by Adrian Doerfler
Daily Lobo
In his first taste of competition, Steve Alford is pleased with what he has seen as the UNM men's basketball head coach.
The Lobos came back to Albuquerque on June 1 after completing a weeklong trip in Nassau, Bahamas, where they played four exhibition games.
"I like how they competed," Alford said. "They pulled together when adversity hit, which is one thing we really wanted to see."
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The Lobos split the first two games against the Bahamian Select squad. The Lobos won the first game, 73-71.
Guard Tony Danridge led the team in that contest, scoring 16 points. Center Daniel Faris had a double-double with 11 points and 10 boards.
In the second game, Danridge led the Lobos with 21 points, and forward Roman Martinez contributed 14 points and 13 rebounds. But UNM could not close out the contest in a 76-
71 loss.
It didn't take long for Alford to pick up his first technical foul as a Lobo. He made it a little more than three minutes into the first game before getting upset by the Bahamians physical play.
The next two games went smoother for the Lobos, downing the Sunshine Auto Ruff Ryders, 82-41, and the Commonwealth Bank Giants, 75-51.
In the first game, Danridge scored 22 points; Faris had 20 points and nine rebounds; and Martinez recorded his second consecutive double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds.
In the finale, Danridge continued his dominant play by closing the trip with a double-double - 23 points and 10 rebounds. Guard Darren Prentice also starred in the game, scoring 13 points and handing out seven assists.
The Lobos sent eight players on the trip. Alford's first recruiting class hasn't arrived on campus yet, and last year's lead scorer, J.R. Giddens, was unable to make the trip because he was taking an inter-session course.
The Lobos made the best of the situation, taking the opportunity to acquaint themselves with the coaching staff and
its style.
"We improved defensively," Danridge said. "Knowing where to be on the help side and which lines to be on when we're helping defensively."
Even though the trip was mainly business, the Lobos took advantage of being in the Bahamas. They stayed at the prestigious Atlantis Hotel, which has a water park.
The team also went on a snorkeling trip that was nearly
disastrous.
Coaches and players were on a boat when the 60-foot mast
collapsed.
The Lobos escaped with only minor injuries. Prentice got cut under his eye; Martinez received a cut on his leg and ankle; and assistant coach Craig Neal got hit in the knee, according to GoLobos.com.
Whether it was the basketball competition or the boating fiasco, the Lobos had an experience they'll never forget in the first part of the Alford era.
He already has his team's respect and confidence on the basketball court, but when it comes to water slides, the Bobby Knight protÇgÇ has some hills
to climb.
"He's a wimp," Faris said. "He wouldn't go down any of the slides or anything like that. He didn't want to do any of the scary stuff."
