Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

New Year’s Resolutions: New Mexico Lobos

williams

Over the course of the holiday week, we at College Basketball Talk will be detailing what we believe will be the New Year’s Resolutions of some of the nation’s most talented, most disappointing, and thoroughly enigmatic teams. What can we say, we’re in a giving mood.

Who else made Resolutions? Click here to find out.

WHAT DOES NEW MEXICO PROMISE TO DO MORE OF?: Get consistent production from Cullen Neal and Deshawn Delaney.



    • Why it will happen:

With starter Hugh Greenwood missing the last three games with a wrist injury, the Lobos needed guys to step up and after a disappointing effort against New Mexico State both Neal and Delaney rose to the challenge. In wins over Marquette and Grand Canyon, Neal averaged 21.0 points per game and shot 13-for-22 from the field. As for Delaney, he averaged 8.5 points and 6.0 rebounds per game, finally beginning to look comfortable in head coach Craig Neal’s system. The added experience will help these two in their quest to earn more opportunities and (just as importantly) help supplement the production of Cameron Bairstow, Alex Kirk and Kendall Williams.



    • Why it won’t happen:

The biggest concern at this point may be how much they allow Greenwood’s return to impact their production. Greenwood will be ready to go when the Lobos open Mountain West play on January 4 against Colorado State, and he’s going back into the starting lineup. With both Delaney and Neal being talented players, the impact of Greenwood’s return ultimately comes down to maturity. If they understand the situation and simply continue to work, there won’t be any issues.

WHAT DOES NEW MEXICO SWEAR THEY WILL DO LESS OF?: Miss shots. (Yes, it really is this simple.)



    • Why it will happen:

After struggling from the field in losses to Kansas (33.3%) and New Mexico State (34.6%), the Lobos rebounded against Marquette (43.6%) and Grand Canyon (52.1%). Clearly the talent to shoot better than they have is there, with Williams winning Mountain West Player of the Year last season and each of New Mexico’s “big three” being in the running for the individual honor this season. UNM currently ranks 10th in the Mountain West in field goal percentage and 11th in three-point percentage, but they have the pieces needed to improve those rankings.



    • Why it won’t happen:

Well shooting was an issue last season as well, and that was with current Chicago Bull Tony Snell on the team. New Mexico’s shot 48% or better in five games this season, and in four games they’ve shot lower than 40% from the field. While New Mexico has the talent to be a better shooting them, the fact of the matter is that they’ve been unable to make the strides taken stick and that’s been a problem. In games in which they’ve shot 40% or less UNM is 1-3 this season, with the lone win coming over UAB.

Follow @raphiellej