Here's the final recruiting list that will run in Wednesday's Tribune.

NEW MEXICO COMMITMENTS
The following atheletes have committed to play for the University of New Mexico. Today marks national signing day, the first day high school and junior college transfers enrolling this summer can sign binding letters of intent. The Lobos have 26 scholarships available this year.

Terel Anyaibe OL/DL 6-2, 230 DeSoto High in Dallas
Matt Barnard P 6-2, 190 Mesa Community College in Mesa, Ariz.
Zayne Bin Bilal OL 6-5, 279 Taos High
Kendall Briscoe DL 6-1, 275 Lincoln High in Dallas
Terrance Brown S 6-0, 190 Cesar Chavez High in Phoenix, Ariz.
Michael Cannon OL 6-5, 285 Durant High in Valrico, Fla.
Clayton Cardenas TE 6-3, 250 Palomar College in San Marcos, Calif.
Devon Clark OL 6-5, 305 Scottsdale Community College in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Vincent Federico DT 6-4, 280 Bishop Amat High in La Puente, Calif.
John Fussell TE 6-3, 215 Durant High in Valrico, Fla.
Roy Hackey DB/WR 6-1, 186 Hatch Valley High
Chris Hernandez WR/DB 6-3, 185 Mayfield High
Victor James QB 6-0, 185 Montbello High in Denver*
Jerome Jenkins DB 6-0, 205 Kempner High in Sugarland, Texas
Nicky Lawson WR 6-2, 175 Manzano High
Mike Love RB 6-0, 185 Rio Rancho High
Brett Madsen LB 6-2, 221 Snow College in Ephraim, Utah
Jerrell Miller CB 5-9, 175 Highland High
Jermaine McQueen WR 6-2, 180 Palomar College in San Marcos, Calif.
Glover Quinn CB 5-10, 200 Southwest Mississippi Community College in Summit, Miss.
T.J. Radzilowski IL 6-0, 228 Seneca Valley High in Germantown, Md.
Frankie Solomon DB 5-10, 172 South Oak Cliff High in Dallas
Matt Streid OL 6-3, 320 Moorpark College in Moorpark, Calif.
Derek Tallent OL 6-6, 305 Richland High in Dallas
Amadeus Waters RB 5-10, 220 Hays High in Buda, Texas
Greyson Wieczorek LB 6-3, 210 La Cueva High

* James is a walk-on freshman who has been offered the Lobos' 26th scholarship available for this recruiting class.

Check out Wednesday's Tribune for complete recruiting coverage.

Posted by ilimon at 11:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

No. 18 New Mexico (16-4, 6-1) shot 28.3 percent from the field but still managed a 60-47 win over UNLV (12-6, 4-3) in The Pit Saturday night.
The Lobos started the game ice cold, falling behind 9-0. Junior point guard Katie Montgomery gave New Mexico its only field goals until 8:08 was left in the first half.
Montgomery went 5-of-10 from 3-point range and finished with a game-high 21 points, four rebounds, three assists and one turnover in 40 minutes. Sophomore forward Dionne Marsh added 15 points and 10 rebounds.
UNLV didn't fare much better from the field, shooting 38.3 percent and no players scoring in double figures. Guards Sequoia Holmes and Kameca Simmons led the Lady Rebels with nine points apiece.
New Mexico controlled the game with man-to-man pressure, switching once briefly to a two-three zone that forced a shot-clock viiolation. New Mexico also outrebounded UNLV 44 to 34 and grabbed more 19 offensive rebounds to the Lady Rebels' eight.
"Obviously we didn't shoot very well, but I thought we played excellent defense and our offensive rebounds really were the difference in the game," Flanagan said.
The Lobos drew a season-high 17,057 fans for the Pack the Pit game. It was the largest crowd of the season for both the men's and women's basketball teams.
For more women's basketball news, check out Monday's Tribune.

Posted by ilimon at 10:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Gov. Bill Richardson said he would seek Legislature approval to spend $15 million to upgrade University of New Mexico athletics facilities.
The governor said he would push for $8 million for Pit expansion, $6 million for an indoor practice facility to be used by the football team and other outdoor sports and $1 million for a men's and women's soccer facility.
"The Lobos are the heart and soul of Albuquerque and New Mexico," Richardson said. "It's economic development, it's tourism, it's not just the university."
Richardson said the money will come from the governor's discretionary capital outlay budget and should be approved by the Legislature without a hitch.
Regent president Jamie Koch said it is the largest donation to the UNM athletics department awarded by any governor in the history of the state.
Richardson called The Pit a national icon and the face of New Mexico.
"The years have taken its toll and it's time to give the grand building a facelift," he said.
The $8 million will be used to renovate restrooms and concession stands and expand the concourse. Richardson said the money is a down payment toward a major expansion project he hopes to see completed within two years. He said part of the $8 million will pay for a feasibility study to determine the best way to expand The Pit without hurting the integrity of the arena.
The $6 million award, combined with a $1 million donation by ex-Lobo football star Brian Urlacher, will cover the expense of a new football practice facility.
New Mexico coach Rocky Long has long campaigned for the practice facility, which he said is essential to keeping the Lobos competitive.
"I can't even begin to say how happy and excited I am about this," Long said "This is huge for football and every outdoor sport at the university."
The final $1 million is a down payment toward a $3 million soccer facility for the men's and women's soccer programs.

Posted by ilimon at 05:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos won't admit it, but games against San Diego State in The Pit are supposed to be fun.
This matchup lived up to expectations, with No. 18 New Mexico (15-4,5-1) coasting to a 76-45 win over San Diego State (3-14, 0-7) in The Pit Wednesday night.
Sophomore forward Dionne Marsh went seven-of-eight from the field for a game-high 18 points, four assists, three rebounds, three bocks and one steal in 29 minutes.
Junior point guard Katie Montgomery chipped in 11 points and junior guard Julie Briody added 10 points to pace the Lobos.
San Diego State posts Erin Jackson, Michelle Strawberry and Erin Jackson carried the Aztecs, scoring 36 of the team's 45 points.
With the game in hand, Lobos coach Don Flanagan rested his starters and gave his reserves a shot at running the show.
"It's great to see them play because they work just as hard we do," Montgomery said.
Here's a sample of the Lobos' game highlights:
* Dionne Marsh played one minute without her shoe, playing both sides of the floor and blocking a shot on defense.
* The Lobos tied a season's best mark with nine made 3-pointers, with sophomore guard Brandi Kimble going 2-for-2 from beyond the arc.
* Every New Mexico player saw action and sophomore guard Lindsay Black was the only player not to score.
* Briody scored the most points since she was sidelined with an ankle sprain Dec. 21 at New Mexico State.
* Junior forward Wande Olude played her best game of the season, delighting the crowd with two points, three rebounds and two assists in eight minutes. They were her first points of the season.
* Redshirt freshman forward Morgan Saso also gave her best effort of the season, with two points and two rebounds in four minutes.
* Timi E-Nunu returned from a knee injury, playing eight minutes and scoring two points.

For more women's basketball news, check out Thursday's Tribune.

Posted by ilimon at 09:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The women's basketball team has earned a lot of national respect for its tough non-conference schedule and solid run through Mountain West Conference play.
No. 20 New Mexico (14-4, 4-1) is popping up as a three or four seed in either Denver of Tuscon. The Lobos will be able to play into The Pit, which is hosting the NCAA west regional.
Collegerpi.com has consistently projected the Lobos as three seed in Tuscon facing Texas-Arlington. If they win, the Lobos would face the winner of No. 6 Kentucky and No. 11 Saint Joseph's.
"It's really too early to say much about it because I don't want our team coasting and thinking they're already in the NCAA Tournament," New Mexico coach Don Flanagan. "It is nice that our entire conference is being recognized for the aggressive non-conference schedule every team took on this year."
Other teams in the Lobos' pod include would include Boston College, Texas, DePaul, Sacred Heart, Michigan State, Montana, Tennessee Tech, Arizona State, Louisville, Vanderbilt, Duke and Southern Utah.
Collegerpi.com also is projecting BYU as a sixth seed in Denver and TCU as an 11th seed on the Purdue campus in West Lafayette, Ind.
Utah, the pre-season pick to win the Mountain West, has not made Collegerpi.com's bracket.

Posted by ilimon at 02:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ex-UCLA coach Bob Toledo promises to bring a spark to the New Mexico football program as the Lobos' new offensive coordinator.
Our evening edition story offers a little background on Toledo, who replaces five-year offensive coordinator Dan Dodd.
Ex-Bruin to join staff
Lobos coach Rocky Long introduced Toledo as assistant head coach, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at a news conference Wednesday afternoon.
"In my mind, he's one of the best offensive coordinators and play callers in the game, so I'm real excited to have him join the staff," Long said of Toledo.
Long said he is still restructing the remainder of his coaching staff.
Two of his assistant coaches are interviewing for other coaching jobs. Dodd is not one of them. Long said he will likely announce the new responsibilities for coaches on national signing day Feb. 1. If none of the coaches take jobs elsewhere, Long said one of the coaches will be assigned to another job within the program because the NCAA limits him to nine assistant coaches.
"I appreciate all of their hard work and no one is losing their jobs," he said.
Toledo said he was lured to New Mexico because of his close friendship with Long, his interest in returning to the coaching ranks after a three-year hiatus and desire to win.
"I'm getting older and want a chance to work with people I trust," he said. "I have missed being around players, scheming, creating game plans and competing. I think New Mexico will be a great fit for me, and I have no problem answering to Rocky. He's the head coach and I'm happy to be here."
Toledo said he will install his offense, which includes a mix of multiple formations and play groups. He said he will establish the run to set up the play-action pass, run a few trick plays and plans to capitalize on the athleticism of the Lobos quarterbacks.
Toledo cited Bill Walsh as one of his mentors.
"I don't hang my hat on a play, I hang my hat on multiplicity," he said.
What do you think of Long's decision to hire Toledo? Does it give you more confidence in next year's team or make you more optimistic about the future of the program?
Check out Thursday's Tribune for a bonanza of football coverage, including Richard Stevens' take on Toledo.

Posted by ilimon at 03:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

I did a story in today's Tribune about junior guard Amanda Best, who committed to New Mexico during the weekend.
You can read the story here:
Junior jumps at shot at playing for Lobos
Here's a few notes that didn't make the story.
Amanda was naturally impressed by The Pit atmosphere when she saw the Lobos play New Mexico State on Jan. 1. During her visit, she talked with coaches about her prospects if she came to New Mexico. Amanda and her mother were delighted by coach Flanagan's responses, explaining she could work her way into the lineup as a freshman but she had to earn her position on the team. He told them he doesn't recruit trouble and seeks highly motivated athletes willing to play within a team concept.
She did not get a chance to interact much with the players but did get a chance to see a player's dorm room.
The family hadn't heard much about New Mexico but began researching the team a year ago when they received recruiting mail from the Lobos and about 60 other teams. New Mexico quickly made Amanda's short list because of it's recent success and fan support, among other reasons outlined in today's story.
She has played against freshman center Angela Hartill, who is from Deerpark, Wash., but doesn't know her on a personal level. Amanda said word among the prep circles in Washington was that Angela is doing well and is happy in New Mexico. Amanda said Angela's success also helped her feel comfortable about joining the Lobos.
For more women's basketball news, check out the Tribune and this blog.

Posted by ilimon at 12:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

No. 18 New Mexico (13-4, 3-1) used a blistering second half to earn a 62-39 win over Wyoming (12-3, 2-2) in The Pit Saturday afternoon.
The Lobos looked rusty early on offense and led 23-21 at halftime.
New Mexico opened the second half with an 18-0 run. The Lobos' smothering man-to-man defense held the Cowgirls without a field until 11:31 remained in the second half.
"We were playing good defense in the first half but were kind of rushing our shots," junior point guard Katie Montgomery said. "In the second half we calmed down and ran our offense."
Lobos coach Don Flanagan said he didn't tell his team anything special at halftime, he just encouraged the team to relax on offense.
Sophomore forward Dionne Marsh avoided foul trouble that hounded her the past two games, finishing with a team-high 13 points and five rebounds. Sophomore guard Brandi Kimble added 10 points, four rebounds and two assists, while senior guard Abbie Letz chipped in 10 points, six rebounds and four assists. Senior center Jana Francis ended the game with seven points and 10 rebounds.
Wyoming was led by guard Megan McGuffey, who finished with 15 points and accounted for 15 of the Cowgirls' 18 second-half points. Forward Michelle Taylor added 10 points, all in the first half.
New Mexico held Wyoming's Hanna Zavecz, who averaged 14.4 points per game, and teammate Jodi Bolerjack, who avearged 13.5 points, to seven combined points.
"It was a good defensive effort," Flanagan said. "Wyoming's a tough team that runs its offense very well, so this was a very good effort by our players."
Montgomery played 30 minutes in the game. She sprained her ankle during Wednesday's loss at TCU but still started against the Cowgirls. She said her ankle felt sore after the game but should be fine.
New Mexico has its first Wednesday of Mountain West Conference play off and is idle until it faces Air Force in Colorado Springs, Colo., Friday.
For more women's basketball coverage, check out Monday's Tribune.

Posted by ilimon at 05:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Junior point guard Katie Montgomery, who is recovering from a sprained ankle, did not practice the past two days but is expected to play Saturday afternoon against Wyoming.
Lobos coach Don Flanagan said if Montgomery moves well in Saturday morning's shoot-around, she will start. If not, she will come off the bench and senior guard Judy Vogt will start in her place.
Montgomery injured her right ankle in the second half of the Lobos' loss at TCU Wednesday. She was heavily taped and returned to the game but was not at full strength. She said the ankle swelled after the game and during the flight back to Albuquerque.
"It took awhile to get the swelling down and it feels alright," she said. "I think I can play, but I just have to wait and see what happens."
Montgomery had been averaging 39 minutes per game going into Wednesday's game at TCU. She is the team's sole true point guard.
Should the Lobos have found a reliable backup point guard during the off-season or was it best to wait until recruit Amy Beggin comes in next season to give the Lobos more depth? Post your comments here.
Check back here for a recap of Saturday's game and more Lobo women's basketball news.

Posted by ilimon at 05:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

TCU's speed and pressure defense overwhelmed No. 18 New Mexico, which picked up a 76-67 loss in Fort Worth Wednesday night.
The Lobos fell to 12-4 overall and 2-1 in Mountain West Conference play, while TCU improved to 7-6 overall and 1-1 in league play.
The Lobos worst moment of the night came in the second half when junior point guard Katie Montgomery went down with a sprained right ankle. She is the Lobos sole true point guard and has been averaging 39 minutes per game.
She returned the game after the ankle was taped, but she wasn't at full strength.
"It's sore, but I am pretty sure I'll be able to play Saturday (against Wyoming)," Montgomery said.
Lobos coach Don Flanagan said the key will be keeping the swelling down.
"It obviously doesn't help that she'll be flying tomorrow, but we'll just have to hope for the best," he said.
New Mexico struggled early against TCU, starting flat and falling behind by 11 points.
Sophomore forward Dionne Marsh got into foul trouble early and managed just one first-half point for the second straight game.
The Lobos got a lift from freshman reserve center Angela Hartill, who scored 10 points in nine minutes.
Marsh rallied in the second half, torching the Frogs for 19 points.
New Mexico led by as many as seven, but TCU came roaring back in the second half behind transition buckets and hot perimeter shooting. The Frogs finished with 20 fast-break points and shot a season-high 47 percent from 3-point range.
Hobbs High grad Adrianne Ross led TCU with a career-high 24 points, while guard Ashley Davis added 18 and guard Natasha Lacy chipped in 17.
"We just played too tentative and let them control the game," Montgomery said. "We backed off and didn't really run our offense very well at all."
For more Lobo women's basketball coverage, check out Thursday's Tribune.

Posted by ilimon at 10:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I wrote a story today about Jerome Jenkins, a safety from Sugar Land, Texas, (near Houston) who graduated early and will be joining the Lobos this month for spring workouts.
http://www.abqtrib.com/albq/sp_lobos/article/0,2564,ALBQ_19873_4377252,00.html
His high school coach said Jenkins is a monster on the field and pretty soft-spoken away from it.
He praised Jenkins' ability to read offenses and line up his teammates on defense. If Jenkins' football IQ is, in fact, that good, then it would be a big boost for the Lobos. They had plenty of talent in the backfield last season but no one like ex-safety Josh Bazinet to get the guys all lined up. The goal of Rocky's defense is to fool the offense and capitalize on last-second adjustments. Last year's guys just couldn't figure out where to go on a lot of plays. They didn't struggle for lack of effort or talent, it was more mental errors and inability to make adjustments. The flaws were even harder to overcome because the Mountain West featured a lot of experienced offenses capable of exploiting New Mexico's defense.
Jenkins said he will be driving to Albuquerque and hit campus Thursday or Friday. He will be moving into the dorms with the five JC spring transfers.

Posted by ilimon at 01:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

No. 21 New Mexico took command of the Mountain West Conference race, earning a 73-57 win on the road over Colorado State
The Lobos improved to 12-3 overall and 2-0 in league play, a major leg up in the competitive conference race.
It becomes even more significant with No. 22 Utah falling 61-60 at home to BYU and dropping to 0-2 in Mountain West play.
Senior Abbie Letz led the Lobos with 22 points, 10 rebounds and six assists.
Fellow senior Jana Francis also posted a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.
Sophomore forward Dionne Marsh added 15 points, with 14 coming in the second half, and junior point guard Katie Montgomery chipped in 14.
The Lobos started the game flat, falling behind 10 points and faltering under the Rams full-court pressure defense.
The team quickly answered with a 10-0 run and never looked back. The Lobos led 35-25 at halftime and were ahead of Colorado State by as many as 16 points in the second half.
"We have a lot of confidence in ourselves and never really doubted that we come back," Francis said. "Sometimes we do start a little slow, but we knew we could pull a strong run. We just needed to run our offense a little better."
Lobos coach Don Flanagan is giving his team Sunday off and expects the group will be attending ex-Lobo senior Lindsey Arndt's wedding to UNM strength and conditioning coach Aaron Day.
New Mexico next test is Wednesday at TCU, which fell 68-67 at Wyoming. The Horned Frogs are 6-6 overall and 0-1 in conference.

Posted by ilimon at 04:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

No. 21 New Mexico (11-3) used smothering defense and steady shooting knock off No. 22 Utah (9-3) by a score of 59-42 in The Pit.
The Lobos pounced early, holding Utah to 17 first-half points on 19.4 percent field-goal shooting.
New Mexico's defense held up throughout the game, holding Utah to a season-low 42 points on 26.2 field goal shooting and a 14.8 effort from 3-point range.
Senior all conference forward Kim Smith finished with six points on 3-of-11 shooting. The Lobos broke Smith's 50-game streak of scoring in double figures.
The Lobos also held Shona Thorburn, Utah's typically hot-handed senior all-conference guard to five points on two-of-15 shooting.
"I think defense was really important for us," junior point guard Katie Montgomery said. "We tried to come out strong and go after them."
Sophomore guard Brandi Kimble posted one of her best games of the season, leading the Lobos in scoring with 16 points. She also had four rebounds, four assists, three steals and no turnovers in 31 minutes.
"I think we all wanted to get off to a really strong start out there," Kimble said.. "It was an important conference game for us and we were all really focused."
Sophomore forward Dionne Marsh finished with 15 points, seven rebounds, two blocks one assist and two turnovers. Montgomery added 14 points, six rebounds, four assists and two turnovers.
New Mexico has little time to savor the victory, it's sixth straight win over the Utes. The Lobos hit the road at 8 a.m. Friday in preparation for Saturday's game at Colorado State. The Rams narrowly earned a 68-65 home win over San Diego State Thursday night.

Posted by ilimon at 10:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Junior guard Julie Briody should come off the bench and play against Utah Thursday night.
She had a strong first practice back Wednesday after sitting out two games with a sprained ankle.
"I wasn't really sure she was going to be able to come back for this game, but she looked good out there," Lobos coach Don Flanagan said. "We'll see how badly it swells up tonight, but I think she will be able to play."
Senior guard Abbie Letz said she's feeling stronger and hasn't felt much back pain since she was sidelined with spasms late in the game at New Mexico State Dec. 21.
"Knock on wood, it hasn't caused me any trouble lately," she said.
Most of the Lobos who were suffering from the cold and flu have recovered, although junior point guard Katie Montgomery is still battling lingering symptoms. She said she feels fine and is ready to play, despite the obvious hoarse voice and nasal congestion.
Junior forward Timi E-Nunu continues to rehab her knee and hopes to return at some point this season.
Check out Thursday's Tribune for our Mountain West Conference preview and Utah pre-game coverage.

Posted by ilimon at 04:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm back from a holiday break visiting family and have a few updates.
The Mountain West Conference race opens with a bang, with Utah and New Mexico clash Thursday night in The Pit.
I talked with Utah coach Elaine Elliott today, and she called the Lobos a big test for the Utes.
"They're the best team in the league," she said of New Mexico.
I'll update my blog Wednesday afternoon with some notes about the Lobos.
Check out Thursday's Tribune for our women's basketball Mountain West Conference and Utah game previews.

Posted by ilimon at 02:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)