Randy Culpepper still has work to do if he wants to impress some fans in this crowd -- fans you don't really see so much as hear and read.
Sure, he scored a record 39 points and the hoop was apparently 10 feet 'round when he shot the ball Saturday against UCF, but Culpepper has yet to get his head above the rim on any of his high-flying dunks. Not just this year -- in all three seasons as a Miner.
Apparently, "career-high" only applies to points, not dunks.
It was a ho-hum 37-point win over Central Florida. UTEP had never won in MickeyWorld before so, obviously, the Golden Knights have graduated most of the talent that beat the Miners in previous seasons.
And if you want to count that five-point win over the Tigers of Memphis, go right ahead -- ignoring the facts that many of the Tigers' teeth are missing now, John Calipari most of all. That conference win streak was going to be history this season regardless, UTEP just happened to be in the right place at the right time.
What this group of Miners fails to grasp is that this is UTEP basketball. It is a program that deserves so much better than what this lackadaisical bunch of street-ballers gives it.
You might think it's ironic the school that broke through college basketball's color barrier back in 1966 would get this kind of "street-baller" criticism from some of its fans in 2010, but more than one fan has used that term. It says what it means and means what it says, like Rush Limbaugh.
UTEP is a program where style counts. How many points would Central Florida have scored if Don Haskins was still coaching instead of Tony Barbee?
This is a team that won a national championship 44 years ago. It went to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament 18 years ago. It is a blue-blooded basketball program despite the athletic department's lack of effort in marketing and ticket-selling.
If the Miners want sell-outs, cut ticket prices and spend some money to advertise. As for the $10 seats they do have, those should be five bucks a pop.
Forget all those other "big conference" schools that charge so much for their seats; heck, forget about the other schools in Conference USA that do so. UTEP is blue-blooded but El Paso is blue collar. Money and recruiting don't make a team great, only coaching does.
Without that great coach who can overcome recruiting and lack of budget, the Miners will have to be content with the empty seats and the lack of spark among fans who do show. The program is better than this, and some fans know it.
Some of you may wonder how serious I am with these criticisms of Tony Barbee and his program. I'll let Wayne Campbell (not "Soup", the one from the movies) explain that; you bet, I'm serious...Wayne Campbell
are you drunk?
Posted by: shyminer | January 23, 2010 at 11:35 PM
Yes, but it's Opposite Day.
Posted by: Duke Keith | January 24, 2010 at 12:42 AM
Granted this is not a David beats Goliath, but the miners went out there and did what they were expected to do. WIN! While I don't want to down play this nor last weeks wins. NCAA Basketball is not a sprint but a marathon. EL Paso Needs to stand behind this team and really show its support for these players and OUR COACH. True, back in it day UTEP could be considered what Duke called a blue blood. This was in the past and most of the college fans weren't even born in this era. So am I impressed with UTEP's Win. Yes, but I'm more impressed with the direction of the team and the buzz around the town.
BTW Duke I totally agree with the lack of marketing and ticket prices, but like you said this is blue collar college and the only funding they will be getting is from those who support them.
Posted by: Daniel Rey | January 24, 2010 at 01:20 AM
Oy vey. Subtlety can be so cruel, yet so misunderstood.
Thanks, Daniel.
Posted by: Duke Keith | January 24, 2010 at 01:32 AM
Maybe a different headline...
Posted by: Duke Keith | January 24, 2010 at 02:42 AM
haha
Posted by: shyminer | January 24, 2010 at 06:26 AM
If you wish to be critical of the Miners, do so. Don't hide behind the anonymous "more than one fan" quote and then compare it to a known racist. Or if these fans are legit, then name them. I wonder how they would feel knowing that you compared them to a racist like Limbaugh.
Posted by: Aristotle | January 24, 2010 at 07:11 AM
Duke is messing around...
Posted by: shyminer | January 24, 2010 at 08:21 AM
Duke, once again, thanks for your input on UTEP. It is sad that the crowds are not what they used to be. I think over the years, starting with the Rabadueax-era, Miners fans became disgusted with the apparent lack of fundamentals: boxing out for rebounds and help defense (Fili's teams excluded). Over time, ticket buyers get burnt out from watching UTEP lose home games to teams they would normally beat, or upset, in some cases. There is nothing worse than seeing a team out-fundamental UTEP (like the BYU game)when UTEP had been doing that to everyone else for DECADES!!!. Coach Haskins had us all spoiled. I have no problem with this new, up-tempo approach, as long as they can use some of those old-school fundamentals. I LOVE the way Caracter boxes out. If these Miners can master the fundamentals, they can be dangerous and make some serious noise in the NCAAs. Thanks again, Duke.
Posted by: Gee Ramirez | January 24, 2010 at 10:03 AM
i dont see any reason why every night we should not avereage 9000+ what else is there to do on wed night or sat night. i gurantee that thanks to kvia showing the game against ucf now we can expect a good crowd against tulane. by the way why in the world wasnt the game against byu sold out? n dont blame it on the cowboys
Posted by: javi | January 24, 2010 at 11:31 AM
wow are you crazy you also need talent to win games, and heck you find a coach that wants to stay around with even less money we had to hike the prices to pay the coach sorry but we are not getting another coach like haskins those times are gone. so stop living in the past and respect what you have no and no utep fans aren't blue color there just so lazy. we actually have a winning team and no one goes out support your team no matter what el paso is just filled with a bunch of band waggon who keep living in the past guess what no one cares we won the national championship anymore its all about today not 40 years ago so how about you and all the rest of elpaso pull your head out of your butts shut up accpets what we have and go support and stop crying about the olden days THERE OVER!!!!
Posted by: minner bball | January 24, 2010 at 01:23 PM
I kind have to agree with Duke here. UTEP has an extremely talented team, and yet lost to teams such as BYU, Texas Tech, Ole Miss etc... UTEP was always the more talented team but they kept getting beat because they were undisciplined.
And UTEP beating memphis? Well it wasn't being at the "right place and the right time". Memphis was supposed to win by a spread of 8.5 points, predicted by Vegas. UTEP was up against a noisy crowd of 17,000 and still came out on top.
UTEP crushed UCF, shows that UTEP is indeed one of the better teams in C-USA. Now if they want to show they're the top dog, they need to win out from now on.
Posted by: Eat It | January 24, 2010 at 01:36 PM
I still see this UTEP team as trying to find themselves. No continuity.
The talent is evident.
Still looking for the coaching.
Posted by: Viktims | January 24, 2010 at 04:15 PM
Aristotle, the fans don't even name themselves -- they're on message boards.
Thanks, shy.
Gee, appreciate the input from any long-time fan.
Javi, right on.
Minner bball...umm...exactly!
Eat It, yes, and no.
Viktims, I don't necessarily disagree. Bottom line: it's all about wins and losses. But to not give any credit where I think plenty of credit is due? SOME Miner fans are cutting off their collective nose to spite their face because they can't get out from under Haskins' shadow (see: http://tinyurl.com/y9sqx4t .) This, to me, is deserving of criticism...along with a coach's wins and losses at the end of the season.
Posted by: Duke Keith | January 24, 2010 at 10:34 PM