I wrote a story about former Lobo Mike Mohoric, who is still hoping for a shot with an NFL team or a spot in NFL Europe. It's a tough waiting game, but Mike seems to be filling it well by working on his master's degree in sports administration and working as a volunteer assistant football coach at his alma mater, Highland High. You gotta give this guy credit for following his dream even when he is painfully aware things may never go his way.

Posted by ilimon at 03:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Rachel Majewski, who left the Lobos at the end of the spring semester after one season with the team, transfered to Fresno State. She has to sit out this season, then will have three seasons of Division I eligibility left.
Majewski averaged 1.4 points in 3.7 minutes in 16 games for the Lobos last season, but she was hampered by nerve damage in her feet. She told the Tribune during the spring she put her feet in an ice bath seven times a day to dull the pain. Majewski planned to spend the off-season working with strength and conditioning coach Aaron Day learning how to learn properly, but she decided to leave the program for personal reasons.
Lobos coach Don Flanagan often praised Majewski's smooth jump shot but hounded her to play better defense. Following her departure, UNM signed inconoming freshman guards Christian Shelter and Georonika Jackson and junior transfer guard Amanda Adamson. They join guards Eileen Weissman and Amy Beggin and center Valerie Kast as the Lobos 2006 recruiting class.

Posted by ilimon at 10:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I wrote a story about the popularity of softball pitching coaches in Albuquerque, and one of the area high school coaches startled me when he talked about getting his daughter started with a pitching coach around age 4 or 5. He recommended girls start getting this specialized instruction by age 6 or 7.
With the popularity of AAU and year-round clubs in most sports, how young is too young to start serious sports training? Fans love to read about recruits starting toting a basketball or football before they could walk, but do they risk burnout by the time they hit college if they start too soon?

Posted by ilimon at 04:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

UNM just released the spring semester grades for all sports, and Lobo athletes set a record for best average GPA in all sports.
The combined GPA for athletes competing UNM's 21 athletics program was 3.08, a good solid B and exceeded the previous high of 3.05 set in fall 2004. It also marked the eighth consecutive semester time the all sports GPA was 3.02 or better.
No jokes from anyone at Trib about any basketball players whose GPAs are higher than their scoring averages because we don't want to have to reveal our college GPAs or pickup game scoring averages.
Below I will list the grades broken down by sport, but the ones this blog cares about are football at 2.66 and women's basketball at 3.50. It was football's second-highest GPA, with the previous record a 2.69 in the spring 2003. The women were second only to men's skiing, whose athletes posted a 3.53. The women's GPA was the second-highest, with the program's best mark a 3.52 in fall 2002.

Men
Baseball 2.87
Basketball 2.97
Football 2.66
Golf 2.91
Skiing 3.53
Soccer 3.28
Tennis 3.38
Track* 3.04

Women
Basketball 3.50
Golf 3.40
Skiing 3.37
Soccer 3.28
Softball 2.96
Swimming 3.29
Tennis 3.29
Track* 3.32
Volleyball 3.43

Total 3.08

* Includes cross country, indoor track and outdoor track

Here's the UNM press release on the GPAs if you wanna read the school's spin on the grades.

Posted by ilimon at 04:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The National Association of Basketball Coaches is proposing expansion of the men's NCAA Tournament field from 65 teams to 128. The association's argument got traction from George Mason's run to the Final Four last season when the team wasn't even expected to make the tournament field.
Although the NCAA isn't expected to approve expansion this week during meetings in Orlando, expansion is likely in the future.
The women's tournament has modeled itself after the men and tries to capture the same magic that has made the men's NCAA Tournament such a big hit.
So is this an area where women's basketball should follow suit and pursue expansion of the women's NCAA Tournament field?
It would probably mean more Mountain West teams get into the tournament and would take pressure off the conference tournament. It also probably would kill the WNIT. Is that good or bad?

Posted by ilimon at 10:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The top players at the Lobos position camp put on a strong show, playing solid defense and shooting relatively well Thursday morning.
The players clearly were trying hard to stand out within the team dynamic. Most of the campers I talked list UNM among their top schools. Although the Lobos have recruited them, none had any firm scholarship offers. So this was one of their big chances to shine.
Amanda Best, who committed to the Lobos several months ago, faced the least pressure and didn't shoot as much as her teammates. A reader posting a question earlier on my blog asking which player was Amanda Best. She played on the white team and wore black baggy shorts and black shoes. She had dirty-blonde to light brown hair tied up and I think she wore a black head band. She pushed the ball up the floor late in the game for the white team.
The reporter's consensus on the sidelines is we need to encourage the coaches have numbers printed on both sides of camp practice jerseys so the players can be identified a little easier. Black shorts and black Nikes don't work so well as descriptions.
Another reader asked about the red-headed guard, and I think you were talking about Brittany Fiske from Loveland, Colo.
Latisha Adams of West Mesa High in Albuquerque seemed to have the strongest showing of local prospects, with crisp passing and a quick first step. Deeva Vaughn and Brenna Freeze obviously are very good too, but they didn't sparkle quite as much as they normally do in the scrimamge.
Fiske, Georgia Follmer, Cathy Cockrum and Kelsey Ansley were among many players who showed some skills that could translate well to the college level.
I'll have a lot more detail in a story that will be published in Friday's Trib.
In Thursday's paper, I had a story about the six newcomers -- five freshmen and junior transfer Amanda Adamson. You can check a story about Adamson I wrote earlier this month when she first transferred to the Lobos to get more details about her move.

Posted by ilimon at 10:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

About 100 camp members showed up, with current Lobos and alumni Abbie Letz and Mandi Moore working as counselors. It looks like a pretty good group and there should be some great games Thursday morning. I'm afraid I can't offer many more details about the people participating in the camp because I was tied up working on another story. You can check Thursday's Trib for that one.
Recruiting rules barred coaches from giving me a straight answer on a potential pickup game featuring top campers and current Lobos after the all-star scrimmages. The coaches can't watch the current Lobos work out, so they have to leave if a pickup game were to start and aren't allowed to set one up. So, the only thing I can figure is you should go and watch the two best games in The Pit and linger long enough to see if any good action unfolds.
That's all for now.
Feel free to throw out more questions, and I'll do my best to answer them.
And, of course, I will have far more detailed coverage of tomorrow morning's all-star games.

Posted by ilimon at 06:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Today I wrote about the combination of the new nonconference schedule and the challenge of trying to assemble a Mountain West Conference schedule with nine teams in the league. You can find the story here. Feel free to share your schedule comments here or in the earlier schedule-related post.
Look for an update on women's basketball camp later this afternoon.

Posted by ilimon at 10:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

UNM just released the upcoming nonconference schedule. The Mountain West Conference schedule should be available July 1.

Nov. 1 (Wednesday) Vanguard (Exhibition) 7 p.m.
Nov. 5 (Sunday) Eastern New Mexico (Exhibition) 2 p.m.
Nov. 10-13 (Friday-Monday) at Arizona State Tournament TBA
(Tournament will include Arizona State, Florida Atlantic, Nebraska, UNM)
Nov. 17 (Friday) Texas 7 p.m.
Nov. 24-25 (Friday-Saturday) New Mexico Thanksgiving Tournament 6 & 8 p.m.
(Tournament will include UNM, Georgia Southern, Siena, Western Illinois)
Dec. 2 (Saturday) New Mexico State 7 p.m.
Dec. 5 (Tuesday) at Arizona TBA
Dec. 8-9 (Friday-Saturday) Lobo Holiday Tournament 6 & 8 p.m.
(Tournament will include UNM, Delaware State, Sam Houston State, UCLA)
Dec. 19 (Tuesday) at New Mexico State TBA
Dec. 21 (Thursday) Northern Arizona 7 p.m.
Dec. 30 (Saturday) at Oklahoma TBA

March 6-10 Mountain West Conference Tournament at Las Vegas TBA

Home games marked in bold.

So what do you think? Is it as strong as last year's schedule and is it a good lineup for the Lobos, especially with so many new faces on the roster?

Posted by ilimon at 01:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

The all-star action will be on Thursday morning in The Pit as previously mentioned. The top group will be the red team scrimmaging at 9 a.m., with the second-best group scrimmaging at 8 a.m. Coach Don Flanagan said he is trying to be careful about emphasizing teamwork rather than individuals, so he is walking a fine line by assigning the players to all-star groups.
If you are planning on scoping out the drills on Wednesday, the players will be working out at Johnson Center on the UNM main campus instead of The Pit and the Rudy Davalos Center.
I doubt there will be a pickup game between current Lobos and all-stars at the end of the camp because a lot of the Lobos have class conflicts in the mornings and the campers will be catching midday flights to make it home in time for AAU tournaments and other competition. That doesn't mean it won't happen, it just seems like a longshot logistically.
You can check the blog for more updates this afternoon. The 2006-07 schedule should be released very, very soon.

Posted by ilimon at 01:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

It's a no-brainer that Robert Turner is going to be nominated for a ton of awards this season, along with linebacker Quincy Black.
Turner was named to the Outland Trophy preseason watch list, which recognizes 54 standout linemen from throughout the country. You can check out UNM's news release on the watch list and the Outland Trophy Web site for more details.
UNLV defensive lineman Howie Fuimaono, Wyoming offensive tackle Chase Johnson, BYU offensive lineman Jake Kuresa, TCU offensive tackle Herbert Taylor, Utah defensive lineman Kelly Talavou and Utah offensive lineman Tavo Tupola are the other Mountain West Conference players joining Turner on the list.

Posted by ilimon at 06:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As promised, here's some more details on the UNM women's basketball position camp this week.
The top players will compete in an all-star game Thursday in The Pit from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.
The second-best group will be competing Thursday in The Pit from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.
About 100 players are set to attend the camp, although more spots are available and registration continues until the camp starts Tuesday.
Assistant coach Mike Terry, who coordinates all the Lobos summer camps, said the players will be assigned to all-star teams based solely on ability and not age.
The all-star games in The Pit are open to the public, but the coaches prefer not to have fans in the Rudy Davalos Center because those games will typically involve younger and less developed kids who don't need the extra scrutiny.
I'll provide more updates and hope to pass on rosters before Thursday's game once the campers start showing up for registration and coaches get a feel for their skills.
If you're interesting in registering for the camp, contact Mike Terry at 925-5770 or click visit the camp information page on the UNM athletics Web site.

Posted by ilimon at 10:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

The UNM women's basketball individual camp is next week, running Tuesday through Thursday. Lobos coach Don Flanagan promises a lot of recruits are in the bunch and expects a great field of players. Although people are welcome to watch the workouts daily, the all-star games will be Thursday morning at 9 a.m. in the Rudy Davalos Center and The Pit.
The suspense will be over soon ... Flanagan will release the 2006-07 women's basketball schedule Tuesday. No amount of begging and cajoling by myself or any other reporters in town convinced the coach to share any specific details about the lineup early.
I wrote last month that Flanagan called it one of his strongest schedules ever and better than last year's challenging lineup. He also said the Lobos steady climb into the national spotlight and Top 25 ranking didn't hurt scheduling. The common complaint among men's basketball and football coaches from smaller conferences like the Mountain West is that they have a hard time scheduling bigger name schools when their programs are on the rise because they are no longer an easy win. Flanagan joked, "I guess we're just better at it." To be fair, women's basketball coaches seem to understand the value of scheduling tough to keep their RPIs high and playing in The Pit to prepare their teams for the most hostile environments on the path to the Final Four.

Posted by ilimon at 10:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Bowling Green has chosen Purdue associate athletics director Greg Christopher to replace athletics director Paul Krebs, who just took over the AD job at UNM.
It poses interesting questions about how you choose an athletics director.
Bowling Green went with an assistant from a BCS school. New Mexico went with an AD from a mid-major school. It's sort of a wash with Krebs because he had previous experience at the grand daddy of all athletics programs, Ohio State.
But the other UNM athletics director finalists didn't have that pedigree.
Is it more important to get someone who has run an athletics department before, even if it was a small school, or someone with experience rolling with the big boys in the BCS but with none of it coming in the hot seat?

Posted by ilimon at 10:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

This week I wrote about ex-Lobo superstar DonTrell Moore getting waived by the Jets and super-unknown Lobo Brian Ramsay getting drafted by the CFL. It's proof that the jump from college to the pros is a lot like the leap from high school to college. Everyone is convinced they belong, and it takes a rare mix of talent and luck to make it. Richard Stevens wrote that perhaps we lost a little perspective on Moore's career because we were a little too close to his mega-watt resume. I think he has talent and figured he'd latch on somewhere as a reserve running back or punt returner. He's a smart guy, and he might still claw his way up the NFL ranks, but the deck is stacked against him.
What do you think? Will DonTrell play pro football? Will it be in the NFL, CFL or AFL?

Posted by ilimon at 10:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Lobos moved quickly to add sophomore transfer Amanda Adamson to their roster, making her the first official signee of the 2007 recruiting class. I wrote a story in today's Tribune about Adamson. The Lobos recruited Adamson out of high school, but she passed them up in favor for Syracuse.
Unfortunately, the Orange women were abused by Big East competition and are the midst of a coaching change. Adamson jumped back to her second choice, much closer to her high school roots in Littleton, Colo.
Future Texan Jeff Carlton, who swoons blindly for all things Syracuse, promises she will be awesome. His logic is deeply flawed, but his final prediction could be on target.
I think she will help balance out the loss of three players coach Don Flanagan lost during the summer. We won't know much about the recruits until they play, but Adamson is a proven commodity who could take on both the shoot and defensive roles expected of Lindsay Black and Rachel Majewski.
My boss, former women's basketball beat writer Mike Garcia, pointed out the Lobos are now loaded at guard. This means the next few recruits at forward and center, along with the development of Valerie Kast and Rachel Majewski, will be huge for UNM.
If they adapt well, they could push the Lobos to the next level.
If they don't, it could be hard for the Lobos to maintain their steady Top 25-level performance.

Posted by ilimon at 03:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)