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New Mexico Lobos, from left, Bayron Matos (1), Makuach Maluach (10), Kurt Wegscheider (30) and Saquan Singleton (2) are seen during Tuesday’s game in Houston against Our Lady of the Lake, an NAIA team. UNM won 104-65. (Courtesy of University Of New Mexico Athletics)
When Paul Weir took over the UNM program ahead of the 2017-18 season, 3-point shooting was one of the things he said would be a big part of the offense.
In his first season, the Lobos ranked No. 18 out of more than 350 Division I teams in reliance on the 3-point shot, getting 39.5% of the team’s scoring against Division I programs from 3-pointers. In year two, that dipped to 35.8%, which ranked 81st.
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UNM Lobo forward Rod Brown grabs a rebound early in Sunday’s game against the Rice Owls at Tudor Fieldhouse in Houston. (Photo courtesy Maria Lysaker for UNM Athletics)
Here are some extra notes, quotes, tweets, stats and whatever else I could find in the old notebook that didn’t fit in print after Tuesday’s 104-65 Lobos win over NAIA school Our Lady of the Lake in Houston, Texas:
Bully ball
OK, so the opponents haven’t been the type of physical team that the Lobos will see soon in Mountain West play. Certainly not in the paint.
But the schedule is what it is and at this point UNM’s three newcomer forwards have been nothing short of dominant down low. Rod Brown (6-foot-7, 218-pounds), Bayron Matos (6-9, 215) and Valdir Manuel (6-10, 225) have done everything asked of them to help carry over the Lobo coaching staff’s primary point of emphasis from the unique offseason in which U