Feb. 8, 2012
Watch the Last 5 Minutes of the NCAA Tournament Game vs. Kansas (3/20/92)
This article was written by Jon Teicher, the "Voice of the Miners" since 1981.
Can it be? Is it possible that 20 years have passed since the 1991-92 Miners surprised the college basketball world by advancing to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament?
Certainly nothing of that order was forecast when the season began. Just the year before, the Miners finished fifth and were eliminated from the Western Athletic Conference Tournament in the first round. Although six of the top nine players returned from that squad, including seniors Marlon Maxey, Prince Stewart and David Van Dyke, it was the ball-handling wizardry of junior college transfer point guard Eddie Rivera that would prove to be the difference for this group of Miners.
Winners of 16 of their first 17 games with Texas, Washington and Texas Tech among their victims, the Miners became nationally ranked for the first time by the third week of January. Four losses in a six-game February stretch knocked the team out of first place, but a five-game win streak followed that included Don Haskins' 600th coaching victory, sending the Miners to the WAC Tournament as league co-champions.
Narrowly avoiding an upset by host Colorado State in the first round, the Miners got by New Mexico in the semifinals, paving the way for a championship showdown with regular season co-champ BYU. Despite leading most of the way, the Miners needed a Marlon Maxey lay-in with 2.4 seconds remaining to take a 71-70 advantage. Out of the ensuing timeout, the Cougars' Kevin Nixon sent a dagger through the hearts of all Miner fans, sinking a three-pointer from beyond midcourt as time expired. In spite of the second place showing at the WAC tourney, the Miners did receive an invite to return to "The Big Dance," the NCAA Tournament.
Assigned to the Midwest Region as the number nine seed in Dayton, Ohio, the Miners took care of Evansville in first round play, setting up a meeting with the nation's second-ranked Kansas Jayhawks two days later.
Big Eight Conference champions at 27-4, the Jayhawks were heavily favored to advance to the regional semifinals, to be played in Kansas City. The Miners spoiled those plans. A four corner spread offense, orchestrated by Rivera and Stewart, continually frustrated the Jayhawks. Late in the second half, the Miners rolled off eight unanswered points, the first six from sophomore Ralph Davis, to break open a tie game. Instead the Miners were Kansas City-bound following a 66-60 victory. Such was the excitement of Miner fans that my partner Bob Fields and I took questions for seven hours solid following the game on "Miner Talk."
Texas Western won a historic NCAA championship over Kentucky in 1966. Only four times since had the Miners advanced past the first round of college basketball's premier event. The win over Kansas put Haskins and the Miners back squarely into the national spotlight.
Head Coach Bob Huggins and number eleven seed Cincinnati awaited the following week in Kansas City. Featuring future NBA performers Nick Van Exel and Corie Blount, the Bearcats stunned the Miners by scoring the game's first 10 points and UTEP was never able to fully recover. The glorious run ended, 69-67. Cincinnati went on to defeat Memphis State two days later to reach the Final Four.
Maxey, Van Dyke and Roy Howard represented a formidable and powerful front line. Johnny "Smooth" Melvin presented unbridled energy. Rivera, Stewart and Gym Bice contributed dogged determination from the backcourt. Sophomore Ralph Davis offered youthful enthusiasm. While the nation rediscovered coach Don Haskins and the UTEP Miners in March of 1992, Miner fans will never forget.