by Kevin McFarland
Daily Lobo
In the UNM men's basketball team's loss to Kansas State two weeks ago, sophomore Tony Danridge took a moment to formally introduce himself to Lobo fans.
During the second half, Danridge received a pass from junior Blake Harden in the middle of the lane and elevated toward the rim.
An unsuspecting defender jumped up to contest the shot. The defender obviously didn't know Danridge's jumping prowess.
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The defender also didn't know he would be posterized on national television. The dunk was at the No. 1 position on the ESPN SportsCenter's top-10 plays of the day.
Lobo fans, meet Tony Danridge.
Would-be defenders, if you didn't know Danridge before, now you know.
"He decided to jump with me," Danridge said. "That meant he had to get dunked on."
The dunk was not the first eyebrow-raising highlight in Danridge's time as a Lobo, but it certainly was the most spectacular.
And it showed Lobo fans what Danridge's teammates have been saying all along: The skinny sophomore from San Bernardino, Calif., has the ability to take over a game.
The problem is, sometimes Danridge doesn't realize his potential.
"He's a great player," senior guard Kris Collins said. "Sometimes his laid-back personality can kind of carry on to the court. But he's been playing more aggressive the last couple of games for us and been really playing well."
The dunk and the national notoriety may have brought the quiet-mannered Danridge out of his shell. Danridge, who has been seemingly content with playing a fairly limited role in the past, has been shooting the ball more as of late. He scored eight in the loss to Kansas State, 14 in last week's victory over the University of Texas-El Paso, and 12 in the loss to New Mexico State on Saturday.
On a team that is looking for more scoring options, Danridge may be maturing at the perfect time. Senior guard Mark Walters insists the Lobos need Danridge attacking the rim frequently.
"We definitely want him to be more aggressive, to be a go-to guy on the team," Walters said. "We want to show him that we have confidence in him, so he'll have more confidence in himself, because he's the type of player that can take over games."
Danridge said he's just trying to do whatever helps the team.
"I just go out there and play my role," Danridge said. "I try to be aggressive when I have the opportunity, but mostly, just play hard, play good defense."
With Danridge's athletic ability, his desire to get better and his lanky 6-foot-5-inch frame, he seems a likely candidate to take a leadership role for the Lobos this season and in the future.
Still, Danridge just wants to focus on the basics.
"My goal for the future is just to improve," he said. "Just work on becoming a better player all around."
Whatever Danridge's role on the team may become, his dunks aren't stopping anytime soon.
"He's amazing, and he does that kind of stuff in practice," Collins said. "But it's not as spectacular because we don't make the mistake of jumping with him. He can jump out of the gym, so you know not to go up with him."
