Even after a 30-win season and a trip to the NCAA tournament, the UNM men’s basketball team still can’t get any respect.
The Lobos were picked to finish third in the 2010-11 Mountain West Conference preseason poll, behind BYU and San Diego State.
By now, junior guard Phillip McDonald said he expects the Lobos to be picked third in the conference.
“I am kind of used to it,” he said. “This happens every year. It’s happened since my freshman and sophomore year. … This is nothing new to me. That’s good because we have a chip on our shoulders now, and we can just come out with more focus and be more prepared.”
Head coach Steve Alford said McDonald will be a larger part of the team’s guard-heavy lineup this year.
“You know Phillip is going to be out there,” Alford said. “I can’t play 13 guys, so guys are going to be fighting for minutes and roles early (in preseason). Last year we had some new faces, but at least they’re things that were defined a little bit. But we don’t have a lot of those definitions yet with this team.”
UCLA transfer Drew Gordon, named the preseason MWC Newcomer of the Year, also joins the Lobos’ ranks this season.
In 41 games as a Bruin, Gordon averaged 4.7 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. His impact, however, will not be felt until the end of the fall semester when he is eligible because of NCAA transfer rules.
Gordon said it’s an honor to receive the preseason acknowledgment.
“It’s something that means a lot to me knowing that people still recognize me as being very talented and athletic,” he said. “For the most part, I have gotten that award by playing basketball and being on this team. I am going to keep doing what I have to do.”
The Lobos will also need bigger contributions from forward A.J. Hardeman and newcomer center Alex Kirk.
Guards Jamal Fenton and newcomers Tony Snell and Emmanuel Negedu will be integral parts of the Lobos’ backcourt.
“We’ve got a lot of new faces and a lot of them are young,” Alford said. “So they don’t really know what’s going on at this point. This is their first deal with college basketball. We’ve established our program, so they are coming into an established program that understands winning championships, and that makes for some great practices in my mind.”
Ryan Tomari contributed to this report.
