New Mexico Basketball: A Deep Dive into the Mountain West Tournament
The New Mexico Lobos are making a strong push in the Mountain West Tournament, and fans are eagerly watching their journey. This article provides a comprehensive overview of their recent performance, key matchups, and what to expect as they strive for the championship title.
Tournament Overview
The Lobos faced San Jose State in a thrilling quarterfinal game on Thursday, ultimately securing a 93-77 victory. The game concluded late at 11 p.m., but the team showed no signs of fatigue. The semifinal matchup is set for 9 p.m. Friday against San Diego State (SDSU) at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. The game will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network and available on 760-AM radio.
Team Records & Series History
- SDSU Record: 21-10
- New Mexico Record: 23-9
- Series History: SDSU leads 31-15, but New Mexico has won 5 of the last 9 games.
- Season Series: The teams split their regular season games, with SDSU winning 83-79 on January 17th and New Mexico winning 81-76 on February 28th.
- Last Tournament Meeting: New Mexico defeated SDSU 68-61 in the 2024 final.
Aztecs Update
San Diego State boasts the most depth among the semifinalists. Despite a shortened nine-man rotation in their previous game, only two players logged significant minutes: Miles Byrd (30 minutes) and Reese Dixon-Waters (33 minutes). A key to their success will be rebounding, an area where they struggled in previous encounters with New Mexico. Coach Brian Dutcher emphasized, “We can’t get dominated on the glass. If we rebound, then we can play with anybody in this tournament.” They demonstrated improved rebounding in their quarterfinal win against Colorado State, with a 43-31 edge on the glass.
Lobos Update
Coach Eric Olen made a strategic lineup change, inserting freshman Uriah Tenette into the starting lineup at the request of Antonio Chol. Tenette responded with an impressive performance, recording eight points, nine assists, no turnovers, and three steals. Carlsbad High School alum Jake Hall contributed 19 points, shooting 5 of 6 from behind the arc, while Saint Augustine High School alum Luke Haupt added 15 points. The Lobos showcased excellent ball movement with 26 assists on 38 baskets and dominated the paint with 56 points.
The Buljan Factor
The biggest challenge for both San Jose State and SDSU has been containing New Mexico’s Tomislav Buljan. The 6-9, 240-pound forward is a dominant force, averaging impressive numbers against the Aztecs: 20 points and 14 rebounds in the first game, and 24 points and 18 rebounds in the second. Coach Dutcher acknowledged the challenge, joking, “That Buljan will probably get 72 rebounds against us. I think we know what that is.” Buljan himself stated, “100% they’re going to prepare different this time. Like, they watch this game. They have a little bit more rest than us.”
Looking Ahead
New Mexico is currently ranked 49th in the Kenpom metric, just three spots below SDSU. Kenpom projects a close 76-75 victory for the Aztecs. However, many bracketologists believe the Lobos have a slightly stronger overall tournament resume. The winner of this semifinal will advance to the Mountain West tournament final on Saturday at 3 p.m. (CBS).
Source: San Diego Union-Tribune
