By Will Webber
The New Mexican
As bad as things appear to be for the stumbling, bumbling University of New Mexico men?s basketball team, there does appear to be a light at the end of the tunnel.
Or maybe, just maybe, that light is the proverbial oncoming train.
On Thursday, head coach Craig Neal announced that the Lobos will be without sophomore point guard Cullen Neal for Saturday?s visit to Mountain West rival San Jose State. The team?s third-leading scorer and the conference?s second-leading assist man, the younger Neal suffered a concussion in UNM?s most recent game against Wyoming.
It happened as he drove the lane in the closing seconds and attempted an awkward running floater to potentially tie the game. He was instead called for traveling and in the process hit in the head as he came back down.
When and if he returns to the lineup is anyone?s guess. The UNM training staff has him on the concussion protocol, making his availability for the Jan. 27 game against Air Force in doubt.
For now, he?s definitely a spectator for Saturday?s game against the lowly Spartans (6-13, 1-6). SJSU is currently all alone in last place in the MWC.
?We?ll have to take it day by day,? Craig Neal said. ?To be honest I won?t know how long he?ll be out.?
Either senior Tim Jacobs or freshman Jordan Hunter will start in Neal?s place. Jacobs has more experience but Hunter has gotten more playing time of late.
In either case, neither option is sure to produce the kind of numbers Neal provides. Combined they average just 3.6 points and 2.6 rebounds. Neal is averaging 14.4 points and 4.2 assists.
?Those guys are capable,? Craig Neal said. ?But you?re taking away 14 points a game from a team that?s scoring 76.?
Neal said the trickle-down affect means more playing time for other players. He said fans can expect to see a lot of Xavier Adams and freshmen Dane Kuiper and Anthony Mathis. Adams has established himself as the sixth man and is the the leading scorer off the bench.
Kuiper has earned Neal?s attention by working hard in practice and carrying the right attitude despite not playing much.
?It comes down to, you know, if you?re looking behind you or looking back, you?re looking the wrong way,? Neal said. ?We need to look forward.?
As for Adams, Neal said he likes what he sees from his 6-foot-4 shooting guard. With the size and physical style that makes him a forward at times, he is the high-octane booster for an offense that needs more run and gun and less standing around.
?He?s just got to play with unbelievable energy and attack the rim when he can,? Neal said. ?If he?s open, shoot his jump shot, but really, really be a really, really good defender and do some good things offensively.?
Neal said Adams? effort during the Wyoming loss is a good example of the impact he can have. A last-minute starter after the suspension of Elijah Brown, he had double digit points and was active at both ends of the floor in what was his best game as a Lobo.
As for Brown?s disciplinary action, Neal said he?s not quite done with dropping the hammer on the still-unnamed players who missed curfew during the team?s recent trip to Las Vegas, Nev. ? of which Brown was one. The transfer sophomore sat out the first 10 minutes of the Wyoming game as punishment.
?The discipline?s not over yet,? Neal said.
Despite losing its last two games, the Lobos are still in third place in the MWC standings behind San Diego State and Boise State. Eight of the 11 teams already have at least three losses in conference play.
?Anybody in this league can knock off anybody,? Neal said. ?That?s just way way our league is. When you have a team like ours you have to prepare them like you?re playing a top team in the league.?
One thing that the Lobos don?t well, Neal said, is getting good looks after an opposing team scores. That?s the primary focus heading to SJSU.
Another is continuing the development of Hunter, a 5-11 true freshman who hasn?t had much of a sample size in terms of offense. He has attempted only six free throws, an indication that he?s not terribly aggressive with the ball. His assist-to-turnover ratio is equal and he has only attempted 13 3-point shots.
?It?s not like like I?m [an] X-box where I can push that red button and make sure he shoots it when he?s open,? Neal said. ?He?s never been told not to shoot.?
The New Mexican
As bad as things appear to be for the stumbling, bumbling University of New Mexico men?s basketball team, there does appear to be a light at the end of the tunnel.
Or maybe, just maybe, that light is the proverbial oncoming train.
On Thursday, head coach Craig Neal announced that the Lobos will be without sophomore point guard Cullen Neal for Saturday?s visit to Mountain West rival San Jose State. The team?s third-leading scorer and the conference?s second-leading assist man, the younger Neal suffered a concussion in UNM?s most recent game against Wyoming.
It happened as he drove the lane in the closing seconds and attempted an awkward running floater to potentially tie the game. He was instead called for traveling and in the process hit in the head as he came back down.
When and if he returns to the lineup is anyone?s guess. The UNM training staff has him on the concussion protocol, making his availability for the Jan. 27 game against Air Force in doubt.
For now, he?s definitely a spectator for Saturday?s game against the lowly Spartans (6-13, 1-6). SJSU is currently all alone in last place in the MWC.
?We?ll have to take it day by day,? Craig Neal said. ?To be honest I won?t know how long he?ll be out.?
Either senior Tim Jacobs or freshman Jordan Hunter will start in Neal?s place. Jacobs has more experience but Hunter has gotten more playing time of late.
In either case, neither option is sure to produce the kind of numbers Neal provides. Combined they average just 3.6 points and 2.6 rebounds. Neal is averaging 14.4 points and 4.2 assists.
?Those guys are capable,? Craig Neal said. ?But you?re taking away 14 points a game from a team that?s scoring 76.?
Neal said the trickle-down affect means more playing time for other players. He said fans can expect to see a lot of Xavier Adams and freshmen Dane Kuiper and Anthony Mathis. Adams has established himself as the sixth man and is the the leading scorer off the bench.
Kuiper has earned Neal?s attention by working hard in practice and carrying the right attitude despite not playing much.
?It comes down to, you know, if you?re looking behind you or looking back, you?re looking the wrong way,? Neal said. ?We need to look forward.?
As for Adams, Neal said he likes what he sees from his 6-foot-4 shooting guard. With the size and physical style that makes him a forward at times, he is the high-octane booster for an offense that needs more run and gun and less standing around.
?He?s just got to play with unbelievable energy and attack the rim when he can,? Neal said. ?If he?s open, shoot his jump shot, but really, really be a really, really good defender and do some good things offensively.?
Neal said Adams? effort during the Wyoming loss is a good example of the impact he can have. A last-minute starter after the suspension of Elijah Brown, he had double digit points and was active at both ends of the floor in what was his best game as a Lobo.
As for Brown?s disciplinary action, Neal said he?s not quite done with dropping the hammer on the still-unnamed players who missed curfew during the team?s recent trip to Las Vegas, Nev. ? of which Brown was one. The transfer sophomore sat out the first 10 minutes of the Wyoming game as punishment.
?The discipline?s not over yet,? Neal said.
Despite losing its last two games, the Lobos are still in third place in the MWC standings behind San Diego State and Boise State. Eight of the 11 teams already have at least three losses in conference play.
?Anybody in this league can knock off anybody,? Neal said. ?That?s just way way our league is. When you have a team like ours you have to prepare them like you?re playing a top team in the league.?
One thing that the Lobos don?t well, Neal said, is getting good looks after an opposing team scores. That?s the primary focus heading to SJSU.
Another is continuing the development of Hunter, a 5-11 true freshman who hasn?t had much of a sample size in terms of offense. He has attempted only six free throws, an indication that he?s not terribly aggressive with the ball. His assist-to-turnover ratio is equal and he has only attempted 13 3-point shots.
?It?s not like like I?m [an] X-box where I can push that red button and make sure he shoots it when he?s open,? Neal said. ?He?s never been told not to shoot.?
