26-9; 10-8, second and Mountain West Conference tournament champions
Remember back when New Mexico absolutely cratered to a 4-10 finish last season and missed out on the NCAA Tournament despite having been ranked in the final week of January? The Lobos sure did.
As a result, they played that much harder this season. When the Mountain West Tournament came around, though, head coach Richard Pitino’s team was still on the bubble for a bid. So they decided to leave no doubt.
New Mexico earned its invitation to the Big Dance via winning the league’s tournament, and now one of the fastest and most ferocious teams in the country will get to show their stuff on the biggest of stages. The Lobos run as a pack, and they make plays as a pack. On either end of the floor, their main objective is to attack and they’ve become very good at putting the opposition on its heels.
Donovan Dent, Jamal Mashburn Jr and Jaelen House form one of the best backcourts in the country, and it is upon their combined skills that New Mexico most depends. After averaging just over four points and 17 minutes across a couple of seasons as a Sun Devil, House has emerged as one of the best point guards in America with the Lobos. He was sensational in the MWC semifinals and title game, earning tournament MVP honors. Explosive with the ball in his hands, House has always been tremendously creative once he puts it on the floor and drives. He can finish through contact and loves to draw extra defenders away from his teammates in order to set them up for easy buckets at the rim, too. House has made 115 triples over the past two seasons, but he really just loves to attack.
That mindset carries over to the other side of the floor too; House has been named to the MWC All-Defense team each of the last two years. He is Lobos’ most tenacious defender, and after a steal, House is excellent at getting points in transition. Dent’s game is very similar to the elder House, and together their suffocating on-ball pressure creates myriad steals and turnover hassles in general for the opposition. The main difference between Dent and House is that Dent isn’t really that interested in shooting long jumpers: his speed, handle, and ability to drive for quality looks have yet to be stopped, so why fix what isn’t broken? Dent has driven the length of the floor with shocking consistency for a pair of game-winning baskets this year, and seems to possess an extra ‘glide’ setting that most players don’t have. He transitioned to being the Lobos’ primary facilitator for much of the year, and Dent finished fourth in the Mountain West in assists.
With such versatility at the point guard spot, Pitino will have the luxury to play to whatever Tempo he chooses based upon matchup or situation – and if the Lobos want to play at 100 mph all the time, they can do so.
Just like his namesake and former NBA All-Star father, the Lobos’ Mashburn is a silky smooth midrange shooter who can also score off the bounce. He missed nearly a month this season with injury, but upon returning has resumed a vital floor-spacing role for Pitino’s crew. The biggest drawback to Mashburn has been that he simply is not the defender House or Dent have been, and can be overwhelmed by bigger guards.
It must have been nice for Pitino to get a tip from a hall of fame coach this spring when he went out in search of a new #1 post player. Nelly Junior Joseph starred for Rick Pitino at Iona the last couple of seasons, and since Rick is Richard’s father, Joseph headed out west to see what the Lobos could offer after Iona’s core broke up. NJJ had three outstanding seasons as a Gael, being named Metro Atlantic Rookie of the Year and twice to the all-conference First Team. An irresistible force defensively, NJJ disrupts passes and shot attempts made by anyone who gets too near. He’s also a terrific, bouncy rebounder who feasts on the offensive glass and can’t help but get the opposition’s post defenders into foul trouble. This season, Joseph ranked third in his new conference in offensive rebounds, total boards, and blocks – but incredibly, wasn’t the most productive big on Pitino’s roster.
That honor – and others – has belonged to MWC Co-Rookie of the Year JT Toppin. Wiry strong and bouncy, Toppin gobbles up rebounds and presents a great deterrent for opponents on their way to the rim. With a 7’1 wingspan and lots of energy, he led the Mountain West in blocks and both total and offensive rebounds, and the freshman from Texas sank a league-high 63.0% of his shot attempts. When Toppin gets the ball, he knows how to post up and can knock down short jumpers, and, while rarely made an offensive focal point thus far, he has found ways to kick in some baskets via effort. The more the ball ends up in Toppin’s hands, the better things seem to go for New Mexico. With his efforts combined to those of NJJ, New Mexico has been able to disrupt opponents inside and out like very few other teams: they rank top 20 in both steals and blocked shots per game. A transfer from Dayton and the team’s #3 big, Mustapha Amzil is a good passer both out of the post and making clean feeds into the paint from the perimeter. He can disappear sometimes for stretches when his jumper isn’t falling, but Amzil is a floor-spacing offensive player who opponents know must be covered. Despite a 29.8% rate from deep for the season, Amzil has made 34.8% of his three’s over the Lobos’ final 13 contests.
Joining Amzil in contributing off the bench, Jemarl Baker is a high-scoring guard who has proven to be an occasional microwave scorer and vital deep threat. After stops at Kentucky and Arizona before landing in Fresno – and a lot of injuries – Baker arrived in Albuquerque this spring and has knocked down the second-most triples on the team despite averaging less than 18 minutes per tilt. Over his many years of experience, Baker has emerged as a streaky scorer who can create for his teammates and himself, and may well have something to offer in the NCAA Tournament. Freshman Tru Washington is a big, lefty combo guard who has earned a regular turn off the bench comparable to the minutes Baker plays. As a counterpoint to Baker, Washington likes to attack off the bounce to score in bunches, and he’s hit double figures in points nine times as a rookie.
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