Justin Benson became the fourth Lobo to leave the men's basketball team when late last month he announced he would be heading to Oklahoma Baptist University.
Benson said in June he would leave the team to play tight end on UNM's football team, but changed his mind and instead will continue playing basketball for the NAIA Bisons.
Benson is the latest in a string of Lobo defections. Guard Lenny Miles left to play football at the University of Colorado. Walk-on Collins Ferris left the team to focus on academics. Walk-on Mikal Monette will attend Eastern New Mexico University to play basketball.
When asked if the four-player loss will hurt the UNM hoops program, head coach Ritchie McKay responded with an emphatic "No."
"Add up the scoring averages and minutes played for these players and you'll see this isn't a big loss for us," McKay said.
Benson averaged 8.1 minutes per game last season. Ferris and Monette averaged 6.5 and 3.3 minutes, respectively. None of them averaged even two points per game or had playing time in the Lobo's season-ending loss to UNLV in the Mountain West Conference tournament.
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With Miles on the other hand, the team loses a crowd favorite and a spark plug who energized the team off the bench.
"Lenny wanted to get closer to home and play football," McKay said. "We're disappointed he decided to leave."
A Commerce City, Colo., native, Miles averaged just 2.9 points and 1.1 rebounds per game, but was on the court for an average of 14 minutes a contest.
Despite losing Miles, the Lobos will not lack guards. Seven of the 14 remaining team members play in the backcourt.
McKay said he sees nothing negative about the loss of these players.
"In fact I think it's a positive," he said. "These guys all wanted better playing situations, and I think they'll find that."
Though he wouldn't provide details, McKay said he could see this coming.
"We have certain requirements as a program that must be met," McKay said.
"We lose six points per game and an average of about eight minutes," he added. "That doesn't seem like it's losing a lot."
No Lobo basketball players could be reached for comment.
