♦ I BEGAN FOLLOWING Lobo Basketball as a 7th grade kid when Bob King came to New Mexico for the 1962-63 season. In a few months, I will be eligible for Social Security. I was hoping that the 50th anniversary season would have found the Lobos making the Sweet 16. As of last Saturday night, I’ve come to realize that it’s probably not going to happen in my lifetime. New Mexico will be a very good program in the Rocky Mountain region that gets some national attention but is not ready for the big stage. They will not get a better look at that Sweet 16 than they had against an average Louisville team. (Imagine the excitement heading to Phoenix). For those who say “wait until next year”….THIS was the year….However, I still wouldn’t want anyone other than Steve Alford coaching the Lobos.

— Joseph

♦ TO THE 2012 UNM Lobos Basketball team. I am so proud of how you represented the State of New Mexico on the national stage! Your teamwork, discipline, toughness, grit and never give-up attitude represented what the people of NM are all about. Drew- we will miss your toughness and talent. To the returning players – I am excited for the future. You have the talent and perseverance to reach a level that no Lobo team has reached before! Keep believing in yourselves! I have faith!! WE ARE NEW MEXICO!

— Chris L, Lobo Die Hard

♦ THANK YOU DREW, Hardman, & Macdonald for your hard work that you performed to make us proud Lobo fans. Congratulations to the whole team for making New Mexicans proud to be associated with such a hard working group of men. Thank you Alford. As for the whiners and complainers, if you want to criticize, at least make it constructive criticism. Lobo fan for over sixty years. Go Lobos.

— thb

♦ COACH ALFORD said “The game could have went either way.” Oh well, he used to be a “student” athlete.

— Bob, ABQ

♦ THE TRUTHS ARE: The Lobos had better and more experienced prime time players than Lousville. Assuming the Lobo coaches came up with the best game plan – pound it into Drew Gordon and A.J. Hardeman – their personnel choices for successfully executing it and their bench management of the game were fatal. Gordon got few touches the first 25 minutes of the game. It was painfully obvious early on that rookie Greenwood could not get the ball to Gordon and Hardeman in the paint or score himself. Nevertheless he was allowed to play *27 minutes* *and score ZERO points *while quicker experienced guards were sitting on the bench. That, ladies and gentlemen, was the ball game.

— Buckets, Santa Fe

♦ TO ALL THE Lobo basketball players and coaches – Thanks for a great season. You are a class act.

— Jeff, Albuquerque

♦ DESPITE ALL THE complaining, I thought that the folks at UNM did a good job of staging the NCAA games last week. I have attended early round games at half a dozen venues around the country, and last week’s effort ranks right up there with all of them. Now, I could have done without the $20 parking fee (a little steep) but I see it as a just a sign of the times, wherein all revenue is needed.

— G-Man, Abq.

♦ UNLESS THE LOBOS’ best outside shooter learns to drive to basket and finish effectively, there will be a lot more 1 for 9 shooting performances. you cannot win at the next level with this kind of performance.

— rg
— This article appeared on page D3 of the Albuquerque Journal