As the UNM men's basketball team enters the Mountain West Conference tournament, the odds are long that it can win three straight games - something it could not do in the conference regular season - to play its way into the NCAA field of 65.
Still, the Lobos are betting that they can muster the will to do just that, especially if they can repeat their performance from last year's tournament.
In last year's version, UNM was a 3-pointer away from defeating eventual champion Brigham Young University in the title game, after it had beaten Colorado State University and the University of Utah in the opening rounds.
But before the Lobos can even begin to talk championship games, first and foremost on their list is a rematch with the University of Nevada at Las Vegas Thursday night on the Rebels' home floor, where UNM lost just five days ago.
"The fact that we're coming off a loss that our kids took hard in some ways will work for us," UNM coach Fran Fraschilla said. "It's hard to come back and play a team five days later if you've won; on the other hand, the team that lost is like, 'let's play this game, let's get back out there.'"
Against the Rebels Saturday, the Lobos committed 20 turnovers, which was tied for the most they had committed this year along with a November game against West Virginia University. And despite shooting 53 percent in the second half, the Lobos seemed to be having trouble with the Rebels' press, which Fraschilla said the team worked on combating in practice this week.
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"With Vegas, it's feast or famine with us," Fraschilla said. "If we take care of the ball, we're going to get good shots. Had we had some more looks at the basket and not had 20 turnovers, it would have been better for us."
The brightest spot for the Lobos against UNLV was the play of Ruben Douglas who hit most of his not-so-open looks.
The junior guard, named to the Mountain West Conference's first team Monday, erupted for 32 points on eight-of-13 shooting, including five-of-seven from three-point range and 11-of-12 from the free throw line.
Douglas, who finished the regular season averaging 17.5 points per game to lead the conference, said he's confident that his teammates will be up to the challenge of supporting his scoring.
"Everybody just needs to chip in," Douglas said. "It's not a one-man team; it's still five on five out there, but I've just got to go out and play my game and other guys have to go out and play their game."
Douglas also said the Lobos would have to play virtually error free to beat the Rebels because of their home court advantage, and play the same way to win the tournament.
"That's to their advantage," Douglas said of playing in the Thomas and Mack center. "I'm not going to necessarily say that that will be the toughest game of the tournament, but it will be tough because their at home."
The game begins at 10 p.m. mountain time and will be televised on ESPN. Radio station KKOB- 770AM will have the play-by-play.
Mountain West Post-season awards: Joining Douglas on the Mountain West Conference's first team were UNLV's Dalron Johnson, the University of Wyoming's Marcus Bailey, San Diego State University's Randy Holcomb and Utah's Britton Johnsen - all forwards.
"Ruben has got a great work ethic; he really earned this," Fraschilla said of the award. "Especially in light of the fact that there's some very good players in the conference."
UNM senior guard Eric Chatfield was named to the conference's third team, and sophomore post Patrick Dennehy was given an honorable mention. Chatfield averaged 11.4 points and 2.4 rebounds per game, while Dennehy finished with 10.5 points and 7.4 rebounds per game average.
Wyoming's Steve McClain was voted the coach of the year by the Mountain West coaches, including Fraschilla, who voted on Friday before his Lobo game against UNLV but said he might have liked to change his vote following the loss.
"I voted for (BYU's) Steve Cleveland, but then if I had to do it again, I'd (vote for UNLV's) Charlie Spoonhour," Fraschilla said. "I wish I had waited a day or two."
The Rebels far exceeded expectations this year, finishing third in the conference despite losing key seniors in Spoonhour's first year as head coach.
