by Steven Fernandez
Daily Lobo
If the Lobos needed any motivation for the rest of the season, they may have got it.
The announcement of head coach Ritchie McKay's firing came as a surprise to the UNM men's basketball team, and whether it will have a negative effect will be seen on the court.
At least one Lobo - senior Aaron Johnson - said McKay's firing will motivate the team down the stretch.
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"It was shock, anger and just disappointment all in one," Johnson said. "All we can do now is every time we step on the floor, we got to leave it all out there more than we ever did before."
Paul Krebs, director of athletics, announced McKay's firing Thursday. With three games remaining, the 15-13 Lobos are fighting to build momentum
going into the Mountain West Conference Tournament.
Guard Ryan Kersten said the players will fight extra hard the last few games to show their support for McKay.
"To know that coach isn't going to be here next year sort of puts a fire inside your belly," he said. "We want to go out with a conference championship for coach."
A positive factor in the timing of the decision is the players will no longer have to worry about the speculation, McKay said.
"The good thing for our young people is that they don't have to answer questions," he said. "They don't have to play to save my job."
Johnson and Kersten said the mood in the locker room was a somber one when McKay gave the team the news Thursday.
While McKay has taken a lot of heat from the media and fans, the responsibility of the losses falls on the players, Johnson said.
"People blame the coach, but in reality, we're the ones that got to suit up," he said. "There's plays I made I know that could have really determined the outcome of the game. We just didn't get the job done."
UNM has its first chance to turn things around Saturday, when it travels to Salt Lake City to take on the Utes.
McKay said the Lobos will try to clear their heads before the game.
"We're going to focus on the Utes," he said. "I think it'll be a distraction, but they're 18- to 22-year-olds. Once the ball goes up, it's a lot different mind-set for them."
How the team responds to McKay's firing will decide how much success the Lobos will have in the remaining games, Johnson said.
"It's just something you have to deal with," he said. "The way we deal with it will determine the rest of our season."
Men's basketball at Utah
Saturday, 3:30 p.m.
Salt Lake City
