Following a 62-61 loss to the Boise State Broncos in the Mountain West Tournament in March, the New Mexico Lobos decided to part ways with long-time head coach Mike Bradbury. While consistent, Bradbury never delivered in the big games, going 3-10 in Mountain West Tournament play while never making the NCAA Tournament during his decade-long tenure at the helm. With Bradbury out the door, the Lobos ushered in the new era of Lobo basketball when they hired Amy Eagan to take over as head coach.
Eagan most recently served as the head coach at Lindenwood University and carries over an impressive overall coaching record of 329-191 to Albuquerque. Eagan isn’t the only thing that’s new this year for the team; the roster also saw some major shifts during the offseason.
The Lobos were able to retain four players from last year’s team: guards Laila Abdurraquib and Drew Jordan, and forwards Kaia Foster and Leonor Peixinho. Abdurraquib is the most well-established of the returning group, having appeared in 32 games for the Lobos last season, starting in one of them while averaging 7.5 points per game on 40.5% shooting. Jordan, right behind Abdurraquib as part of the team’s new core, has also appeared in 32 games for the team while also starting in one. Jordan only averaged 2.8 points per game, but also played over 300 minutes fewer than Abdurraquib did. Foster and Peixinho combined only appeared in 34 games, playing 163 minutes total. Even though Abdurraquib is the highlight of the returning group, the other three could still have the possibility of flourishing under Eagan. Outside of Abdurraquib, Jordan should be eyed to make the biggest leap heading into the season.
While it’s always nice to see returning players, the Lobos did lose key contributors during the offseason, including guards Destinee Hooks, Alyssa Hargrove and Joana Magalhães. Hooks was a leader on and off the court for the team last year, playing in 32 games and starting in 31 of them while averaging 13.4 points and 3.3 rebounds per game for the Lobos. Hooks transferred to Texas Tech, where she will suit up for the Red Raiders this upcoming season. Hargrove may have not had the most eye-popping numbers, but her impact on the team is something that did not show up on the stat sheet. Her defense night in and night out was superb, as she locked players up with ease while showing off fast hands, averaging 1.6 steals a game last season. Hargrove graduated from UNM in May. Magalhães started in 28 of the 30 games she played last season and was solid all the way around, averaging 8.7 points per game on 40% shooting. Magalhães took her talents to Santa Clara, where she will be playing for the Broncos this upcoming season.
Despite losing such key pieces from last season, Eagan and her staff did do a good job of bringing in new talent. Out of everyone brought in, there are three names to keep an eye out for this season: forward Gracie Kelsey and guards Keiara Curtis and Katie Duncan. Kelsey followed Eagan from Lindenwood after averaging 7.2 points and 4.8 rebounds per game last season, starting and playing in all 33 games. Her on-court production and connection with Eagan makes her stand out. Curtis joins the Lobos after just a year playing for the Hawaii Rainbow Wahine. In her 33 games played, she averaged 9.0 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. Curtis could play a very similar role to what Magalhães did last season. Duncan stems from Hutchinson Community College, and her numbers speak for themselves; during her two-season stint at Hutchinson, she averaged 14.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game. With numbers like that, it’s hard to see how her game wouldn’t be able to transfer over to the Lobos.
With a new coach and roster full of talent, along with the season inching closer each day, it is safe to say the “Eagan Era” is about to get underway.
Rodney Prunty is the sports editor for the Daily Lobo. He can be contacted at sports@dailylobo.com or on X @rprunty05
