The Daily Lobo caught up with UNM men's basketball guard Mark Walters to talk about the Lobos' woes on the road and what they plan to do to shake that ugly 0-6 monkey in road games off their back.
Daily Lobo: How do you explain the lack of success on the road this season?
Mark Walters: On the road we have only played half of the games. Like at Wyoming we played a really good first half and a mediocre second half. Same thing at Kansas State, Washington and all the other games. I think it's just a lack of focus on the things that kept us good. We get complacent and away from what is successful for us.
DL: Are you intimidated by other facilities?
MW: Not really. The only place I have played in my four years that there was any intimidation factor was Oregon. All the places we played on the road this season really has not had anything to do with intimidation.
DL: What got you over the road slump last season?
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MW: Confidence in each other as a team. Many of the guys had been teammates for years, and we had a lot of confidence in each other. We knew we had five guys that could go out there and play the whole game.
DL: How would winning on the road boost the team's confidence?
MW: Lately on the road, we have not been playing the whole game. We need to go out there and stay focused for 40 minutes. These guys know that we are a good team, and the reason people don't talk about us being a good team is because we can't win on the road.
DL: How would you describe the team's mentality?
MW: Right now we are focused on Air Force. This is one of those games you need to be mentally prepared for. I think if we win this game, it could carry over to road wins. In conference play, teams need to be able to win at home and on the road. If we want to make noise, we need to win.
DL: How does the pregame routine differ at home and on the road?
MW: It's the same, really. When we play at home, we stay in hotels and try to simulate being on the road. The pregame is the same as well. We really don't prepare any differently for games at home.
DL: Do you think you play differently here to defend the winning streak at The Pit?
MW: Yes, now that everyone is talking about it. People are saying this will make 20 or 21 wins. I am not even sure how many it is. Coach mentions it before the games here and encourages us to keep it going. We really play the whole game when we play here, because if we start to get complacent, the fans remind us.
DL: What do the coaches do or say about the lack of road success?
MW: They bring it up. We do the same preparations to play on the road or at home. They do a great job of getting us ready. It's a lack of focus from the guys on the court that loses games.
- Kristie Boudwin
