Conference cliffhanger?
Hardly.
This could be perceived to be as listless as games come, the anticlimactic point in the season.
And so, the UNM men’s basketball team follows arguably the best game in Mountain West Conference history, against BYU, with quite possibly one of the worst.
At home – against, well, TCU, one of the conference’s doormats.
Today’s game stands in stark contrast to the Lobos’ season finale a year ago. Then, UNM, having beat up on Utah at home, set the stage for a rousing season closer at Wyoming, where, in a squeaker, the Lobos came out victorious, 74-73, a share of the regular-season title at stake.
This time around, the Lobos have already solidified an NCAA Tournament spot, the No. 1 seed in the MWC Tournament, and, pending today’s outcome against TCU, the MWC regular-season title, outright.
Even so, Lobo head coach Steve Alford always thinks otherwise, eyeing possible implications in today’s showdown inside The Pit.
“What we do from now to Selection Sunday will determine if we’re a two, three or four seed, in my opinion,” he said. “My opinion might not mean much, because we could end up being an eight seed.”
That is, if they lose to the Horned Frogs, a frail-minded opponent despite entering Albuquerque off a come-from-behind win over Colorado State.
Reading the Cliff Notes of the season, TCU head coach Jim Christian said: “For us, any win is a huge step.”
Well, good thing Zvonko Buljan, Alford’s best friend, is coming to town.
In Buljan’s last appearance in The Pit, the temperamental forward, clashed with the Lobos.
The rambunctious little rascal riled up The Pit throng. First, he tangoed – and we’re not talking about dancing – underneath the basket with forward Will Brown. Then, he encouraged fans to make ear-splitting noise while shooting a pair of free throws. To top it off, Buljan was called for an intentional foul on former Lobo forward Daniel Faris with seconds left in the game, drawing Alford’s ire. At game’s end, Alford shared some words of encouragement with Buljan, similar to the ones he shared with BYU’s Jonathan Tavernari.
Anyhow, the Lobos will look to punctuate the season with a net-cutting session in The Pit and send lone senior Roman Martinez off properly.
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As always, Alford said, “We’ve been in here all year long talking about trap game, trap game, trap game and there’s been no trap game,” Alford said. “I trust them, and I have the utmost confidence in them.”
Which is more than Christian can say.
When asked what it’d take to pull an upset inside the spine-tickling Pit, Christian remarked with a tablespoon dose of reality.
“It’s going to take a couple guys on our team playing above their head and a couple guys on their team not playing as well,” he said. “From a basketball standpoint, we’re going to have to execute. The first game they got into us and we just turned the ball over carelessly.”
In front of a fifth consecutive sellout, the Lobos have an opportunity to equal their most wins in a season with 28, a mark the team hasn’t reached since 1995.
Point guard Dairese Gary said the Lobos will bedazzle their fan base.
“It’s going to be a show,” he said.
Just not one the Horned Frogs will want to watch.
Further complicating the matter, Christian said, is the fact that every Lobo on the floor is dangerous.
“It’s hard to lock in and say, ‘OK, we’re gonna take out this guy,’” he said. “I think those are game-time adjustments. If you catch one of their guys not having a particularly good night then you can give help.”
And tonight, the Frogs will need as much as they can get.
