regulation, UNM was down by two with under 10 seconds remaining in the first overtime. David Gibson found Kenny Thomas on the blocks, however, and Thomas spun and dunked with six seconds left to send the game into a second overtime. Fresno State scored the first five points of the second OT and led with 30 seconds left. As UNM worked to tie the game again, Charles Smith put up a desperation three-pointer with three seconds left and was fouled by the Bulldogs Darnell McCullough. Smith calmly drained all three free throws to knot the game and force the game to continue. Royce Olney and Clayton Shields each hit threepointers in the first minute of the third overtime, although Fresno State would tie the game at two minutes later. Smith had two quick hoops and Gibson hit two clutch free throws to give the Lobos an incredible win. The victory propelled UNM to a school record 28 victories in Jan. 25, 1986 UTEP 71, New Mexico 70 (OT) The infamous "Cup Game" in which a fan tossed a wadded up paper cup on to the court cost New 4 Mexico a key victory against its WAC rival. UNM led by one, 70-69, in overtime after Paul Lawson nailed a 19-footer from the side with 14 seconds left. The Miners came down and worked for the final shot when the Lobos' Mike Winters fouled Wayne Campbell with two seconds left. When Campbell missed the front end of his oneand-one, the Lobos rebounded and began to celebrate. However, a fan sitting under the basket had distracted Campbell by throwing a wadded up paper cup at him just before he shot. The referees awarded Campbell another opportunity and he sank both ends of the free throws as well as UNM's chances at a victory. Ironically, the two free throws were Campbell's only points of the game Lobo Men s Basketball

11 Jan. 17, 1976 UNLV 80, New Mexico 73 In what is oft-considered the Dec. 11, 1993 New Mexico State 112, New Mexico 104 (2OT) In a dramatic comeback by archrival New Mexico State, the Lo- rowdiest game in school history, a Pit record 19,452 fans 7 5 bos surrendered a nine-point 6 lead in the final 1:20 of regulation and eventually lost in witnessed the Lobos' attempt double overtime UNM led by 10, 35- to upset the fourth-ranked 25 at halftime on the strength of 15 points by Runnin' Rebels. With fans overflowing on sharpshooter Canonchet Neves. The lead was the concourse and sitting in the stairways, as many as 15 in the second half before the the crowd was estimated by some attendees Aggies outscored UNM 16-7 in the final 1:20 to be closer to 24,000. The Lobos trailed by of regulation. The Lobos stormed back to score one at halftime behind George Berry's 12 the first six points of the first overtime and led points. UNM would take a brief lead early with under a minute remaining in the extra session. However, the Aggies would not give in the second half and was within three, 66- up and drilled three three-pointers in the final 63 when Dan Davis scored with under five 40 seconds to extend the game further. In the minutes remaining. However, UNLV's Eddie second overtime, NMSU was 3-3 from behind Owens scored 13 of his 25 points in the second half, including a jumper and two free the arc and buried the Lobos with a 17-9 run. Keith Johnson scored 26 to lead the Aggies and throws in the final two minutes, as the Rebels offset a 34-point performance by UNM's Greg were able to pull away. Brown. The 104 points scored by UNM remains the highest losing total in school history. The Pit Dec. 22, 1984 Georgetown 69, New Mexico 61 The top-ranked and 1983 NCAA defending national champion Georgetown Hoyas came into The Pit with All-Americans Patrick Ewing and Reggie Williams and expected to run the Lobos out of their own gym. What they got instead was the scare of their lives and a firm understanding of why University Arena is such a home-court advantage for the Lobos. UNM trailed at halftime and had no answer for Hoya guard David Wingate, who had 14 points at the intermission. However, UNM went on a surge midway through the second half. Lobo center George Scott, giving up five inches on Ewing, outplayed the future NBA number one pick during the run, scoring 11 points and almost single-handedly bringing UNM back. UNM trailed by just three, 60-57, with 3:47 left, but eventually ran out of steam, as the Hoyas narrowly escaped with their ranking intact. Greg Brown scored 34 points in a double overtime loss to New Mexico State in March 6, 1976 New Mexico 59, UTEP 58 UNM took the floor with a depleted lineup, boasting only one starter against a Miner team which would have advanced to the NCAA Tournament with a victory. The Lobo starting lineup consisted of players who had averaged 13.8 ppg. Substitutes became starters and junior varsity players were made substitutes, as the Lobos overcame an early 12-point deficit to win. Steve Davis scored nine straight points during a stretch in the first-half, cutting the Miner lead to at halftime. The Lobos continued to surge and held a lead with 3:56 remaining. UTEP fought back to tie it at before Davis sank the front end of a one-andone with seconds left to ice the game. Steve and Dan Davis combined for 42 of the Lobos 59 points on the evening. Feb. 1, 1969 New Mexico 68, New Mexico St. 66 "I didn't think it was going to go in," said 5-7 Petie Gibson of his foot desperation shot at the buzzer which gave New Mexico a win over New Mexico State. But Gibson was wrong and the Lobos had won the game, giving them a season sweep over the Aggies. Earlier in the week, the Lobos had won in Las Cruces in an amazing attack which ended the NMSU 17-game winning streak and sent the Aggies skidding from their national ranking of sixth. Greg "Stretch" Howard hit 16 of 18 shots from the field to help UNM trounce NMSU in its own gym. But in Albuquerque, the game was more like a Lobo-Aggie rivalry. UNM had a four-point lead with 18 seconds left, but the Aggies scored four points in 10 seconds to pull into a tie. It looked like overtime when New Mexico called timeout to set up a final shot with five seconds remaining. It was decided in the huddle that Ron Becker would take the last shot, but the Aggie defense forced the pass over to Gibson. He took the ball at mid-court, dribbled to the left of the key and let fly. The buzzer blared seconds before the ball went through the net Lobo Men s Basketball Ron Sanford led UNM with 23 points in the 1968 win over the Aggies. Feb. 7, 1968 New Mexico 72, New Mexico St. 71 In what is widely considered the genesis of a heated rivalry between the Lobos and Aggies in The Pit, sixth-ranked UNM defeated 10th-ranked New Mexico State The Lobos were 17-1 coming in, while NMSU was 17-2, and the game was a classic. The lead changed hands 14 times, the last of which was a Greg Howard free-throw with seven seconds remaining to lift UNM to the one-point victory. Ron Sanford led the Lobos with 23 points, including two free throws in the final minute to temporarily reclaim the lead, while Jimmy Collins poured in 21 for the Aggies, including two clutch jumpers in the final 2:17 to almost erase a late nine-point deficit. 11