For Starters
UTEP (1-0) continues play in the Las Vegas Holiday Invitational by tangling with Jackson State (0-2) on Tuesday. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:35 p.m. MST in the 12,000-seat Don Haskins Center. UTEP opened the tournament by routing Delaware State, 83-50, on Sunday. Jackson State fell at Arizona State, 79-48, the same day. The Tigers lost at Maryland 93-57 on Friday and will be playing their third game in five days.
UTEP will play two games in Las Vegas when the tournament resumes on Friday and Saturday. The Miners will face Arizona State on Friday at 8:30 p.m. MST, and an opponent to be determined on Saturday. Friday's meeting with the Sun Devils will be televised in El Paso on Time Warner Cable Channel 7.
The Miners are opening a season in a tournament for only the fourth time in school history. The first time was on Nov. 22, 1985, when the Miners lost to Washington 82-53 in a preseason NIT game in Denver. The second time was on Nov. 18, 1992, when UTEP beat George Mason 90-71 in a preseason NIT contest in El Paso. The Miners fell at UCLA, 73-72, in the second round of the tournament. UTEP also played in the Las Vegas Holiday Invitational during the 2001-02 season, posting a 2-2 record.
On The Radio
UTEP's English flagship station is KROD 600 AM. The announcers are Jon Teicher (play-by-play) and Steve Yellen (color commentary). Teicher is in his 24th season as "Voice of the Miners." Yellen played for the Miners from 1977-81 under Hall of Fame coach Don Haskins. The pregame show begins at 7:00 p.m. MST. The game will also be carried on KBUY 1360 AM in Ruidoso, N.M. A Spanish language broadcast is available on La Consentida 1150 AM. KINT-TV weekend sports anchor Omar Ropele is the play-by-play man, and former Miner Victor Luces offers analysis.
On Television
Tuesday's game will not be televised.
Las Vegas Holiday Invitational
UTEP is one of eight schools participating in the Las Vegas Holiday Invitational, joining Delaware State, Arizona State, Cal State Northridge, Jackson State, Southern Illinois, Tennessee State and Vanderbilt.
On Sunday UTEP beat Delaware State 83-50, Arizona State downed Jackson State 79-48, Southern Illinois pounded Augustana College 83-59 and Vanderbilt blasted Tennessee State 87-65.
Tuesday's games pit Cal State Northridge at Vanderbilt, Tennessee State at Southern Illinois, Delaware State at Arizona State and Jackson State at UTEP.
Third round and championship round games will be staged at Valley High School in Las Vegas, Nev. from Nov. 26-27.
Southern Illinois, UTEP and Vanderbilt are all coming off NCAA Tournament appearances a year ago. The Salukis finished 25-5 overall, and the Commodores were 23-10.
Las Vegas Take Two
The Miners are making their second appearance in the Las Vegas Holiday Invitational. UTEP also joined the tournament field during the 2001-02 season. The Miners beat Arkansas Monticello in El Paso (88-55) before dropping two of three games in Sin City. UTEP defeated Northwestern State 66-60 before falling to TCU (95-73) and Providence (69-60).
Scouting The Tigers
Jackson State was 12-17 last season (9-9 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference/sixth place). The Tigers have three starters back, and seven letterwinners. Senior guard Antonio Williams-Parker is the leading returning scorer (7.1 ppg in 2003-04). Williams-Parker leads Jackson State in scoring through two games this season, collecting 10 ppg while shooting 50 percent from the field, 50 percent from three-point distance and 50 percent from the charity stripe. Junior guard Dakari Wallace is averaging 9.5 ppg and senior center Michael Travis 8.5 ppg. The Tigers have struggled shooting the basketball in two games (.308 FG%, .250 3-pt FG%, .643 FT%), and were outrebounded 65-45 by Maryland and Arizona State.
Jackson State has forced 44 turnovers this season (22 per game), while committing 48 (24 per outing).
UTEP/Jackson State Ties
Jackson State Director of Athletics Roy Culberson is a UTEP graduate. UTEP junior forward John Tofi and Jackson State senior center Michael Travis both hail from San Francisco, Calif.
The Series
UTEP leads the series 4-0 and is 25-3 all-time versus Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) schools. The Miners' last loss to a SWAC opponent came on Nov. 26, 2002, a 67-53 defeat to Alcorn State. UTEP's average margin of victory in the Jackson State series has been 22 points. The Miners and Tigers are meeting for the first time since Dec. 27, 2000, when UTEP recorded a 101-81 victory to advance to the championship game of the Sierra Providence SunClassic in El Paso.
Last Meeting
The Miners shot 56 percent from the field and had six players reach double figures in scoring as they cruised past Jackson State, 101-81, on Dec. 27, 2000 in the Don Haskins Center. The victory opened the 40th annual Sierra Providence SunClassic tournament.
UTEP jumped out to a quick start, shooting 64 percent from the field and going 22-24 from the line in the opening half to take a 57-39 lead. The Miners led by as many as 28 points in the second half.
Brandon Wolfram scored 21 points, Brian Stewart 16, Eugene Costello 15, Nick Enzweiler 15, Chris Neal 14 and Leonard Owens 11. Roy Smallwood led UTEP with nine rebounds, and Wolfram added seven. Richard Bradley led Jackson State, collecting 15 points.
Powerful Program
UTEP has posted an all-time record of 1,108-862 in men's basketball, a .562 winning percentage. UTEP is the only school in the state of Texas to win a national title on the hardwood (1966). The Miners have made 23 postseason tournament appearances and captured 12 WAC titles (eight regular season, four tournament).
The 1966 national champion Miners are the subject of a Disney feature film, Glory Road, coming in 2005. The film stars Josh Lucas (A Beautiful Mind, Sweet Home Alabama) as legendary UTEP coach Don Haskins and Academy Award winner Jon Voight as Kentucky coach Adolph Rupp.
Last Game
Junior guard Giovanni St. Amant scored 10 of his 12 points during a 17-0 first half run, helping the Miners to an 83-50 victory over Delaware State in the 2004-05 season opener on Sunday at the Don Haskins Center. It was the first Division I head coaching victory for the new man on the Miner bench, Doc Sadler.
UTEP trailed 15-14 before the run, but led 31-15 afterwards and wasn't challenged again.
St. Amant played 16 minutes off the bench. He was 4-5 from the field and 3-4 from the line. Four other Miners scored in double figures. Omar Thomas had 15 points and five steals. Senior center Will Kimble added 13 points, while Miguel Ayalaand Jason Williams chipped in with 11 apiece.
Ayala, who made his season debut after recovering from a groin injury, was three for three from three-point range. The Miners hit five of eight attempts from beyond the arc.
UTEP shot 62.5 percent from the floor, including a blistering 69.2 percent in the first half in racing to a 41-21 lead.
Delaware State, which fell 87-67 at Illinois on Friday, shot 34 percent and committed 23 turnovers, leading to 36 points for the Miners.
The Hornets outrebounded the Miners 29-28, including 17-7 on the offensive boards.
UTEP led by as many as 40 points, at 76-36 on a three-pointer by Ayala with 8:01 to go.
Picking Up Where They Left Off
UTEP, which led the WAC in all three shooting categories en route to 24 wins last season, was on fire once again in the season opener versus Delaware State. The Miners shot 62.5 percent from the field, their best effort since hitting 64 percent of their shots at Colorado State on Feb. 29, 1992.
UTEP shot 69.2 in the opening half, the top first-half field goal percentage for the Miners since Feb. 5, 2004 against Rice (70.6 percent). The 69.2 percent shooting accuracy is tied for the seventh-best first half percentage in school history.
Strength in Numbers
The Miners received 35 points off their bench on Sunday against Delaware State. Last year, UTEP's bench averaged 25.0 points -- with leading scorer Omar Thomas (15.5 ppg) starting just eight games. Thomas was in the starting lineup versus Delaware State.
Junior guards Giovanni St. Amant and Miguel Ayala scored 12 and 11 points respectively off the pine versus the Hornets. Six reserves etched their names into the scoring column against Delaware State. The last time UTEP had six players score off the bench was on Feb. 5, 2004 against Rice.
Fun and Run
UTEP had a 17-0 scoring run in the first half versus Delaware State, turning a 15-14 deficit into a 31-15 advantage. The Miners had runs of 21-0, 17-0, 16-0 and 15-0 (twice) during last season's march to the NCAA Tournament.
The Year After, Part I
UTEP made its 15th NCAA Tournament appearance last season. The Miners have traditionally fared well the year after going to "The Big Dance." UTEP followed up its previous 14 NCAA Tournament trips by averaging 20.9 victories. On eight occasions, the Miners returned to the NCAA Tournament (1964-67-85-86-87-88-89-90) and UTEP advanced to the National Invitation Tournament twice (1965-93). Only four times (1968-71-76-91) did the Miners fail to return to postseason play in 14 tries.
The Year After, Part II
Last year the Miners won the WAC regular season title for the eighth time. UTEP has repeated this feat the following season on four occasions. The Miners captured the WAC regular season championship five consecutive years from 1983-87. UTEP has never finished lower than fourth in the WAC the year after claiming first place.
Miners Picked First
UTEP is listed first in both the preseason WAC coaches’ and media polls, which were released in October.
In the coaches' poll, the Miners received 77 total points and five first place votes. Rice is second (75 points/five first-place votes), Louisiana Tech third (59 points), Nevada fourth (53 points), Hawaii fifth (51 points), SMU sixth (45 points), Boise State seventh (32 points), Tulsa eighth (27 points), Fresno State ninth (21 points) and San Jose State 10th (10 points).
In the media poll, UTEP garnered 186 total points and 13 of a possible 20 first-place votes. Rice is second (178 points/five first-place votes), Nevada third (136 points/one first-place vote), Hawaii fourth (130 points/one first-place vote), Louisiana Tech fifth (127 points), Boise State sixth (111 points), SMU seventh (75 points), Fresno State eighth (71 points), Tulsa ninth (65 points) and San Jose State 10th (21 points).
UTEP senior guard Filberto Rivera was named first team All-WAC by the coaches, and senior forward/guard Omar Thomas was a second team honoree. Rivera was also tabbed to the media's preseason All-WAC squad.
The preseason league player of the year according to both the coaches and media is Rice senior forward Michael Harris.
More Preseason Honors
UTEP has been picked first in the WAC by CBSSportsLine.com, Lindy's and The Sporting News' preseason magazines.
The Miners are pegged to finish second in the league by Athlon and third by Street & Smith's.
Senior guard Filiberto Rivera is a unanimous preseason first team All-WAC selection. Senior forward/guard Omar Thomas is a first-team All-WAC honoree by two publications (CBSSportsLine.com, Lindy's), and a second team All-WAC choice by another (The Sporting News). Thomas is also rated one of the nation's top 20 small forwards by Lindy's and The Sporting News.
Junior forward John Tofi and junior swingman Jason Williams were recognized as second team All-WAC players by CBSSportsLine.com and The Sporting News, respectively.
First Exhibition Recap: UTEP 87, Monterrey Tech 67
Omar Thomas scored 29 points as UTEP routed Monterrey Tech, 87-67, in the Miners' 2004-05 exhibition opener on Nov. 10 at the Don Haskins Center.
Thomas made 13 of 16 shot attempts and added five rebounds in 32 minutes. Jason Williams chipped in with 14 points, and Filiberto Rivera contributed 10 points and 10 assists.
Monterrey Tech surprised the Miners by scoring seven of the game’s first nine points, and the visitors trailed just 32-28 with two minutes left in the first half.
UTEP held a 39-30 advantage at the intermission led by Thomas, who netted 16 points.
The Miners used a 19-3 second half run to turn a 42-34 lead into a 61-37 bulge. Monterrey Tech couldn't get closer than 18 points the rest of the night.
UTEP shot 58.1 percent in the second half and 54.7 percent for the game. Monterrey Tech also shot well, hitting 50 percent of its shots.
The Miners outrebounded Monterrey Tech 35-25, with Williams and Will Kimble each snaring six boards. UTEP also scored 23 points off 24 Monterrey Tech turnovers.
Second Exhibition Recap: UTEP 73, New Mexico Highlands 46
UTEP scored the game's first 16 points and led by as many as 41 in a 73-36 exhibition victory over New Mexico Highlands on Nov. 14 at the Don Haskins Center.
The Miners scored 41 points off 35 Cowboy turnovers. Eleven players scored for UTEP, with Omar Thomas (15 points), Giovanni St. Amant (12) and Filiberto Rivera (10) leading the way. Rivera also had seven assists and four steals. Freshman guard Kelvin Davis collected five steals in 15 minutes of action, two of which led to breakaway dunks.
Junior forward John Tofi and freshman guard Vernon Carr made their season debuts for UTEP. Tofi finished with two points, six rebounds, two blocks and three steals in 15 minutes. Carr contributed three points and an assist in 13 minutes.
UTEP turned a 23-10 lead into a 37-10 bulge with a 14-0 run late in the first half. The Miners enjoyed a 37-12 cushion at the intermission.
The closest New Mexico Highlands could get in the second half was 22 points, on a three-pointer by Anthony Fuller with 18:45 to play.
Thomas Gehrke scored eight points for the Miners. Jason Williams added seven points and Will Kimble six.
Tim Thompson, who scored 26 points last week in a 102-76 setback at New Mexico State, again led the Cowboys with 12 points.
UTEP shot 46.7 percent and had 18 assists to only 10 turnovers. New Mexico Highlands shot 32.5 percent but did outrebound the Miners, 33-31.
Don of Doom
The Don Haskins Center -- home of the Miners since Feb. 3, 1977 -- has been a house of horrors for UTEP opponents. The Miners have posted an all-time record of 364-111 (.766) in the facility, including a 16-1 mark last season. The 16 home wins in 2003-04 tied the most for UTEP since the 1991-92 campaign, when the Miners finished 17-1 in "The Don."
After suffering a narrow 98-94 loss to Boise State in the WAC opener on Jan. 3, 2004, the Miners have won their last nine home games. UTEP's average margin of victory in the last nine home wins has been 17.4 points. The nine-game homecourt winning streak is the longest for the Miners since reeling off 11 consecutive victories in the Haskins Center late in the 2000-01 and early in the 2001-02 seasons.
UTEP has posted undefeated records in the Haskins Center on three occasions -- 1983-84 (21-0), 1985-86 (19-0) and 1988-89 (18-0).
Back Again
The Miners' top four scorers return from the 2003-04 season. UTEP is the only WAC school to welcome back four players who averaged double figures in scoring a year ago -- senior forward/guard Omar Thomas (15.5 ppg), junior guard/forward Jason Williams (11.6 ppg), senior guard Filiberto Rivera (11.2 ppg) and junior forward John Tofi (10.8 ppg). Overall UTEP returns 75 percent of its points, 73 percent of its rebounds and 76 percent of its assists from last year's outfit.
UTEP has three starters back. Louisiana Tech, SMU and Tulsa return the most starters among WAC schools (four each). UTEP has four seniors (Thomas Gehrke, Will Kimble, Rivera, Thomas) which is tied for the most in the league with Boise State, Louisiana Tech, Rice, SMU and Tulsa.
OT = PTS
Senior forward/guard Omar Thomas led the Miners in scoring last season (15.5 ppg) despite averaging just 22.5 minutes per game. The Philadelphia native averaged 27.5 points per 40 minutes of action. Thomas started just eight of 32 games, but led UTEP in scoring on 12 occasions. UTEP was 6-6 when he led the team in points, and 18-2 when he did not.
Thomas scored 495 points in 2003-04. His scoring average was best by a Miner newcomer since Hall of Famer Nate Archibald averaged 15.8 ppg during the 1967-68 campaign. Last year Thomas made 154 free throws and attempted 197, with both figures rating 10th in the UTEP single-season record books. Thomas averaged 10.9 free throw attempts per 40 minutes of court time. He has shot a free throw in 30 of 32 career contests.
The all-time leading scorer in the history of junior college basketball at Panola (Texas) College, Thomas had seven 20-point games in his first year with the Miners. He became the first UTEP player in three years to record a 30-point night when he totaled 32 points at Louisiana Tech on Feb. 26, 2004 -- a day after celebrating his 22nd birthday.
Thomas was eighth in the WAC in scoring last season, and ranks fifth among returning players behind SMU's Bryan Hopkins (17.7 ppg), Rice's Michael Harris (17.5 ppg) and Jason McKrieth (15.8 ppg), and Louisiana Tech's Paul Millsap (15.6 ppg). All four of those players made at least 29 starts a year ago.
Fili is Assist Leader
Senior guard Filiberto Rivera is the WAC’s returning assist leader. He averaged 4.8 assists last season, third in the league behind Hawaii's Logan Lee and Rice’s Rashid Smith, who have both departed.
Rivera amassed 152 assists last season -- the sixth-top season total in school annals -- after transferring from Southeastern (Iowa) Community College where he was a member of a national championship team. Rivera's 2003 honors at Southeastern CC included first team NJCAA All-American, Junior College Player of the Year, Junior College Student-Athlete of the Year and MVP of the NJCAA Tournament.
A native of Carolina, Puerto Rico, Rivera had more turnovers than assists just three times in 32 games last season. He ranked among the WAC leaders in assists, assist/turnover ratio (2.11/third), steals (1.7 spg/fourth), free throw percentage (.779/seventh) and scoring (11.2 ppg/20th) in his initial year with the Miners.
Big Man Has Been Picture of Consistency
Junior forward John Tofi was remarkably consistent as a freshman during the 2002-03 season, scoring between 12 and 17 points in 19 of his 27 games. The San Francisco native was steady again last year, totaling the exact same number of points (347) as he did in the previous season. Tofi hiked his field goal percentage from .489 in 2002-03 to .567. His .567 field goal percentage in 2003-04 ranks sixth in the UTEP record books among players who compiled a double figure scoring average.
Tofi was 14th in the WAC in blocked shots (0.9 bpg) and rebounds (5.9 rpg) last season. UTEP was 14-4 when he snared six rebounds or more. He averaged 10.8 points, scoring in double figures 19 times. Tofi had a big night in the NCAA Tournament, collecting 16 points and 10 rebounds against ACC Tournament champion Maryland.
The 6-8, 245-pound Tofi has scored in double figures 40 times in 59 career games.
Williams Does a Little of Everything
Junior swingman Jason Williams ranked either first, second or third on the team in five statistical categories last season -- rebounding (first/6.1 rpg), scoring (second/11.6 ppg), assists (second/3.5 apg), blocked shots (third/0.3 bpg) and steals (third/1.1 spg). He was only the third forward in school history to collect 100 assists (he had 112).
One of three Miners to start all 32 games in 2003-04, Williams scored in double figures 20 times (UTEP was 16-4 when he registered 10+ points). The Miners were 7-0 when he led the team in scoring and 5-0 when he had a 20-point game. A native of Marrero, La., Williams was ninth in the WAC in assists, 11th in rebounding and 17th in scoring.
Williams scored his career-high 24 points ad New Mexico State on Dec. 6, 2003. He absolutely tormented the I-10 rival Aggies, averaging 22.5 points in two games while shooting 70 percent (16-23) from the field and 57 percent (4-7) from three-point territory.
Highly-Touted Newcomers
UTEP's recruiting class -- which was rated best in the WAC by Hoop Scoop -- features a Division I transfer (Will Kimble), a junior college transfer (Miguel Ayala) and three freshmen (Stanley Branch, Vernon Carr, Kelvin Davis).
Kimble played for two years at Pepperdine (2000-01, 2001-02), where he was a member of a pair of postseason tournament teams (NIT 2001, NCAA 2002). He is listed as a senior on UTEP's 2004-05 roster, but Miner athletic department officials will petition the NCAA for an extra year of eligibility in 2005-06. The 6-10, 230-pound Kimble was rated the third-best prep center in the West by SoCal Hoops coming out of Pacific High School in San Bernardino, Calif.
Ayala, who has missed quite a bit of practice time early this season with a groin injury, was ranked the 27th-best incoming junior college player in the country by The Sporting News. A deadly outside shooter, he played last season at Fullerton (Calif.) College.
Branch was listed as the 18th-best prep school player in the country by recruiting analyst Clark Francis after spending last season at Lutheran Christian Academy in Philadelphia. Carr was an All-State performer at Redford (Mich.) High School, leading his school to the Final Four of the state playoffs. Davis was an explosive scorer at Sacred Heart (Conn.) High School, averaging 29 points as a senior and 24 points as a junior.
Other newcomers are walk-on guards James Fontenet and Colt Tharpe. Fontenet, who will be eligible to play in mid-December, played the last two years at New Mexico State and Scottsdale Community College respectively. Tharpe was coached by UTEP's Doc Sadler during the 2002-03 season at the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith.
Youmans Added to Roster
Freshman guard Ervin Youmans (Hobbs, N.M.) has been added to the Miner roster, but is not included in UTEP's 2004-05 media guide. The 5-11, 165-pound Youmans led the state of New Mexico in scoring last year at Hobbs High School, collecting 28 points per outing. He also averaged five assists, five steals and two rebounds. A two-time All-State honoree as a prep, Youmans had game-highs of 41 points and six assists. He was the second-leading scorer in New Mexico as a junior, when he averaged 21 points.
Miners Sign Two
UTEP Coach Doc Sadler announced on Thursday that guard/forward Moses Gonzalez and guard Stefon Jacksonhave signed national letters of intent to play for the Miners beginning with the 2005-06 season.
Gonzalez will have two years of eligibility at UTEP, while Jackson will have four years of eligibility.
The 6-5 Gonzalez is entering his sophomore year at Ventura (Calif.) College. He is rated the #7 junior college wing forward in the country by Lindy's preseason magazine, and is also a preseason Junior College All-American by Street & Smith's. Ventura College is ranked fifth in Street & Smith's preseason top-25 junior college poll.
A native of The Bronx, N.Y., Gonzalez was a member of Ventura's 2003-04 team that was 23-6 and ranked ninth in the state of California. He averaged 19.9 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.1 steals while shooting 59 percent from the field, 35 percent from three-point range and 75 percent from the line. He was a first team All-State honoree a year ago, as well as MVP of the Western State Conference. Gonzalez attended Walton High School in The Bronx, averaging 20 points as a prep senior. He is of Cuban and Puerto Rican descent.
The 6-4 Jackson is currently attending Lutheran Christian Academy in Philadelphia. He is rated the 42nd-best prep player in the country by Hoop Scoop. Jackson averaged 35 points this past summer at the Big Time Tournament in Las Vegas and was named to the All-Tournament Team at the Fall Jam Fest. He was also chosen MVP of both the Five-Star Camp and Rick Barry's Adidas All-Star Game earlier this year.
Jackson averaged 27 points last season at Lutheran Christian Academy. He averaged 18 points during the 2002-03 campaign at King High School in Philadelphia. Jackson helped King to a 22-5 record en route to being selected second team All-Public League by The Philadelphia Daily News. He also earned first team All-City honors.
The Doc is in
Although Doc Sadler is in his first season at the helm of the UTEP program, this is not his first year as a head coach. Sadler was the head coach at the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith from 1998-03, fashioning a stellar 120-39 (.755) record.
Sadler orchestrated a pair of 30-win seasons during his stint at UA Fort Smith -- a 30-5 mark in 2000-01 and a 30-6 ledger in 2001-02. He led the Lions to four consecutive Bi-State East Conference championships, two NJCAA Region II championships and two trips to the NJCAA National Tournament (2001, 2002). Sadler was named Coach of the Year for NJCAA Region II in 2001 and 2002. The Lion basketball program had a 95 percent graduation rate during his tenure as head coach. He was also UA Fort Smith's athletic director for five years.
In 12 years as a Division I assistant coach -- including the 2003-04 season with the Miners -- Sadler has been associated with teams that made nine postseason tournament appearances (seven NCAA, two NIT) while coaching 19 future NBA players.
First Impressions
Doc Sadler is the 16th head coach in UTEP basketball history. On Sunday, he became the eighth Miner coach to win his debut (the others were Charles Finley, Dale Waters, Ross Moore, George McCarty, Don Haskins, Jason Rabedeaux and Billy Gillispie). Only the legendary Haskins posted a winning record in his first season at the helm of the program; his 1961-62 Miners finished 18-6. Overall, first-year coaches have averaged 6.6 wins in their initial season with the Miners.
Only three coaches have won their first two games on the Miner bench -- Moore (1947-48), McCarty (1953-54) and Rabedeaux (1999-00). No coach has gotten off to a 3-0 start.
Sadler is one of 37 new head coaches at Division I-A schools and one of three fresh faces in the WAC, joining Nevada's Mark Fox and SMU's Jimmy Tubbs.
Introductions are in Order
UTEP has a new-look coaching staff for the 2004-05 season with Ed Custodio, Randall Dickey and James Hollandjoining Doc Sadler on the bench. Custodio previously was an assistant at St. Francis College and Long Island University. Dickey most recently was an assistant at Washington State for four seasons (1999-03). He was on the Oklahoma State staff in 1995, when the Cowboys advanced to the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament. Holland comes to the Sun City after spending the last year as a Southeast regional scout for the Washington Wizards in the National Basketball Association. His collegiate coaching travels have taken him to South Carolina, San Diego State and Georgia, among others.
UTEP Receiving Votes
The Miners have tallied votes in the latest Associated Press and USA Today/ESPN polls. UTEP is 37th in the AP poll with seven votes, and tied for 43rd in the USA Today/ESPN poll with one vote. The only other WAC school to garner votes is Rice (three votes in the AP poll).
UTEP also received votes a year ago. The Miners haven't been ranked in the nation's top 25 since the 1991-92 season, when they rose to as high as 19th in the AP poll.
C-USA in 05
UTEP will shift to Conference USA effective on July 1, 2005. The Miners will join WAC brethren Rice, SMU and Tulsa in the new-look league which will also include Central Florida, East Carolina, Houston, Marshall, Memphis, Southern Miss, Tulane and UAB.
Last year C-USA advanced eight men's basketball teams to postseason play (six NCAA, two NIT).
UTEP has been a member of the Western Athletic Conference since September, 1967.
Miners on TV
A minimum of eight UTEP games will be televised in El Paso this season, including a pair of national telecasts.
Five games will be carried on TWTV7 as a result of a partnership between UTEP Athletics, Time Warner Cable El Paso and The El Paso Times. TWTV7 will televise UTEP's games against Arizona State in the Las Vegas Holiday Invitational (Nov. 26), Fresno State (Jan. 15), SMU (Jan. 27), Louisiana Tech (Jan. 29) and San Jose State (Feb. 16).
The Tulsa game (Feb. 3) will be a SportsWest telecast and will also be carried on TWTV7. Jon Teicher (play-by-play) and Steve Yellen (color) will have the call for the remaining five TWTV7 games in a simulcast with KROD 600 AM.
In addition, UTEP's game at Rice (Feb. 5) will be televised nationally on ESPN2. The Western Athletic Conference announced on Tuesday that UTEP's game at Nevada, originally scheduled for Jan. 13, has been moved to Jan. 12 and will be televised nationally on ESPN2. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. Mountain time.
UTEP hasn't had as many as two regular season games nationally televised since the 1995-96 season, when three games were carried on ESPN2 and another was shown on ESPN.
Miner Nuggets
The Miners averaged 13 turnovers in their two exhibition games while forcing an average of 29.5 per outing. UTEP scored 64 points off turnovers in the two games (32.0 avg.)...UTEP is 56-17 (.767) in the month of November since 1947...the Miners will play 18 home games during the 2004-05 season...UTEP tied the NCAA record for turnaround last year, improving from 6-24 in 2002-03 to 24-8. The 17-game improvement tied the record originally established by Mercer in 2002-03...UTEP led the WAC in all three shooting categories last season. The Miners shot 47.7 percent from the field, 38.4 percent from three-point land and 75.2 percent from the foul line...UTEP was the only WAC school to make more free throws (614) than its opponents attempted (570) in 2003-04. Against Delaware State, the Miners made 18 free throws while the Hornets attempted 17...UTEP shot 20 percent (5-25) from three-point range and 50.8 percent (63-124) from the field in its two exhibition games, meaning the Miners shot 59 percent (58-99) from two-point distance...UTEP ended the 2003-04 season rated ninth nationally in free throw percentage (.752), 18th in field goal percentage (.477), 20th in scoring offense (77.5 ppg) and scoring margin (+10.0 ppg) and 25th in assists per game (16.3)...UTEP rated second in the WAC in attendance a year ago, averaging 10,282 fans. Fresno State was first (13,686 avg.). UTEP sold out seven of nine WAC home games and averaged 11,539 fans in league games only. Overall UTEP had eight sellout crowds of 12,000 in 2003-04...UTEP has made at least one three-pointer in 106 straight games...junior guard Josh Gutierrez is an El Paso native who attended Hanks High School.
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