Rebuilding? Or what the?

It's probably OK to wonder what's going on with UTEP's young, but looking feeble, basketball team. And, just because the UTEP public relations wags  say  it's "rebuilding," how much rebuilding are they talking about? This team, based on the little schools who  beat it ... stinks!

Being wiped out by  Stephen F. Austin, 53-35? Can't score against a little guy? There was a HOME COURT loss to UT San Antonio (and an exhibition-game loss to Eastern New Mexico). All three of the losses came at home in The Don.

Is this UTEP?  The UTEP of the last eon? Real UTEP? 

UTEP is 1-3 now and will start to play big-name teams, at Oregon Tuesday. 

It's been media documented that this is a young UTEP team. Seven freshmen. Sometimes Coach Tim Floyd has a full floor of freshmen-only.

OK, lose to the bigger-name teams in Conference USA. But,  c'mon already! San Antonio and now S.F. Austin?

UTEP's 35 pointsvs. S.F. Austin  the lowest in its  history in The Don. Getting 35 points in the age of the shot clock?

This is a new team recruited here by second-year coach Tim Floyd. What the?

 

 

Comments

[David]

Yeah, this is a bit frustrating. There is no offense to be found. Somebody needs to step up or there are going to be a lot of changes in the next few years.

And block out for God's sake! Ridiculous

[CLEOFITZWITZ]

Fire Tim Floyd! Is that where you want this to go Joe?

[SoggyCat]

It is coach's fault...

He fed them way, way, way too much turkey this year...

"You are what you eat."

[The watcher]

Hey, there is no reason for any kind of lofty expectation for the Miners for this year or next, if you are going by the previous seasons' records as a foundation for that expectation. The Miners weren't that good before Floyd got here, truly. We tend to forget the CBA years padded the win totals. And we didn't exactly play the best competition regularly, so a lot of wins came from pretty iffy competition.

Give Floyd two more years before you start riding him and his team. As for now, the basketball team even losing is a lot better than the football team.

[Roman1]

Joe,

Not too long ago you were praising coach Floyd for rebuilding the team the right way with freshmen. It was definitely a bad game and the season seems to shaping up to be a long one, but that is no reason to start dumping on the team and coach Floyd so soon.

Obviously you either haven't, or maybe have forgotten, what it's like to work with freshmen. As a high school teacher I know it can be a long process to mold them just right and a lot of patience, which you don't seem to have Joe, is required.

[David]

Even when Barbie brought in all those freshman they still had Stefan Jackson and Culpepper was a standout. This team has no standouts right now and no offense making it much harder. It will take time. These guys need to really work on the basics like blocking out and passing the ball before they can even think about winning. Time....

[Guru]

We believe in you Floyd! Growing pains is all it is, be patient people

[Jesse]

What do we need to do to have the EP Times have Munch cover NMSU only?

He is an Aggie fan, and his coverage reflects it. His points are sooooo off-base.

Please EP Times, have someone else cover UTEPia. Munch is about as interesting as his haircut.

[Canaima]

Brilliant writing from Joe once again (not!). Joe, your writing is to journalism what the Miners performance against SFA is to major college basketball. Joe, if you call yourself a journalist then why don't you go out and talk to Darius Nelson and get the inside scoop as to why he quit (we know what was reported but what is his side of the story). C'mon Joe, do some work for once in your career.

Now with that off my chest: we knew this would be a tough season but I guess it is going to be a lot tougher than anticipated. Still, I think the future looks bright and I think these players will mature and develop into a strong bunch. The MIners showed some promise against NMSU. I think as the season progresses we'll see some more consistent play and someone will emerge as the leader. In a few years, we will be exacting our revenge on the lowly Aggies and others.

[Golf4life]

The fact you all scored only 35 points is no accident. The Lumberjacks lead the nation in scoring defense last year and have been near the top in defense for the past 6 years. Oh by the way, we have 9 new guys and lost 4 out of 5 starters from last year. We take great pride in D and if you give Coach Kaspar a week to prepare watch out. By far he is one of the most underated Division 1 coaches in the country. Ask some people in the coaching business and they will tell it was no accident we knocked off the Miners. I give credit to Coach Floyd agreeing to play us when most high majors will not scheldue us. Good luck the rest of the season!!!

[Todaysspecial]

Most freshman play like freshman. The UTEP players are no exception. Anyone who thought that the preseason loss to a lower division NM squad was an anomaly, now know different.

Let's face it, the Miners aren't very good. They haven't been "good" since the 1990's sweet 16 squad. They will get better as the year progresses, guaranteed. Will UTEP make it to the NCAAs or the NIT? Nope, but maybe next year. Will the Miners be able to buy their way into another CBA tourney? Sure, why not. And that's better than the UTEP football team can say.

[Pat]

Patience. Floyd is building the right way. The El Paso Police Dept should have issued arrest warrantys for Barbee and Doc for murdering the UTEP
program with all the JC transfers and not building the program. Doc cannot win any other way and Barbee used UTEP and a spring board.. no love for El Paso or the university.

[John]

Tim Floyd makes $600,000 a year. For that price, he needs to be "good" all the time, by any means necesary, including a few JC transfers.

[Dongle]

JC transfers is the reason the Miners are where they are today, a team without experience and in real danger of a 10 win season.

No JC transfers.

[miner22]

How bout Arnett Moultrie leading Miss St. to a ranking? Floyd should of never gotten rid of that guy. Could of used him last and this year. Projected 1st round pick too. Stupid move. He probably regrets it now. We have no true "bigs". Granted it is a building year, but look at all the other freshman in the country leading their teams. Enough excuses when it comes to UTEP athletics.

[jcLEEt]

Coaches want their own guys (recruits) and Floyd has done that. Red-shirting a couple more of last year's seniors would have helped though.

Letting Moultrie get away to Miss St has proven to be a HUGE loss; too bad Floyd did not want him. Someone's ego seems to have gotten in the way.

[Adrian]

Floyd is a disciple of Haskins which means that he thinks he can win by just playing defense. Floyd needs to realize that basketball has evolved since then.

He ruined last year's team by attempting to force them to play defense. It was like taking thoroughbreds and turning them into pack mules. It was then that I realized that Floyd will not bring UTEP back to prominence.

Playing four corners offense will not bring in the blue chip players or the sell out games.

Get ready for misery UTEP fans because just like with Mike Price, it will take 6 or 7 seasons of .500 seasons before people start to realize this man is passed his prime.

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