Game Notes In PDF Format

OPENING TIP
The UTEP men's basketball team (5-0) will take on Bradley (4-0) in a battle of unbeatens (52 total nationally through Nov. 20). in the championship contest of the SoCal Challenge in a nationally-televised game (CBS Sports Network) at 7:30 p.m. PT/8:30 p.m. MT Wednesday. The Miners punched their ticket to the title tilt after taking out Pac-12 member Cal, 75-72, on a 3-point buzzer beater from Tae Hardy. The Braves bested Tulane, 80-77, on Nov. 20, in a back-and-forth game as well. Wednesday will mark the second time in the past three seasons that UTEP and Bradley will face off with a championship on the line. The Braves held off the Miners, 73-66, in the title game of the 2021 WestStar Bank Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational on Dec. 22, 2021. UTEP's triumph against the Bears was the first against a power program since the Orange and Blue knocked off Arizona State on the road, 76-63, on Dec. 16, 2020. It also afforded them their best start of the Joe Golding era, and the first 5-0 beginning to a campaign at the school in four years. Jon Teicher (43rd year) and Steve Yellen (21st year) will be on the call on "The Home of UTEP Basketball" 600 ESPN El Paso. It will also be broadcast nationally on TV on CBS Sports Network, with Chris Sylvester (play-by-play) and Dave Miller (analyst) describing the action.
 
BEST START IN FOUR YEARS
The Miners are 5-0, matching their best start to a season since also doing so in 2019-20. UTEP is now taking aim at opening the year at 6-0 for the first time since 2015-16 (6-0) Overall, this is fifth occasion since 2000 that the Orange and Blue have claimed five in a row to begin the campaign. It happened previously in 2019-20 (5-0), 2015-16 (6-0), 2009-10 (5-0) and 2000-01 (6-0).
 
PLAYING FROM AHEAD
UTEP posted a wire-to-wire win against Austin Peay on Nov. 17, marking the second such victory this season. It also happened against USAO on Nov. 9. The only time that the Miners have trailed in the second half came in the win against Cal on Nov. 20, but it was for approximately a total of only one minute and 16 seconds. The deficit was never greater than two points in the second stanza, and UTEP was either tied or ahead over the final 9:27 of the tilt.
 
GOLDING CLOSING IN ON 200 WINS
Third-year UTEP head coach Joe Golding picked up his 197th career victory between his time with Abilene Christian and the Miners after leading UTEP past Cal on Nov. 20. Golding is also now one win shy (39-32) of his 40th triumph with UTEP. He is currently ninth on the Miners' all-time coaching victories list.
 
GOT IT DONE VS. POWER PROGRAM
UTEP took down Pac-12 member Cal, 75-72, on Nov. 20, thanks to the heroics of Tae Hardy's buzzer beater. It marked the initial win against a Power Five program under head coach Joe Golding and first since knocking off Arizona State on the road, 76-63, on Dec. 16, 2020.
 
BESTING A POWER PROGRAM ON A NEUTRAL COURT
UTEP's win against Cal marked the first time that it bested a Power Six program (Power Five + Big East) at a neutral site since taking out Xavier (Big East) on Nov. 28, 2014. It was also the initial occasion to defeat a Power Five foe in a neutral match-up since toppling SEC foe Tennessee, 78-70, on Nov. 28, 2013, in the Battle 4 Atlantis at Paradise Island, Bahamas.
 
ANOTHER NATIONALLY-TELEVISED WIN
With the win against Cal, the Miners are now 2-0 on the season in nationally-televised contests. UTEP previously ran past UC Santa Barbara, 89-76, in front of more than 7,000 fans at the Don Haskins Center before taking out the Bears in dramatic fashion on Nov. 20. Both games were carried by CBS Sports Network. The Miners' match-up vs. Bradley on Wednesday (Nov. 22) will also be broadcast nationally by CBSN.
 
ANOTHER SHOT AT A DEFENDING LEAGUE CHAMP
UTEP has already defeated one defending league champion this season, knocking off 2022-23 Big West regular season and tournament champ UC Santa Barbara, 89-76, on Nov. 13. The Miners now have another opportunity against a defending conference champion, as Bradley went 16-4 in Missouri Valley Conference play to finish first out of 10 squads in the regular season last season. The Braves, though, were bested in the title tilt of the tournament and competed in the NIT.
 
GET TO KNOW BRADLEY
Bradley was 25-10 last year, including 16-4 in league play, to win its first regular-season Missouri Valley Conference championship since the 1995-96 campaign. The Braves fell in the title tilt of the tournament, but earned a bid to the NIT (first since 2007). The Braves returned three starters and 10 lettermen from last year, which has helped them get off to a 4-0 start for the initial occasion since 2013-14. Most recently, Bradley toppled Tulane, 80-77, in the semifinals of the SoCal Challenge on Nov. 20. Leading the charge has been senior and two-way star Malevy Leons. He was the 2023 MVC Defensive Player of the Year after becoming the first player in MVC history with 50 blocks and 50 steals in the same season. He was also an All-MVC second-team honoree, in addition to securing second-team All-District accolades. He's off to a strong start this year, pacing the team in scoring (16.0 ppg), rebounding (7.5 rpg) and steals per game (2.8 spg).  Darius Hannah (12.0 ppg), Connor Hickman (12.0 ppg), Duke Deen (11.3 ppg) and Christian Davis (11.3 ppg) are also in double figures for scoring for Bradley, which is putting up 77.8 points per game. Bradley shares the ball well with 15.5 assists per game (third MVC/62nd NCAA), helping it connect on 47.8 percent (fourth MVC/72nd NCAA). Aiding the offensive output has been 10.0 3-pointers made per game (first MVC/20th NCAA). The Braves are even better at the other end of the court, holding foes to a readout of 36.9 percent from the floor (second MVC/13th NCAA). That figure is helped by blocking 4.0 shots per game (third MVC/52nd NCAA). Hannah sets the tone with 2.3 blocks per game (third MVC/28th NCAA). Bradley has a proud history with nine NCAA Tournament bids (last in 2019) and nearly 1,750 victories since the program's inception in 1902-03. Notable alumni for the school include Neil Flynn (actor known for his role on Scrubbs and in the movie Major League) and the first African-American Astronaut Robert Henry Lawrence Jr.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Bradley holds a 3-2 edge in the all-time series with the Miners, including sneaking out a 73-66 triumph in the championship game of the WestStar Bank Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational on Dec. 22, 2021. The Braves also took out the Miners in the 1986 NCAA Tournament, 83-65. The programs first met on Dec. 10, 1955, with UTEP coming up shy, 88-65. The Orange and Blue's two victories in the series came in consecutive campaigns, as they beat Bradley in both 1989-90 and 1990-91.
 
TAE CALLS GAME AGAINST CAL
UTEP defeated Cal, 75-72, on Nov. 20, in a wild and memorable finish. After a couple of missed free throws by Tae Hardy (was 7-7 to that point), the Bears tied the game at 72 with a 3-pointer from Jalen Cone with six seconds left. Rather than sulk, Otis Frazier III inbounded the ball to Zid Powell, who raced up the court. He then dished it to Hardy, whose 3-point attempt spun around the rim before dropping through for the buzzer-beating victory. It was his lone 3-point try of the night.
 
FIRST BUZZER BEATER SINCE 2021-22
When Tae Hardy beat the clock, it marked the Miner's first buzzer beater since Alfred Hollins's tip-in as the horn sounded in a 70-68 triumph against Florida Atlantic on Jan. 27, 2022.
 
GETTING IT DONE AT THE LINE
UTEP finished 30-37 (81.1 percent) at the charity stripe against Cal, with Tae Hardy (7-9), Zid Powell (7-8) and Calvin Solomon (7-8) setting the tone. It marks the first time since the 2020-21 season that UTEP connected on at least 80.0 percent from the charity stripe with a minimum of 30 makes. That year, the Miners were 32-39 (82.1 percent) against FIU on Feb. 13, 2021.
 
BALANCED SCORING ATTACK AGAIN
UTEP had five different players reach double figures in scoring vs. Cal, with 16 points from Tae Hardy buoyed by Calvin Solomon (13 points), Zid Powell (13 points), Corey Camper Jr. (11 points) and Otis Frazier III (10 points). It's the third time this season that the Orange and Blue have put at least five in double digits in points.
 
TURNING THEM OVER
UTEP forced Cal into 21 turnovers that led to 22 key points for the Miners. Tae Hardy (career-high tying five steals) and Zid Powell (four steals) were the instigators while Calvin Solomon and Otis Frazier III added a steal as well. Another direct result was the Miners outpacing Cal, 12-2, on fastbreak points.
 
CRASHING THE OFFENSIVE BOARDS
The Miners came up with a season-high 16 offensive rebounds against Cal on Nov. 20. They were able to turn that into 20 second-chance points, while holding Cal to 13.
 
THOSE BAGS ARE PACKED
After having four straight games within the friendly confines of the Don Haskins Center to begin the season, UTEP is in the midst of playing three in a row and five of the next seven away from home. The Miners are 1-0 thus far in the sequence after taking out Cal, 75-72, on Nov. 20, and will now face Bradley in another neutral-site match-up at 7:30 p.m. PT/8:30 p.m. MT Wednesday (Nov. 22). UTEP's first true road contest comes at LMU on Saturday (Nov. 25).Following two home tilts (vs. Texas A&M-CC, Nov. 29 & vs. Western New Mexico, Dec. 4), the Orange and Blue round out the sequence with contests at Oregon (Dec. 9) and at Abilene Christian (Dec. 17).
 
TAE DOING IT ALL
Senior Tae Hardy has done it all for the Miners thus far in 2023-24, including hitting buzzer beaters like he did against Cal on Nov. 20. He paces the team in scoring (17.0-third CUSA) and assists per game (5.4-third CUSA/48th NCAA). He is the lone Miner to reach double figures in scoring in all five games and is playing a team-best 29.8 minutes per game. Hardy has also been the top 3-point shooter on the team, draining 11-23 (both squad highs) for a readout of 47.8.
 
GETTING TO THE LINE
The Miners' relentless drive toward to the paint and attacking the offensive glass (11.8 offensive rebounds per game-fourth CUSA), has led to them pacing the nation with 32.2 free throw attempts per game. UTEP is connecting on 21.2 per game at the charity stripe, placing it first in CUSA and seventh in the country.
 
KNOCKING DOWN SHOTS
UTEP nailed at least 50 percent from the floor in its first four games of the season before being held to 37.7 percent against Cal. Even with that drop off, the Miners enter Wednesday night's match-up with Bradley with a readout of 54.5 percent from the floor, which tops CUSA and is sixth in the country.
 
POUNDING THE PAINT HELPS
A big role in UTEP rating in the top-10 nationally in field-goal percentage has been its ability to get points in the paint. More than half (244-478, 51.0 percent) of the Miners' points on the season have come in the paint. Through five games, the Orange and Blue have piled up exactly 94 more points in the paint (244-150) than the opposition.
 
LET'S GET OUT AND RUN
The Miners are accounting for 23.0 fastbreak points per game, which is first in CUSA and fifth in the country. The Miners have tallied at least 12 points on the break in all five contests this year, including a season-best 47 against USAO on Nov. 9. They had a 12-2 advantage in the situation against Cal on Nov. 20.
 
SHARING IS CARING
UTEP is dishing out 21.4 assists per contests to lead CUSA and rate third in the country. The Miners have surpassed 20 assists in three of the five games, including setting a school record with 33 in the opener vs. Division III opponent McMurry on Nov. 6. The Miners also have the second-best assist-to-turnover ratio (+1.62) in CUSA. That figure is also 39th in the country. Tae Hardy has been the key distributor at 5.4 assists per game (third CUSA/48th NCAA), but Zid Powell (4.0 apg-seventh CUSA) and freshman David Terrell Jr. (3.0 apg-11th CUSA) have also been good at setting up teammates.
 
GIVE ME THAT BALL
UTEP has recorded double figures in steals in four of the five games, while notching nine in the other (Austin Peay, Nov. 13). That effort has led to it pacing CUSA and checking in third nationally at 13. 7 thefts for game. Foes have committed 17 or more turnovers in four of the five games, including three with at least 20. UTEP turned Cal over 21 times last time out on Nov. 20.
 
LOTS ARE CAUSING PROBLEMS FOR OPPOSITION
Seven different Miners are making at least 1.0 steal per game, including three at better than 2.0 per contest. Zid Powell (2.6 spg-second CUSA/39th NCAA) is atop the list, followed by Otis Frazier III (2.4 spg- fourth CUSA/51st NCAA) and Calvin Solomon (2.0-seventh CUSA). Tae Hardy (1.8 spg-12th CUSA), David Terrell Jr. (1.4 spg), Elijah Jones (1.2 spg) and Sebastian Cole (1.0 spg) follow close behind. Last season, Solomon joined Randy Culpepper and Hall of Famer Tim Hardaway as the lone Miners in program history to average at least 2.0 steals per game.
 
HIGH-OCTANE BENCH
UTEP's reserves have been key to the Miners' 5-0 start on the year, with the bench pouring in 38.8 points per game. That average is the best in CUSA and ninth nationally. Overall, UTEP's back-ups have compiled 194 points compared to just 102 from the opposition's reserves, a differential of almost 100 (+92).
 
AN OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION TO BEGIN THE YEAR
The Miners enjoyed a three-game scoring stretch with at least 89 points to begin the year. The last time UTEP did so at any point in the season was 14 years ago. That year, the Orange and Blue also had a three-contest span (12/19/09-12/28/09). Making this season's effort stand out a bit is that the Miners had back-to-back 100-point outings for just the second time in school history. It also happened in 1968-69.
 
TAKING OUT A PRESEASON FAVORITE
UC Santa Barbara has been to two of the past three NCAA Tournaments and set a school record for wins (27) last year, but the Miners weren't intimidated. UTEP led for 25 minutes, including never trailing in the second half, on the way to taking out the in the 2023-24 preseason favorites in the Big West, 89-76, on Nov. 13.
 
COMING OUT PARTY FOR ZID
Zid Powell record a season-high 23 points, including 17 in the first half, to produce his first 20-point game as a Miner and seventh overall at the DI level in the 89-76 win against UC Santa Barbara on Nov. 13. The Buffalo transfer eclipsed 20 points six times in his lone season with the Bulls, including torching the mighty Falcons of Bowling Green for a career-high 27 points on Jan. 17, 2023. Overall, on the season Powell is second on the team in scoring at 13.4 points per game. He has already become a fan favorite in El Paso, with his ability to slash through the defense and hammer home dunks in traffic.
 
SCORING UP AND DOWN THE ROSTER
Heading into the championship contest of the SoCal Challenge vs. Bradley, six different Miners are averaging double figures in scoring. Senior Tae Hardy (17.0 ppg-third CUSA) and Buffalo transfer Zid Powell (13.4 ppg) lead the way, followed by junior Otis Frazier III (11.4 ppg), RS-freshman Elijah Jones (11.0 ppg), JUCO Honorable-Mention All-American (Tyler JC) Corey Camper Jr. (10.6 ppg) and senior Calvin Solomon (10.4 ppg). Aiding the balanced approach were eight different Miners (most on record) hitting double figures in scoring in the 120-71 season-opening win against McMurry on Nov. 6.
 
SAME GOES FOR PLAYING TIME
Ten different Miners have earned double figures in playing time on average, including eight who have played in all five contests. Tae Hardy (29.8 mpg) leads the way. Zid Powell (23.9 mpg), Otis Frazier III (23.1 mpg), Calvin Solomon (22.0 mpg) and Corey Camper Jr. (21.2 mpg) are also above 20.0 mpg while Kevin Kalu (19.6 mpg) is just shy.
 
KALU CONTROLLING THE BOARDS
Kevin Kalu has been all over the boards for the Miners in 2023-24. The junior is pulling down a team-high 6.6 rebounds per game (fifth CUSA), including 4.8 defensive boards per contest (fourth CUSA). Aiding that was a career-high 13 caroms against USAO on Nov. 9.
 
TOP-10 RANKINGS ALERT
Through five games UTEP is ranked among the top-10 nationally in nine different major stat categories. The Miners lead the country in free throw attempts per game (32.2), are third in steals per game (13.6), fifth for fastbreak points per game (23.0), scoring offense (95.6) and turnovers forced per game (20.6), sixth in field-goal percentage (54.5), seventh for free throws made per game (21.2), eighth in assists per game (21.4) and ninth for bench scoring (38.8).The Orange and Blue pace CUSA in all of those categories.
 
WORTH THE WAIT
RS-freshman Elijah Jones joined UTEP as a midseason transfer from ECU last year, meaning his debut wouldn't come until this season. The wait has been worth it. Jones, who has come off the bench in all five contests, is fourth in the team in scoring (11.0 ppg). He has garnered the Conference USA Freshman of the Week award for both weeks of the season. The 6-8 forward has demonstrated a good shooting stroke. He has nailed 78.6 percent (22-28) from the floor. For good measure, Jones is tied for the team lead in blocked shots (three) while adding 3.4 rebounds per game.
 
DERICK CAN'T MISS
Derick Hamilton hasn't attempted enough field goals per game to qualify nationally for field-goal percentage, but he has done enough to show off his talents thus far in 2023-24. Hamilton is a perfect 12-12 from the floor in 34 total minutes of action. He's due to miss at some point, but the high-percentage shooting shouldn't come as a surprise given he was 22-33 last year (66.7 percent) in 20 appearances.
 
KNOCKING DOWN THE 3-BALL
UTEP has drilled 32-92 (34.8 percent) from 3-point range in the young season, good enough for third in CUSA. The Miners hit nine treys in the opener vs. McMurry (11/6/23) before following that up with 10 against USAO (11/9/23). UTEP only had three contests last year in which it made at least nine triples. It's an improvement thus far from the 2022-23 campaign, with UTEP finishing 346th in the nation with a readout of 29.4 percent (158-537) from beyond-the-arc.
 
TALKING 100-POINT GAMES
UTEP finished with the second-most points (120, now third) in program history in the win vs. McMurry on Nov. 6. The Miners followed that up with a school-record 123 points in routing USAO. It was the first time UTEP started a season with consecutive 100+ point showings. In fact, the only other time the Orange and Blue ever posted back-to-back 100-point games came during the 1968-69 season when they blasted Montana (103-90, 12/28/68) and then drilled Tahoe Paradise (109-63, 1/2/69). Prior to the outbursts this year, the Miners hadn't topped 100 since besting Rice, 101-89, on Jan. 8, 2021. UTEP now stands at 33-2 all time when surpassing 100 points in a contest, including 31-0 in El Paso (22-0 at the Haskins Center). UTEP has won 18 straight games when hitting the century mark.
 
DUST OFF THE RECORD BOOKS
UTEP dented the record book in the first two games of the season.
-School-record 123 points vs. USAO (11/9) and third-most points (120) vs. McMurry (11/6). The 243 points are the most in a two-contest span in program history.
- Dished out a program-best 33 assists vs. McMurry, smashing the prior standard of 29.
- School-record 50 field goals vs. McMurry, crushing the previous mark (46) that had happened in both 1979 (vs. Illinois Tech, 12/22/79) and in 1966 (vs. NM State, 2/1/66).
- Second-most second-half points (71) at the school vs. USAO and tied for seventh-highest total (61) after the break against McMurry.
- Tied for fourth-most first-half points (59) against McMurry.
- Won back-to-back games by at least 49 points for first time ever, including tying for the seventh-biggest margin of victory (51) vs. USAO (W, 123-71).
- Posted 19 steals vs. McMurry, tying as the third most at the school, while the 18 thefts against USAO earned a share of fifth place.
 
STAYED HOME EARLY
UTEP played four straight (4-0) to start the season at home, something that hadn't happened since the 2019-20 campaign when it had five consecutive home games out of the gate (5-0 record). That included knocking off rivals NM State and New Mexico within the span of a week that year.
 
THE BEST FANS IN CONFERENCE USA
UTEP led Conference USA in attendance last year in both total number of fans (81,941) and average attendance (4,552). It marked the second straight season that the Miners have paced CUSA in at least one of those categories. Last year, UTEP's advantage for per-game average was noticeable, with WKU more than 500 fans behind on average at 4,026. The Miners are off to a good start in the area in 2023-24, topping the league in total fans (19,288) while rating second behind NM State for average attendance (4,822).
 
MORE THAN A MILLION FANS
UTEP has attracted more than one million fans to the Don Haskins Center over the past decade. A total of 1,116,176 individuals have passed through the turnstiles from the beginning of the 2012-13 campaign to the end of the 2022-23 season. That figure makes the Miners the only school out of the nine members in Conference USA to have topped one million fans in that timeframe.
 
HOME COOKING
UTEP is in search of its fifth straight season with at least 10 wins at home. The Miners compiled 11 victories at the Haskins Center last year, including going 3-0 at the inaugural Jim Forbes Classic Presented by Speaking Rock to claim the crown. The Orange and Blue have started strong this year, winning all four home games out of the gates with a +30.3 (100.8-70.5) scoring differential.
 
ROSTER RUNDOWN
UTEP returned its leading scorer (Tae Hardy-12.8 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 1.2 spg) and rebounder (Calvin Solomon-6.0 rpg, 9.6 ppg, 2.0 apg, 2.0 spg) from last year's team. Overall, the Miners brought back 54.3 percent of their scoring and 50.5 percent of their rebounding. It is a stark difference from the situation the Orange and Blue faced going into the 2022-23 campaign, when they had just 20.8 percent of the rebounding and 11.1 percent of the scoring back. UTEP has seven lettermen in the fold, including three starters (Hardy, Solomon and Otis Frazier III; 7.5 ppg, 4.1 rpg). Jon Dos Anjos (4.2 ppg, 1.5 rpg) , Derick Hamilton (2.7 ppg, 1.4 rpg), Antwonne Holmes and Kevin Kalu are the other returning lettermen. The Miners landed six newcomers, including junior-college All-American Corey Camper Jr. (19.9 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 3.0 apg at Tyler JC) and DI transfers Zid Powell (13.0 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.7 apg, 1.9 spg at Buffalo) and Baylor Hebb (Colorado State). UTEP also has a pair of true freshmen (Trey Horton III, David Terrell Jr.) and another JUCO transfer (Sebastian Cole). Garrett Levesque (Tarleton State) and Elijah Jones (ECU) have also made their respective Miner debuts after redshirting the 2022-23 campaign.
 
DI EXPERIENCE
UTEP has ample DI experience across its roster, with a combined 454 games played (210 starts) among the Miners as of the beginning of the 2023-24 season. Calvin Solomon leads with way with 114 appearances (88 starts).
 
PRESEASON HONORS
UTEP seniors Tae Hardy and Calvin Solomon were tabbed to the 2023-24 CUSA All-Preseason Team in a vote by the league's nine head coaches. The Miners joined Middle Tennessee and WKU as the only programs in the conference to have a pair of members on the squad.
 
NEW-LOOK LEAGUE
UTEP joined Conference USA as the newest school in the league for the 2005-06 campaign. It entered the 2023-24 season as the most-tenured member. The 11 programs who were part of CUSA when the Miners moved to it have since departed to other conferences. Joining UTEP as returning league members are FIU, LA Tech, Middle Tennessee and WKU while Jax State, Liberty, NM State and Sam Houston are all in their first year.
 
CUSA IS UP FOR GRABS
UTEP was predicted to finish fifth in Conference USA in 2023-24, but it's anyone's guess as to who will take home the regular season crown this season with so much turnover in the league. Five of the top six teams from the standings a year ago have departed for other conferences, including regular season and tournament champion Florida Atlantic. FAU made waves nationally by making a run to the Final Four in the NCAA. The second (North Texas) and third-place (UAB) teams squared off in the NIT finale, and fifth-place Charlotte won the CBI. In fact, only one team (Middle Tennessee) that finished among the top six in the regular season last year is back. Incidentally, the Blue Raiders and newcomer Liberty are picked to win the league, followed by WKU (third), LA Tech (fourth), the Miners (fifth), Sam Houston (sixth), FIU (seventh), NM State (eighth) and Jax State (ninth).
 
AND THEN THERE WERE TWO
It's extremely early in the season, but UTEP (5-0) and Liberty (5-0) are the only two programs in CUSA to still be undefeated. Nationally, there are 52 teams (through Nov. 20) with a perfect winning percentage.
 
A YEAR IN REVIEW
-    UTEP had a new-look squad in 2022-23 with head coach Joe Golding having to overhaul the roster after the Miners returned just one starter and three letterwinners total from a 20-win team a year prior.
-    The Orange and Blue managed a 14-18 record, including a 67-64 victory against NM State on Nov. 12, 2022, for their first win against the Aggies in three years. That was the start of a five-game winning streak, which was aided by back-to-back OT triumphs.
-    The five straight victories in November were the longest in the month in four years, which was aided by a mark of 3-0 in the inaugural Jim Forbes Classic Presented by Speaking Rock.
-    The Miners came within a point of winning the WestStar Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational, falling 47-46 to eventual NCAA Tournament participant Kent State on Dec. 22, 2022. UTEP experienced a tough 1-4 stretch early in league play, with those four setbacks by a combined 14 points.
-    UTEP remained resilient on the way to forging seven league triumphs, capped by a 77-65 "Senior Day" triumph against Middle Tennessee on March 4, 2023.
-    The Orange and Blue tied the single-season school record for overtime games at five, matching the 1994-95 and 2011-12 teams. All five of the OT games were in the regular season, which are the most ever at the school. Both the 1994-95 and 2011-12 Miners had in four OT games during the regular season and one postseason OT tilt.
 
THE BASIC FACTS ON UTEP
-    This is the 103rd 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.
-    UTEP has 17 NCAA Tournament appearances (last in 2010), 11 NIT bids (last in 2015), 12 conference championships (last in 2010) and 26 seasons with at least 20+ victories (last in 2015). 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.
 
GET TO KNOW COACH GOLDING
Joe Golding is in his third 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 197-176 in his 13th season as a collegiate head coach, including 39-32 at UTEP. Those 39 wins already place him ninth at the school, having passed current Texas head coach Rodney Terry (37) with the triumph vs. Austin Peay on Nov. 17. Jason Rabedeaux (46 wins, 1999-02) is Golding's next target. Golding could possibly climb to sixth place by year's end. In 2021-22, Golding 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.
 
UP NEXT
UTEP will conclude its stay in California when it plays at LMU for its first true road game at 4 p.m. PT/5 p.m. MT on Saturday (Nov. 25). The contest will be broadcast on 600 ESPN El Paso. It will also be streamed on ESPN+ (subscription required).