Lobo fans got their first look at the men's basketball team at the Lobo Howl Saturday night at The Pit. Nine new faces were introduced in a 20-minute scrimmage, followed by a commercial taping and slam-dunk contest.
"It's a time for everyone to have a good time," junior transfer Alfred Neale said. "It gives fans a chance to get to know the team. But most of all, it shows us where we're at right now."
Neale, a small forward who came to UNM from Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, advanced through a three-round contest to become the 2003 Slam-Dunk Champion.
Neale said he didn't know if he would be able to compete in the contest, after pulling a hamstring earlier in the evening.
"I didn't know I was going to be in it until it started," he said. "I thought David was going to win, but he didn't show me anything."
Sophomore center, David Chiotti was the slam-dunk runner up.
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UNM head coach Ritchie McKay introduced Chiotti at the Howl as the top center in the Mountain West Conference.
"I'd take him against any other center in the league," McKay said.
Other slam-dunk participants included junior transfer Danny Granger, freshman forward Justin Benson, sophomore post Mikal Monette and the smallest contender at 6-feet, freshman Ryan Wall.
Players advanced in the three-round competition based on cheers from the crowd.
Clearly, Neale has already become a Lobo fan favorite with his 360-degree dunks, which he made look easy.
McKay said he wasn't surprised the former Oklahoma prep high-jump champion swept the slam-dunk contest.
"We expected that," McKay said. "But he's got better stuff than that. He's got a hurt hamstring. He can really get up - he can almost fly."
At Northeastern Oklahoma, Neale averaged 15 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. He is expected to be a 3-point threat for UNM, as he hit 40 percent of his 3-point attempts in his last season in a Northeastern Oklahoma uniform.
McKay said Neale is just the type of guy the Lobos were lacking, but he wasn't expecting what he first saw of Neale.
"I saw him play on tape, and I wasn't sure I had the right guy," McKay said. "He was taking three's and jumps - I thought he should have been more highly recruited than he was."
McKay said Neale's role on UNM's team is still being defined.
"He's a great rebounder for his size and obviously a terrific athlete," he said. "I see him doing a variety of things for us. He's real mature and he's really helped our team."
McKay said one thing is sure, though. Neale will be an asset to the team, especially throughout the first half of the season when the Lobos will be missing the presence of 6-foot-8 Granger at forward.
"We won't have Danny until the first six games are finished," McKay said. "We need Alfred to play big early on."
