UNM LOBOS MEN'S BASKETBALL
UNM visits Utah State in a high-stakes showdown
Neither team is finishing season strong, but both still have plenty to play for
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Thursday morning, Utah State basketball coach Jerrod Calhoun sent Colorado State coach Ali Farokhmanesh a thank you gift.
It was, after all, just 24 hours after the Aggies got thumped by 27 points at UNLV, that Farokhmanesh's Rams gifted those Aggies at least a share of the Mountain West regular season championship by beating the UNM Lobos, 82-74, in the Pit.
"I sent Ali an edible arrangement," Calhoun said Friday. "He and I have become very close and his team is playing really well, so we appreciated his efforts."
UNM coach Eric Olen and the Lobos wouldn't mind if Calhoun’s generosity continues into Saturday, when the Aggies host the Lobos in a 2 p.m. contest that isn’t being televised, but will be streaming on TheMW.com.
With a win, UNM (22-8, 13-6 MW) will clinch a share of the Mountain West championship — a wildly improbable proposition considering one year ago at this time not one player or coach on the Lobos was even thinking about working at or playing for the school.
For the second time in three seasons, the Aggies (24-6, 14-5 MW) are hosting the Lobos with a chance to win an outright Mountain West championship.
On March 9, 2024, the Aggies beat a Jaelen House-led Lobos team, 87-85, and cut down nets afterward for the program's lone outright Mountain West title.
Neither team is exactly finishing this regular season strong — USU losers of three of their past four and the Lobos coming off a painful-to-watch home loss to Colorado State that Olen apologized to the team for and told reporters his game plan didn’t give his team a chance to win.
And yet, title implications.
"We told them," Olen said of talking to the Lobo players after the CSU loss, "there's no time to feel sorry for ourselves. Obviously, everybody's disappointed, but we've got to bounce back because we're playing for a championship on Saturday."
Said Calhoun of his team's goals on Saturday — aside from a postgame senior ceremony, "Trying to get the momentum back. Trying to get playing better."
The Aggies already have one victory over the Lobos this season, roughing up UNM 86-66 on Feb. 4 in the Pit.
If the Lobos win the rematch, they’ll likely clinch the No. 1 seed in next week's Mountain West Tournament. Even with a loss, they can't fall below the No. 3 seed.
USU is guaranteed the No. 1 or 2 seed in the tournament.
In 2024 when the Lobos lost in the final game of the regular season to USU, the team rebounded to win four games in four days in the MW Tournament to punch its ticket into the NCAA Tournament.
This year’s Lobos are sitting firmly on the NCAA Tournament bubble and a win at the Spectrum over a highly-rated Utah State team would be wonderful for their chances. A loss wouldn't hurt their computer ratings much, but it would take away a chance at adding a Quad 1 road game victory — something the NCAA Selection Committee seems to value.
Deyton's return
Deyton Albury's senior night was Wednesday in the Pit.
Saturday in Logan is Senior Night, Lite.
Albury was teammates last year with some of the Aggies being honored for their final home game. The Lobos point guard, who will be donning his new tinted protective glasses after being scratched on the eyeball in last Saturday's win over San Diego State, knows The Hurd, arguably the best student section in the entire country and, at a minimum, the most coordinated and creative, will be waiting for him.
"We know Utah State is a very special place. Played there last year, made a lot of memories, and I know it'll be a very tough crowd going in," Albury said before letting out a knowing grin. "Probably gonna get booed every time I touch the ball, but I'm ready for it. ...
"They're probably going to say something about my glasses. They're so creative, I just don't know what they'll say, but I know it's going to be crazy."
When a reporter suggested they may call him "Frozone," a sunglasses-wearing superhero from the animated movie "The Incredibles," Albury shook his head.
"Probably worse than that," he said with a chuckle.
Reach Geoff Grammer at ggrammer@abqjournal.com or follow him on Twitter (X) @GeoffGrammer.
