Emptying the Notebook: Lobos depth gives Pitino options, especially with defense

Here are a few extra notes, quotes, stats, tweets and whatever other odds & ends I could empty out of the old notebook from Monday's 92-55 UNM Lobos win over Texas Southern in the Pit:

The depth looks real...

Coaches always talk a big game when they're hired about wanting to run and press and play that exciting brand of basketball that looks like a video game for fans.

For the Lobos in Richard Pitino's first two seasons, that was half right. The team played fast — UNM ranked in the top 25 nationally out of more than 360 Division I teams in tempo in 2022 and 2023.

All that was playing fast, though, was to benefit what was an elite offensive team. Energy exerted on defense was, well, lacking at times.

But now, as they showed in a 92-55 win over Texas Southern on Monday night, the Lobos have depth. And that depth gives Pitino roster flexibility and coaching options he simply didn't have in his first two seasons.

“People asked me over and over again, ‘Well, how is your defense going to improve?’” Pitino said Monday. “Depth certainly helps. Playing hard and just emptying the tank really, really helps. And just that activity, being able to block shots. …

“I just thought it was effort. I don’t think it was any type of scheme. I just thought they played really, really hard and I think they understand in order for us to do what we want, we’ve got to defend and rebound.”

Monday, UNM played 12 scholarship players by halftime and 11 of those 12 scored by game's end. And without it totally gassing his starters who need to be relied on to score in key moments, the Lobos were able to run a successful full-court press with high-end freshmen defenders Tru Washington and JT Toppin, both true freshmen, and Quinton Webb, a redshirt freshman.

"We've done it (in limited stretches) before," Pitino said of the press, "I just haven't had the depth. I was concerned about tiring guys out. Where now I'm not as concerned.

"This building, coupled with guys playing really, really hard, that could be a nightmare for opponents. We were flying around and I still think we can get in better shape."

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22 seconds of Tru basketball ...

It took freshman Tru Washington, a 6-4 tenacious defender from Arizona, all of 22 seconds into his college career to become a fan favorite.

This sequence may have been as important as any on Monday night because of what it represented in terms of the bigger picture of what the Lobos are trying to do this season on defense and how the depth allows for that "empty the tank," as Pitino puts it, effort without the fear of it tiring out a short roster:

• Washington checked into his first collegiate game with 13:58 showing on the first half clock. The Lobos instantly switched to a full-court press.

• With 13:44 showing, Washington recorded a steal from Tigers star point guard and SWAC Preseason Player of the year P.J. Henry.

• With 13:37 on the clock, Washington gathered an offensive rebound off a missed shot from fellow true freshman JT Toppin.

• With 13:36 on the clock, Washington scored his first points as a Lobo with a layup off that offensive rebound.

To recap: 22 seconds into his Lobo basketball career, Washington had a steal, an offensive rebound and a two points.

And a fan base screaming with appreciation.

Redshirt freshman Quinton Webb, also a high-energy, defensive-minded spark off the bench, did the same in the full-court situation in the second half, leading to a steal and a Donovan Dent layup.

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The gamer ...

Here is the game story I filed from the Pit after Monday's game:

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Mash is still Mash...

So, yeah. those newcomers were good. But Lobo senior guard Jamal Mashburn Jr., last year's leading scorer in the Mountain West Conference, is still pretty good at that whole scoring thing, too.

In fact, his game-high 15 points on Monday — 8 in the first half as noted in the tweet above and 7 in the second half — marked the 64th time in his Lobos career in which he's scored in double figures.

It also gives him 1,485 points in his college career and 1,248 points as a Lobo, which moved him past two fan favorites in program history — Cameron Bairstow (1,239 points) and Marvin "Automatic" Johnson (1,246).

Here's a look at the company Mashburn currently keeps on the Lobos all-time scoring list:

19. Elijah Brown — 1,276 (2016-2017)

20. Tony Danridge — 1,260 (2005-2009)

21. Jamal Mashburn Jr. — 1,248 (2022-present)

22. Marvin Johnson — 1,246 (1977-1978)

23. Cameron Bairstow — 1,239 (2011-2014)

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A number to know: 37

• Monday's 37-point win was the largest against a Division I opponent in the Richard Pitino era.

• Monday's 37-point win was the largest for the Lobos over a Division-I opponent in a season opener since beating New Orleans 92-40 on Nov. 11, 2011.

• Monday's 37-point win was the largest over a Division-I opponent at any point of the season since beating Arkansas-Pine Bluff 83-43 on Dec. 17, 2016.

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Appelhans heats up ...

Redshirt freshman Braden Appelhans finally got going in front of fans.

The sharp-shooter struggled in two exhibition games, but in just 9:56 off the bench on Monday night, he scored 11 points on 3-of-6 shooting, all from 3-point range (he also went 2-2 at the free throw line).

His 11 points eclipsed the 10 points he scored in 10 games played last season before suffering a thumb injury that cut his season short.

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Attendance ...

The announced attendance for Monday's game in the Pit vs. Texas Southern: 11,106

That's the largest announced home crowd in the Pit since an announced crowd of 11,293 came for the 2016-17 season opener against Idaho State on Nov. 11, 2016.

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Don't drink and Tweet ...

John Fanta, a Fox Sports broadcaster and regular contributor on the college basketball podcast network The Field of 68, Monday took to social media on Monday before the season started to post his Final Four predictions for the season.

And, yes. He had the UNM Lobos in the Final Four.

What was Lobo coach Richard Pitino's reaction to this?

Take a look...

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Speaking of the Final Four ...

A Mountain West team hung a Final Four banner on Monday night, which has never been done.

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Plus/minus stats...

Here are the plus/minus figures from Monday's game with minutes played in parenthesis:

NEW MEXICO LOBOS

+30 Jemarl Baker Jr. (15:18)

+27 Jamal Mashburn Jr. (27:19)

+25 JT Toppin (17:40)

+24 Donovan Dent (25:11)

+21 Quinton Webb (12:06)

+16 Sebastian Forsling (10:44)

+15 Nelly Junior Joseph (20:45)

+11 Jaelen House (19:10)

+6 Isaac Mushila (8:57)

+4 Tru Washington (15:25)

+4 Braden Appelhans (9:56)

+2 Mustapha Amzil (17:29)

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RIP Gary Colson ...

UNM asked fans for a moment of silence before Monday's game to remember former Lobos coach Gary Colson, who died at the age of 89 on Friday.

Here is a link to colleague Rick Wright's obituary of Colson that was published in the Albuquerque Journal:

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A number (ok, two numbers) to know: 11/9

Freshman JT Toppin had himself a game on Monday night:

• 11 points (4-5 2FG, 0-1 3FG, 3-3 FT)

• 9 rebounds (6 defensive, 3 offensive)

• 2 steals

• 2 blocks

• 17:40 minutes

Toppin was one board away from recording the first double-double in a Lobo debut since Alex Kirk's 10-point, 10-rebound double-double in his first game as a Lobo on Nov. 13, 2010, against Detroit.

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Lobos fan club in Sweden ...

Lobo Nation's favorite overnight streaming fan was active again on social media during Monday's game. Bengt Forsling, the father of UNM junior center Sebastian Forsling, was watching in Sweden, a mere eight hours ahead of us in Albuquerque, meaning Monday's game started at 3:30 a.m.

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Remember these guys?

I don't plan on doing this all season in these notebooks, but since it's the start of the season, and some may wonder what happened to last year's roster of players who still had college eligibility left, here's a rundown of how a few former Lobos still in college basketball did with their new teams on Monday night:

Josiah Allick, Nebraska

• 11 points (2-4 2FG, 1-1 3FG, 2-2 FT)
• 8 rebounds
• 2 assists
• 2 steals
• 1 block
• 24 minutes (started)
• Nebraska beat Lindenwood, 84-52

KJ Jenkins, UNC Wilmington

• 14 points (1-2 2FG, 4-6 3FG)
• 2 assists
• 2 rebounds
• 1 steal
• 17 minutes off the bench
• UNC Wilmington beat D-II Mount Olive, 105-66

Javonte Johnson, Colorado State

• 0 points (0-1 3FG)
• 3 minutes (off bench)
• CSU beat Louisiana Tech, 81-73

Emmanuel Kuac, Detroit Mercy

• Did not play in Detroit's 96-60 loss at future Lobos opponent Toledo.

Birima Seck, Fairfield

• Did not play in Fairfield's 89-70 loss at Boston College. He has been out recently with an ankle sprain.

Some other former Lobos from last year's roster:

• Jay Allen Tovar, who transferred last November to Southern Utah then to Detroit Mercy, is now at NAIA Langston in Oklahoma, where he started in their game Saturday against Williams Woods. He had 3 points in 19 minutes.

• Mac Manzanares, a walk-on for the Lobos last season, was at Monday's Lobo game in the student section. He is still a student at UNM, focusing on his engineering degree and cheering on the Lobos.

• Former assistant coaches Eric Brown and Andy Hill (was with UNM only in Pitino's first season) are now assistants at Utah State, where the Aggies beat Division II South Dakota School of Mines 101-48 on Monday night.

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Video: Presser with Pitino...

Here's my video of the postgame press conference with Lobos coach Richard Pitino and senior guard Jamal Mashburn Jr.:

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Line 'em up...

The Lobos had 21 unique lineup combinations in Monday's game (that's a lot) and played all 12 scholarship players (walk-ons Shane Douma-Sanchez and Deraje Agbaosi did not play). Texas Southern had 17 lineup combinations and played 11 players.

Here's a look at a few notable UNM lineups from Monday's game, starting with the starters:

STARTING LINEUP

WHO: Jaelen House, Donovan Dent, Jamal Mashburn Jr., Mustapha Amzil, Nelly Junior Joseph

POINT DIFFERENTIAL: +2 (14-12)

TIME ON COURT: 8:23

NOTE: This was the first time Pitino has thrown all three of his primary guards -- House, Mashburn and Dent -- into the same starting lineup, and with Jemarl Baker Jr. being the presumed starter at the "3", the move was a little surprising, but shouldn't have caught anyone entirely off guard. Dent has been that good. It's hard not to start a guy playing as good as the sophomore is.

Now, the obvious downside is three guards on the court at a time standing 6-2 and shorter not only makes it hard to be a good defensive team, but if you need two of those three on the court pretty much at all times, it can make rotations tough if you start all three together.

As for Monday, House having missed the past month of practice made him get tired quickly, so it was easy, for now, to know how to do the substitution rotation, but soon, House will return to his usual self as the most conditioned player on the team that can play with elite energy all game. That's when it will be interesting to see the rotation pattern with these three.

BEST LINEUP

WHO: Donovan Dent, Jamal Mashburn Jr., Jemarl Baker Jr., JT Topping, Nelly Junior Joseph

POINT DIFFERENTIAL: +12 (13-1)

TIME ON COURT: 4:07

NOTE: The Lobos had a plus-30 scoring differential in the 15 minutes Baker was on the floor, so it's no surprise he was a part of the best rotation of the game.

The combination of JT Toppin at the "4" and Nelly Junior Joseph at the "5" wasn't only in this specific lineup combination, but it is one that is really intriguing to me. I won't read too much into a four-minute stretch in Game 1 of the season, but I look forward to seeing these to play together a lot this season, if Sebastian Forsling can adequately man the backup "5" minutes and both Junior Joseph and Toppin don't get in foul trouble.

WORST LINEUP

It's hard to find a "worst" lineup for the winning team in a game that was decided by 37 points.

There were two Lobo lineups that had a -3 point differentials, but both were on the court under 40 seconds and both just happened to be when Texas Southern hit a 3-pointer and then a Lobo substitution occurred.

More on this in future games.

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Meanwhile, in Moraga ...

The Lobos lone surefire marquee matchup in the nonconference portion of the schedule is already upon us this Thursday night in Moraga, Calif., home of the No. 23 Saint Mary's Gaels, the team the Lobos upset on the road a year ago.

So, how did the Gaels open their season on Monday night?

For some context...

Yes, that is a California Collegiate Athletic Association Division II team that SMC played.

But it is also the same team that lost last week to Mountain West's Nevada by only 4 points, 84-80.

After last year's Lobos upset of Saint Mary's on their home court, don't expect this year's visit to the Bay Area to be quite as hospitable for the team in cherry and silver.

Meanwhile, at Moby Arena ...

It wasn't easy, but the Colorado State Rams did edge future Lobos opponent Louisiana Tech, 81-73, in Moby Arena on Monday night.

Former Lobo wing Javonte Johnson, who transferred to CSU this past spring, played only three minutes off the bench for the Rams, going 0-for-1 from 3-point range.

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Around the Mountain ...

There were six games around the Mountain West on Monday's college basketball opening night with seven more coming in the next three days:

MONDAY

• New Mexico 92, Texas Southern 55
• No. 17 SDSU 83, Cal State Fullerton 57
• Utah State 101, D-II South Dakota Mines 48
• Portland State 62, Air Force 55
• Colorado State 81, Louisiana Tech 73
• Fresno State 77, D-II Fresno Pacific 66

TUESDAY

• (NAIA) Northern New Mexico at Wyoming, 6:30 p.m. MT (TheMW)
• (NAIA) Vanguard at Boise State, 7 p.m. MT, (TheMW)
• Sacramento State at Nevada, 7 p.m. PT/8 p.m. MT (TheMW)
• UC Irvine at San Jose State, 7 p.m. PT/8 p.m. MT (TheMW)

WEDNESDAY

• Southern at UNLV, 7 p.m. PT/8 p.m. MT (TheMW)

THURSDAY

• New Mexico at No. 23 Saint Mary’s, 7 p.m. PT/8 p.m. MT (ESPN-plus)
• (NCCAA) Bethesda at San Jose State, 8 p.m. PT/9 p.m. MT (TheMW)

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Speaking of the Mountain West...

Episode 72 of the Talking Grammer podcast is a preview of the Mountain West conference for the 2023-24 season with myself and Field of 68's Rob Dauster, who invited me on the debut of the Mountain West Insider podcast he is running every week this season. Rather than doing two shows on the same content, this week's Talking Grammer is broadcasting on both the Field of 68 and on the Albuquerque Journal Podcast Network.

Links to hear or watch the show can be found here:

Also, in Sunday's Journal, we published my Mountain West Conference preview, which included capsules of every team, players to watch, my preseason predictions, the league's preseason media poll and more.

• Analysis and predictions: 2023-24 Mountain West men's basketball

I also tweeted out a link to the story that included an image of the page as it ran in print, which you can see in my tweet below:

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It was a 2-0 night for the Lobos...

Monday night in the Pit wasn't just about the Lobo men's team. In a season-opening doubleheader, the UNM women's basketball team beat Texas Soutnern 76-59 to open their season.

My Journal colleague Ken Sickenger covered that game. Here is his write up:

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Stats and stats ...

Here is the final stat sheet from Monday's game: New Mexico 92, Texas Southern 55

And here is the link to the digital version of the stats: New Mexico 92, Texas Southern 55

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Up next ...

Thursday: New Mexico at No. 23 Saint Mary’s, 7 p.m. PT/8 p.m. MT, ESPN-plus (online), 770 AM/96.3 FM

UNM blows out Texas Southern for largest win over Division I opponent in Pitino era

Gary Colson, who brought UNM basketball back from Lobogate, dies at 89

Talking Grammer, Ep. 72: Mountain West preview with Field of 68

Analysis and predictions: 2023-24 Mountain West men's basketball

Fast finish: Cumber, Wilson lead UNM women past Texas Southern