The time has finally come.
Sunday for the first time, junior transfers Danny Granger and Troy DeVries will suit up in the cherry and silver and join the Lobos in combat against Coppin State.
The two came to UNM around the same time, early last January and ever since, Lobo basketball fans have been looking forward to seeing them in action.
But fans aren't the only ones looking forward to the Granger/ DeVries debut.
"We are really excited to play," DeVries said. "We've been anticipating Dec. 21 for a long time."
DeVries, a transfer from Portland State, quietly came into the Lobo basketball program in the shadow of Granger, who received national honors from ESPN shortly before signing with UNM.
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But DeVries made his presence known in the first scrimmage open to the public at the Lobo howl in October, stunning fans with his quickness and sharp-shooting. He is expected to fill part of the scoring void that is left in the wake of Ruben Douglas.
Granger, a 6-foot-8 inside presence from Bradley, will be a force on the interior. At Bradley, Granger scored an average 13.8 points and 7.4 rebounds per game.
These two players have high expectations to live up to, but head coach Ritchie McKay is confident they can handle the pressure because they both have experience at the Division I basketball level. However, he said the addition of the two players won't necessarily be a turning point for the Lobos.
"Games are won by teams, not individuals," he said. "Last year we had the leading scorer in the nation and we finished in seventh place."
Still, having DeVries and Granger on the floor will make the jobs of post David Chiotti and guards Javin Tindall and Mark Walters easier - if nothing else, they will have more opportunities to rest and remain sharp.
But despite the tremendous help Granger and DeVries will provide, McKay said he has some concerns surrounding the Coppin State game. He said he hopes the players don't look ahead early to the NMSU game on Dec. 22 and he hopes they are not too emotional. Before tipoff against Coppin State, the team will honor the late Billy Feeney and his family. Feeney was a UNM post player before he died in August, in what was believed to be suicide.
For DeVries, it will be an especially emotional time. He had been friends with Feeney long before they came to Albuquerque.
"We played together at Portland State our freshman year," he said. "So we've spent a lot of time together. It'll be more of a motivation than anything. We still have the opportunity to play. Billy doesn't."
UNM will be in action throughout winter break. After playing NMSU on Dec. 22, they will face Northwestern State and Arkansas State in the Comcast Lobo Invitational, which will be Dec. 28-29 at The Pit. On Jan. 3 the Lobos will travel to California to face No. 12 Wake Forest. The Lobos will play San Diego, Cornell and Wyoming in early January.
