Ten of the 12 UNM men’s basketball players have one year or less of experience in Division I college basketball.
But leading the Lobos’ way are two players from last year who have 129 starts in their college careers combined. To put that in perspective, the rest of the men’s basketball team has 34 Division I starts under their belt.
Forward Roman Martinez and point guard Dairese Gary are the lone upperclassmen on the team. The coaches have picked them to share the role of captain.
Martinez is the only senior for the Lobos. Last season, he averaged 10.6 points per game and 6.4 rebounds per game — and, most importantly, he has 67 starts.
The nature of college sports dictates that there will be a constant flux of leadership stepping up and then graduating, said head coach Steve Alford.
And Alford said Martinez has taken on that role this year, whether he wants it or not.
“Unfortunately it is not real fair for him,” Alford said. “He is the lone guy. We have had three (seniors) each of the last two years to help in the senior leadership and captain responsibilities. And now we have one senior. And that is a heavy load to bear.”
Martinez said he has adapted to the role on the floor, but basketball extends farther than just the court.
“On the floor I have always been a good leader, but, in a sense, off the floor I need to communicate more,” he said.
Gary will also be sharing leadership responsibilities.
He goes into the season with experience at the point-guard position. He started every game last year, leading the starting five and contributing 8.1 points and a team-high 4.1 assists per game — second overall in the Mountain West Conference.
As one of the few experienced players on the team, he said he has seen the team change since last season.
“Last year we were a more advanced team,” he said. “This year, there is a lot of teaching and it is slower. We do go hard and go physical, but there is a lot more slowing down and teaching now.”
Still, neither captain will succumb to calling this a rebuilding year.
“Rebuilding years are just a year where you do OK — you get some wins and take tough losses,” he said. “I don’t really agree that this is a rebuilding year. We want to see this year as another chance to win a championship.”
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Even so, Gary said that the young team will have to hit the ground running and that there will be a freshman learning curve in the opening months of the season, but he’s confident the Lobos will overcome it.
“We have a strong team,” Gary said. “We have a lot of good players. I don’t feel that I am getting shortchanged with the team right now. It is just another year, and we have to go out and prove it.”
After getting off to a slow start last year, the Lobos finished the year in a three-way tie for the MWC regular-season championship.
But it was harder that way, Martinez said, and it’s important UNM doesn’t dig itself into a hole early on this season.
“Last year, we started 3-4, and I want anything other than that,” he said. “So we are going to work hard to make sure it doesn’t happen this year.”
