The inevitable, but for UNM basketball, it’s a new opportunity
Like a freight train headed straight for an immovable object.
The casual UNM men’s basketball fan’s response to a potential roster exodus was to “enjoy the season while it lasted.”
The honeymoon phase was long gone, but the four-year relationship between Lobo basketball and former head coach Richard Pitino would inevitably end.
Eventually.
And it did.
A week after UNM’s NCAA Tournament round fo 32 loss to Michigan State, Pitino announced he was leaving UNM to take the Xavier job.
And when a traditionally good Xavier program and the Big East comes calling - it’s hard to say “no.”
Plus, it never hurts when Rick Pitino (Richard’s dad) gives his blessing.
The move was fitting and made sense from a basketball resource perspective.
Xavier and the Big East don’t have major football programs to support, so most of the athletic resources are earmarked for basketball. Additionally, with the House v. NCAA Settlement days away from a final decision, revenue-sharing could go live on July 1.
Major power conferences would be permitted to pay student athletes up to $21.5 million a year. And athletic departments with no big football programs to budget for (like Xavier) would be at an advantage and have more money to build a competitive roster.
Much different than the budget Pitino had access to at UNM.
The Pitino name itself carries a lot of weight and does wonders in the recruiting game.
Once Pitino announced he was headed to Xavier, Filip Borovicanin and Jovan Milicevic announced they would follow to Southwest Ohio.
Donovan Dent committed to UCLA for a reported $3 million NIL deal and Tru Washington headed to The University of Miami.
One of the best mid-major rosters in college basketball was dismantled in the blink of an eye.
Braden Appelhans was one of the first to announce his departure from UNM. He entered the transfer portal and committed to Drake shortly after.
Mustapha Amzil and C.J. Noland expired their eligibility but ended up in the transfer portal anyway.
Freshmen point guard Kayde Dotson recently committed to Loyola Chicago.
It’s a tough pill to swallow as a loyal fan base, but fans/alumni don’t have much control over it.
The evolution of college sports and the introduction of the transfer portal, revenue sharing and NIL have changed forever.
But change can be a positive. It introduces new opportunities and forces schools and programs to adapt to different climates.
Knowing that Athletic Director Fernando Lovo and Assistant Senior Associate Athletic Director Ryan Berryman are spearheading the new UNM regime is extremely promising.
The UNM Athletic Department also has the financial and charismatic backing of Kurt Roth and Mackenzie Bishop of 505 Sports Venture Foundation.
Change brought the hiring of new UNM head men’s basketball coach Eric Olen to the program. And change could be what’s needed to elevate an already nationally relevant UNM basketball program to the next level.
Olen brings a unique approach to coaching basketball: a 5-out spread offense with constant movement, back-doors, slips and is consistently looking for shooters on the perimeter.
A much different feeling than what Pitino and his staff executed at The Pit.
The new scheme Olen hopes to build will also feature a new type of player personnel, as detailed in Nick Nunez’s column.
Olen’s offenses at UC San Diego featured great passers and efficient shot-makers around the 3-point line. His team created space and played with pace.
On the defensive side, Olen had guys that were good at applying ball pressure and turning teams over - UC San Diego generated 345 steals last season. Keno Kiehne’s story here.
Olen was announced as UNM’s head coach on April 1 and has already landed six commitments for the 2025-26 season.
Olen was announced as UNM’s head coach on April 1 and has already landed six commitments for the 2025-26 season.
Let’s check in to see who they are.
New Additions:
Jake Hall (Carlsbad High School): 6’4 Freshman Guard
Hall, who’s a 3-star recruit, in his senior year at Carlsbad High School (Calif.) had seven games of 40 points or more. He averaged 28.5 points per game and just over six rebounds per game. An efficient 3-point shooter at 40%, made 71 3-pointers on the year. He is one of three players in San Diego County to be nominated for the McDonald’s All-American Game (although not selected).
Antonio Chol (Rutgers/Garden City CC): 6’9 Junior Guard
Chol started his collegiate journey at Rutgers before deciding to transfer to Garden City (Kansas) Community College. With Garden City, he averaged 19 points, seven rebounds and shot just under 40% from three. Named a National Junior College Athletic Association 2nd Team All-American was also the No. 5-ranked junior college player per jucorecruiting.com. Chol is a bucket-getter and a tough matchup for smaller guards trying to defend him. A good ball handler with a solid pull-up game, Chol could be a guy you go to late in the shot clock when the offense breaks down.
Chris Howell (UC San Diego): 6’6 Senior Guard
Howell started his collegiate career at St. Mary’s and transferred to UC San Diego. He averaged 5.6 points and 3.8 rebounds a game. His strengths are on the defensive side of the ball - a player who seems to always be in the right place at the right time. A “glue guy” in a sense, because he always fights for loose balls and averaged just above two steals per game last season. He can be a finisher around the rim and in the midrange. A decent 3-point shooter at 30%, but don’t look to him to be a high-volume scorer.
Milos Vicentic (UC San Diego): 6’7 Senior Forward
Vicentic was a 2024 NABC Division II All-American at McKendree. He was also awarded the NAMC Division II Midwest Region First Team the same year. At McKendree, he averaged 21.5 points per game and had as many as 41 against Illinois-Springfield. Last season with UC San Diego, he suffered a season-ending injury in the team’s first game at San Diego State. He doesn’t carry the size like a forward in the Mountain West Conference, but he’s got a good feel for the midrange game and is an above-average passer, fitting for Olen’s offensive scheme.
Kevin Patton (USC): 6’8 Junior Forward
Patton averaged just above three points per game at USC last year but showed flashes of athleticism and the ability to score around the rim when he was on the floor. At his height, he plays like a guard with a big wingspan. He can knock down 3’s and get downhill when penetrating to the rim. His undervalued strength is his ability to defend around the rim and block shots. Before he committed to play for Eric Musselman at USC, Patton was at San Diego, where he was named Freshman of the Week four times and made the All-WCC Freshman Team. More on the Patton brothers here:
Kallai Patton (USC): 6’4 Freshman Guard
Patton followed the elder Patton to USC last season but redshirted due to injury. He was elusive in high school and averaged ten points per game, eight rebounds and seven assists.
