LOBO MEN'S BASKETBALL Tonight's a Big Deal

**808LOBO** · 11-21-2007

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

LOBO MEN'S BASKETBALL Tonight's a Big Deal

By Mark Smith
Journal Staff Writer
After feasting on some pretty foul opposition thus far, the University of New Mexico men's basketball should get its first taste of the big time tonight when it plays host to Hawaii (1-2).
It's not that the Rainbow Warriors are world beaters, by any means, but they do bring plenty of size to the Pit for the first time this season.
The Lobos (5-0) have won their past four games— all at home— by an average of 30.3 points, and have yet to face a team with much size. Hawaii will change that.
"The bigs really have to step up," says UNM's 6-foot-8 starting forward Johnnie Harris. "It's a good challenge for us ... But height really doesn't mean that much, I just have to play hard. Play my game."
Height might mean something. The Lobos, who have struggled for production out of their post play, face a starting lineup of 6-11 Stephen Verwers (7.0 points per game, 4.7 rebounds), 6-9 Bill Amis (6.7 ppg, 6.3 rpg), 6-6 guard Bobby Nash (22.3 ppg, 6.7 rpg), 6-5 Riley Luettgerodt (15.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg) and 6-5 Jared Dillinger (11.3 ppg, 3.0 rpg).
The Rainbows are also getting production off the bench from four guys who are 6-8 or taller.
Lobo coach Steve Alford says he definitely needs big play from his big men, but he's planning few changes in his guard-heavy lineup.
"I don't know if we'll change our rotation," Alford said Tuesday— but he also closed practice to the media. "I like what our rotation's been about. We're getting a lot of guys a lot of good minutes. Obviously, we've got to get Daniel (Faris) more than six minutes."
Faris, UNM's 6-9 starting center, picked up two fouls in the first minute of Sunday's 86-58 Lobo rout of Loyola Marymount, and got his third in the opening minute of the second half. He finished with two points and one rebound.
"We have to stay out of foul trouble, (not) like the last game," Faris said. "I have to try to stay away from some of those little ticky-tack fouls."
Meanwhile, Harris and fellow junior college transfer Monquel Pegues are starting to show signs of adjusting to Division I, but have a ways to go.
The 6-10 Pegues is just 4-of-19 from the floor (21.1 percent), but boosted his rebound average to 4.6 a game on the strength of a 10-board performance Saturday against St. Bonaventure.
Harris is averaging only 1.6 rebounds a game, but had a combined 23 points in the Lobos' first two games of the Basketball Travelers Invitational during the weekend.
"The last four games, Johnnie and Monquel made some strides," Alford said. " ... Those are going to be big pluses for us, but Daniel's got to be the stability for us."
Harris says the adjustment from junior college ball has been tougher than he realized, but he's getting there.
"I thought I was going to come in and be able to go right away," he says. "But the game's been way faster than I expected. People are a lot stronger. Every game I'm learning something. It's a lot different, but I'm gaining confidence and learning."
FAMILY TIES: Hawaii coach Bob Nash is the father of the team's star guard, Bobby Nash. Papa Nash also played for the Rainbows from 1970-72, averaging 16.8 points and 13.6 rebounds for his career.
The first-year head coach was an assistant at Hawaii since 1981, spending the past 20 years under Riley Wallace. Wallace retired after last season.
NOTES: This is the first of two games between the schools this season. The Lobos play on the Islands on Dec. 27.
... The Lobos are gunning for their first 6-0 start since the 1998-99 season.
... UNM is shooting 50.2 percent from the floor and a blistering 47.3 percent from 3-point range this season. Yet, the Lobos are hitting just 61.4 percent of their free throws.
"It doesn't make much sense to me," Alford said. "In coaching, you're always trying to figure something out. . . . Against Southern Utah (Nov. 28), we might shoot free throws from the 3-point line."
... Verwers (Colorado State) and Dillinger (Air Force) are both former Mountain West Conference players who transferred to Hawaii after the 2004-05 season.
... Hawaii's two losses (San Diego, Illinois) came by a combined three points.

Today

Hawaii at New Mexico, 7 p.m. Radio: KKOB-AM (770)

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http://www.abqjournal.com/sports/263...ts11-21-07.htm

**808LOBO** · 11-21-2007

UNM basketball: Post play might challenge undefeated Lobos

By Tommy Trujillo | The New Mexican

11/21/2007

ALBUQUERQUE — The taller teams get, the more questions The University of New Mexico gets about its post play.

Or lack thereof.

The Lobos faced some size in their last game, an 86-58 win over Loyola Marymount on Sunday. But the difference between Loyola Marymount and Mountain West Conference teams is depth.

And if the Lobos plan on competing in the Mountain West, they need to settle some inside issues.

Against Loyola Marymount, starting 6-foot-9 post Daniel Faris drew two fouls just 46 seconds into the game, and sat the rest of the first half. He played sparingly the rest of the way, compiling just six minutes and four garbage points at the end.

His backup, newcomer Monquel Pegues, did little more, scoring four points and grabbing six rebounds in 25 minutes.

And that forced non posts into defending the paint, something that worked against Loyola Marymount, but won't for the likes of Utah and BYU.

UNM head coach Steve Alford might disagree.

"If we can get Daniel in foul trouble and find a way to win by 30 points, there's got to be some positive in there somewhere," Alford said. "He's got to continue to work hard, but I think he's come a long way and this was just one of those games that nothing really got in the flow for him."

Loyola Marymount's posts weren't much better on the offensive end, as Marko Deric and
Tim Diederichs — both 6-9 — combined for eight points and seven rebounds.

"Faris, he did get in a little bit of foul trouble — well all of our bigs kinda got in foul trouble — so we had to go with five guards," UNM guard Darren Prentice said. "If we don't have the big guys out there, we just try to rebound more."

Another test awaits the Lobos today when Hawaii visits The Pit.

The Rainbow Warriors are 1-2 on the season, but have starters that go 6-foot-11 in Colorado State transfer center Stephen Verwers, and 6-9 Bill Amis at the 4.

The Lobos are 5-0, and have an average margin of victory of 25.6 points, but they know they'll need their bigs in order to continue that success.

"All of them, Monquel, Johnny (Harris) and Faris, they're all building pieces to our team," Prentice said. "We're 10 deep and we're going to need everybody for this team to be successful."

Contact Tommy Trujillo at 986-3060 or ttrujillo@sfnewmexican.com.

TODAY'S GAME

Who: Hawaii (1-2) at UNM (5-0)

When: 7 p.m.

Where: The Pit, Albuquerque

Radio: 770-AM KOB

http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Spo...defeated_Lobos