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| | Tuesday, November 2 | |||||||||||||||
Coach and program
LAMONT LONG (6-4, 190 lbs., SR, SF, #3, 16.8 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 3.0 apg, 2.1 tpg, 1.6 spg, 37.9 minutes, .438 FG, .380 3PT, .812 FT, Corona del Sol HS/Tempe, Ariz.) Long declared for the NBA draft but then pulled his name out. It was the best recruiting move Fraschilla could have made. Long has started 77 of the past 81 games. He is already 15th on UNM's all-time scoring list. He can create his own shot from anywhere on the floor and gives the Lobos a legitimate All-America candidate. He'll play any of the three perimeter positions and expect the ball to be in his hands when the game is on the line. Five times in 1998-99, Long scored in the final seconds to make the Lobos a winner. His most significant basket was a leaning eight-foot shot to beat Missouri in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. "He's got a tremendous work ethic," Fraschilla said. "I expected him to be a little soft, but it's not even close he's our best player. He's the best player I've coached, and that includes Felipe Lopez and Ron Artest. He doesn't miss shots. We'll get him as many shots as possible. We'll be working on box-and-one and triangle-and-two defenses all year. "Lamont will also handle the ball on the break." JOHN ROBINSON II (6-1, 180 lbs., SO, PG, #5, 10.2 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 4.8 apg, 2.8 tpg, 1.0 spg, 34.4 minutes, .370 FG, .351 3PT, .742 FT, Channelview HS/Channelview, Tex.) Robinson started 30 of 34 games at the point last season. He became the first true freshman to start at the point for more than two games at New Mexico. His 346 points were second-best all-time for a Lobo freshman. His 162 assists were the most since Willie Banks had that many in '92. Robinson started the year as the third choice at the point behind Lamont Long and Dontay Hicks, who never played because of a heart ailment. He had his biggest assist of his career when the Lobos were down, 78-77, to Arizona and he drove the length of the floor with 4.6 seconds left to feed Damion Walker for a layup. He nearly had a triple-double at Fresno State (24 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds). He had his erratic moments, but wasn't afraid to take a shot. Fraschilla took a while to warm up to Robinson, but he should be able to keep his position. It didn't help that he went 4-for-42 in three games against Utah and one against Connecticut. "John showed he can score points last season," Fraschilla said. "He can put the ball in the basket." KEVIN HENRY (6-3, 185 lbs., JR, SG, #11, 12.8 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 1.5 apg, 1.6 tpg, 0.9 spg, 32.7 minutes, .435 FG, .427 3PT, .898 FT, Ryan HS/Denton, Tex.) Henry is one of the nation's top three-point threats. He has started 34 of 66 games in his career. He's got 146 "threes," ranking him sixth on UNM's all-time list. Henry is the only Lobo to make seven "threes" in a game three times in his career. He is streaky, though. In a five-game stretch in January, he shot 32.1 percent on three-pointers when the Lobos went 1-4. In the final 11 games, when the Lobos went 8-3, he shot 42.9 percent from the arc. In his first six road games (1-5 for the Lobos), he was .226 from distance. In his final eight road games (8-3 for UNM), he shot .431 from the arc. "He's a steady, system player who understands the game and can make open shots," Fraschilla said. "He needs to work harder to create off the dribble and create them on his own. He'll be a good complement to Long on the perimeter." DAMION WALKER (6-7, 225 lbs., SR, PF, #33, 9.7 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 18.9 minutes, .524 FG, .782 FT, TCU & Lincoln HS/Dallas, Tex.) Walker had an odd end to the 1998-99 season. He was in Bliss' doghouse and suspended for making faces on the bench over his lack of playing time. When he was called upon to serve later in the year because of injuries to Thomas and Brian Smith, he started the final three games and scored 28 points (with 21 rebounds) in 70 minutes. The streak included the WAC Tournament title game against Utah and the two NCAA Tournament games. Walker didn't play in the final three regular-season games. His best game was a 19-point effort against Arizona. During the off-season, Walker was involved in an incident when he broke a car window. He has since been a model citizen under Fraschilla. Walker doesn't have another chance. He must be a scorer in the low post and a rebounder. He did score 20 points a game as a freshman at TCU, but hasn't come close to those numbers since. "We hope we can get 13 and eight out of him," Fraschilla said. "He's a good athlete who works hard. Minus that incident, we haven't had any problems with him. We need his inside scoring. He has shown flashes that he can do that in the past." BRIAN SMITH (6-8, 255 lbs., SR, PF, #21, 7.0 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 17.2 minutes, .531 FG, .273 3PT, .727 FT, University of San Diego & Salpointe Catholic HS/Tucson, Ariz.) Smith suffered a knee injury in the first game of the WAC Tournament and missed the final four games of the season. He had surgery last March and is still not 100 percent. His game is from 15-feet and in, but Smith would rather hang around the middle of the lane or the perimeter than be a banger inside. He started eight straight games in mid-February during Walker's suspension. UNM was 8-2 when he started. He averaged 8.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg and 25.6 minutes in his last eight games after just 16 points and 10 rebounds in the previous five. He needs to be more of a low-post scorer without Thomas on the court. "He can set screens and make open shots," Fraschilla said. "He's a good system shooter. He needs to [rebound] because we'll have to rebound by committee. "Can he score inside? He won't kill you with post moves, but he could score with some garbage and hit the foul-line jump shot."Key reserves ROLAND HANNAH (6-6, 200 lbs., SR, G-F, #42, 3.3 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 12.8 minutes, .482 FG, .333 3PT, .593 FT, McCooks JC, Neb. & Hope HS/Providence, R.I.) Hannah was the reserve who filled in all over the court last season, playing in 31 games and starting five. He'll probably serve a similar role this season. Fraschilla likes his energy, but doesn't see him playing too much on the perimeter. Hannah hit the occasional three-pointer, but he's more of an attack player inside the lane. That's where he is needed most on a team that is thin up front. TIM LIGHTFOOT (6-4, 165 lbs., SO, G, #10, 2.6 ppg, 0.8 rpg, 9.2 minutes, .393 FG, .265 3PT, .800 FT, Everman HS/Dallas, Tex.) Lightfoot was the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex player of the year out of high school, but fell into Bliss' doghouse last season and played in only 25 games. He has been the surprise of the preseason under Fraschilla. "He's got the same characteristics of Lamont," Fraschilla said. "He's a tall, rangy guard who can shoot it and take you off the dribble. His strength is still a weakness, but we have no problem with his work ethic. He may be the sleeper on this team. He's right up our alley. We keep expecting something dark to happen to show why he was in the doghouse, but it hasn't. "He might have the second-best talent on the team." WAYLAND WHITE (6-6, 205 lbs., JR, G, 16.6 ppg, 6.6 rpg, .503 FG, Iowa Western CC & Pulaski HS/Milwaukee, Wisc.) White signed with the Lobos in the spring and gives them an athlete on the wing who could also play some inside because of UNM's limited depth up front. He has a 38-inch vertical jump and Fraschilla loves his activity around the basket. "He's best at going to the hole and could be a very good defender for us," Fraschilla said. "He came in like most [junior college] guys, out of shape. I envision him as either a fifth starter or a sixth man. It all depends on how fast he can get into shape." MARLON PARMER (6-2, 180 lbs., FR, PG, 26.0 ppg, 9.0 apg, Verbum Dei HS/Los Angeles, Calif.) Parmer comes from the same school that produced Utah's Andre Miller. Fraschilla wasn't convinced that Robinson II was the lone choice at the point and sought out Parmer as soon as he got the job. "Marlon Parmer and John Robinson will be in a dogfight," Fraschilla said. "Marlon comes in more athletic and with better credentials. He's more of a pure point. He has come in in great shape and breezed through conditioning. He gives us a different look."Other returnees None.Other newsomcers RAFAEL BERUMEN (6-9, 235 lbs., FR, F, 24.2 ppg, 11.3 rpg, Simi Valley HS/Simi Valley, Calif.) Berumen started his senior season as one of the top prep players in the nation. He finished as the No. 3 scorer in Simi Valley history behind former UCLA star Don McLean. But Berumen still needs to get stronger to play with his back to the basket. Yet he has to contribute immediately with the limited frontcourt players available. R.T. GUINN (6-9, 230 lbs., FR, F, 18.5 ppg, 14.6 rpg, Valley HS/Albuquerque, N.M.) Guinn was an easy "get" for the Lobos because his former coach, Brian O'Neill, was on the New Mexico staff. He's a strong post player, but still needs to go through the adjustment of playing at a higher level. He didn't have much competition in Albuquerque. He doesn't have a choice now. Fraschilla needs all frontcourt people, even the rookies, to play. "Guinn came in in tremendous shape," Fraschilla said. "He's one of those development-type players that usually goes to Utah. He's got no fat on him, though. But he doesn't know how to play. Everything we teach him, he'll absorb. "He can be a good role player for us. Berumen came in out of shape. We're not sure what he's capable of."Questions Inside scoring? Where's it going to come from? Walker is erratic and Smith doesn't like to go near the basket. White might be able to slash at times and Long will get his points in the paint. The freshmen are too green to score consistently. Inside depth? The two frosh probably aren't ready to contribute, and there are no true backups for either Walker or Smith. If they get into foul trouble, the Lobos could be done. Automatic berth? Like Utah, the Lobos face the prospect of earning an NCAA bid through the regular season. They can't get a bid by winning the Mountain West tournament. That puts even more of a premium on quality wins (hello Arizona, Washington, St. John's and New Mexico State).Answers Lamont Long! No one else in the MWC has as explosive a player as the Lobos do with Long. He can score 50 and get the points from anywhere on the floor. He immediately takes the Lobos to an NCAA Tournament level. Perimeter depth! Everyone but Walker, Guinn and Berumen can play on the perimeter. Almost everyone else can handle the ball, too. That means the Lobos will press often, even more in the fullcourt. Offensively, look for them to push the basketball on every trip. The Pit! It's still the toughest homecourt in the West (maybe even more so than Arizona's McKale Center). The Lobos will get their share of wins and earn 20 by playing a slew of home games.
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Conferences ACC Atlantic 10 Big East Big Sky Big South Big Ten Big 12 Big West Colonial Conference USA Independents Ivy League MAAC Mid-American Mid-Continent Mid-Eastern Athletic MCC Missouri Valley Mountain West Northeast Ohio Valley Pac-10 Patriot SEC Southern Southland Sun Belt SWAC TAAC WAC West Coast | |||||||||||||||
