It's over for hard-fighting UTEP; Floyd to Oklahoma?

Losing 69-57 at New Mexico in the first round of the NIT? Yes, expected. In fact, it was almost like strict UTEP Coach Tim Floyd told the (25-10) guys to just go play hard and see what happens. Because, the Miners' defensive moxie was not there.

What happend was the Lobos (minus their team leader/leading scorer point guard)  mince-meated UTEP inside at will and UTEP's senior-dominated team could not hold their Conference USA  moxey.

Now comes questions: The Big 12 job at Oklahoma  is open. Is UTEP "national name" Coach Tim Floyd a candidate? Who better? Oklahoma needs a winner!!

And if any Miner fan thinks back, Assistant Coach Johnson has been doing a lot of the "face" time with the radio and other media people. Has this been a plan? Floyd's top aide takes over?

 Floyd's contract stipulates he can leave anytime without any penalty.

But he loves it here.

And BillyGillespie (to Texas A&M) "loved" El Paso, and so did Doc Sadler (Nebraska) and Tony Barbee (Auburn).

Also, by the way, NOTE:  Utepia blogger "Barry" predicts ex-UTEP Coach Gillsispie will be named the new Texas Tech coach Wednesday.

So the Miners' future (this team is virtually all seniors)?

So far, next year's UTEP's incoming list doesn't have any proverbial "diaper dandies." It's to be the return of frosh center John Bohannon (a talent, but sassy-to-coaches) and 6-7 enforcer junior Gabe Mculley (maybe he can add shooting touch to "tough?").

And? Is there a 20-game winner in that recruting class? And will UTEP fans buy tickets if it doesn't look that will be?

As usual, my bottom line:

UTEP ran out of adrenalin some three games ago,  back  in the Conference USA tournament. Too many guys played 39- to 40-minute stints, for too many games, for being a team with no real good big man. Legs give out, even young college-aged legs. And big beats smaller when that's the case.

Add to that: It appeared Tuesday, in Loboland, that Floyd gave the seniors ... well

It appeared the season's moniker of the disciplined defensve vs. C-USA teams was not there. UTEP was its former pre-Floyd self. Just shoot! Run. Shoot. Run some more.

End of Floyd "Season No. 1."

Will there be a Floyd No. 2?

 

 

 

Comments

[shyminer]

Worry about your horrible Aggies...

[CLEOFITZWITZ]

Typical Muench. Throwing out rumors of coaches leaving with absolutely no leads. Just speculating on the negative concerning UTEP. As if the city of El Paso was not overwhelmingly negative as it is. Joe likes to feed this atmosphere. It would actually be more gutsy to stand up against the negative vibe and speculate fairly. Speculate based on facts. There is nothing there on Joe's latest rumor.

[bill]

Why not OU. The Big 12 just lost their UTEP connection when Nebraska took a powder. Would be a nice gig for Floyd. He wouldn't have to worry about getting a whole crop of freshman in next year and the subsequent dismal seasons to come.

[a fan]

Thank God UNM's Gary didn't play. Would have been a 30 point beat down instead of 10+.

Sure didn't do anything for UNM strength of schedule. Yikes.

[miner maniac]

Don't start this shhit Joe. Floyd is the UTEP coach. That's that!

[Alex]

Why do people get so ticked off at Joe? It's reality bola de pendejos, UTEP is what it is, we'll have a good season occasionally, a great one every 20 or so years, and many like this one where we are pretty good in league play but nevertheless a one and done team in postseason play. I do believe UTEP can build a consistent winner, if one of the coaches that lands here would commit, didn't Haskins do it before and built a consistent winner? But we all know that's not going to happen, Floyd already covered his butt by stipulating he can leave anytime without penalty. Thus my friends the reason I don't commit to UTEP either, and I believe a lot of fans have caught on. Every coach that comes here talks about how the fans should commit, and then they bolt after a good year. So just as the relationship of UTEP's coaches with our city is casual, so is mine with UTEP sports, if I have something better to do I will not go to the games, and I believe I speak for a lot of fans who are fed up with committing and not reaping what they sow.

Go whiners! get your denial on, no realistic fans needed!

[byublue]

Every CUSA team that played today got spanked. Guess the pundits got it right about the conference.

There was certainly parity in the conference; all of the teams are mediocre.

[Chapo Guzman]

UTEP absolutely sucks. They are the Whiners, not the Miners.

[Stahala]

Don't forget to make your bracket!

http://tournament.fantasysports.yahoo.com/

group#: 85619
password: utep#1

You must enter your final bracket picks before the first game of the tournament, which is scheduled for 12pm EST(10am MST) on March 17, 2011.

Good Luck! Bragging Rights on the line!

[JAT]

What was that last night? Good gravy that was awful. I'm glad their best player was out too.

Overall, the state UTEP football and basketball was not terrible this year. The football team made it to a bowl and the basketball team the NIT. Some schools qualify for bigger bowl games and the big dance but some don't qualify for anything in the post-season. For a school like us, this past year was really par for the course because our resources and tradition are sorely lacking.

And FYI to Bob Stull, let's avoid Albuquerque for a while. (From Mike Price and Tim Floyd).

[Aggietude]

If Tim Floyd leaves you guys are more than welcomed to hire Marvin Menzo!

He's a nice guy...can't coach a YMCA team but, he's a nice guy..

[George in H Town]

UTEP is cursed to be either a stepping stone or a grave yard. Don't blame Floyd, Big 12 is a step up. Was El Paso a step up from New Orleans? Possibly at one time, but no more. But if it gets him to a better job, why not. Haskins was a rare jewel. I really, really doubt there will ever be a coach that really wants to stay in El Paso again. But Floyd, having grown up in El Paso, may prove me wrong, I hope so, but after the way they played last night, it now makes sense.

[A Minor Fan]

It is what it is. You saw what you saw.... no discipline, no work ethic, no substance and most of all no pride;( All show and no go) things that should have been embedded to the team by Floyd..either he tried and the team couldn't do it or wouldn't do it. "Pobrecitos Miners", mabybe next year.

[MK]

Fortunately for the Miners and unfortunately for Floyd no big school is going to take a look at him for a while, especially one whose program has been recently sanctioned by the NCAA like OU. Floyd is simply too tarnished right now for a major program to take a chance on. Besides, if Muench would do any kind of research before throwing his crap against the wall hoping something sticks, he would know that OU is targeting Marquette coach Buzz Williams.

[ScoutWest]

UTEP went to a bowl game, hosted CUSA tournament and got an invitation to the NIT.....I would say UTEP fans should be happy and thankful for those results....Yeah, it can always be better but enjoy it now because it might not be so good next year; Example, ....The Houston Cougars are not feeling too good right now...their football team didnt get to a bowl game and their basketball team almost finished last place....

Every fan wants to win championships but very few ever reach that status;....the only thing wrong with UTEP athletics is that there is NO MENS BASEBALL PROGRAM..can you imagine playing the Rice Owls, Houston Cougars, Tulane, SMiss, UCF in CUSA every year and playing out of conference teams like Texas, ASU, UA, UNM, TT, Baylor, A&M, TCU, etc.....

[BOOMER SOONER]

Diehard Sooner fan here. When OU hired Capel it was a total off the radar hire, nobody saw it coming. Same can be said with Bob Stoops. I would be shocked if any "name" coach got the job.

OU hoops is in terrible shape. NCAA problems with both prior coaches Sampson and Capel. Not much returning talent and not much in the pipeline in terms of recruiting. I would be shocked if OU would go after Floyd especially with the NCAA snooping around OU hoops after the Tiny Gallon stuff. Nothing against Floyd as I think he is a good coach and all that. I have not seen one article or post on any of the Sooner places on the net that mentions him.

Other than money I see no reason why he would leave UTEP. OU basketball is a tough sell these days and the success of the Thunder hasnt helped. The Lloyd Noble Center is ok, but for college hoops its dated and a very easy environment for opponents to play in. Student interest in hoops at OU is low. The announced crowds are a joke as people buy OU hoops tickets to accumulate points to get better football tickets and they dont even bother to attend the hoops games. Its really sad. I understand the need for OU to maximize revenue, but I think its unfair for a crowd to be announced at 7 or 8 k when in reality 1500 are in attendance. If those good seats that are purchased but unused were available more people might go, but I do not see OU changing that policy.

The only reason to go to OU basketball home games is to hear the band.

[john franco]

I can see trying to get a conversation going, but Floyd to OU is just idiotic, Joe.

Last nights game was pathetic and an embarrassment. For as much as I praised Miners for their heart the other day, I think I will add "a bunch of quitters" to the list of their problems especially at the end of the year. Don't let the door hit you on the way out,senior Miners.

We'll see if Bohannon is back after that incident with Foster. Maybe another big man bites the dust.

[BryanW]

I think the fact that Assistant Coach Johnson did most of the TV time is more of an indication that Floyd is helping him get a head coaching job somewhere than it is evidence that he will take over at UTEP. Floyd did an incredible job winning 25 games without anything close to an effective power forward or center, but it wasn't demonstrative enough to get him a job at OU after just 1 season. Especially given the troubles at USC, fair or not.

[Sharona]

If floyd leaves, does that mean we get a new "real" annoucer, names on the back of the uniforms and the players points up on the scoreboard? If so...goodbye Tim! Tim forgot who he works for...the fans. If he needs help packing, call me. I'll even drive him to the state line! Oh, take stull with you tim. He's done here too.

By the way, the last few games were lost by poor coaching! Everyone of those kids played with all their heart.

[Doc Sadler]

Just spoke with Tim Floyd he is not going anywhere. Confirmed he is staying at UTEP for the long haul.

[Peprica]

I don't believe Doc Sadler is reading this blog! But I hope what that post says is true. The last thing we need is more turnovers in the coaching department.

[Andy Springer]

I thought the Miners were tired. The loss to Memphis took a lot out of them. That game should have been won by UTEP. They had them down, but kept letting them get back in the game. Memphis will be a team to contend with for the next 2-3 years. I do hope Floyd stays and builds an annual contender for the C-USA Championship.

[George in H Town]

The game SHOULD have been won by UTEP, and they did run out of gas in the last ten minutes, but to be honest they were completely undiciplined. Haskins would have had them back out on the floor after the game running windsprints. Were the tired, yeah, and UNM did have a couple of days rest on them, but they SHOULD have won. It was good to see Greg Foster on the bench. When Floyd leaves, I'd like to see Foster take the program over.

[Baskerville]

I disagree. The team that should have won, did. They had poise, discipline, and a great (for an NIT game) crowd behind them. Two days between games should be enough.

Also, remember the Lobos were playing with Gray, their best player. To give you an idea of how good he is and the impact of not having him, take Culpepper out of the UTEP lineup and then let the Miners take the court.

The Lobos played in a much tougher conference and played well enough to beat BYU two times out of three.

As far as Floyd going to OU, it ain't happening. OU won't want him and Floyd probably wont' want to go.

[Mark]

You're an idiot Joe. Starting rumors or speculating is just stupid at this point. The season just ended yesterday. Why don't you actually go to the games instead of writing bs without ever going to any games.