Work ethic winning trust

by Kevin McFarland

Daily Lobo

Early this season, Lobo junior

transfer Joel Box was lacking a

key ingredient to his game.

It definitely wasn't talent. Box

could shoot the lights out for a

team that desperately needed a

three-point shooter.

Box was not lacking in size,

either. His 6-foot-8-inch, 250-

pound frame appeared as though

it would complement senior David

Chiotti well in the low post.

No, what Box was lacking was a

good old-fashioned work ethic.

That is what, to Box's dismay,

kept him glued to the bench for

much of the early season, head

coach Ritchie McKay has said.

And that is what prompted Box

to quit the team twice earlier in

the year. In both cases, McKay

accepted Box back on the team

but continued to play him sparingly.

But now, during Box's second

return to the Lobos, he has

brought with him a new attitude

and a new willingness to work.

The approach has paid off for

Box, who earned a starting spot

and quality minutes.

"I've put in a lot of extra time

and a lot of extra work," Box said.

"I think coach has seen that. I

struggled a bit at the beginning

of the season, but I see now that

hard work pays off."

The Lobos are faring well with

Box's newfound work ethic. In

Box's last three games, he scored

a solid 33 points collectively and

shot 5-of-9 from behind the arc.

Box is 8-of-14 from three-point

land against Mountain West Conference

foes this year.

No Lobo should be more enthused

about Box's presence on

the floor than senior center David

Chiotti.

With a big man that can shoot

the ball on the perimeter like

Box, the lanes should be wide

open for Chiotti to execute his

post moves.

"Anytime you can get another

big body down there, for rebounds

and defense, that's going

to help me out," Chiotti said. "He

can shoot the ball well, so that

spreads the defense and takes

pressure off of me."

McKay said the key to Box's

new success is simple: Box works

hard in practice.

But it doesn't end there. The

forward keeps working hard after

practice, running extra just to

stay in game shape.

"He's been doing everything

we ask," McKay said. "In practice

and on his own. He stays after

practice to run wind sprints and

bleachers. He's shown me he deserves

the spot."

With his newfound work ethic,

Box has found his way out of

McKay's doghouse. Now Box is

poised to redeem himself on the

court and get back in the Lobo

fans' good graces.

That shouldn't be too hard. The

Lobos have won both of the games

in which Box has started, including

the team's first road win of the

season at Colorado State University

on Wednesday night.

If the Lobos win a second road

game against Texas Christian

University on Saturday, Box's

early season blunders will probably

be all but forgotten.

And when Box talks about

what the Lobos need to do to win

on the road, it is clear he has not

forgotten his newfound lesson of

where good players turn potential

into success.

"We had a good day in practice,"

Box said. "Hopefully we'll

have another one tomorrow, and

we should be ready to execute on

the road."

Work ethic winning trust

Harrison Brooks/ Daily Lobo

Lobo forward Joel Box dribbles as head coach Ritchie McKay, right, looks

on during the game against Utah at The Pit on Feb. 4.

Weekend Sports Schedules:

Women's

tennis

vs. UTEP

Friday, 4 p.m.

vs. Texas Tech

Sunday, noon

UNM Tennis

Complex

Men's

basketball

at TCU

Saturday, 6 p.m.

Daniel-Meyer

Coliseum

Track and field

Albuquerque

Invitational

Saturday, 9 a.m.

Albuquerque

Convention

Center

Women's

basketball

vs. TCU

Sunday, 3:30 p.m.

On TV: ESPN 2

The Pit

Baseball

at Texas State

Friday, 2 p.m.

Saturday, 2 p.m.

and

Sunday, noon