Fresh approach: When every Lobo is new, freshmen start on equal footing

Nov. 25—We can keep asking, but we're not going to get anywhere with it.

To Eric Olen, the fact that his UNM Lobos are now the only Division I team in the country (out of 365 of them) that has three freshmen averaging double digit scoring — Tomislav Buljan 12.8, Jake Hall 11.7 and Uriah Tenette 11.0 — isn't really a surprise, even in an era of college basketball where the roles of freshmen seem diminished.

Call it one of the unintended benefits of the otherwise unfortunate reality of being one of only three teams in the country not returning a single player or coach from last season's team.

For the Lobos, there was no offseason roster pecking order, returning starters or predetermined roles.

"We talk a lot about them being freshmen, but all these guys are kind of new for us, you know?" Olen asked Tuesday morning after the third or fourth question that included the word 'freshman'. "And so honestly, ... we don't really think about that. I don't think about them like, 'Oh, they're freshmen.' They're just part of our team, and they're important pieces.

"And I think our entire team feeds off the success of each other. I think we have a group that roots for each other. I like ... the vibes in the locker room. I think our guys fit well together. And so I think all of that stuff is in a good place, and I think that's important as you go through seasons with lots of ups and downs. If you can stay in that kind of middle ground consistently, and then try to just focus on things that matter, then your team can improve quite a bit."

And that's the goal Wednesday, just as it was last Thursday and Friday in Kansas City, Missouri.

As the Lobos (4-2) take on Alabama State in the Pit on Wednesday, the focus is on improvement of a team of players still less than one month into their first season together — not trying to fit into predetermined roles based on age, experience or expectations, but just on how they've performed since the day they arrived together on campus.

Food drive

There will be a non-perishable food drive at Wednesday's game with collection bins at each main entrance.

Donations will go to benefit the Roadrunner Food Bank.

Improving offense?

The question was pretty straight forward. Did the Lobos offense get better last week in Kansas City, Missouri, after a loss to Nebraska and a win over Mississippi State?

Olen says yes, even with that 32.1% shooting, 0.694 points per possession first half against Nebraska on Thursday.

His answer, as has been his consistent approach in the early building of the program, wasn't so much results based.

"Definitely. I think we had more unguarded catch and shoot opportunities in those two games than we had in the previous four games combined," Olen said. "That's a good sign for us. We're confident in our ability to shoot the basketball. So that'll come. ... It's more about process. If we continue to get a high volume of open shots for the right guys, then that stuff will work itself out."

In Kansas City, the Lobos points per possession by half:

Nebraska loss

0.694 — 1st half

1.146 — 2nd half

Mississippi State win

1.176 — 1st half

1.176 — 2nd half

Sweet home Alabama

Per UNM Sports Information Director Steve Kirkland, this is the first time Olen has coached against a team from his home state.

Olen's hometown of Mobile, Alabama, is 170-miles southwest of Montgomery.

Podcast

Episode 122 of the Talking Grammer podcast — an interview with UNM Lobo guard Jake Hall — will be available to view Wednesday morning on the Journal's YouTube channel, or heard wherever you listen to podcasts. Links will also be available at ABQJournal.com/Sports.

Series history

UNM is 2-0 all-time against Alabama State and 30-1 all-time against the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

First, about that loss...

Marlow White fouled out and fellow Lobo starters Charles Smith, Clayton Shields and David Gibson each had four fouls in a game that saw Texas Southern go to the line 31 times and dominate the Dave Bliss-coached Lobos on the boards in a 73-67 win at the Lobo Classic championship on Nov. 28, 1994.

It remains the only SWAC win over the Lobos.

As for the last time UNM played Alabama State, Kevin Henry had 20 points and four of the Lobos' 11 steals in a 68-47 win in the Pit on Dec. 29, 1999 — the first season under head coach Fran Fraschilla.