Game Notes in PDF Format

OPENING TIP
The UTEP men's basketball team (5-1) will play its first true road game of the season when it competes at LMU (3-3) at 4 p.m. PT/5 p.m. MT Saturday. The Miners sustained their first loss of the campaign, falling to the defending Missouri Valley Champions Bradley, 63-59, in the championship contest of the SoCal Challenge on Nov. 22. The Lions used a game-winning shot with 3.6 seconds left from Justin Wright to defeat FIU, 61-60, in the Cayman Islands Classic last time out. It will be the third tilt in six days in California for UTEP. It also continues a stretch of five games out of seven away from home. The contest will be broadcast on "The Home of UTEP Basketball" 600 ESPN El Paso, with Asher Low flying solo on the call. It will also stream on ESPN+ (subscription required), with Jesse Kass and Drew Viney describing the action.  It will be a homecoming of sorts for Miner senior Jon Dos Anjos, who tallied more than 100 points as a freshman while playing for LMU in 2018-19 before transferring out.
 
CHANCE TO CHANGE RECENT HISTORY
UTEP will be taking aim at winning its road opener for the first time since the 2010-11 campaign when it bested NM State in Las Cruces, N.M., 73-56 on Nov. 23, 2010. The Miners nearly pulled off the feat in year one under Joe Golding, succumbing, 77-71, against the Aggies on Nov. 13, 2021. Other close calls in that timeframe include a three-point setback at NM State (59-56, Dec. 3, 2019), a one-point loss at New Mexico (78-77, Dec. 7, 2016) and a three-point defeat at Colorado State (65-62, Dec. 3, 2014).
 
GETTING IT DONE IN NOVEMBER
Even with two more games remaining this month, the Miners are assured of posting a winning mark in November for the fifth straight season. UTEP last finished with a losing record in the opening month of the campaign in 2018-19 when it went 2-4. Under third-year head coach Joe Golding, the Orange and Blue are 14-5 in November contests.
 
FIVE TIMES THIS CENTURY
The Miners got out of the gates at 5-0 this year before being held off by Bradley, 63-59, last time out on Nov. 22. It marked the fifth time since 2000 that the Orange and Blue had posted a start of least 5-0. It happened previously in 2019-20 (5-0), 2015-16 (6-0), 2009-10 (5-0) and 2000-01 (6-0).
 
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.
 
GET TO KNOW LMU
LMU finished 19-12 last season and secured fourth place in the West Coast Conference. That included becoming the first team in WCC history to defeat Gonzaga, Saint Mary's and BYU in the same season. The Lions defeated multiple ranked opponents for the first time since 2011-12 and had multiple victories against top-15 teams for the initial occasion in program history. This year the LMU is 3-3 (2-1 at home), including playing three games in as many days at the Cayman Islands Classic. The Lions are coming off a thrilling 61-60 win against FIU after Justin Wright provided the game winner with 3.6 seconds to play. LMU then got a stop defensively to seal the triumph. The Lions are extremely balanced offensively, with seven different players providing between 7.0 and 13.5 points per game. Justice Hill (13.3 ppg), Dominick Harris (12.7 ppg), Wright (12.0 ppg), Alex Merkviladze (10.5 ppg) and Will Johnston (10.5 ppg) are all in double figures for scoring. Lars Thiemann (8.3 ppg) and Keli Leaupepe (7.2 ppg) have been consistent threats as well. The Lions returned two starters and five lettermen overall, in addition to a redshirt, but they made a huge splash in the transfer portal with five DI transfers in the form of Hill (LSU/Murry State), Johnston (UTRGV), Wright (NC Central), Thiemann (Cal) and Harris (Gonzaga). All of that depth and infusion of talent has led to LMU putting up 80.5 ppg (third WCC/80th nationally), aided by shooting 47.7 percent (fourth WCC/77th NCAA) from the floor. The Lions are the top 3-point shooting team in the WCC, pacing it in 3-point percentage (36.6-78th NCAA), 3-pointers made/game (9.3-53rd NCAA) and 3-pointers attempted/game (25.5-71st NCAA). LMU has struggled to defend without fouling (19.7 fouls/game-ninth WCC/297th NCAA). LMU is one of the top Catholic Colleges in the country, with a total enrollment of just past 10,000. Notable alumni include attorney Johnnie Cochran (defended OJ Simpson), Hank Gathers (led NCAAMBB in scoring and rebounding in 1988-89 before passing away mid game in 1990) and John Bailey (cinematographer who has worked on films such as Groundhog Day).
 
SERIES HISTORY
UTEP is 3-1 all time against LMU, but three of those four meetings occurred prior to 1942. The most recent meeting was a 84-58 UTEP victory on Dec. 15, 1999.
 
GOING BACK IN TIME
Tae Hardy tallied a team-high 15 points, including two late 3-pointers, but UTEP's rally against Bradley came up short in a 63-59 setback in the championship contest of the SoCal Challenge on Nov. 22. The Miners trailed by nine (57-48, 2:57 2H) before consecutive 3-pointers by Hardy in a span of 36 seconds made it a 3-point affair (57-54, 1:31 2H). UTEP didn't allow the Braves to hit a field goal down the stretch, but Bradley survived thanks to free throws. Otis Frazier III also reached double figures in scoring (11 points), with his And-1 at just under five seconds left making it 61-59, but two free throws tosses from the Braves sealed the game. Zid Powell and Calvin Solomon battled through foul trouble to pitch in eight points apiece.
 
THAT'S MORE LIKE IT
UTEP was a combined 43-55 (78.2 percent) at the free-throw line at the SoCal Challenge after a tough stretch (32-62, 51.6 percent) in the prior two tilts. The Miners have now connected on better 72 percent at the charity stripe in three of the six contests this year.
 
TOP-FIVE SCORERS ACCURATE AT THE LINE
UTEP'S top-five scorers on the team enter Saturday's game at LMU all making at least 70.0 percent from the charity stripe, with four of them attempting at least 18 free throws. It's a stark change from a year ago when the Miners had three players total who connected on better than 70 percent at the line.
 
SOLOMON FEASTING AT THE LINE
Calvin Solomon is 26-35 at the charity stripe on the year for a readout of 74.3 percent. The senior paces CUSA in free throw attempted (50th NCAA) and is second in the league for free throws made (63rd NCAA).
 
WRAPPING UP TIME IN CALI
After having four straight games within the friendly confines of the Don Haskins Center to begin the season, UTEP will play for the third time in a span of six days in the "Golden State" when it competes at LMU at 4 p.m. PT/5 p.m. MT Saturday. The Miners went 1-1 at the SoCal Challenge, taking out Pac-12 member Cal, 75-72, on Nov. 20, before falling in the title tilt against Bradley, 63-59, on Nov. 22. 
 
TAE DOING IT ALL
Senior Tae Hardy has done it all for the Miners thus far in 2023-24, including hitting the buzzer-beating 3-pointer against Cal on Nov. 20. He paces the team in scoring (16.7-second CUSA) and assists per game (4.5-fifth CUSA/99th NCAA) while tying for second in steals per game (2.0-fourth CUSA/96th NCAA). He has also been the top 3-point shooter on the squad, making 14-29 (both squad highs) for a readout of 48.3. His 2.3 3-pointers/game are fifth in CUSA. Hardy is also the lone Miner to reach double figures in scoring in all six games and is playing a team-best 30.4 minutes per game.
 
GETTING TO THE LINE
The Miners' relentless drive toward to the paint and attacking the offensive glass (12.3 offensive rebounds per game-third CUSA), has led to them rating sixth in the country for free-throw attempts per game (29.8) and 12th nationally for free-throw makes per game (19.8). UTEP tops CUSA in each of those categories.
 
KNOCKING DOWN SHOTS
UTEP nailed at least 50 percent from the floor in its first four games of the season before being held to below 40.0 percent in both contests at the SoCal Challenge. The Miners still enter Saturday's game at LMU with a field-goal percentage of 51.8 to lead CUSA and rate 13th nationally.
 
POUNDING THE PAINT HELPS
A big role in UTEP rating in the top-15 nationally in field-goal percentage has been its ability to get points in the paint. More than half (274-537, 51.0 percent) of the Miners' points on the season have come in the paint. Through six games, the Orange and Blue have piled up 86 more points in the paint (274-188) than the opposition.
 
LET'S GET OUT AND RUN
The Miners are accounting for 21.5 fastbreak points per game, which is first in CUSA and sixth in the country. The Miners have tallied at least 12 points on the break in all six contests this year, including a campaign-best 47 against USAO on Nov. 9. UTEP has a +75 (129-54) advantage against opponents this season.
 
SHARING IS CARING
UTEP is dishing out 19.7 assists per contest to lead CUSA and rate 12th in the country. The Miners have surpassed 20 assists three times, including setting a school record with 33 in the opener vs. Division III opponent McMurry on Nov. 6. The Miners also have the third-best assist-to-turnover ratio in CUSA (+1.39). That figure also is 69th nationally. Tae Hardy has been the key distributor at 4.5 assists per game (fifth CUSA/99th NCAA), but Zid Powell (3.5 apg-seventh CUSA) freshman David Terrell Jr. (3.0 apg-9th CUSA) and Calvin Solomon (3.0-9th CUSA) have also been good at setting up teammates.
 
GIVE ME THAT BALL
UTEP has recorded double figures in steals in four of the six games, while notching at least eight in the other two. That effort has led to it rating second in CUSA and fifth nationally at 12. 7 thefts per game. Foes have committed 17 or more turnovers four times, with the Miners' 19.7 turnovers forced per game also second in CUSA and fifth in the country.
 
LOTS ARE CAUSING PROBLEMS FOR OPPOSITION
The Miners' top-five scorers have also gotten after it defensively with at least 1.0 steal per game, including four at 2.0 per contest or better. Zid Powell (2.3 spg-second CUSA/52nd NCAA) is atop the list. Otis Frazier III, Tae Hardy and Calvin Solomon all chip in 2.0 steals per game (fourth CUSA/96th NCAA) while Elijah Jones is at 1.0 spg. David Terrell Jr. (1.5 spg-17th NCAA) is also a nuisance for the opposition. 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 helped it get off to a 5-1 start this year, with the bench producing 34.2 points per game (second CUSA/22nd NCAA). Overall, UTEP's back-ups have compiled 205 points compared to 117 from the opposition's reserves, a +88 differential.
 
SCORING UP AND DOWN THE ROSTER
Heading into Saturday's match-up at LMU, five different Miners (including four starters), are averaging double figures in scoring. Senior Tae Hardy (16.7 ppg-second CUSA) and Buffalo transfer Zid Powell (12.5 ppg-12th CUSA) lead the way, followed by junior Otis Frazier III (11.3 ppg-19th CUSA), RS-freshman and super sub Elijah Jones (10.2 ppg-23rd CUSA) and senior Calvin Solomon (10.0 ppg-25th CUSA). JUCO Honorable-Mention All-American (Tyler JC) Corey Camper Jr. (9.2 ppg) has also been a consistent threat. 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 six contests. Tae Hardy (30.4 mpg) is the only one on the squad to be earning more than 30.0 minutes per contest.
 
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 6.7 rebounds per game (fourth CUSA). He is doing so at both ends of the court, hauling in 4.7 defensive caroms per contest (seventh CUSA) and 2.0 offensive rebounds per game (fourth CUSA).
 
TOP-15 RANKINGS ALERT
UTEP is ranked among the top-15 nationally in eight different major stat categories. It is fifth nationally for both steals per game (12.7) and turnovers forced per game (19.7)., sixth in fastbreak scoring (21.5) and free throw attempts per contest (29.8), 12th for assists per game (19.7) and free throws made per game (19.8) and 13th in field-goal percentage (51.8) and scoring offense (89.5)
 
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 six contests, is fourth in the team in scoring (10.2 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 78.1 percent (25-32) from the floor. For good measure, Jones is tied for the team lead in blocked shots (three) while adding 3.3 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.
 
TALKING 3-POINTERS
UTEP has made 36-109 (33.0 percent) from 3-point range on the year, good enough for fifth in CUSA. One of those treys was the buzzer-beating triple by Tae Hardy in the 75-72 triumph against Cal on Nov. 20. Overall, Hardy is 14-29 (48.3 percent), with his 2.3 3-pointers per contest rating fifth in CUSA. It's a small 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.
 
GUARDING THE 3-BALL
Foes have been held to 28.8 percent (34-118) from beyond-the-arc, including UTEP keeping sharpshooting Bradley to 3-15 last time out on Nov. 22. The overall defensive effort with the 3-ball puts UTEP fourth in CUSA and 92nd nationally in 3-point percentage defense.
 
TAE CALLED 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.
 
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.
 
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 12.5 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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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).
 
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 197-177 in his 13th season as a collegiate head coach, including 39-33 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 returns home for a mini two-game homestand, playing host to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at 7 p.m. MT on Wednesday (Nov. 29) before facing Western New Mexico at 7 p.m. MT on Dec. 4. Both contests will be broadcast on 600 ESPN El Paso and streamed on ESPN+ (subscription required). Tickets are available by visiting www.UTEPMiners.com/Tickets or by calling (915) 747-UTEP.