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Returning from an 11-day trip to Australia, the New Mexico men’s basketball team learned at least one thing about itself: Hugh Greenwood is definitely the best surfer on the squad.
“Hugh was the only one who really stood up on the board,” senior Kendall Williams said after the players arrived at the Albuquerque International Sunport on Aug. 13. “For the most part, I think it was about Hugh leading the charge and the rest of us following.”
Greenwood, a junior from Hobart, Australia, played host in his home country for the team beside his fellow countryman, senior Cameron Bairstow, a Brisbane native, as part of a three-game preseason exhibition tour.
While Down Under, UNM captured three close wins over professional-level competition — an 87-85 win over the Sydney Kings, a 78-66 victory over the Kilsyth Cobras and an 82-80 decision over the Gold Coast All-Stars.
The Lobos played the three games using international rules, including four 10-minute quarters, a 24-second shot clock and wider court dimensions. As a result, UNM’s scoring output was higher than a normal college game with senior Alex Kirk finishing at 21 points per game, Williams at 18.3 per game and Greenwood at 14 per game.
Bairstow played only one game during the tour after receiving an invitation to try out for — and earning — a spot on the Australian national team.
The trip served to build team camaraderie before official practice begins, sophomore Cleveland Thomas said.
“It taught us a lot about each other and how we can come together and get a win, even though the chemistry’s not really there yet,” said Thomas, who averaged 9.3 points in the three games. “We got good chemistry for it being early.”
NCAA rules allow teams to take one international trip every four years. It cost UNM roughly $125,000; the Athletic Department will pay for the trip from money it is due to receive from the Dec. 17 Kansas City Shootout game against Kansas and the Dec. 21 MGM Grand Showcase contest against Marquette.
Kirk was a world-traveler this summer. In addition to the Australia trip, he played for the U.S. team in the World University Games in Kazan, Russia. The Americans took ninth place in that tournament. Bairstow also played for the second-place Australian team.
Kirk said he has often been asked to compare the two trips. He said it was tough to make comparisons because both were completely different experiences.
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“I had an awful summer, no fun this summer. Kind of boring,” he joked. “No, both trips were amazing. I’m very lucky just to be able to have these experiences.”
In addition to the basketball games in Australia, the Lobos got a taste of Greenwood’s home nation and the team got a chance to partake in one of Greenwood’s favorite pastimes: surfing.
With limited success, however.
“As soon as they got out into the water they forgot about all the sharks. I think that was the big thing,” said Greenwood, a surfer since childhood. “It was funny. I loved it, I had a lot of fun. Some interesting techniques and styles.”
Greenwood said he felt very appreciative that he managed to give his teammates a taste of his home country, though he did feel some anxiety playing in front of friends and family who hadn’t seen him play in several years.
“My immediate family, my parents, have come up and seen me play, but some of my friends who hadn’t seen me play for two or three years, I wanted to show them how I improved and took my game to the next level at UNM,” he said. “We got three wins and it was good fun.”
