LOBO BASKETBALL: UNM hosts Texas Southern to open up the 2023-24 season
It’s been 236 days.
The college basketball drought is over.
The 2023-24 season opens today and in Albuquerque, the much-anticipated UNM men’s basketball season begins in The Pit.
UNM head men’s basketball coach Richard Pitino and his Lobos start with the defending 2023 Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament Champion and Preseason favorite to win the SWAC, Texas Southern.
“(Texas Southern) has talent and they have a coach that has been doing it for a while at a high, high level,” Pitino said. “So, we feel like we have got a great challenge on our hands, but more than anything just excited for the season to kickoff. It’s the best time of year.”
The Tigers are coming off an NCAA tournament appearance where they lost in the First Four round to Fairleigh Dickenson in Dayton, Ohio.
Despite finishing conference play 7-11 and starting SWAC play 0-5, the Tigers ripped off three-straight wins in their conference tournament to earn the SWAC’s lone automatic bid to March Madness.
A big part of the early struggles was missing guard PJ Henry. With Henry, the Tigers became a completely different team. Henry has the ability to shoot it from the outside and draws plenty of attention as the primary ball handler. The SWAC Preseason Player of the Year was almost lured away by the transfer portal a season ago, but ultimately decided to come back.
He averaged 12.4 points per game and shot 33.8 percent from the field.
“He can play for anybody, he’s that talented of a player,” Pitino said. “He’s gonna score… My philosophy on the 3-point shot is don’t let luck come into the equation. Take away the attempt. When teams are shooting a lot (of 3-pointers), you’re not making them uncomfortable enough on the perimeter.
Texas Southern has an explosive backcourt this season that I’m pumped to watch.
— Mid-Major Madness (@mid_madness) October 19, 2023
THE RETURNERS:
PJ Henry is a frontrunner for player of the year in the SWAC, returning to TSU.
Zy Mortle played like the best mid-major freshman in the country some nights.
“In our first two exhibition games, whether it was (Colorado State University) Pueblo or (New Mexico) Highlands, those guys made some tough shots, for sure. But we just gotta be there a little bit closer on the catch, and like I said make the (opposing team) uncomfortable. Especially early in the year with different teams and different styles.”
The Tigers have also benefited from the transfer portal. Jonathon Cisse, a transfer from Incarnate Word, will join Henry and Texas Southern this season.
Cisse is a big-time shooter who averaged 17 points last season while shooting 40 percent from beyond the 3-point line.
Texas Southern only shot 30 percent from beyond the 3-point line last year. Despite the Tigers’ inability to knock down outside shots, this team focused on doing damage inside and up close to the rim.
A large part of their offense is attributed to their ability to run-and-gun off defensive rebounds, something Texas Southern head coach Johnny Jones said he wants his team to focus on this season.
“Rebounding is something we work on,” Jones said. “It’s a lot of competition, and we always work both sides of the ball. The offensive guys and defensive guys are switching and practicing getting stickbacks in traffic.”
In large part, this team was injury-riddled in the frontcourt and had to rely on a team-rebounding approach.
This year, not so much.
Transfer portal additions include some size to add much-needed depth to the front court. Three fresh faces to be on the lookout for are Kenny Hunter (6-foot-10, Louisiana Tech), Jahmar Young (6-foot-11, Memphis) and Josh Farmer (6-foot-9, UTSA).
Texas Southern will look to capitalize on their interior play, rebound and get to the free-throw line. Some other key players to keep note of are Zytarious Mortle and Kehlin Farooq, who saw significant minutes last season and carried most of the ball-control duties.
Jones said Texas Southern has a lot of unanswered questions heading into the season, but potential to uncover them with the new imports.
“For us this year, it comes down to the unknown and we’re going to be inexperienced at some spots,” Jones said. “We lost guys who had been around the program and won three championships. It’s about these new guys and how fast they can pick up our system. That will dictate how well we respond.”
For UNM its guard play will be key, just not against Texas Southern, but the entire season.
Sophomore guard Donovan Dent will see his responsibilities and minutes increase. He played 35 minutes in an exhibition against New Mexico Highlands because Preseason First-Team All-Mountain West Conference selection Jaelen House was sidelined with an injury.
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi transfer Isaac Mushila did not see any exhibition action because of a hand injury suffered in training camp.
Pitino said the Lobos are healthier headed into the season opener against Texas Southern.
“Jaelen, Isaac and Jamal (Mashburn Jr) all practiced and they did have some limitations,” Pitino said. “But they all looked pretty good… and we should be at full strength.”
How to watch: Mountain West Network
Time: 7:30 pm Mountain Time
Radio: Lobo Radio Network KKOB 96.3
