UTEP stubs toe; home team rally

UTEP lost to what good home teams do, go on at least one big scoring run on  Wednesday. But just digest this score: Southern Miss won 45-39. It was not a halftime score.

Good home teams usually have a rally. And, in the second half, Southern Miss outscored UTEP 13-0 to take the lead for good. A 13-0 run in a 45-39 game means:

1. UTEP continues to play winning defenese; its strategy to stop opponents' top scorers has been a positive all season. That's good coaching.

2. UTEP's offense is miserable! Just awful. Drives to the basket? Ohhhh, no good! That's, well, can the rostered Miners become scorers or not? If not? More 45-39s.

UTEP is now 14-11 and wasn't going anywhere in the post season, anyway. Now it's not going anywhere even more. Its 7-5 Conference USA record? No big shakes in a truly weak league.

It was a season-defining night in Mississippi for UTEP - it's first-half nine-point lead fizzled because of a just-plain terrible offense.

Comments

[Figmund Sreud]

The Miners are playing for seeding in the CUSA tourney, and have been since game 7 at the start of the season. No one likes to lose, but if they are going to lose, now is the time.

Lose or not, there are a number of post season options. NCAAs if the Miners can win CUSA. NIT if they can keep their record just a hair over .500. And if all else fails, a buy in to the CBI tourney, which the fans will pay for. CBI helps pad the season stats, so why not. The Miners do have post season potential left in them.

[Ed]

I quit. After 20 years of being a UTEP fan, I'm no longer supporting UTEP athletics. Cutting off my checks to their fundraising initiatives as well.

I'm also going to stop reading the ELP times. You would think that since there's not a competing paper in town, they would rip into this program since it underachieves over, and over, and over again. Instead, Joe makes it appear that he's punishing his kid by pointing out a few positives, while lightly mentioning the fact this team stinks. Do your job and call it as you see it - this game, as well as this season, warrants harsh criticism.

I've seen this team play in person against UAB and tonight against So. Miss. The UTEP athletes are bigger, appear to be more athletic, yet lose to lesser talent in a pathetic conference. I don't care what anyone posts - this is a team that isn't responding to their coach. The players (talent wise) are there - Floyd is a bizarre character that just isn't reaching them.

Suggest UTEP consider bringing back Barbee next season. He's doing a poor job at Auburn, and will likely be terminated at the conclusion of this season.

God bless!

[tickam]

Hey Mr. Ed,

Don't let the door hit you behind the a$$!

Good riddance!

[Pascal Fortran]

Three years into Floyd's tenure with 2 recruiting classes under him; this team should be performing better. I've seen this team play three times (@ UAB, E. Carolina, & Tulane), and agree that they have been the bigger and more athletic team at each game I've attended.

Though Floyd began his career at UTEP, El Paso wasn't a good place for someone of his stature to land. He was too far along in his career, he's become arrogant, and a tad overbearing w/his players. I'm a little shocked with the overbearing discipline issues he's encountered, because he did coach in the NBA. NBA players are handled with kid gloves - you'd think that would've transitioned to his college coaching agenda. Sure, team discipline is good, but treating these kids like they're the 82nd Airborne or 1st Marines infantry won't work.

I hope Stull doesn't turn this into a loyalty issue by keeping this guy around like he did with Price. Price overstayed his welcome by 4 to 5 years; Floyd will overstay his welcome if this team doesn't win the CUSA league and tournament championships next season. Anything else will be a failure.

[Another season]

Have to agree, Floyd should have the team further along than it is toward the end of year three. It may be one player or multiple players or the coach or a combo of the two; whatever it is, something isn't right with this team.

Always another season to look forward to.

[Aggietude]

If this was a football score. 45-39 would have been a great game.
But, were talking basketball and that is a horrible score.

Looking forward to saturday and watching the Aggie block party by Bhullar & Dixon!
Go Aggies, spank the minors!

[a Fan]

Aggietude,

I like the team you have this year. Except that character who punched out the student. I am glad he is no longer with the team. I wish your team well, except against the Miners.

I wouldn't be so sure that your big men will do well against the Miners bigs. They didn't fare so well earlier in the year, losing a lead late and dropping what must have been a heart breaker for you in El Paso.

I'm looking forward to a good, competitive game. Should be another Miner victory.

Sorry.

[Aggietude]

Fan,
Just a little clarification on Tyrone Watson vs. what the media is saying:
He got in a fight because he didn't like the way the student grabed his girl when they were dancing. He stood for her and punched him ONCE, not, multiple times like the media has portrayed.

I think most of us would have done the same if our significant other was gropped. Unfortunately, he's an athlete and very visible and his career is pretty much over.

[a Fan]

Aggietude,

I agree with you that the story hasn't completely been told. Maybe Mr. Watson will be portrayed in a more favorable light or maybe even worse as the days progress. There will be an investigation, witnesses will be called, evidence presented and a trial held. That's our system.

There seems to be one indisputable fact though, and that is he battered someone, one punch or more, it doesn't matter. It is a felony. He chose that path. He chose anger over reason. He chose to end his college career. Him being a 6'5" 230+ pound athlete hammering a 140lb guy doesn't speak well for him or his judgment.

I disagree that anyone would do what he did. I can see being upset. Sure. I have to wonder, why didn't his girlfriend object to whatever was happening with the guy she was dancing with? Wasn't it her call and not Watson's since she was with the guy? Error two on Tryone's part, perhaps? And if this guy inappropriately touched her without invitation, then why weren't charges filed against him right then and there? Certainly, that would have mitigated the damage and made Mr. Watson's actions justifiable, as in no arrest. Clearly, that didn't happened. Your stating it that there was some inappropriate touching is the first I've read anywhere of it. One more thing, you call it a fight. Was it really a fight? That would imply a couple guys squaring off against one another, as opposed to a guy getting blasted with his hands down. You see, so many questions...

I do have to say that I respect NMSU administration for taking action as it did. Many schools don't want to risk losing games by suspending starters.

So you know, I see NMSU games on TV often enough as they are televised on Fox, one of the local cable channel 3 or 4? and the ESPNs more than the Miner games. For the record, I think your team is better off without Watson. I think the reserve center, I don't know his name, when on the floor with the huge freshman center is a much better combination than with Watson out there.

By the way, your team should be favored in the game, which is good for my Miners.

[Aggietude]

Fan,
Just trying to clear up some things the media is portraying.
Watson, for 3 1/2 years was model student athlete. 3.3 GPA, visible in the community, team captain, etc. There was never an issue. So when these allegations came up, it was shoking that a class act kid was involved in somethng like this.

Unfortunately, in one momment of anger his career is over (senior) and maybe his life will be changed for the worst.

Anyways, should be a good one. Aggies by 7.

[Pascal Fortran]

Aggietude: Shame on NMSU officials for kicking this kid to the curb. No doubt, it will come back to haunt if your account is indeed accurate. I would've done it any day of the week, and twice on Sunday, had someone touched my girlfriend, sister, or female friend in that manner.

Sounds like he's a good kid that let his emotions get the better part of him. He'll get an opportunity to play at the next level if he's athletic enough. If not, he has a college degree to fall back on.

Just curious - did his girlfriend file an assault report with the local or state authority against the instigator (offender)? If so, a good lawyer can get this pleaded down to misdemeanor charges if he indeed struck the person only once. I'm shocked he was dismissed from the team, & this matter didn't get elevated to a formal hearing within the college's code of conduct board (before they dismissed him from the team).

Sounds like there might be more to it than you know. I work at an SEC university; a kid really has to have screwed up in cases of dismissal without due process. Those type of dismissals are usually applied to theft, excessive physical assault (rape, brutal beatings, etc.), murder, & academic dishonesty cases.

Maybe we don't know the rest of the story.

[a Fan]

Aggietude,

The kid was clean for those years, I don't think anyone questions that. Putting someone in the hospital pretty much negates those good years in about 1/10th of a second.

NMSU must have been pretty certain that he violated their code of conduct or he would still be on the team. That's how it works at UTEP, I'm pretty sure. The other thing, having someone with legal problems on the team creates distraction. Sometimes it's better to take the hit, remove the distraction, and move on.

Miners win by two on a last second shot, guard driving the lane.

All in good (respectful) fun.

[Aggietude]

Fan, Pascal,
What's done is done and you can't cry over spilled milk (basketball wise). He will get his day in court, hopefully it will work out for him.

Aggies by 7. TTY on monday.