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The classic red blazer for the Lobo Howl? Nah. Craig Neal opted for a different jacket.
Neal sported a leather jacket and rode his motorcycle onto the court moments before introducing his team for the Lobo Howl, a preseason exhibition event held Friday at The Pit. The entrance by the first-year men’s basketball coach drove the 10,158 fans in attendance into a frenzy.
“I’ve been talking about that for six years, couldn’t get them to do it,” Neal said. “Since I’m the boss now they let me do it. (UNM athletic director) Paul (Krebs) was all for it. He just wanted to know if I had insurance.”
ESPNU included the Lobo Howl as part of its Midnight Madness, featuring preseason exhibitions from teams around the country. UNM showcased its men’s team with player introductions, slam dunk and 3-point shooting contests and a short practice session.
After the women’s basketball team concluded its portion, The Pit’s video screens showed athletic director Paul Krebs announcing Neal’s hiring. The scene then cuts away to a closet containing the red blazer that basketball coaches wear from time to time. Neal picks up the blazer but puts it back and grabs his leather jacket instead.
Neal is then shown riding his motorcycle through Albuquerque, passing familiar University-area establishments such as the Frontier Restaurant before driving down The Pit’s ramp. The coach gets off his ride and begins to unzip his jacket, but changes his mind and drives his motorcycle onto the floor.
“Basically, it was to show the fans appreciation and try to get everyone psyched up for the start of the season,” Neal said. “I think we accomplished that.”
Neal said he was particularly excited that the Howl drew so many fans.
“It’s unbelievable; I’ve always said the greatest thing (about) playing here, coaching here, is our fans and our facility we play in,” he said. “Any time you can have 10,000 people show up for a practice or a layup line or a 3-point shootout, it’s a pretty good day.”
Following some brief statements, the 14-man basketball roster came to the floor.
Zylan Cheatham, a highly recruited prep player from Phoenix, Ariz., was among those in attendance during an official recruiting trip. A group calling itself a “grassroots campaign” placed thousands of cards with “Be A Lobo” and the letter “Z” on seats throughout the stadium. On four separate occasions the crowd chanted “We Want Z” to encourage Cheatham to attend UNM over Washington and San Diego State.
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The fan organization is not affiliated with UNM or the Athletics Department. NCAA rules bar college coaches from talking about recruits to the media until the recruits sign their National Letters of Intent.
“He (Cheatham) will see what we already know … that Lobo fans are the greatest in the country!” the cards read.
Junior transfer Deshawn Delaney won the slam-dunk contest by beating last year’s champion, senior forward Cameron Bairstow. On Delaney’s winning dunk, senior forward Kendall Williams bounced the ball from the 3-point line toward the basket. Delaney collected the ball in mid-air and slammed it home on a two-hand reverse dunk.
Freshman guard Cullen Neal, the coach’s son, captured the 3-point shooting contest after scoring 19 points in the final round. He topped junior guard Hugh Greenwood’s 13 points and sophomore guard Arthur Edwards’s 11.
“I’m just glad he’s back on the floor and I’m happy for him,” Craig Neal said. “He’s been going through a lot, not only just with his energy but physically and the surgery. He’s been through a lot, so I was glad to see him and come out and play pretty well.”
