TheRedMenace.com has always been about being a community website.
One
where anyone that desires to write about UNM is given the opportunity.
While this is a couple of days old, it is still good to see that
Mackenzie Bishop (one of the founders of Secton 26) has once again made
his way to TheRedMenace.com to give us his thoughts on the upcoming
2009-10 Lobo basketball season this year's Lobo Howl and we also have
"LoboChav" from the website making his debut on the front page!
First Mackenzie
After a very entertaining night at the Howl
last night in Rio Rancho, one might ask what should we expect from the
Lobos this year.
AJ Hardeman
General
Observations
-Youth:
The team is going to be very young, and a work in process all
year. I
can envision us going through some ups and downs throughout the season
that normally result from growing pains and having key contributors
adjusting to the speed and talent at the D-I level. That said,
while
we're generally a very young team top to bottom, we do have some
experience at certain key positions in the starting lineup and on the
bench.
-Talent: there is no question this is
the most talent we've had top to bottom in a long time. Forget
the
days of Dave Bliss and Ritchie McKay when there was a sizable drop off
after the top 6-8 guys on the team. From P-Mac (who stole the
show) to
newcomers Matt Staff and Chad Adams there is a great deal of potential
that will take the floor every night.
-Athleticism:
every guy on the floor can run and seemed to be looking to get in
transition after every basket or rebound. Fenton and Adams add a
great
deal of athleticism to the bench, and Hobson is one of the most
versatile talents we've had in sometime (think shorter Granger).
-Size:
we may have to deal with one more year w/out interior size and
height.
Our ability to defend and rebound on the interior may determine how far
we go this year.
-Chemistry: I know this is an
inexact science, but there was a noticeable vibe that emanated from
everyone throughout the night. Hobson adds some much needed
swagger
and confidence, Ro continues to be role model of effort and tenacity,
and Nate Garth looks to have taken a leadership role in the
offseason.
There weren't any noticeable factions or cliques as we've had in some
years past, which is a great sign. I hate to even have to mention
something like chemistry, but as we've seen in the past it may not win
you any games but it can certainly lose some.
Player comments
- Ro, Sr.
- his shot was off all night, and his interior touch looked a bit
off...but I would imagine that was mostly due to early season
rust.
His quick release was still there and he's added some muscle, which
will help him contribute in the paint where we'll need it most.
Also
of note, he worked in the post with his back to the basket more than
we've seen in the past...I expect this to be something we see more
often as Alford tries to leverage what size he does have.
- Dairese, Jr.
- he has a new haircut...I kid. Really, his game is the same as
it's
always been, but expect him to be a bit more refined and improved over
last year. No big changes.
- Hobson, Jr. -
Wow...it would have been nice to have him the last two years...better
late than never. Darrington is as good as advertised, and was
honestly
more polished than I anticipated. He is long and athletic,
playing
much bigger than his height implies. He moves amazingly well
without
the ball as Matt Staff found him cutting to the basket for easy layups
on several occasions. He is amazingly versatile as well as he
showed
off a sweet looking jump shot, led a few fastbreaks, and was very
active on the offensive glass. His shot was off a bit, but again
early
season rust was likely a factor. One other note worth making is
his
knack for the loose ball as he was seemingly involved in almost every
play. Hobson will be a huge addition to the team this year, and
will
be relied upon heavily in every facet of the game.
- P-Mac, So.
- is every bit of the stud we thought we would see last year.
Keep in
mind, Phillip dominated the Howl last year too, but Friday night he
looked different. He was quick to pull the trigger and was
confident
in his jumper (for good reason, he lit up the scrimmage and won the 3
pt contest). My only concern: we may live and die by his jumpshot
this
year. When he's on, look out! If he's off, points in the
halfcourt
may be hard to come by.
- Garth, So. -
exhibited floor leadership all night, leading the silver squad.
Showed
his same vision and has improved his ability to penetrate and create
open looks for his teammates. While he won't blow you away with
his
speed or agility, he makes the right decision in almost every situation
and will be a welcome calm hand at the till off the bench to spell
Dairese.
- Hardeman, So. - has really started
to fill in physically, but still looked a tad slow. He has added
some
post moves to the fadeaway jumper in the lane he had last year. I
was
a little disappointed that his post game hasn't refined as much as I'd
hoped...his drop step is mechanically right, but likely too slow to be
effective against good post defenders. He is a work in process,
but
should be worth the wait.
- Brown, So. - DNP,
and I will be excited to see how far he's come. With Hardeman
behind
where I wish he were, we will need Brown to get back in coach's good
graces and contributing on the floor as fast as possible.
- Dennis, RS-Fr.
- It will be interesting to see how much he contributes this
year...it's clear he has the talent to be a big time guy off the bench,
but we'll have to see how he responds to that role. He
dissapeared at
times last night...but the potential is there. Think instant
offense
off the bench for your sixth man, with more athleticism and defense
than we had from Chad the past few years.
- Fenton, Fr.
- quickness, quickness, did I mention quickness? Wow, this dude
has
some wheels and can penetrate off the dribble at will. His
biggest
skill to develop will be decision making from the PG position as he
took a few ill-advised 3s last night and left his feet to pass on a few
occasions. If he can figure that out, he will be a defense's
worst
nightmare and could open up our wings for some wide open shots.
- Adams, Fr.
- what a body this kid has...you can instantly see what the coaches
were talking about. I don't recall him taking a shot or being
overly
agressive, but he certainly has a D-I body and athleticism to serve as
the foundation for a great career. I see him as a project, and
potential redshirt but look out if he can develop some offensive tools.
- Staff, Fr.
- my most pleasant surprise from last night. He has an amazing
feel
for the game as a freshman, and showed off some amazing vision and
passing touch in the interior. I expect Matt to get some serious
minutes this year, and could create a nice matchup problem for our
opponents' inside players with his range, passing ability, and comfort
on the outside. He even did pretty well on the glass, but he'll
need
to continue to develop that skill to get significant playing time.
All
in all, it was a great night that was well attended despite the
location. We will have to battle the inconsistency that results
from
youth and a lack of inside strength and depth, but we have reasons to
be optimistic. A comparable team might be the Villanova team from
a
few years back that started 4 wing/guard type players. They were
inconsistent at times, but when they were right they could beat anybody
with their great d, outside shot, and ability to penetrate and create
offense off the dribble. I think we may stumble a bit early,
especially on the road, but should bounce back late in the year and
surprise some of the media in conference. Patience will be
necessary
this year Lobo fans, but it will be worth it.
Prediction
Wins:
UC-Irvine, Nichols St, La Tech, Miami-OH, NMSU, @SD, NAU, Creighton,
@Oral Roberts, TTU, Dayton, UNLV, Utah, @AF, CSU, @TCU, SDSU, Wyo, AF,
@CSU, TCU
Losses: @NMSU, @Hawaii, Cal, TAMU, @SDSU, @Wyo, BYU, @Utah,
@UNLV, @BYU
Record: 21-10 (10-6) tied for 3rd in MWC w/UNLV, behind BYU and SDSU
Home: 16-2
Road: 5-7
Neutral: 0-1
RPI: my WAG is the 45-55 range, depends on the strength of the MWC
Postseason: Bubble NCAA or deep NIT run
And now... "LoboChav"
Jamaal
Fenton
The howl was a great venue, the three-hour ride from Northern New Mexico to the Star Center was well worth the trip. I"m excited about
the prospects for both teams THIS year and in the coming years. On hand
for the howl were Kirk, the Lady Lobo guard duo from Canyon, TX and
another Lady Lobo commit.
After watching the scrimmage I
would have to say that the freshmen group is very solid and shows a lot
of potential both Athletically and basketball-smarts. I'm excited to
see how well Staff, Fenton, Adams and Nelson will do with this coaching
staff.
The freshmen:
Chad Adams---Long
linear and oozing with athleticism, potential to be a huge asset
defensively---does need work on his offensive game, but capable of
finishing near the basket. With our wealth of talent on the guard spot
could Red Shirt. The way the coaching staff develops players look to
Chad to be outstanding in years to come. He just needs to be patient
and work on his game. He has the god-given talent.
Jamal Fenton---Held
up to Gary's physicality on defense, is lightning quick, had some great
passes, and can hit the three. His persona exudes confidence. Had a few
bad decisions, but (again) once this staff gets done with him, watch
out. Can play right away.
Matt Staff---A
tall 6'-9", looks to be the tallest player on the team. Staff has great
court vision, passed the ball real well, very unselfish. Battled A.J.
well on the post (remember he hasn't been taught the nuances of college
post defense yet) and wasn't afraid to mix it up. Can hit the
three-pointer and has a smooth shooting stroke. (I keep thinking Staff,
A.J. and Brown will be vastly improved and experienced when Kirk joins
up next year, then you add the guards. I better start saving for season
tickets). Staff will contribute this year.
Kevin Nelson---A
walk-on,not as athletic as his counterparts, but worked his tail off
and that is the type of person that makes your team better. He can be
counted on to provide the BYU look at scrimmages (just joking).
Actually has a lot of potential talent on a very talented squad.
The transfer:
Darington Hobson:
At 6'-7", he looks to have a 7' wingspan, but he appears to be the
four-star athlete he was projected to be. Had a lot of fun out there,
but so did everyone there. Can rebound well, has a great stroke from
outside and finishes well above the rim. He scored 21 quiet points---I
didn't think he had scored but around 12 points. The best surprise was
his passing ability, had some great no-look passes and always looked
for McDonald. Defense was adequate, but has the potential to be a
lock-down defender with that wingspan and the athleticism.
The Red-shirt:
Curtis Dennis---Looked
very comfortable out there, moved well on defense, elevates well on his
jump shots and has a smooth stroke. Seems to be a consummate team
player looks for the open man and isn't afraid to mix it up. Quick
athletic players often look slow when in reality they are just smooth
and Curtis is smooth. The Staff will have a lot of options this year.
The Bigs:
Will Brown---Looked
a little bigger than last year, but of course he didn't play due to
problems in the classroom. I'm assuming that he missed some classes or
is not taking school serious. I know he missed not being out there and
when something is taken away that you love---its tough. I expect to see
him busting his gluteus maximus to be back on the court. I he improved
as much as A.J., I think our bigs can do well as a committee of three
against the leagues big men. Anyway coach can rotate three 6'9"
players. I say all are 6'-9" as A.J. looks as tall as Will when they
stand next to each other and I wouldn't be surprised if Staff is 6'10".
Offensively is where we'll need help inside and I think we'll be
adequate.
A.J. "Clinton" Hardeman---The
first thing I noticed was that the quiet freshman is not so introverted
and had fun out there. Secondly, he looked like he worked on his upper
body strength and it showed. He finished well near the basket when he
attacked it. Struggled a little with some mechanical looking moves
laterally into the paint. If he perfects the moves, he'll be tough to
defend. His little turnaround jumper is effective and he rebounds well.
The paint seemed clogged when he tried some inside moves, but that is
expected with newcomers in the mix and no practice, I'm sure he'll look
better when he is in a game-like situation with everyone in the proper
"space".
The guards:
Dairese Gary---Looks
like an NFL fullback running the offense, but runs it effectively. He
initiated Fenton with his physicality and looked good attacking the
basket. Looked to be content passing the ball and running the offense
and giving the new guys a chance to show thier stuff. Still has a nice
stroke, but will need to be perfect from the free throw line as he
still can draw the foul going to the hoop. Should be one of several
guards on the squad with a wealth of experience.
Philip McDonald---Confidence
and experienced is what Phillip looked like at the howl. Never too
high, never too low and just played hard. He won't pass up an open look
and that is what we expect from a shooter, but Phillip can distribute
the ball well, rebounds well and looks to be a better defender than
last year. His shot just looks better this year, maybe it's the
confidence or the knowledge that the team will be looking to him for
more scoring.
Nat Garth---We had a good
1-2 punch from the point position last year and this year, It'll be a
dog-fight for minutes from this position as Fenton is added to the mix.
Garth, nonchalantly ran the offense and looked s-m-o-o-t-h with some
great passes, good defense and a nice stroke. His confidence appears to
be UP and I expect all our returning players to play like veterans.
Roman Martinez---Ro
looks like he spend time in the weight room and looks physically
bigger, but has not lost any speed. He is still a very heady player and
is always in the right spot at the right time. Like Garth and Gary, he
seemed content to let the new guys strut their stuff and like his
veteran teammates he looks ready to the practice grind that will make
or break this team.
Overview:
The
team is very quick and very athletic, we have the shooters,
ball-handlers, passers, defenders, and an adequate trio to defend the
post. I feel we can finish anywhere in the top four in conference, but
will be solid in late February and March. With a solid 6th man at the
PIT, every game is a possible win. I can't help looking at next year
when almost the entire team returns with the addition of Kirk and Snell
and ???? However, I'm still amazed at the progress that individual
players make when playing for Alford and Neal, and the rest of the
staff. When they put it together THIS team THIS year can very, very
good.
======
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