Lobo hoops notebook: SDSU won't play in Pit after this season; UNM plays road exhibition

New Mexico and San Diego State have played more meaningful men’s basketball games among Mountain West rivals than any other league teams, but the 100th meeting between the Lobos and Aztecs later this season might be the last.

At least for the foreseeable future.

SDSU is among five Mountain West schools moving to a new league with the Pac-12 name after this season and Aztecs coach Brian Dutcher said he doesn’t intend to schedule any nonconference games at high-altitude venues.

UNM, which plays in the Pit at an elevation of more than 5,000 feet, has a 32-13 home record against SDSU, a 14-30 record in San Diego (just 8-17 in Viejas Arena) and 6-3 in neutral-court games. Seven of those nine neutral-court games have come in the Mountain West Tournament (UNM is 5-2) — five of those games being tournament championship games and the winner of the other two went on to win that year’s tournament championship.

This season, UNM plays in San Diego on Jan. 17 and in the Pit for a game televised on CBS on Feb. 28, the 100th meeting between the teams.

Dutcher’s intentions were confirmed Thursday by the Journal at Mountain West Basketball Media Day in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Journal also talked to coaches for two other Pac 12-to-be schools that said they hope to continue their series with UNM.

“Absolutely. I want to do that,” first-year Colorado State coach Ali Farokhmanesh said. “We’re gonna need 16 nonconference games, too. So, I hope Eric (Olen, UNM’s first-year head coach) wants to.

“It stinks though. To be honest, Eric was a friend before he got to New Mexico, so I don’t really want to play him. Those are your people and you want to cheer for him, and I’d rather not cheer against him for one game. But yeah, why would we not want to go to the Pit and play? I have to say that now, until I’m actually in that game. But why wouldn’t you want to play at the Pit? Why wouldn’t you want to have New Mexico (come to Moby Arena) for our fans? That would mean something to them, too.”

UNM has played CSU 135 times, the fourth most of any series the Lobos have played, behind NMSU (229 games), Wyoming (152) and UTEP (147).

Count Boise State in — somewhat reluctantly — for also continuing the rivalry against UNM.

“Yeah, it’s been a quality program year in and year out forever,” Boise State coach Leon Rice said. “The regional stuff is always the first thing you look for, with high-quality teams. And it’s been an amazing place to play at. I’d like to think of myself not going back there because it’s such a hard place to play. The fans are so great. There’s a reason why they win a lot of games there — No. 1 great teams, great coaches, but great fan base and tough place to play. ...

“And I think my guy Snake (UNM’s well-known, face-painted fan who sits near the opposing bench) would be devastated if we didn’t go down there once in awhile. So maybe we’ll come back to see my man, Snake.”

Although Snake, whose real name is Mark Tichenor, has formed a uniquely good relationship with many opposing coaches, he and Rice have been particularly tight.

Former Boise State player Max Rice, Leon’s son and former Lobo killer, brought Snake a pair of Nike basketball shoes and some Boise State gear the last time he visited the Pit and Leon Rice, aware Snake was once out of work, helped the super fan land a job at an Albuquerque restaurant owned by Boise State graduates.

Lobos Top 10 most games played in a series1. New Mexico State — 229

2. Wyoming — 152

3. UTEP — 147

4. Colorado State — 135

5. BYU — 130

6. Utah — 128

7. Arizona — 127

8. San Diego State — 98

9. Air Force — 95

t10. Northern Arizona — 83

t10. Texas Tech — 83

Beginning in the dark

The first game of the Eric Olen Era will be played at 7 p.m. (6 p.m. PT) Saturday in Beasley Coliseum in Pullman, Washington.

It won’t count (it’s an exhibition). And there is no television or online stream showing the game, but you can listen to an audio broadcast from a team in Pullman and the Journal will be on hand with live pregame show coverage on the Journal’s YouTube page and with postgame video interviews and coverage at ABQJournal.com and in Sunday’s print edition.

It is the first-ever road exhibition for UNM as the NCAA only recently began to allow Division I vs. Division I exhibitions. The Lobos and Cougars agreed to a home-and-home exhibition series that will have the future Pac-12 squad visiting the Pit in 2026.

Washington State went 19-15 last year in the West Coast Conference, where this season they are picked to finish sixth.

UNM is 3-2 all time vs. the Cougars, but have never played in Pullman. The Lobos are 2-0 in the Pit, 1-2 in neutral-site games against Washington State. The most recent meeting was an 82-59 Cougars win on Christmas Day in the 2015 Diamond Head Classic in Honolulu.

Mountain West after dark

Being a conference out west, the Mountain West realizes many fans back east simply don’t stay up late enough to watch games. That’s a big mistake, said Wyoming coach Sundance Wicks in what might as well be used as one of the league’s promotional videos.

“If you’re a hoops sicko, like I am, then you’re going to stay up and you’re going to want to be a part of this,” Wicks told the Journal.

“And, I always tell people — people don’t go to venues anymore. Come to Mountain West games in person. Go to the Pit. Go to the Double A (Arena Auditorium in Laramie, Wyoming), the highest altitude in all of college basketball — 7,220 feet. Go to Extra Mile (Arena in at Boise State), go to Viejas (Arena at San Diego State), go to the Spectrum (at Utah State), go to Moby (Arena at Colorado State).

“Then find yourself in a situation where you’re like, ‘I don’t feel safe here,’” he added affectionately. “They’re wearing latex gloves in Logan, Utah. They’re wearing latex gloves (so they can) clap louder. I don’t feel safe there. Good! That’s what you want. They’re chirping at birds in Viejas. They’re doing the little birdie chirp over there. The Pit, I’ve got to get greeted by Snake every time I go down there. I don’t know if I’m going to be OK. ... One of those fan bases where you just go over there and you’re like, ‘This is nuts.’ And that’s why we like college athletics.

“So, you’re missing out if you’re not staying up late with us (in the Mountain West),” he said.