This week in the NBA, we saw interesting trades, blowout wins and closely fought games. Along with that, we saw three bobbleheads emerge. Nico Harrison The first non-player to be featured as a bobblehead is Nico Harrison. He is the general manager of the Dallas Mavericks, and on Saturday, Feb. 1, he might have made a case for himself not to hold the position anymore.
The stage is set as the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs will meet for the second time in the Super Bowl on Sunday, Feb. 9 after winning their NFC and AFC championship games. On the opposing side, the Washington Commanders and the Buffalo Bills were defeated, in part thanks to these bobbleheads whose performances lost them the shot at the trophy.
On Saturday, Feb. 1, the Lobos took the top spot in the Mountain West standings. The game was fueled by a dominant second half against the Utah State Aggies in Logan, Utah, winning 82-63. While neither team shot especially well in the first half, the Lobos were able to find the bottom of the basket with efficiency in the second half while the Aggies’ percentages steadily declined. Despite struggling to make 3-pointers in the first half, making only 1-9, their outside shooting was what won the Lobos the game. They finished 7-22 and 6-13 in the second half from behind the arc.
As collegiate athletes climb their way into the draft, here are five players who I think could be in the first round for their talent. 5. Jacksonville Jaguars: defensive tackle Mason Graham The Jacksonville Jaguars have the fifth overall pick of the NFL season after a disappointing 4-13 finish. With trouble on the defensive line, the Jaguars should draft defensive tackle Mason Graham from the University of Michigan to patch up holes in the defense. The 6-foot-3-inch, 320-pound player had 3 ½ sacks and 46 total tackles this season, making him a solid pick for the Jaguars.
Last week, these three players were getting ready to help their teams get past the divisional round with a chance at keeping their Super Bowl chances alive. This week, they are sitting at home wondering what plays they could’ve done differently to avoid being labeled as bobbleheads.
The University of New Mexico men’s basketball team came away with a commanding victory against the Fresno State Bulldogs on Monday, Jan. 20, winning 95-67. It was all Lobos from start to finish. UNM came ready to play, jumped out to a 16-0 start and never relinquished the lead. The Lobos were able to stifle Fresno’s fast pace and didn’t allow a bucket for the first five minutes of the contest. The Bulldogs played too fast for their own good, leading to careless turnovers and missed shots early on.
The University of New Mexico men's basketball team was able to get back in the win column as they put on a show at The Pit against another conference opponent, the Boise State Broncos on Friday, Jan. 17. Coming off of a disappointing 71-70 loss to conference opponent San José State, the Lobos outplayed and outcoached the Broncos. The Lobos blew out Boise State 84-65. Throughout the first half, it was clear Boise State had no answer for the Lobos’ offense, and a big reason for that was guard Donovan Dent. Dent was everywhere on the floor — one moment making a flashy pass to a teammate, the next doing an impressive finish at the rim. Donovan Dent was just doing Donovan Dent things.
The College Football Playoffs will come to an exciting conclusion on Monday, Jan. 20, when the Ohio State Buckeyes face off against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish for an all-or-nothing national championship. With Atlanta being painted shades of green and red from opposing fans, here are predictions for the potential winner of the National Championship.
Wild Card Weekend came to an exciting conclusion when six NFL teams advanced to the divisional round of the playoffs. However, with great success also comes disappointment, as the losing teams grappled with teammates whose bad performances crumbled a potential run at a Super Bowl. These players are favorably called bobbleheads. With a long road ahead for AFC and NFC contenders that advanced, here is a list of bobbleheads who helped buy their team a ticket to Cancun instead.
The NFL’s regular season ended Jan. 5, ushering in a new era of football. Below are Wild Card Weekend predictions and potential LIX Super Bowl contenders. NFC No. 2 Philadelphia Eagles (14-3) vs. no. 7 Green Bay Packers (11-6) This will be a tight match-up, with both teams struggling with injuries: Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is coming off a concussion, and Packers QB Jordan Love injured his elbow playing against the Chicago Bears Jan. 5.
Defense was the order of the day. Coming into the game on Saturday, Jan. 11, the San Diego State University Aztecs were ranked sixth nationally in defensive efficiency. Their defense did not disappoint, as they held the Lobos to 35.8% from the field and only 21.4% from beyond the arc. However, the Lobos’ defense was equally impressive. The Lobos came out with energy bolstered by the sold-out crowd of 15,428 fans, eventually winning the game 62-48. The Lobos ended the game with seven steals and nine turnovers, compared to San Diego's 14 turnovers. The 48 points scored by the Aztecs were their lowest of the season so far, according to ESPN.
On Wednesday, Jan. 8, the University of New Mexico women’s basketball team had a Mountain West showdown against the University of Wyoming Cowgirls. Each team came into the game on a three-game winning streak. It was exciting down to the final buzzer, as the Lobos secured a 73-67 victory.
On Saturday, Dec. 7, the Rio Grande Rivalry was put on the forefront as the New Mexico State University Aggies traveled up from Las Cruces to face the University of New Mexico men’s basketball team at The Pit, resulting in an 89-83 loss for the Lobos. The game was sold out as fans flooded in to see how it would unfold. The Lobos came into the game after their win against San Jose State, while the Aggies came in on a five-game losing streak. The Lobos started the game looking sharp; the offense looked the most consistent it had looked all year. Center Nelly Junior Joseph got his night started fast as he was dominating down low early on.
The University of New Mexico women’s basketball team faced off at The Pit against its rival, the New Mexico State University Aggies, on Friday, Dec. 6. They fell to the Aggies 81-71. The Lobos move to 5-4 in the season, unable to rack up some wins before facing conference rivals starting at the end of the month. The tone for the night was set very early. It was a back-and-forth battle between both teams until the fourth quarter, when the Lobos couldn't keep up with the Aggies.
The University of New Mexico football team has been plagued by sudden roster changes since the start of this month, with two staff members — including Head Coach Bronco Mendenhall — and at least 11 players announcing their upcoming departures. Mendenhall, along with offensive coordinator Jason Beck, quarterback Devon Dampier, wide receiver Luke Wysong, safety Bryson Taylor, running back Eli Sanders, edge Max Lantzsch, running back Javen Jacobs, cornerback Noah Avinger, tight end Everett Hunter, offensive lineman Wallace Unamba, tight end Trace Bruckler and wide receiver Caleb Medford have all announced this week that they do not plan on returning next season.
On Nov. 24, the University of New Mexico announced the appointment of Fernando “Fern” Lovo as the next vice president and director of athletics starting Sunday, Dec. 1. Lovo comes to UNM after serving as executive senior associate athletics director for operations at the University of Texas Austin. He has also worked for Ohio State University and in the NFL for the Jacksonville Jaguars, according to the Albuquerque Journal. Lovo said he got his start as an equipment manager for the University of Florida’s football team.
A University of New Mexico basketball player was allegedly attacked by a teammate following an argument on a plane ride to a Thanksgiving tournament, KOB reported on Monday, Dec. 2. On Tuesday, Dec. 3, KRQE investigators released an interview with redshirt freshman Shane Douma-Sanchez, who said he was injured during the fight that took place Thursday, Nov. 26 over an airplane seat. In an interview with KRQE, Douma-Sanchez said that when the plane landed in Palm Springs for the team’s Acrisure Classic tournament, a teammate hit his already-injured shoulder and punched him in the face, fracturing his nose.
The Lobos were energetic from the jump in their game against Texas Southern University on Sunday, Nov. 24, and it showed. They beat the Tigers 99-68 in their largest margin of victory of the season. After winning the tipoff and a quick 3-point attempt from Mustapha Amzil, the Lobos stole the outlet pass but were unable to convert. The next time down, Tru Washington got a steal, leading to a breakaway dunk for the Lobos’ first points.
The University of New Mexico men's basketball team faced off against the Grambling State University Tigers on Thursday, Nov. 21. From the start of the game, both teams displayed a physical play style, indicating it would be a long night. In the end, the Lobos proved they could be aggressive and outplay their opponents at the same time, walking away with an 80-58 win. When the first half started, Grambling State was all over UNM, making it clear that the Tigers were not going to make it easy for the Lobos. Grambling State jumped out to a quick 8-2 lead, being physical on both defense and offense. The Lobos, however, were not looking to lose the game, and they immediately matched the energy that Grambling State brought.
The University of New Mexico women’s basketball team dominated the South Carolina State University Bulldogs with an 80-38 win at The Pit on Wednesday, Nov. 20. Head Coach Mike Bradbury said he is proud of the team for their victory. “I thought we were much better in the second half,” Bradbury said, adding that the Lobos “are going to have a much better year than they did last year.”
Solutions by The State News
