The Land of Enchantment includes defense now, too
Some of the ways New Mexico's nasty defense might help the Lobos reach new heights
Last year’s New Mexico team was pretty entertaining; so is this one. Last year’s New Mexico team didn’t make the NCAA Tournament or get particularly close to it after a smoldering hot start; this one is very likely going to make the field of 68. That’s despite the offense more or less being the same as it was a year ago, a group that rips opponents to shreds inside the perimeter and plays a fast, fun style.
The Lobos were able to return their two best players from last year’s team as well as a key bench piece, but other than that, Richard Pitino more or less had to remake the whole roster to his liking. Not really known for defense at Minnesota (one top-40 unit in eight seasons), it was fair to guess that this roster would not produce his first excellent one at UNM. But! That’s why they play the games.
This group is up 90 spots over last year’s, rating out as a top-30 unit nationally at time of production. It’s their highest-ranked defense since Steve Alford’s final season in 2012-13 and the best New Mexico team since then, too. The Lobos are in line for something in the realm of an 8-10 seed when Selection Sunday happens next month, barring an implosion. Get to March with the top-30 offense and defense they’ve got and they’re a dangerous draw.
I reached out to Patrick Mayhorn, who covers Utah State at The Aggship, as well as an assistant at a school who faced New Mexico this year for their insight. Including the stats legwork and scouting I did, all three sources came up with the same conclusion: these guys are aggressive, annoying, and athletic as they’ve been in a long time.
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