Emptying the Notebook: Dent is the star, but are two other Lobo guards quietly stealing the show?

Here are some postgame notes, quotes, stats, trends, videos and more that I managed to empty out of my notebook after Thursday's 80-58 UNM Lobos win over visiting Grambling State in the Pit:

Lobo defense stealing the show...

While we all seem to have been paying attention to the Donovan Dent show this season, with some Nelly Junior Joseph dominance in the paint mixed in, the Lobos may have quietly been showing us who they really are all along.

A defense-first squad that lives and dies off creating offense off its high-pressure defense.

And maybe, just maybe (I get it, it's really early in the season), it's been Tru Washington and C.J. Noland who have been stealing the show right under our noses this whole time.

Washington had five steals and Noland had three on Thursday (more on them in a bit), but really the entire team continues to feed off steals, almost to the point where it becomes worrisome at times when they aren't forcing turnovers.

Consider this: With 14 steals in Thursday night's 80-58 win over the Grambling State Tigers, the Lobos are now averaging 12.0 steals per game and have had double digit steals in four of their five games (the one not hitting that mark was a nine-steal game vs. St. John's on Sunday).

That 12.0 steals per game ranks 11th nationally (out of 364 Division I teams) and is far ahead of the program record of 9.1 steals per game set in 1978 and well ahead of the pace last season's team had when it had a program record of 312 total steals (8.7 per game over 36 games).

And who's been doing it?

The easy answer is just about everyone as 11 out of 12 players on the roster have at least one steal this season and all five Lobo starters from Thursday's game (Noland got his first start of the season) are averaging at least 1.0 steals per game.

But Washington and Noland are separating themselves from the pack.

Let's start with Washington.

The second-year Lobo guard had five steals on Thursday (all in the first half) and is now averaging 3.0 steals per game.

Jaelen House, the single season steals record holder (86 two seasons ago) who Washington has said he looked up to last year for his defense and energy, had three games of five or more steals all last season and 11 total in his five-season college career.

Washington through 40 games has four times had at least five steals in a game (two last season and two so far this season).

"He needs to be a high steal guy because he's got the ability," UNM coach Richard Pitino said of Washington on Thursday night. "He's got long arms, he's quick to the basketball. He gets deflections."

As for Noland, he had eight points, three assists, three steals and hit a pair of 3-pointers in his first start of the season.

He averaged just under 1.0 steals per game last season at North Texas (28 in 29 games played), but is now averaging 2.6 per game at UNM and has a four-game streak of at least three steals.

(NOTE: Normally I make a whole section in ETN for the "Steve Kirkland Stat of the Night" when UNM's hoops Sports Information Director Steve Kirkland feeds me a good note like this, but since it's part of this main notebook item, he gets just a mention here and not his own headline.)

Noland's streak puts him alongside Jaelen House as the only Lobo in the past 25 seasons to have a streak of at least four games in a row with at least three steals per game.

House had a streak in his record-setting 2022-23 season of five such games.

Speaking of steals ...

My favorite stat to track for the past two seasons for the Lobos has been points off turnovers.

When UNM ties or wins that stat, it usually wins. When it doesn't do that, it doesn't usually win.

Thursday, it was 25 points off 22 Grambling State turnovers (the Tigers had just 10 points off 16 UNM turnovers). So...

2024-25 points off TO records

• 4-0 — Lobos win points off turnover stat

• 0-1 — Lobos lose points off turnover stat

• 0-0 — Lobos tie points off turnover stat

• RECORD: 4-1 when win/tie the stat

Points off TOs in past 41 games

• 26-2 — Lobos win points off turnover stat

• 2-9 — Lobos lose points off turnover stat

• 2-0 — Lobos tie points off turnover stat

• RECORD: 30-11 when win/tie the stat

The gamer ...

Here is the gamer I filed Thursday night from the Pit media room:

• Lobos wake up in second half, thump Grambling State

Sharing is caring ...

The Lobos have quietly been putting together one of their best assist rate seasons in a long time, and it has more to do with than just having Donovan Dent and his 8.6 assists per game.

The Lobos had 23 assists on 28 made field goals on Thursday night for an insanely high 82.1% assist rate (A%).

Just how good is an 82.1% assist rate?

The national leader in assist rate this season is Xavier at 77.3%. The national average for A% is 51.9% and it was 50.7% last season.

The Lobos rank 15th out of 364 Division I teams right now with an A% of 66.2%, much better than last season's 48.9%, which ranked 210th.

UNM's A% ranking over the past decade:

*2024-25: 66.2% (15th)

2023-24: 48.9% (210th)

2022-23: 46.9% (277th)

2021-22: 44.5% (310th)

2020-21: 52.2% (158th)

2019-20: 54.9% (85th)

2018-19: 53.7% (118th)

2017-18: 56.4% (74th)

2016-17: 54.0% (134th)

2015-16: 55.7% (88th)

*Through five games.

Bottom line, the Lobos are sharing the ball well on offense, and as noted, it has to do with a lot more than just Dent. Seven Lobos had assists on Thursday.

Interestingly enough, dating back to the 2011-12 season when the Lobos had six games of 23 assists or more, Thursday's 23-assist game is tied for the fifth most vs. a Division I opponent in the past 13 seasons.

More interesting (at least to me), the top two assist games for the Lobos in the past 13 years came in losses.

Most UNM assists in a game since 2011-12:

29 — L, 89-88 at Air Force (March 9, 2013)

26 — L, 83-71 vs. San Jose State (Jan. 23, 2021; played in St. George Utah)

25 — W, 109-93 vs. Charleston Southern (Nov. 17, 2013)

24 — W, 102-62 vs. NM State (Dec. 2, 2023)

23 — W, 80-58 vs. Grambling State (Thursday)

23 — W, 91-71 vs. Grand Canyon (Dec. 17, 2019)

23 — W, 80-65 vs. Colorado State (Jan. 27, 2018)

23 — W, 80-47 vs. San Jose State (Jan. 6, 2018)

23 — W, 78-59 vs. Evansville (Nov. 29, 2017)

'Stop missing them' ...

It's not often you get to see coaching genius work quite as well as it did Thursday night.

The Lobos shot just 2-of-10 (20.0%) from 3-point range in the first half vs. Grambling State. They shot 5-of-8 (62.5%) in the second half.

So let's get into the well-thought-out coaching strategy that made that turnaround happen.

"Yeah, I told them at halftime to make the 3s. Stop missing them. And it worked," Pitino said.

While I still have my questions about whether the Lobos can hit enough 3s each night to be as good as some think they can be, there's no doubt the second half on Thursday was a good sign.

• They weren't forcing bad 3s.

• Had Braden Appelhans' toe not been on the 3-point line in the corner of one second-half shot, the Lobos would have been 6-of-9 in the half, and six in a half is plenty good. (By the way, that was Appelhans' first 2-point attempt of the season).

• Donovan Dent hit a couple of open 3s, which might be the best sign of all for the Lobos based on how defenses will play him if he doesn't start hitting that shot more.

Dent finished Thursday's game with 22 points, eight assists, four turnovers, one steal, two blocks and was 6-of-8 at the free throw line and a perfect 2-of-2 from 3-point range.

The Lobo point guard's one weakness in the eyes of opposing scouting reports has been a lack of being a consistent 3-point threat. On the season, he's now 4-of-8 (50.0%).

He's hit two 3-pointers in four games in his career now.

Updating Donnie's dimes...

Dent's eight assists gives him 312 for his career and has him now tied with another Lobo legend as he moves up the rankings.

UNM Career Assists

1. Darrell McGee, 1987-90 — 684 (137 games)

—

15. Rob Robbins, 1988-91 — 350 (133 games)

16. Luc Longley, 1988-91 — 317 (132 games)

t17. Royce Olney, 1995-98 — 312 (120 games)

t17. Donovan Dent, 2023-present — 312 (74 games)

19. Lamont Long, 1997-00 — 301 (124 games)

Meanwhile, in the Bahamas...

You know what really would have helped the Lobos out on Thursday that had nothing to do with the game played in the Pit? Had No. 22 St. John's not blown an 18-point lead against No. 13 Baylor... and missed two free throws while up two with 4.1 seconds remaining... and the clock operator started the clock a full second after he should have...

But it all set up one of the best finishes — IN DOUBLE OVERTIME! — you'll see all season...

It's not even close...

Through Thursday, there have been 48 games played this season by Mountain West schools. Thursday, Nevada's two-point loss to Vanderbilt in the Charleston Classic was the first considered a "close" game (decided by 1-3 points).

• MW games decided by 1-3 points: 1

• MW games decided by 10 or more points: 31

Attendance...

The announced attendance for Thursday's Grambling State at UNM game in the Pit: 10,992

Second chance problems...

The Lobos allowed 11 second chance points off 11 Grambling State offensive rebounds on Thursday.

Considering last season's roster was considered too short and this season is so much bigger, this offensive rebounding thing is really surprising, and starting to be a concern.

2023-24 opponents:

• Offensive rebounds/game: 9.8

• 2nd chance points/game: 10.3

2024-25 opponents:

• Offensive rebounds/game: 14.0

• 2nd chance points/game: 14.4

By game (off rebs/2nd chance pts):

• Nicholls State: 14/16

• UCLA: 14/12

• Texas A&M-Corpus Christi: 9/8

• St. John's: 22/25

• Grambling State: 11/11

Amzil cutting the fat, becoming well rounded...

Mustapha Amzil says his body fat is much lower this season than last and he feels lighter on his feet and it's showing on the court. He's off to a great start this season and filling up a lot of stats.

Amzil had 10 points, nine rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks in a little more than 30 minutes on the court Thursday vs. Grambling State.

But here's the stat that shocks me the most: his shot blocking.

Amzil's first four seasons:

• 123 games

• 34 blocks

• 0.28/game

• Most games in a row with a block: 3

Amzil's this season:

• 5 games

• 9 blocks

• 1.80/game

• Most games in a row with a block: 5

Half the story...

I don't know what the national average is for lead changes in a game, but I'm guessing it's more than what has been happening in Lobo games so far this season.

The Lobos are averaging 1.8 lead changes per game in five games this season.

Lead changes in UNM games

• 2 vs. Nicholls (W, 91-84)

• 0 vs. UCLA (W, 72-64)

• 3 vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (W, 100-81)

• 1 at St. John's (L, 85-71)

• 3 vs. Grambling State (W, 80-58)

But what's more interesting to me is that through five games, there have been ZERO lead changes in the second half.

Lead changes in 2H of UNM games

• 0 vs. Nicholls (W, 91-84)

• 0 vs. UCLA (W, 72-64)

• 0 vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (W, 100-81)

• 0 at St. John's (L, 85-71)

• 0 vs. Grambling State (W, 80-58)

So, you better be up at halftime if you are the Lobos or you are playing the Lobos.

Video review count...

For those scoring at home, and oddly enough there are those who do so, there were three video reviews in Thursday's game. That means three #Drink tweets by me as I've tried for years to turn the annoyance of the in-game video review into a drinking game for all.

By the time of this third video review late in Thursday's game, as you can see here, fans had already started trickling out to the parking lot.

Plus/minus...

Here are the plus/minus numbers for Thursday night's game with minutes in parenthesis:

NEW MEXICO

+19 Tru Washington (26:03)

+19 Nelly Junior Joseph (28:32)

+17 Mustapha Amzil (30:17)

+17 C.J. Noland (27:39)

+15 Donovan Dent (34:08)

+7 Kayde Dotson (5:52)

+4 Filip Borovicanin (8:59)

+3 Atiki Ally Atiki (11:28)

+3 Quinton Webb (3:11)

+3 Jovan Milicevic (3:11)

+2 Ibrahima Sacko (6:32)

+1 Braden Appelhans (14:08)

Line 'em up...

The UNM Lobos played 12 players and used 15 unique lineup combinations. Grambling State played 10 players and used 18 unique lineup combinations.

Here's a look at some of the Lobos lineup combinations, starting with the starters, which for the first time this season changed things up for the opening tip-off with C.J. Noland getting the start in place of Filip Borovicanin.

STARTING LINEUP and BEST LINEUP

• WHO: Donovan Dent, Tru Washington, C.J. Noland, Mustapha Amzil, Nelly Junior Joseph

• POINT DIFFERENTIAL: +11 (34-23)

• TIME ON COURT: 15:39

• NOTE: When the starting five is your best five for the game, good things usually happen. Thursday, the change was made. C.J. Noland in at the 3 and Filip Borovicanin out. Until Borovicanin gets his confidence right, it was a change that had to be made, though his size still leaves the door open to a return to the starting lineup, or at least to big minutes, if/when matchups dictate. For now, Noland was the deserving starter, his first as a Lobo. While this group of five was on the court, they scored 34 of the team's 80 points, grabbed 16 of the team's 44 rebounds and dished out eight of the teams 23 assists all while holding Grambling State to 1.47 points per minute on the floor (and scoring 2.17 per minute).

WORST LINEUP

• WHO: Donovan Dent, Braden Appelhans, C.J. Noland, Mustapha Amzil, Nelly Junior Joseph

• POINT DIFFERENTIAL: -3 (2-5)

• TIME ON COURT: 1:36

• NOTE: This isn't a very large sample size, obviously, but it was the worst point differential of any of UNM's 15 lineup combinations, scoring just 0.5 points per possession with four starters and a sharp-shooter in the game. A little surprising.

How about one of theirs...

It's not often I break down the opposing team's lineup combinations, especially in a 22-point blowout. But when one group had a plus-10 scoring differential in a 22-point loss, it seems worth highlighting (and wondering why they didn't play more than the 4:15 they were on the court together).

I'll include the Grambling State player's numbers here in case you were at the game and remember them by that and not by name.

GRAMBLING'S BEST LINEUP

• WHO: 2 Mikale Stevenson, 4 P.J. Edwards, 11 Antwan Burnett, 10 P.J. Eason, 30 James Flippen

• POINT DIFFERENTIAL: +10 (13-3)

• TIME ON COURT: 4:15

• NOTE: While this group was on the court (I'm not entirely sure which combinations the Lobos had against this group), the Tigers scored 3.1 points per minute and had five of their 17 assists. For five of your 17 assists to come from a lineup that played just 4:15 together, you can see how the offense the rest of the game wasn't running as smoothly for the visitors.

VIDEO: Pitino and Appelhans postgame...

Here's my video of Richard Pitino and Braden Appelhans talking to reporters after Thursday's game in the Pit:

Back to the beginning...

For those who don't know, I'm trying a pregame show an hour before most Lobo games (as in I've done two so far and hope to also start doing them for road games, too).

Here is how Thursday's pregame show turned out, including the segment with UNM Assistant Coach Aaron Katsuma.

NOTE: I promise to get the guest mic turned up more next time!

SWAC Attack...

Grambling State was the favorite to win the SWAC in the league's preseason poll with guard Kintavious Dozier was selected as the preseason Offensive Player of the Year.

The Lobos next opponent is Texas Southern on Sunday at 6 p.m. Texas Southern is the preseason No. 2 team in the SWAC with forward Kenny Hunter being selected the league's Defensive Player of the Year.

Asked Thursday night for his thoughts on Texas Southern, Pitino gave an honest answer for a head coach whose job isn't really to scout opponents like Texas Southern before other games have taken place (he has assistants whose job that is).

"No idea. I haven't even watched them, so I have no idea," Pitino said. "I'll watch them tomorrow. I'll watch the (Grambling State) game tonight and turn the page."

Meanwhile, in Charleston...

Not a good result for the Mountain West or Nevada, losing its first game outside its home gym. Now, the Wolf Pack plays a really good VCU team in the loser's bracket of the Charleston Classic as VCU was also upset Thursday by Seton Hall.

VCU comes to the Pit next month. The Lobos have a home-and-home in conference play with Nevada. This game being in the winners bracket would have been better for both teams, and for the Mountain West.

Around the Mountain...

There were three games on Thursday around the Mountain West and lots more coming through the weekend. Here's a look at some recent games and some more coming up:

WEDNESDAY

• UNLV 80, Pepperdine 59

• Fresno State 94, Prairie View A&M 83

• USC 82, San Jose State 68

THURSDAY

• Vanderbilt 73, Nevada 71 (Charleston Classic)

• New Mexico 80, Grambling State 58

• Cal 78, Air Force 69 (Cal Classic)

FRIDAY

• Utah State vs. Iowa, 6 MT (Hall of Fame Classic in Kansas City, Mo.)

• SE Louisiana at Wyoming, 6:30 p.m. MT

• U.C. Riverside at Colorado State, 7 p.m. MT

• Nevada vs. VCU, 5:30 p.m. MT (Charleston Classic, losers bracket Round 2)

SATURDAY

• NM State at UNLV, 5 p.m. MT

• Fresno State at Long Beach State, 3 p.m. MT

SUNDAY

• Hampton vs. Boise State, 9 a.m. MT (Cayman Island Classic)

• Nevada vs. TBD (Round 3 Charleston Classic)

• Mercyhurst at Air Force, 2 p.m. MT (Cal Classic)

• Texas Southern at New Mexico, 6 p.m. MT

Mountain West standings...

Again, not really standings yet. But here are the Mountain West records through Thursday's action:

4-0 Utah State

4-1 Nevada

4-1 New Mexico

3-1 Boise State

3-1 Colorado State

3-1 UNLV

3-1 Wyoming

2-1 San Diego State

2-0 Fresno State

1-4 Air Force

1-5 San Jose State

Stats and stats...

Here is the postgame stat sheet I posted late Sunday night: New Mexico 80, Grambling State 58

And if you prefer the digital version, here you go: New Mexico 80, Grambling State 58

Up next...

For New Mexico: The Lobos host Texas Southern at 6 p.m. Sunday in the Pit. The game will be streamed online on TheMW.com.

For Grambling State: The Tigers play at USC on Sunday at 4 p.m. PT/5 p.m. MT.

Lobo schedule/results...