In years past, it was a guarantee that the Lobos would have an excellent record heading into the second semester, feeding on weaker opponents with the help of a largely home based schedule.
Not so this year. The Lobos have stumbled out of the gates falling to 5-9 (0-2 MWC) and are in serious danger of finishing near the bottom of the Mountain West Conference.
There is still hope though. With only two MWC games under its belt, UNM has plenty of time to rebound and make a run at the title.
With this in mind, the Daily Lobo had a chance to sit down senior guard Ruben Douglas and ask him about the upcoming conference schedule.
Daily Lobo: What teams should people look out for this year in the Mountain West Conference?
Ruben Douglas: In conference it's pretty much up in the air but you always have to look out for teams like Utah, UNLV they're very talented. And you have to respect Wyoming because they won it last year.
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DL: How would you assess the play of the Lobos through the first half of the year?
RD: We started the season with promise but we got into a slump, which carried over into other games. We under-achieved in a sense but being a veteran player I'm trying to talk to the players. There's three parts to a season. There's a preseason, a conference season and a postseason. Right now we're in the conference season, this could be a changing point for us if we can get these victories.
DL: What are some keys to success in conference play?
RD: The key to success is to protect the home floor. To protect the home court you have to come out and play hard and be focused every night.
DL: What are some strengths and weaknesses of the teams in the MWC?
RD: Wyoming went down when they lost Marcus Bailey. He's their perimeter force. Colorado State, their strength is their big men. They're physical and they play hard. UNLV, they are talented and athletic and the same thing with San Diego State. BYU, they're tough at home.
DL: How do you expect the Lobos to play in conference?
RD: The way we played against Wyoming showed promise. If we play like that every night good things can happen.
DL: Where do you see this team at the end of the year?
RD: It's kind of cloudy right now. We've shown promise. Last game against Wyoming we came out and played hard. But then there are games like Pepperdine, Colorado State and Texas Tech where we came out lethargic. If we can give a consistent effort then will be all right but that's up to each individual on the team. If every one wants to get to the tournament, we have to buckle down and get this league championship and go on to the MWC tournament.
