UTEP Notes

OPENING TIP
UTEP (0-1) will play host to I-10 rival NM State (1-0) in its "915 game" at 7 p.m. MT Saturday. The Miners are aspiring to have their first sellout in the Don Haskins Center in six years and their initial packed house against the Aggies since a 79-61 victory on Dec. 18, 2004 in Doc Sadler's first year at the helm of the program. The game will be broadcast on 600 ESPN El Paso and streamed on CUSA.tv. Tickets are available by visiting www.UTEPMiners.com/Tickets or by calling (915) 747-UTEP. UTEP was fended off at No. 12 Texas, 72-57, in its season opener on Nov. 7 while the Aggies handled New Mexico Highlands easily, 101-52, on Nov. 7 in their lidlifter. It is the first of three potential meetings on the year between the longtime rivals. The Miners pay a return visit to NM State on Nov. 30. The two sides could also potentially meet up in the WestStar Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational (Dec. 21-22), as NM State joins Kent State, NC A&T and the Miners to comprise the field for the 61st edition of the event. Jon Teicher (42nd year) and Steve Yellen (20th year) will be on the call on "The Home of UTEP Basketball" 600 ESPN El Paso for Saturday's showdown. It will also be streamed lived on CUSA.tv (subscription required). 
 
SEASON-LONG HOMESTRETCH BEGINS
After opening up with a true road game for the first time since the 2000-01 season, the Miners can now settle into the Don Haskins Center for nearly the remainder of the month. The Orange and Blue will play their next five contests in the Sun City, their longest stretch of the campaign. Following the match-up with the Aggies, UTEP will face Sul Ross State (Nov. 15). The Miners will then have the inaugural Jim Forbes Classic presented by Speaking Rock with games against Alcorn State (Nov. 22), CSUB (Nov. 23) and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (Nov. 25).
 
SERIES HISTORY: NM STATE LEADS, 120-103
NM State leads the all time series with UTEP, 120-103. It is the Miners' oldest series, while rating as the second oldest for the Aggies. It started in 1914 and the two squads squared off at least twice annually every year since 1944-45 before Covid interrupted that two years ago. The Aggies swept the series last year, but the two contests were decided by a combined nine points. In fact, four of the past five meetings have been five-point games or less. NM State has claimed 12 of the past 13 contests, with the Miners' last victory in the rivalry during that timeframe being a 65-50 vanquishing of the Aggies in El Paso on Nov. 12, 2019.
 
GET TO KNOW NM STATE
NM State went 27-7 a year ago, won the WAC Championship and advanced to the second round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament. It was their first win at the Big Dance in nearly three decades. The Aggies are talented again in 2022-23, but they have a new-look team with just two returning letter winners (no starters) back from that unit. It is also a new coaching staff, with Greg Heiar assuming the reins after Chris Jans accepted the head coaching position at SEC school Mississippi State in the offseason. Most recently, Heiar won the NJCAA Division I National Championship with Northwest Florida State College. The program was 6-15 the previous year before Heiar took over. Issa Muhammad, Xavier Pinson, DaJuan Gordon, Kim Aiken Jr., Deshawndre Washington, Anthony Roy, Kyle Feit and Doctor Bradley are expected to be key players for NM State this year, with Washington and Muhammad having starred for Heiar at Northwest Florid State College. Gordon (Missouri & Kansas State), Pinson (LSU) and Aiken Jr. (Arizona) arrived as Power Five transfers. The Aggies crushed New Mexico Highlands, 101-52, in their season opener at home on Nov. 7. Washington led the way with a triple-double (17 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists) in a mere 27 minutes of action while Muhammad poured in 20 points to go along with eight rebounds. Mike Peake (16 points) and Marchelus Avery (15 points) also reached double figures in scoring. NM State held Highlands to 29.4 percent shooting, including 20.0 percent from beyond-the-arc. It also controlled the boards, 47-24, while dishing out 23 assists on 39 made field goals. Notable alumni include actor Scott Bailey, who is best known for his playing the role of Sandy Foster on the CBS soap opera Guiding Light, and former Olympic basketball player Chito Reyes. Additionally, Clyde Tombaugh, who discovered the planet Pluto (since reclassified to a dwarf planet), taught astronomy at the school from 1955 until his retirement in 1973.
 
 
LAST TIME OUT: AT NO. 12 TEXAS 72, UTEP 57 (11/7/22)
UTEP put up a good fight before No. 12/12 Texas pulled away late to down the Miners, 72-57, in front of a capacity crowd at the new $375 million Moody Center on Nov. 7. It was an eight-point contest (52-44) with seven minutes remaining in regulation, but the Longhorns used an 8-0 run to hold off the Orange and Blue's rally. It marked the first time since the 2000-01 season that the Miners (0-1) opened the season on the road.
 
POINTS ACROSS THE BOARD
The Miners utilized a balanced approach offensively at No. 12 Texas on Nov. 7, with six different players tallying at least five points. Ze'Rik Onyema (career-high 10 points) led the way while Tae Hardy (nine points), Otis Frazier III (nine points), Shamar Givance (eight points), Jamari Sibley (seven points) and Calvin Solomon (seven points) also getting after it.
 
CRASH THE GLASS
UTEP won the boards (32-27) against No. 12 Texas, aiding by limiting the Longhorns to just five offensive rebounds. Jamari Sibley led the charge with seven rebounds, followed by four each from Otis Frazier III, Shamar Givance and Calvin Solomon.
 
DON'T QUIT ON PLAYS
The Miners demonstrated hustle and heart at No. 12 Texas, evidenced by a 17-4 advantage on second-chance points against the Longhorns. Helping that cause was UTEP more than doubling up Texas on offensive rebounds (12-5).
 
 
PLENTY OF PRODUCTION TO REPLACE
Between Jamari Sibley, Kevin Kalu and Ze'Rik Onyema, the Miners returned just 20.8 percent of their rebounding, 11.1 percent of their scoring and 9.0 percent of their assists from the 2021-22 squad. In total, the Miners lost four starters and 12 letter winners from last year's squad, including a pair of All-Conference USA performers in Souley Boum (second team) and Jamal Bieniemy (third team).
 
NEW-LOOK TEAM
UTEP lost four starters and 12 letter winners from last year's team, giving the Miners a new look in year two under head coach Joe Golding. UTEP brought in six Division I transfers (Otis Frazier III, George Mason, Shamar Givance, Evansville, Tae Hardy, Southern Miss, Garrett Levesque, Tarleton State, Mario McKinney Jr., NM State and Calvin Solomon, Stephen F. Austin) while adding four junior-college transfers (Jon Dos Anjos, Florida SouthWestern College), Derick Hamilton, Bossier Parish CC, Carlos Lemus, Chipola College and Malik Zachery, South Plains) and two true freshmen (Antwonne Holmes, Chapin HS, El Paso, Texas, and Jamal Sumlin, Rhodes HS, Cleveland, Ohio). It should be noted that Dos Anjos spent his freshman campaign at Loyola Marymount (Calif.) before going the junior-college route.
 
EXPERIENCED D1 TRANSFERS
The Miners' six DI transfers combined to play in 312 contests, including making 150 starts, prior to their arrival in the Sun City. Shamar Givance (Evansville, 118 GP, 63 GS) and Calvin Solomon (Stephen F. Austin, 82 GP, 56 GS) are the most experienced of the bunch, but Otis Frazier III, George Mason, 35 GP), Mario McKinney Jr. (NM State, 38 GP, 5 GS) and Tae Hardy (Southern Miss, 30 GP, 26 GS) also have 30+ appearances.
 
HOME COOKING
Saturday's contest is the first of 18 at home for the Orange and Blue this year. They will have 10 Conference USA tilts. UTEP will play host to the inaugural Jim Forbes Classic Presented by Speaking Rock (a multi-teams event  from Nov. 22-25) in addition to the WestStar Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational (Dec. 21-22). The Miners entered the 2022-23 campaign having registered three straight seasons with 10+ wins at home, including compiling 12 victories inside the Don Haskins a year ago. Aiding in that effort was UTEP leading C-USA in total attendance (88,125) with nearly 90,000 fans passing through the turnstiles.
 
LIFE ON THE ROAD
UTEP fell at No. 12 Texas, 72-57, in its season opener on Nov. 7. It marked the first time to begin the season with a true road game since a
73-61 victory at Pac-12 foe Washington on Nov. 21, 2000. Overall, the Miners will have 13 road games (0-1 thus far) on the year (three nonconference, 10 C-USA). UTEP went 7-6 in 2021-22 on the road, its first winning road record since forging a mark of 8-2 in 2013-14.
 
NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT
The Nov. 7 opener at No. 12/12 Texas was broadcast nationally on the Longhorn Network. It marked the first of 17 contests to be broadcast/streamed on nationwide platforms, with 13 on ESPN+, and one each on ESPNU, FS1, the Longhorn Network and Stadium.
 
A YEAR IN REVIEW
-    UTEP (20-14) posted its first 20+ win season since going 22-11 in 2014-15. It marked the 27th 20+ win campaign in program history.
-    The Miners notched their first postseason appearance since 2015 and first postseason win since 2009.
-    The Miners finished 11-7 in league play to secure their first winning conference record since forging a mark of 12-6 in 2016-17. That was aided by winning 10 of 14 down the stretch, including halting back-to-back C-USA West Division Champion North Texas' 15-game winning streak, 70-68, on "Senior Day" on March 5.
-    UTEP downed Old Dominion, 74-64, on March 9 for its first victory at the C-USA Championships in five years.
-    UTEP's seven road wins were the most since going 8-2 in 2013-14.
-    The Miners had their first winning road record (5-4) in league play since 2016-17.
-    UTEP's five league road wins surpassed its total (four) of such games from the prior three seasons combined.
-    UTEP had a six-game conference USA winning streak (Jan. 15 to Feb. 5), which was its longest since also posting six straight wins  in 2016 (2/4-20/16). It marked the fifth winning streak of at least six C-USA games since the Miners joined the league in 2005-06.
 
THE BASIC FACTS ON UTEP
-    This is the 102nd season of UTEP men's basketball. The Miners made history by starting five African-Americans to defeat Kentucky, 72-65, and win the 1966 NCAA Championship on the way to inspiring the Disney hit movie Glory Road. Overall, UTEP has 17 NCAA Tournament appearances (last in 2010), 11 NIT bids (last in 2015), 12 conference championships (last in 2010) and 27 seasons with at least 20+ victories (last in 2022). The Miners have won five league tournaments (last in 2005).
-    The Miners have a strong presence in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame with Don Haskins, Nate Archibald, Nolan Richardson, the 1966 team and Tim Hardaway all representing UTEP.
-    UTEP finished 20-14 in 2021-22, which was its most wins since going 22-11 in 2014-15.
-    The Miners returned one starter (Jamari Sibley), and eight letter winners overall. The two other returning letter winners are Kevin Kalu and Ze'Rik Onyema.
-    UTEP has 12 newcomers: Jon Dos Anjos, Otis Frazier III, Shamar Givance, Derick Hamilton, Tae Hardy, Antwonne Holmes, Carlos Lemus, Garrett Levesque, Mario McKinney Jr., Calvin Solomon, Jamal Sumlin and Malik Zachery.
 
GET TO KNOW COACH GOLDING
Joe Golding is in his second year at UTEP, and is the 20th head coach in program history. He is the eighth head coach for the Miners since legendary Hall of Fame Coach Don Haskins retired following the 1998-99 season. Golding is 178-159 in his 12th season as a collegiate head coach, including 20-15 at UTEP. Last year he became the fourth head coach (20 total) in program history to have a winning season in their first year on the sideline. Don Haskins was the first when he directed the Miners to a mark of 18-6 in 1961-62. Doc Sadler (27-8, 2004-05) and Tim Floyd (25-10, 2010-11) also achieved the feat. Overall, the prior 19 head coaches combined to forge an average record of 9-13 in their first year with UTEP. Previously Golding  spent 10 years at Abilene Christian (158-144), helping it transition from a Division II to a Division I program. Golding led the Wildcats to the 2019 and 2021 NCAA Tournaments, including a stunning upset as a 14-seed of third-seeded Texas in the first round of the 2021 Big Dance.
 
PRESEASON PREMONITIONS
UTEP was predicted to finish eighth out of 11 teams in Conference USA for the 2022-23 season, but keep in mind that last year's edition of the Miners was underestimated. The Orange and Blue were tabbed to finish in 10th place a year ago before tying for the fifth-most wins in league play by forging a mark of 11-7 in 18 C-USA tilts. Overall UAB was predicted to finish first, followed by WKU and North Texas at second and third, respectively.
 
UP NEXT
UTEP will continue the homestand against Sul Ross State at 7 p.m. on Tuesday. The game will be broadcast on 600 ESPN El Paso and streamed on CUSA.tv. Tickets are available by visiting www.UTEPMiners.com/Tickets or by calling (915) 747-UTEP.
   
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