Lobo hoops is putting the ‘new’ in New Mexico this season. After a couple of ascendant years, every meaningful part of UNM’s basketball has changed. With former head coach Richard Pitino gone to Xavier on the strength of back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances, the Lobos have given the reins to Eric Olen – and he’s set about remaking the program to fit his ideals.
Really, it’s gonna be pretty wild seeing Olen in anything other than Tritons gear this winter. He’s been at UC San Diego for the past 21 years; first as an assistant, then as head coach since 2013. Once he took over, Olen led the Tritons to a 159-56 record, and his loaded 2019-20 squad had hoped to carry their 30-1 record to a Division II natty before the tournament was canceled. The next season, in 2020, he and UCSD made the transition to Division I during the Covid-19 pandemic. Last year the Tritons came full-circle in their ascent to the highest level of collegiate ball, winning the Big West regular season and tournament crowns and playing in the NCAA Tournament.
The commitment he showed to building the Tritons and results he produced in La Jolla, CA, were among the primary reasons that UNM wanted Olen this spring. That’s because the challenge ahead of Olen and his new-look Lobos is not just to hit the ground running. They’re out to prove that they’re a legit powerhouse fit to lead a reworked Mountain West Conference into the future.
With so much change, Olen identified a few proven commodities to lead his first Lobo squad, and then his new coaching staff went out and got ’em. Deyton Albury, Tajavis Miller, Luke Haupt, Tomislav Buljan, Kevin Patton, Jr, Miloš Vićentić, and Chris Howell all had very different experiences last year, but now they’ve come together to be UNM’s foundation. If there’s anything Olen has proven thus far, it’s that he knows how to identify guys with skills that he can grow yet further. Given how much potential each of those players has already shown individually, it’s starting to look like the Lobos have assembled the ingredients needed to keep on cooking.
The proven guard trio of Howell, Albury, and Miller should provide direction and playmaking for the offense. It took him a bit to really find his stride, but in his debut at UCSD last winter, Howell began to flourish. The younger brother of Mikey Howell – formerly a star point guard for the Tritons and now one of Olen’s top lieutenants – Chris Howell plays a savvy, well-rounded game. A former Saint Mary’s transfer, Howell fit in wonderfully next to Olen’s bigger stars a year ago. He started every game for a team that won 30 games, and along the way Howell posted a 2.74 assist to turnover ratio. Better still, Howell stole the ball (76 times) from the other team literally twice as often as he committed a turnover (38). He’s not a big-time shooter, but Howell showed real awareness in the halfcourt last season. When he wasn’t dropping off smart feeds to his teammates, Howell proved adept at cashing in opportunities; he converted 56.9% of his looks near the rim, per Bart Torvik. Howell moves very well without the ball and understands situations at both ends of the floor, and the hope is that he can become a more confident scorer as a senior.
Albury arrives in Albuquerque with Mountain West experience under his belt. Last winter, the former junior college and Queens (NC) University star played a key role in starting 23 games for Utah State. With a pair of aces like Mason Falslev and Ian Martinez to lead the Aggies, Albury took a bit of a back seat as a scorer last season. The skills he flashed as a genuine lead guard back in North Carolina are still there, though. Albury posted averages of 17.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists on 48.2% shooting from the floor two years ago, and he converted at an outstanding 54.8% clip last winter in Logan, UT.
What’s more, with quality help around him, Albury showed real development as a decision-maker at USU. During his big year at Queens, Albury committed the most turnovers (104 in 911 minutes played) in the Atlantic Sun Conference; last season, Albury cut his turnover rate in half. If he can re-transition to bring a primary ballhandler for the Lobos while maintaining his heady and efficient play, a serious breakout could be coming. Though he’s never been a volume shooter from downtown, Albury owns an impressive 50.2/38.8/72.9% slash line through two seasons of Division I ball. He’s a constant threat to put the other team’s best defenders in foul trouble by attacking off the bounce, and Albury’s natural proclivity for getting his teammates involved should be an asset to Olen, who loves to put multiple playmakers on the floor together.
Out of all the newcomers, Miller carries the highest collegiate scoring average from last year into his UNM debut. That’s notable because a year ago, Miller wasn’t even a starter. He was named the Summit League’s 6th Man of the Year last winter at North Dakota State, and Miller’s steady progress in fleshing out his game was on full display when he checked into games. A strong rebounding guard, Miller pushes the ball up court, and he knows when to drive straight to the cup and when to pick his spot for a pull-up three.
“Tajavis is a versatile guard who excels both on and off the ball,” Olen surmised when Miller signed with the Lobos. “His ability to create his own shot and make an impact on the boards is incredibly valuable to our style of play.” In just over 21 minutes per game a year ago, Miller sank 33 triples and took more than three trips to the foul line per contest, converting 74.0% of those chances. He wasn’t a top marksman for the triple-happy Bison (NDSU ranked second nationally in both 3FG% and made 3’s per game last year), but Miller’s 117 makes and solid 37.4% rate from the land of trey instantly make him UNM’s most accomplished shooter. Olen’s best UCSD teams could really light it up from deep. Furthermore, his tendency towards featuring lineups full of guys who pass at a high level has created an offense which shows off the players’ situational awareness and movement.
In creating this UNM squad, Olen knew that he needed skill all over the floor. So, New Mexico’s new staff put in work this spring. They found bigger guys with perimeter skills to complement the proven trio of guards, and the Lobos are going to feature plenty of length at pretty much every position. The team’s top option at forward is about to take his mulligan. Two years ago, Miloš Vićentić was a star. The scorer from Belgrade, Serbia, was putting the wraps on a Division II All-American campaign which saw him average 21.5 points per game on 41.2% shooting from distance at McKendree (IL) University. Vićentić was so good that a rising coach named Eric Olen recruited him to make the jump to UC San Diego. Then, last November, Vićentić suffered a season-ending foot injury just 20 minutes into his Tritons career. Fast-forward to the present, and Vićentić has followed Olen to ABQ, where he’s hungry to show off the skills that once had his name on the lips of recruiting coordinators across the country.
During his time at UCSD, Olen didn’t just win at the Division II level. Once he’d led the Tritons to the Big West, he turned to raiding D II rosters for top talent. That trend figures to continue, and not just because Vićentić has come along from La Jolla. Luke Haupt is newly-arrived from Point Loma Nazarene, a Division II powerhouse not far from UCSD’s campus. There, Haupt was the catalyst for his team’s offense as a scorer and tremendously creative passer. The 6’7″ Haupt regularly ran point for the Sea Lions, showing great creativity in passing with either hand and confounding defenders with his slick ballhandling. He redshirted due to a knee injury in 2023-24, but came back strong last winter, convincing Olen to bring Haupt aboard for his final season of eligibility.
“I’ve had a lot of conversations with Coach Olen, whether it was in high school or just being in San Diego, going to his team camps growing up,” Haupt explained to KRQE TV’s Van Jones this summer. “So I’ve known about their program. He always does a great job, and so we kind of already had that connection before I decided to play for him here.” While Haupt may not be an instant star for the Lobos, he knows that he’s got skills that will translate to a new program. “I’m a guy that likes to make plays for others,” said Haupt. “That’s always going to have a spot on the team no matter where you are. I want others to succeed as much as I want to succeed.” Last year, Haupt grew his game off the bounce quite a bit, using his size to get close to the rim and manufacture easy buckets. Combine that with his ability to shoot (39.4% from deep over his last two years at PLN), pass, and rebound as an oversized guard, and Haupt figures to see the floor in all sorts of situations this year.
It’s possible that the guy who will become New Mexico’s best player this year was last seen languishing at the end of a power conference bench under a big-name coach who often seems not to know what to do with the talent he attracts. Though his sophomore campaign at Southern Cal was a bit anonymous, Kevin Patton, Jr, is a bouncy, 6’8″ multi-tool whose potential was clear to see when he debuted at San Diego two years ago. The California product was named to the WCC All-Freshman team after posting averages of 9.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.3 blocks per game as a rookie, and the Trojans weren’t the only prominent team to pursue Patton last spring.
A pro-style wing with legit size and explosiveness, Patton can attack out of ball screens or isolate defenders and drive in from the perimeter. He’s also put in serious work on his jumper this summer. If Patton can show that his handle and decision-making have improved, he should be in line for big minutes for the Lobos. Kallai Patton, Kevin’s younger brother, redshirted last year at USC. A versatile 6’4″ guard, Kallai has also come to New Mexico to compete with the team’s other freshman guards.
The Lobos look strong all over the perimeter, but there are two young question marks at the biggest spot on the floor. Fortunately for Olen, both of those young question marks have arrived with standout résumés. Tomislav Buljan played against grown professionals in the Croatian Premijer Liga last year, while JT Rock is a former Top 100 recruit who spent the past two years developing at Iowa State. The pivot in Albuquerque is theirs to share, and their combined effectiveness could have a lot to say about how this season goes for the Lobos.
If Buljan is indeed to be classed a freshman this year, he’ll be a unique rookie. You see, Buljan will turn 23 years old just before the tip of the 2025-26 season. It’s not just that he’s gone toe-to-toe with grown dudes lately; he pretty much is one in his own right. Last winter Buljan led his league in rebounding, and he’s more than just a bulldog on the glass; Buljan also recorded a triple-double of 18 points, 20 rebounds, and 12 assists – plus seven steals for good measure. Given that New Mexico got used to the talents of Nelly Junior Joseph as a board-eater the past two years, Buljan’s arrival should help to keep a Lobo strength strong.
“His combination of size, athleticism and physicality will create matchup problems on the offensive end and on the glass,” Olen says of Buljan. “Lobo fans will love the tenacity and passion he plays with.” Landing Buljan was quite a snag for Olen and his staff this spring, as the physical youngster also attracted plenty of attention from the likes of “From the moment I connected with the coaches and felt the energy around the program, I knew New Mexico was where I belonged,” Buljan said upon signing with UNM. “This isn’t just a team to me – it’s a family I’m ready to fight for. I’m honored to be a Lobo and I’m all in.”
At 7’1″, Rock will certainly be the biggest Lobo. After a redshirt year to add some muscle to his frame, Rock saw action in just nine games as a freshman. That was probably a lot more to do with the Cyclones having a fistful of quality, veteran post players ahead of him than any failure of Rock’s talent, and now the youngster should get to show off his skills.
“JT’s combination of size and skill level makes him an ideal fit in our system,” said Olen. “His best basketball is head of him, and we’re excited to help him get there.”
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