NCAA grants Lobo point guard Hargrove an extra season

Alyssa Hargrove wasn’t overly excited about a season of on-the-job training with the UNM women’s basketball team.

Consider her outlook changed.

Hargrove a senior transfer from Austin Peay State, could not see herself as a point guard when she arrived in Albuquerque last summer. Her résumé, compiled over two seasons at Stetson and one at Austin Peay, was that of a two-guard, playing primarily off the ball. Taking on a new and complicated role in unfamiliar surroundings with all new coaches and teammates was not what Hargrove envisioned for her final collegiate season.

Eight months later, the narrative has flipped.

Not only has Hargrove embraced playing the point, she’s developed into one of the Mountain West’s most effective at the position.

What’s more, it now appears her point guard career won’t be one season and done. Hargrove learned this week that her petition for a hardship waiver has been approved by the NCAA.

“We just found out yesterday, I get my year back,” Hargrove said Thursday with a wide smile. “I’ll be back for another year. My family’s very excited and so am I.”

Hargrove was awarded a fifth season because an acute case of gastritis forced her to miss all but nine games of her sophomore campaign. It’s fair to say she’s been making up for lost time in 2024-25.

Hargrove has started all 22 games for the Lobos (13-9, 6-3 Mountain West) and ranks second on the team in minutes played (30.2 per game), third in scoring (8.6 points per game) and first in assists (86), steals (48) and 3-point shooting percentage (43.6%). She’s third in the MWC in assists and steals per game.

Not bad for someone who didn’t want to play point guard.

“I’m a person who likes to be comfortable,” Hargrove said, “but I’ve started to realize that pushing yourself to be uncomfortable is where you make progress and become a better player.”

UNM coach Mike Bradbury began offseason practices without an experienced point guard on his roster and soon began to view Hargrove as his best option. Convincing her required an extended sales pitch, but he did have a quality example to offer.

Last season’s Lobo point guard, Aniyah Augmon, had never played the position previously either. Augmon went on to earn All-MWC first-team honors and was named the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year — with a skill set similar in some ways to Hargrove’s.

“(Bradbury) talked to me about Aniyah last year, that she’d never played point guard and stepped into the role,” Hargrove said. “He said we’re both fast, we can pass and we’re good defenders. He told me he was really confident I could do this.”

Bradbury was equally confident Hargrove would eventually enjoy playing the point.

“She didn’t want to do it at first, but I think Alyssa realizes she’s doing what the team needs,” he said. “Give her credit, she’s embraced playing point guard. She keeps getting better and is actually starting to feel comfortable.”

Hargrove agreed.

“It’s been amazing, honestly,” she said. “I feel like I’ve gained a lot of confidence in myself, and I’m trusting my teammates more in a role where I have to be a playmaker and create.”

Hargrove prides herself on defense and considers steals to be a telling statistic at her new position. She’s also focused on trying to improve her rebounding numbers because, “this team needs all five players pursuing the ball.”

On-the-job training continues for Hargrove, who concedes she needs to get better with decision-making: knowing when to push the pace, when to attack the basket herself and when to slow down and run offense. Bradbury believes Hargrove will continue to benefit from experience.

“There’s a feel to playing point guard,” he said, “and the only way to get that is to keep going through it. Alyssa’s come a long way, but I think she can still get a lot better. Talent is not a problem for her. If she keeps working and gaining experience, she can be as good as she wants to be.”

Hargrove smiled when asked about her comfort level 22 games into her first season in Albuquerque.

“It’s really good,” she said. “The fans here are so great, and it’s amazing having that support. My grandpa (Gary Lowe) moved here from Tennessee, too, and comes to every game. He lives five minutes away from me. We both really like it here in Albuquerque.”

Asked if she now feels comfortable being called a point guard, Hargrove laughed.

“No, not really,” she said. “But I have stepped into the point guard role a lot. I think I can maybe start saying it’s part of my identity.”