New Mexico for the MWC #1 Seed

I think it very fitting to have New Mexico up next on our plate (as in food) with our defeating them granting us the MWC #1 tournament seed and at the minimum, a co-champion if something cataclismic happened at the MC on Saturday against BYU with Wyoming.



There could be other victims offered up that could be as gratifying to beat to gain that glory like a Utah or SDSU, but when you've beaten both of them twice, it becomes old hat. So for me, it is good that it will be a team that has beaten us three times in a row. We are 33-1 (not counting 4 pre-season games) at the MC since out last prior home loss and that 1 loss is the Lobos.



They are in our cross-hairs and there should be as much incentive by our team to win this game as there was for any other regular season game. We need to put these guys away!

So is anyone worried about this game?



I wasn't able to watch this loss, so what did they do that they won't be able to repeat at our place?

BYU lost to the Lobos because Jimmer didn't play last year. He was sick. I distinctly remember the last BYU offensive play going to Hartsock and his jersey was being ripped off of him as he went up and missed a lay-in. That won't happen.



IN fact, BYU wins by 25 against a team that matches better against us than any other.

I'm not worried about htis game in the least. We lost to UNM a month ago because of a freshman who was averaging 2 points a game got very hot from the outside.



That guy won't suprise us again. We're going to be very focused on Wednesday. In fact, I think the is the game we really push in and then just kind of coast on Saturday.

I certainly hope we're not overlooking them.



We lost at the pit because UNM got hot and we played horribly. I think we had 20+ turnovers. So, if we take care of the ball we ought to be alright.

kitic77 wrote:
I'm not worried about htis game in the least. We lost to UNM a month ago because of a freshman who was averaging 2 points a game got very hot from the outside.



That guy won't suprise us again. We're going to be very focused on Wednesday. In fact, I think the is the game we really push in and then just kind of coast on Saturday.

Bingo! BYU by 15-20.

I'm worried about the game, for a few reasons:



1. Let-down game - huge emotional game with massive national spotlight on Saturday - and once again, there are the Lobos waiting to take advantage of a potential let-down.



2. UNM seems to have our number. Like we have the asstecs number, the Lobos seem to have our number. Three straight wins, even this year when we should have walked right over them.



3. UNM has a good PG, and strong guard play. Teams are always dangerous if they have a good, experienced PG.



4. We might be looking past them to the big match-up on Saturday vs. the Cowpokes :P



Seriously, though, I can't help but be worried. I expect a similar game to the most recent CSU or Utah games - hard-fought, physical battles, with Jimmer not getting the calls (again), and a reasonably close score (8-10 point win).

I don't know how anyone can't be worried when we went through this just a few weeks ago. Teams that can nail 3's are our biggest concern. We can handle big men okay for the most part (except fatty at UCLA), but our 3 pt defense needs to get better against the Lobos. Gary is the 2nd best PG in the conference and he gets hot down the stretch against us every game it seems. I would hope that BYU gets pumped for revenge especially since this is now the biggest game of the year! (Wyoming is not a concern on Saturday.)

Y 4 Ever wrote:
I'm worried about the game, for a few reasons:



1. Let-down game - huge emotional game with massive national spotlight on Saturday - and once again, there are the Lobos waiting to take advantage of a potential let-down.

Answer: maybe. But we're at home. Less chance of a letdown and there is more at stake and we've seem to always have risen to the occassion this year.

Y 4 Ever wrote:
2. UNM seems to have our number. Like we have the asstecs number, the Lobos seem to have our number. Three straight wins, even this year when we should have walked right over them.

Answer: the Lobos don't have our number. SDSU hasn't played well in the games they've lost to us. We have played well against UNM. They got hot late in the game down there and last year, Jimmer was sick/ill in both games.

Y 4 Ever wrote:
3. UNM has a good PG, and strong guard play. Teams are always dangerous if they have a good, experienced PG.

Answer: SDSU also had a good PG.

Y 4 Ever wrote:
4. We might be looking past them to the big match-up on Saturday vs. the Cowpokes :P

Answer: I got nothing. :whistle:

Y 4 Ever wrote:
Seriously, though, I can't help but be worried. I expect a similar game to the most recent CSU or Utah games - hard-fought, physical battles, with Jimmer not getting the calls (again), and a reasonably close score (8-10 point win).

Jimmer didn't get calls vs TCU. Jimmer got calls vs CSU. Jimmer dind't get calls vs SDSU. So the next game... And while the CSU or Utah games may have been hard-fought or physical battles, the outcomes were never in doubt.



BYU will win BIG.

I am hoping for a showing like we had against AFA. The first game vs. the second game. Give me an improvement from game one to game two like we did with AFA and I am happy. :evil: :evil:

Steve Alford said that BYU had them beat last time, and only reason UNM won is because they hit more shots late in that game than any other all year. Basically, he was saying his team got lucky, without using those words. It would take an even better effort to do it in the MC, which I do not see. BYU going away.

I think we win this game. The only thing that scares me is the "drive-in, kick-out" that killed us the first time we played them. That was the only thing that UNM did that worked. They drove into the lane, and kicked out to a guy in the corner for an open 3. That was their bread and butter. Without that, they don't even come close. It did help them that they were making everything they put up, but still.

The only reason it concerns me is because most of the times I have seen teams go on runs against us, it is the same play. Granted, I work nights and have not seen all of the games, but I saw it against SDSU quite a few times. Everyone collapses on the key to stop the guy driving, and we haven't been quick enough to get back out to defend the three.

Like I said, I think we win this one big, but this one little thing worries me quite a bit. If they have another lights-out shooting night, that same thing could be a huge game changer for them.

kitic77 wrote:

I'm worried about the game, for a few reasons:



1. Let-down game - huge emotional game with massive national spotlight on Saturday - and once again, there are the Lobos waiting to take advantage of a potential let-down.

Answer: maybe. But we're at home. Less chance of a letdown and there is more at stake and we've seem to always have risen to the occassion this year.

Y 4 Ever wrote:
2. UNM seems to have our number. Like we have the asstecs number, the Lobos seem to have our number. Three straight wins, even this year when we should have walked right over them.

Answer: the Lobos don't have our number. SDSU hasn't played well in the games they've lost to us. We have played well against UNM. They got hot late in the game down there and last year, Jimmer was sick/ill in both games.

Y 4 Ever wrote:
3. UNM has a good PG, and strong guard play. Teams are always dangerous if they have a good, experienced PG.

Answer: SDSU also had a good PG.

Y 4 Ever wrote:
4. We might be looking past them to the big match-up on Saturday vs. the Cowpokes :P

Answer: I got nothing. :whistle:

Y 4 Ever wrote:
Seriously, though, I can't help but be worried. I expect a similar game to the most recent CSU or Utah games - hard-fought, physical battles, with Jimmer not getting the calls (again), and a reasonably close score (8-10 point win).

Jimmer didn't get calls vs TCU. Jimmer got calls vs CSU. Jimmer dind't get calls vs SDSU. So the next game... And while the CSU or Utah games may have been hard-fought or physical battles, the outcomes were never in doubt.



BYU will win BIG.

Hope you're right about the big win.



However, I don't think Gay is a good comparison to Gary. Gary is the 2nd best PG in the league, and I think is a much better player than Gay. Until BYU proves it to me by pounding the lobos, I will continue to worry about playing them, based on recent history if nothing else.

The Pitt is one of the toughest places to play in the country. The Lobos went crazy from 3 point line the last 10 mins. KC and Noah had no clue on defense. The drive and pop to the hot hand was absolutely killing us.



That isn't going to happen again, because 1) they aren't that good, just got extremely lucky. And 2) Abuou will be in, not KC, and there will be no "drive" and therefore not subsequent pop.



Charles is much much better than KC defensively, and it was in this game that many of us got to see it. Something like 8 three's in a row from the bottom half of the screen= a loss any way you slice it.



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BlueIsBetter wrote:
Abuou will be in

This.



I think that makes all the difference in the game in the Pit. If we have enough speedy guys like Emery and Abuou in our perimeter D, they don't drain all those 3s, and we win. Now, we will have those guys in, AND it'll be at our house. We win.

Abouo isn't the stopper of the driver. He's quicker on getting back out to the shooter.

It is all going to come down to how well BYU shoots from the outside. UNM got hot when BYU went cold late in that game in the PIT. We were up 15 with 10 minutes left iirc. Then the wheels fell off. UNM had two freshmen off the bench light it up iirc. Those two players should not surprise us this time. Reminds me of the guy who quit our team last year. We used him late in the season more than normal and in situations where we had to lean on him and he lit people up. This year, against far weaker competition in a weaker league, he isn't exactly lighting it up. Because people have had a chance to figure out how to stop him.



But if UNM gets a little hot - which they have done to us a few times over the years - we just need to be hotter. They are going to throw everything at JImmer and hope the others are cold. They will hammer Jimmer mercilously - and he probably will not get the calls like he should. He will still get 25-30 points somehow, or a he double c k of a lot of assists, depending on whether his teammates hit the wide open shots they will continue to get.



Anyone worried about the flu going around, Hartsocks foot, Rogers knee, Anderson's eye, Jimmer's calf or other things we have not heard about? Jimmer looked good enough unless he tweaked something late in the game. KC looked weak. Hartsock looked just fine. Abouo looked great. Jackson shot a little cold, but looked pretty solid. Davies was a bit off - offensively. I never heard who, besides KC had the flu but heard it was widespread.



Will Jimmer press a little too much. I hope so - it sure has been working so far.

Well it isn't good to hear that our walking wounded list just seems to get bigger and bigger and now includes Jahckson and Davies besides those already on it. It's a shame we can't play Wyoming first as we could probably rest a few folks and beat them at the MC. It's never a good time to be banged up, but going into the conference tournament and March Madness banged up will tax our abilities.

redneckjedi wrote:

Abuou will be in

This.



I think that makes all the difference in the game in the Pit. If we have enough speedy guys like Emery and Abuou in our perimeter D, they don't drain all those 3s, and we win. Now, we will have those guys in, AND it'll be at our house. We win.

Abouo played 24 min against UNM. He had nine points and 2 boards. If you recall correctly the only reason we were in that game to begin with was because of Abouo. Hopefully he'll get more min because the more Abouo is in the better.



KC = overrated

@UNM was a joke. It was one of those days where everything went their way. It happens in basketball/sports sometimes. UNM goes the way of Gary. If BYU can slow him down, UNM loses by 20+.