Just a bad night
Just write it off as a bad, fluke night, the Miners' 109-80 loss Wednesday at Central Florida. Let it not be an omen, though.
UTEP is not THAT bad. Central Florida is not THAT good.
Yes, no UTEP team has given up that many points since 1961 — that's almost half a century ago.
It does go to show that UTEP, as some figured, is not going to win on the road against decent teams. Don't look for a big turnaround and an invite to the NCAA and likely not the NIT, either.
Admission: I almost blogged earlier Wednesday that the thing to watch Wednesday night was what happened if the score was close late in the game. If it was close, how would UTEP handle the pressure late in the game and on the road? Late-game errors has been the Miners' bane this season and last.
Now fans must look at the Tulsa game here Saturday. I'm betting UTEP will be back to the UTEP seen before the Central Florida blip.
UTEP will be lucking to play a single game in post season. The season has been very inconsistent to say the least. Let's hope the Women can win out on this road trip and crack the Top 25!
As for the Men, let's hope they at least get invited to the Sun Carnival Classic - heck, that might be in limbo after this past performance
Posted by: Disappointed | January 24, 2008 at 04:00 PM
I absolutely agree with Joe. Just erase this game and move on. I don't think its practical to expect this team to play post-season basketball this year.
Next year will be another story though. 2008-09 will be the Barbee bellweather. The 'can he coach or not' year. So get your ducks in a row Barbee or you'll start to hear chants of No-lan, No-lan, No-lan.
At least I'm willing to give you another year.
Posted by: Toasted Whitebred | January 24, 2008 at 04:42 PM
Well I think most people got excited about UTEP's hot start and started thinking this might be a legitimate post season team. This is exactly where I thought the UTEP basketball team would be. they will finish with a winning record and in the top half of C-USA but they are a year away from a true post-season contender.
And is it just me or is Monchis the most negative person on this blog. He's worse than Joe.
Its like he thrives on negativity. Hes always the first person to post whenever something bad happens to the Miners.
He just looks for and predicts the worst in the team, player and coaches. He already predicting a losing season for UTEP and they haven't finalized their coaching staff, recruiting class, or even started spring ball. Even when the Miners win, he looks for the bad things in the game.
Monchis, did someone kick your puppy?
Its a game! These are Kids! Try to enjoy it sometime.
See, you are what us young folk call a "Hater".
Posted by: Jon | January 24, 2008 at 05:27 PM
You suck when you get whooped by 29 points.
Posted by: Rick | January 24, 2008 at 05:29 PM
It's interesting how fans make preseason predictions for a mediocre season and then blast the team for fulfilling that expectation. Fans here are generally not realistic one way or the other. The truth is that this year's team is more talented than last year and that will generate some wins. They also are going to look young and inexperienced for a very good reason. They are! Lot's of freshman getting minutes and as difficult as it may be to digest, it makes for a very uneven season. Stefon Jackson is a very talented player but he is no Jeep Jackson when it comes to competitive zeal or leadership. Coach Barbee has openly criticized Kilgore for not stepping up and being a leader. Victor Ramalho is Victor Ramalho. He is not going to drop step dunk. He is not going to blow past his defender for reverse layups. He is going to work his butt off on defense and hopefully neutralize the other more talented opposition. The younger post players we have are still developing I'm sure Britton is getting his limited minutes for a reason. I know we as fans get tired of saying next year will be better, but it is what it is.
Oh by the way, I think next year will be better.
Posted by: CLEOFITZWITZ | January 24, 2008 at 05:56 PM
The Miners record last year was 14 and 17, 6 - 10 in conference. This year, they are 13 - 6, 2 - 2 in conference. I would say thats an improvement. Let's see what happens when UCF and Houston come down here.
It's not easy in any league to win away from home. Even in their heyday, the Miners were hard-pressed to go .500 on the road in conference. I think that is still an obtainable goal albeit a very difficult goal. We also need to take care of business at home.
So let's all just keep an even keel for now. Even you Monchis...I'm watchin you!
Posted by: Joe Cole | January 24, 2008 at 09:21 PM
UCF had one of those can't miss nights when the Miners couldn't get off the bus. We did it to Rice a few years ago and that Rice team was pretty good. UCF is not a 70% shooting team with 64% from the three so UTEP needs to shake it off and go back to basics as they say. I never expected glorious things from this team this year because of youth. I expect them to finish in the middle of the pack. But next year is a different story with a true center and a year more experience this team should do very well. As for this year we just have to hold on for the ride. Yee Haa Go MINERS!!
Posted by: jwest | January 25, 2008 at 09:28 AM
Hold on there fellas, why are you trying to lynch the messenger?
I can't help it if my astute observations are always accurate!
Jon, no one kicked my puppy, and I'm certainly no hater, but merely a realist.
At no time did I predict a losing season, only no post season play. Stop twisting my words, Jon.
It pains me to see the miners struggling, and I wish they could win every game , but let's face reality, both the coach and players are relatively inexperienced, and that's UTEP's undoing!
I'm always there at the games and rooting for the miners! So, don't call me a hater, please!
Posted by: Monchis | January 25, 2008 at 09:32 AM
its still early in the conference season, but i think these next two home games will determine how we do the rest of the year.
Its important UTEP doesnt let Wednesday's loss beat them tomorrow. Look at the rest of the conference slate...these next two games are huge we want to finish in the top half of the league. I can agree that wednesday's game was a complete abberation, who knows, maybe it clears this teams mind and they go out and play solid ball tomorrow.
Posted by: RJ | January 25, 2008 at 11:38 AM
Manual Cass has had problems since his junior year in high school. There were a lot of people pulling for him to turn it around because they could see vast potential in him. It's unfortunate he could not work it out here at UTEP. I'm sure coach Barbee was tough on him but he doesn't strike me as being unfair in any way. Cass had actually been kicked off his Carbondale high school team twice. We wish him the best.
Posted by: CLEOFITZWITZ | January 25, 2008 at 01:24 PM
Manuel Cass has been dismissed from the BB team. What's that all about?
Posted by: Lowercase Ray | January 25, 2008 at 01:32 PM
Ha Ha. Monchis said the word "lynch." Who do you think you are Tiger Woods. Don't you know you are not suppose to use that word.
On to the Miners, everyone on this blog will jump on the band-wagon all over again if Utep beats #1 ranked Memphis. All these so called, "Haters" will be the first to say, "See I told you they would beat Memphis." I'm not the kinda guy to mention anynames, Dissappointed, Rick, Mon-Chicos-Tacos-CheeZe.
What I don't understand is "Why does Utep, for the 2nd year in a row, have to go to Memphis AGAIN!? If we did a 1 and 1, wouldn't this be the year that #1 ranked Memphis have to come to the Don. Are they scared to enter? When was the last time a #1 ranked team played in the Don? Somethings wrong with that, by the way is the Conference Championship Tourney in Memphis AGAIN?!?
Posted by: Ike | January 25, 2008 at 02:59 PM
Memphis came here last year and played on ESPN2? UTEP put up a good fight against some super athletes.
Posted by: just a thought | January 25, 2008 at 03:56 PM
I sat in the student section in that game last year and we just let them have it. Memphis was the cockiest bunch I've ever seen in the Haskin's Center. I hope our shots are falling like they were in last years game. When shots are falling, anything can happen. They try to intimidate during team warmups with a dunking exhibition. Let's see how our young players handle it.
Posted by: CLEOFITZWITZ | January 25, 2008 at 04:10 PM
Um monchis, you miss understood me. When I said you already predicting a losing season I was reffering to your comments about next years football team not this basketball team.
Posted by: Jon | January 25, 2008 at 05:36 PM
Clever way to euphemize my nickname, Ike, blockhead!
Sorry for using the wrong word. The word should have been, "SHOOT", the messenger.
And an emphatic, NO, to your ridiculous assertion that if, and that's a big "IF", UTEP should beat Memphis, I will be first to say "I told you so"!
However, I will be the first to congratulate UTEP should they perform such a miracle!
I never retract my predictions and UTEP doesn't stand a snow-ball's
chance, you know where, of beating Memphis, you can take that to the bank!
Read my lips: NO POST SEASON PLAY FOR UTEP!
I believe internal strife within the basketball team is due to the fact that coach Barbee is, in my humble opinion both aloof, and arrogant, and that's created a mini rebellion! That's why UTEP is struggling and Cass was dismissed because he just plain rebelled against Barbee and his strong arm method of coaching!
Sorry Jon, I misread your blog, however, I have yet to predict UTEP's football fortunes for the upcoming season.
I may have given that impression though, but I have a sneaky feeling coach Price won't be able to right the sinking ship!
You never know though, coach Price might surprise everyone with his coaching replacements!
My hope is that UTEP will be competitive and win the close games!
Posted by: monchis | January 25, 2008 at 07:43 PM
It's too bad Ramalho couldn't go with Cass. We lost half a team of good players two years ago, now Cass. I hope it was a disciplinary reason that Cass had to leave and not a conflict of personalities. The question marks surrounding Barbee keep mounting.
Posted by: Joe Cole | January 25, 2008 at 09:21 PM
That's a low blow J.Cole, Ramahlo may not be the most gifted player, but he works hard and battles every night. More often than not he is battling guys a couple inches taller than him with who are pretty solid around the rim.
The guy who could have really helped this year was Maurice Thomas. He was a better rebounder and scorer than Ramalho, but for some reason they never got him the ball last year. He often looked frustrated with Barbee's system.
Mo thomas would have added size and experience...he was the guy I was most dissapointed about losing during the offseason.
Im not going to pretend to know whats going on, but it doesn't sound good from the outside looking in...
We just gave up a trillion points on the road, we have serious problems winning any close games, and now what was called one of our better recruits is dismissed from the team.
Like I said, tonights game is huge, its a must win for UTEP, hopefully they can put all this behind them and come out and play...but either way, its been a bad week in UTEPIA.
Posted by: RJ | January 26, 2008 at 07:23 AM
I have inside info that Cass had to go. He was a disruption to team chemistry and team morale. Like I said earlier, he has had issues since high school. Barbee did the right thing.
Posted by: CLEOFITZWITZ | January 26, 2008 at 09:56 AM
Sounds like a premadonna. Barbee was a tough, hard-nosed, worker type when he played and he was all about the team. He probably has a tough time putting up with someone whose intereset lie within himself or someone who was negative and a disparaging force.
Hopefully the team with rally around each other now that the negative voice of dissention is off the team.
We all live with the self-affirming belief that 'hardwork' pays off. Sometimes, however, we have to look in the mirror and realize no matter how hard we work, we will never succeed at something we have to aptitude for. We should also remind ourselves that some guys have 'IT'. Whatever 'IT' is, some people are born with the natural ability to perform a task better than others. I see a guy on the UTEP bench, Claude Britten, who has shown shades of brilliance at the post position yet he plays very little. I see another guy who, some say, works very hard yet looks like a bull in a china shop. If we are building for the future, why not give the younger talented player a few more minutes to develop?
Please forgive my spelling.
Posted by: Toasted Whitebred | January 26, 2008 at 10:14 AM
I don't think it's time to throw the towel and start playing the young guys all the time. A lot of things can happen in a basketball season.
Posted by: oscar | January 26, 2008 at 02:37 PM
Congrats to coach Barbee and the Miners on a big win. You deserve the accolades. Now lets get ready for Wednesday.
Posted by: Joe Cole | January 27, 2008 at 09:52 AM
The miners will never be as good as they were in the 80s, just like when they had the SOUP Campbell's, Jeep Jackson's, Chris Blocker's, Tim Hardaway's, Antonio Davis', Prince Stewert's , shall I go on.
Posted by: Eugene | January 27, 2008 at 02:43 PM
First off, big win Saturday night, yes it was against Tulsa, but you can not afford to lose home conference games and that Tulsa team is better than their record indicates.
Utep came through in the clutch, but I would like to still see that late game performance on the road.
Second point...DJ Jackson was clutch in the second half Saturday.
He absolutely carried the team: free throws, rebounding, breaking down the defense and getting to the rim...great job...
Bill Knight has an interesting article about DJ in the EP times and the guys he surpassed on the all time scoring list saturday(one being Will Smith who is one of my personal favorites, I'm 25 and didnt really get to see those other guys play)
anyways...I was bored at work and did the math...if DJ averages about 16 points per game for the next year and a half, he will easily surpass Wolfram as UTEP's all time leading scorer.
Its easily within his reach, hard to think this was the same skinny kid who got punched out by j-will three years ago.
Posted by: RJ | January 28, 2008 at 05:13 AM
Good win by both Men's and Women's BB team. As has already been said, Jackson carried the team that 2nd half on Saturday. The only thing that could make him a better player would be to become a better 3 pt shooter; gives him something to shoot for over the off-season. Also Britten got a chance to shine a bit in that game, good for him. We could sure use for the big man to find his confidence down the stretch. Barbee had high praise of him after the game, so I believe he'll give him his chances.
The women's team face a critical juncture in their season these next two games. They play the #4 and #5 teams in CUSA, on the road. This will be the first time they face SMU and Tulsa and it is terribly important to get these wins. Houston and UAB are only a game in back of UTEP. Being in a conference which will probably only get one team into the NCAA tourney, they can't aford to surrender the top spot. Finishing the season well is the only way they can reasonably expect a spot in the tourney if they don't win the auto-bid. ESPN bracketology has them as a #9 seed right now. They are heading into the home strech, they can't afford to let their guard down now.
Posted by: Lowercase Ray | January 28, 2008 at 01:47 PM