From the home of blues to the location of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, it’s appropriate that the University of New Mexico men’s basketball program’s consecutive entries into the NCAA Tournament have a musical theme.
For the second year in a row and the 17th time in school history, the Lobos will be competing in the NCAA Tournament. Like last year’s matchup with Clemson in Memphis, this year’s game features another prominent program from a major conference, taking place in a city known for its musical heritage.
UNM has earned the No. 10 seed in the South Region and will face Big East’s Marquette on Friday evening in Cleveland, Ohio.
The team discovered its postseason placement during CBS’s live national announcement of the 68-team field while players and fans gathered in The Pit for the reveal.
When UNM’s name appeared jusNew Mexico Lobos Make Headlines Again with Major Newst two minutes into the broadcast, players and fans erupted in cheers, waving New Mexico flags and holding signs. Lobos head coach Richard Pitino was seated front and center, with the Mountain West Conference regular-season championship trophy displayed right in front of him.
“I told the team afterwards, ‘Don’t take this for granted. Only 19% of college basketball gets to participate in this tournament, and it’s something special,’” Pitino remarked.
Before most fans left the arena, someone started organizing a bus trip to Cleveland, with prices ranging from 600to 1,395 per person, depending on accommodations.
“This is the greatest tournament in sports,” said Pitino.
The Lobos enter the matchup as 3.5-point underdogs against a team with which the Lobos coach is quite familiar. His father, Rick Pitino, head coach at St. John’s, has faced the Golden Eagles three times this season and was already reaching out to his son as the selection show aired.
“He texted me right when it happened, like a scouting report,” Richard Pitino shared. “I told him to relax; I don’t need that right now.”
The Lobos are scheduled to fly to Ohio on Wednesday and will have at least one full private practice before the media onslaught begins Thursday. They will then have a light shootaround at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse before playing Friday’s game, which will be broadcast on TBS.
A victory would potentially lead to a Round of 32 matchup against heavy favorite No. 2 seed Michigan State and its legendary coach, Tom Izzo. Two wins would be a first for UNM, as they have never progressed to the Sweet 16.
Pitino allowed his team two days off after their loss to Boise State in the semifinals of the Mountain West Tournament in Las Vegas, Nevada. They will resume practice on Monday morning, gradually incorporating the scouting report crafted by his own staff, not relying on his father’s messages, over the upcoming days.
“I think we were a bit fatigued from the conference tournament, so the break will be beneficial,” stated Pitino.
The Lobos are one of four Mountain West teams—each seeded between 10 and 12—to qualify for the tournament. Last year, six teams from the conference made it, and at least four have participated in each of the past four years, establishing a reputation for the Mountain West as a league with solid postseason experience.
However, the Mountain West struggles with seeding compared to other conferences. It would take an exceptional year for any team to secure a seed higher than 5 or 6.
“The system favors the Power Four conferences,” Pitino explained, alluding to the dominant Southeastern Conference, Big Ten, Big 12, and Big East.
This year, a record 14 teams from the Southeastern Conference are participating, with none seeded lower than 11.
“The key to improving the [Mountain West] and our future is investment,” Pitino stated. “You’re going to see more mid-majors in the 10 and 11 seed range. That’s just how the system is set up.”
Until the time comes when teams like the Lobos no longer face the challenge of a double-digit seed, their best option is to prepare for a trip to the arena that LeBron James helped make famous during his tenure with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
“I’ve been to Cleveland many times, but I can’t say I have many personal good stories from there,” Pitino remarked.
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