New Mexico’s next slate of games could have implications on the seeding process for the Mountain West in March.
A peek at the schedule shows two road games against the conference’s top two teams – Boise State and San Diego State – with a suddenly streaking UNLV squad sandwiched in between.
With the Lobos currently sitting in third in the standings, Saturday’s contest with the Broncos will be for possession of second place. Each team has two conference losses; coincidentally, UNLV beat both earlier this season.
But Lobo coach Craig Neal said he’s not even thinking about seeding when he was asked whether these three games would make or break the tournament positioning. That’s a job for the media, he said, reaffirming the immediate focus on the Broncos.
“We could lose these three next games then win six in a row,” Neal said. “My thing is one game at a time.”
Even though the seedings aren’t being considered yet, the challenge isn’t lost on the team. Xavier Adams, fresh off a win over Air Force on Wednesday, said the Lobos are gaining confidence and improving as a team through its practices.
“When we practice hard, we play good,” he said. “We're really seeing that and we're really looking forward to the challenge playing Boise and UNLV and San Diego State.”
Not only do UNM and Boise State rank 2-3 in the league standings, they also boast the second- and third-best scoring offenses in the Mountain West right now. Boise State scores 78.2 points per game with the Lobos less than one point behind (77.4 per game). Only Colorado State scores better.
The Broncos also outscore its opponents at +9.8, compared to UNM’s +6.3. Meanwhile the Lobos have the statistical edge scoring-wise is in field goal percentage (.481 to BSU’s .457), where UNM leads all teams, and in 3-point percentage (.374 to BSU’s .337).
Over recent years, UNM-Boise State games have been a battle between both squads' big men. The same could happen again this year with Boise State’s frontcourt James Webb III, who Neal called his pick for the player of the year if he had to vote today, and Nick Duncan.
Like the team stats, Webb’s numbers remain close to those of UNM forward Tim Williams. They hold the fourth and fifth spots on the scoring list with Williams netting 16.4 points per game and Webb 16.3. And Williams shoots a league-best 58.7 percent from the field while Webb ranks third at 50.4 percent.
Yet Webb leads the MW in rebounding with 9.3 per game while Williams is fourth with 7.7.
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The Broncos also return guard Anthony Drmic, who Neal called potentially the best player in Boise State history and a player who has given his squad problems in the past.
Defensively, Neal said, the Lobos will need to guard the perimeter, especially in preventing Boise State from scoring transition 3-pointers.
“They bring a lot of weapons like we do, but you've got to guard the line,” Neal said. “If we don't guard the line, then it will be a long night for us.”
Health update
The Lobos conducted practice for only an hour Thursday afternoon because, Neal said, several players had been dealing with illnesses. The coach, who regularly mentions his medical knowledge comes from WebMD, did not specify the extent of the illnesses.
After Wednesday’s win over San Jose State, Neal did say Williams nearly missed the start but was well enough to play. He sat out during Thursday’s practice.
Regarding guard Cullen Neal, who returned Wednesday after clearing the concussion protocol, Craig Neal said the guard did not appear to show any lingering affects. He started once again and played 20 minutes, but he fouled out.
That may have stemmed from the fact he didn’t practice much leading into the game.
“That's part of it,” Craig Neal said, "but he seems to be back to normal so hopefully he'll play well and make some shots."
J.R. Oppenheim is the assistant sports editor for the Daily Lobo. He primarily covers men’s basketball and women’s soccer. Contact him at assistantsports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @JROppenheim.
