I don't know that UTEP has ever been this low in fan support, either. I don't believe there were really as many as 6,444 people in attendance, as the stats show. The rich-man seats, behind the benches, were just about totally empty. That's a sad sign.
Back to the game:
SMU (8-18) led by as many as 15 points in the second half. And it wasn't so much as UTEP rallying to take the lead, it was that SMU committed so many unforced turnovers that they missed numerous chances to even shoot the ball.
UTEP, as usual, was wild on offense. Don't say there is an offensive scheme. The Miners don't even wait to get open for a shot, they just fire.
Also: What's with the lights in The Don? They don't seem bright enough for TV. Saturday's ESPN game and Wednesday's game on Time Warner's cable Channel 24 looked like the flash didn't go off on a disposable Kodak camera.
No, it's not "a win is a win." You always have to look at where a team is NOW, and what can be expected in future games.
Wednesday it looked like two NAIA teams stumbling around.
But, but, but....
they won.
In the end isn't that the point of playing the game?
Wait wait, let me channel Herm Edwards...
"You Play to Win the Game!"
Oh yeah, and they do need to fix the lights.
Posted by: Jon | February 26, 2009 at 08:22 AM
It was starting to sound like a typical bad outing for the Miners under Barbee. I remember them well. Barbee's first year, they Miner lost to lowly Lubbock Christian...by 15 no less. The Miner looked listless, uninspired, unemotional and just plain bad. It happened again versus UTAH last year in the CBI and again this year against Tulsa. During those games, it was incredibly frustrating to be a Miners fan sitting in the Don. Last night however, there was a difference. Down by 15 with about 12 minutes to go, in front of 3000 fans, you could almost hear something snap into place(or was it a pin dropping). The Miners refused to go gentle into that good night. Out of the ashes, a single ember began to ignite and the Miner's passion, will to win and dare I say 'defense' slowly, oh so slowly, carried them to an expected albeit painstaking win. When was the last time a Miner team was down by 15 and won? Perhaps this group of Miners have turned a corner.
Posted by: Toasted Whitebred | February 26, 2009 at 08:41 AM
Of course a win is a win is a win. At the end of the day, the "W" is what everyone looks at. If you know anything about bb, you know that the team is going to come back flat, which is most likely the case, or sky high after a game like the Memphis game.
NMSU replaced their lights in the Pan Am Center prior to the WAC tournament, and the transformation was almost day to night. Of course, they are on TV almost every week, so they had to. Such is not the case with UTEP.
Posted by: Granger | February 26, 2009 at 08:50 AM
I'm glad Joe brought up the lights. Has the recession hit us that badly? Even on my LCD the game looked BEE A DEE -- and that was the original broadcast on ESPN. It looked like those grainy high school highlights they show on SportsCenter but lasted the whole game. Yuck.
Where are the calls for the start of football season? Oh, we all know they're coming. I can almost hear (and read) them now...
Posted by: just a thought | February 26, 2009 at 09:28 AM
A win is a win.
There is an offensive scheme.
Defense brought us back to win.
We can expect to win at least 20 games this year.
The lights are a little dim.
Posted by: CLEOFITZWITZ | February 26, 2009 at 09:43 AM
Amen, Joe. A win may be a win in January. But it's nearly March. If this is where the team is at ... not much hope for March.
Posted by: Jay Koester | February 26, 2009 at 10:19 AM
Not making excuses, but the poor attendance was partly due to "Out for ashes" to semi-quote TW. Also in the mix is the constant harangue of "rap music" blasting through the PA system. That in itself has turned people away. What's happened to the "in your face, fist pounding" arena music of yesteryear? Must admit a win is a win and yes, there appears to be a little less light at "The Don". Time for a lighting facelift folks. GET THE MONEY FOR IT!
Posted by: Proud of '66 | February 26, 2009 at 10:31 AM
I love how the bigger issue here is the lights.
And I have noticed for years now that the lights at the Don have been dim. I watch tons of games on ESPN and notice how everything is so bright on the court for other teams. I DVR'd the Memphis game (I of course was at the game) and when i got home to watch it again, I just noticed how dark it looked.
And this is not only an issue at the Don, but also at the Sun Bowl. When ever you see any games on what us to be CSTV, or on Metro, the colors look so dull and it looks so dark. The turf doesn't even look green.
Anytime ESPN does a game at the Sun Bowl, they bring their own extra lights and when you watch those games on TV they look Awesome, vibrant, and colorful.
UTEP needs to add more lighting to the Sun Bowl and fix the lights at the Don.
Posted by: Jon | February 26, 2009 at 11:18 AM
Predictions from back in January. Joe, I'll put my coif up against yours and we'll let Escapista hold the shears if you're up for a friendly wager.
Joe
"...All signs point to UTEP finishing with a 17-13 regular-season record. And if the Miner still have oomph in their heads and hearts, they won't suffer a five-game losing streak, which may have started Wednesday at UAB..."
Toasty
"...This Miner team will win 20 this year, guaranteed and their RPI will put them in the NIT. That will make it 3 years in a row of continued improvement...
Posted by: Toasted Whitebred | January 23, 2009 at 08:30 AM "
Posted by: Toasted Whitebred | February 26, 2009 at 12:01 PM
A win is a win ESPECIALLY in March. Check out Memphis blogs. They feel that they were lucky to escape what they call a dangerous UTEP team. A loss to UTEP would have knocked them down a few seeds.
We are terribly eratic and inconsistent, but we have won 4 out of 5. This is the time of year to put together such a winning streak, because in March, a win is a win.
Posted by: CLEOFITZWITZ | February 26, 2009 at 12:13 PM
Disagree with you Joe. A win is a win. There's no different definitions in the dictionary for the word win. A win is a win, especially in conference. You learn from this win and move on.
Joe let's stop with the negativity already. Talk about something you are actually knowledgeable about. Food?
Posted by: Jack | February 26, 2009 at 01:35 PM
Actually Joe, the lights are brighter this year than last. 1/500 of a second at f2.8 at 1600 ISO. You have a touch of night blindness. It's from getting older, or from lack of oxygen to your brain. Although there IS a light out over the basket on the tunnel end.
I don't know about the Miners, but I am still depressed myself over the loss to Memphis. So are most fans as evidenced by last night's attendance at the Don.
I cannot tell you how to live your life, but try a "glass half FILLED" kind of attitude for a while. Otherwise your face might stick like that permanent scowl you got going.
C'mon Miner fans, I know this has been a rough season for everyone. Make an effort to see the last home game.
Posted by: 2myeye | February 26, 2009 at 02:39 PM
haha deleted already? was the ep times afraid I would cause ppl to lose interest in this horrible blog with one little comment on your negativity?
Posted by: nopainnogain | February 26, 2009 at 08:05 PM
I'll take a squeaker win against SMOO over a loss to Memphis any day.
Posted by: Maven | February 26, 2009 at 11:52 PM
I still have hope that we'll play well in the C-USA tourney. Any thoughts out there?
Posted by: just a thought | February 27, 2009 at 07:54 AM
I don't see what the problem is. A week ago, NMSU beat La Tech by 2 points, after leading by 13 with 1 1/2 minutes left. Who cares? It doesn't feel good to almost lose to a bad team, but a win is emphatically a win. This is D-1 basketball, and the guys on every team are scholarship athletes. Sometimes kids on a bad team get hot and make a game interesting.
If UTEP was a bubble team, then perhaps a win would not just be a win. In that instance, UTEP would be expected to hammer inferior teams every night. But UTEP is not on the bubble, and will have to win the CUSA champhionship to make the post-season.
It should feel good to know that your team can win even though they have a bad night. When I played baseball in college (before NMSU), one of the worst teams in the nation took us into extra innings. We won and we were disappointed by the way we played, but we never considered the win not to be a win. Further, we did not contact the conference and tell them not to consider the game a win.
A win is a win.
Posted by: SM | February 27, 2009 at 10:26 AM
A win is a win.
Ask the Memphis Tigers a week ago and they'll tell you the same thing.
I also know a win was a win when we beat a "Mount" St. Mary's team.
Pick Ax
Posted by: Pick Ax | February 27, 2009 at 12:35 PM
JAT,
The Miners have continued to win despite playing poorly, being down a key player in McCulley for a period of time as well as a post player. But Watts has really come on.
If McCulley can get back into his rythm and the Miner can start playing more consistently good defense, which I think will happen, I think they will make a good run at the post season. We'll need lots of luck to win the C tournament but any combination of 4 more wins will get us into the NIT I beleive.
Bottom line is I think we'll get better not worse and selection committees tend to look at which teams are hot.
Posted by: Toasted Whitebred | February 27, 2009 at 02:15 PM
The selection committee isn't going to perceive a two point win from a thirty point win.
We all know the Miners need to win the CUSA tournament to get an NCAA bid. With a couple good scorers like Jackson and Culpepper, anything is possible in the tournament. However, if the Miners don't win the CUSA tournament, even a bid to the NIT is in doubt at this time.
Posted by: Granger | February 27, 2009 at 03:19 PM
I attended the SMU game and a few others this season. Each year I go to fewer and fewer games, and the main reason is the atmosphere -- and I don't mean fan noise.
Thank goodness I wear earplugs to counter all that racket coming over the turned-up-much-too-loud sound system.
And all the "media timeouts" and "official timeouts" and the rest of the game-stopping gimmicks are the best momentum-killers I've seen.
And the P.A. guy certainly is a homer, as is Teicher on the radio. Nothing objective about either one, though I know darn well who they work for.
Posted by: alvinyork | February 27, 2009 at 03:34 PM
i will tell you whats "awful". it will be your's or charlie's friggen editorial tomorrow about how we should bow down and pay thanx to ed archuleta and the p.s.b..
every sunday you idiots tell us this same bullchit.
Posted by: jafo | February 28, 2009 at 12:22 PM
Anyone here know how the team travels to away games? Do they fly a chartered aircraft? I was looking at tonights flights at ELP airport and didnt see anything that was coming in direct from MSY.
Thanks
Posted by: ELPguy | February 28, 2009 at 09:40 PM
I remember the days when UTEP basketball televised the away games, which kept the interest of the fans as they traveled away from the Don. Now, the university expects the fans to show up for home games, support our team, but they do not support the fans interest in following the team away from home! How can I keep my interest in the team when the school is not interested in the fan?
Posted by: Epflight | February 28, 2009 at 10:45 PM
UTEP is locked into the CUSA deal for television and, as is my understanding, has little control over its television rights. Different than the Aggies who can be seen every other game on local and regional television.
Posted by: Drury | February 28, 2009 at 11:18 PM
I have lived in Dallas, San Marcos, and San Antonio and this is the only "mid-major" university that does not get coverage for away games. You would think, being the only University in the state of Texas to win a national championship in basketball, that UTEP would make a better TV deal and not get themselves in a "locked in" situation! I was there when Hardaway broke the scoring record and the coverage was great. Stephon Jackson broke the conference record and it was just an afterthought! Come on UTEP! Give us some coverage...
Posted by: Epflight | March 01, 2009 at 08:39 AM