A remarkable season just gets more fun-damental
The line that composer Herman Hupfeld penned back in 1931, then was sung by Sam to a pensive Elsa 11 years later in “Casablanca” before Rick so rudely cut him off, is as true now as it was then. The fundamental things still do apply. The New Mexico Lobos defeated Saint Joseph’s 84-69 Tuesday night at the Pit, sending UNM to the National Invitation Tournament’s final four (note the lower case; it’s nice, but it’s still only the NIT and not the Big Dance).
Big Dance? Back in November, Lobo fans had no reason, maybe even no right, to expect this team to be within sniffing distance of the NCAA Tournament — or to be 26-10 and one of 14 Division I teams (out of 365) still playing as of this writing. First-year coach Eric Olen, the new kid in school, had to assemble a completely new roster.
Yet, here they are. How have they done it? Clearly, the roster Olen assembled bristles with talent.
Just as clearly, Olen and his staff have coached them well. So, yes, the Lobos are good at basketball. They can shoot, run, jump, bang bodies in the paint.
All of that — but there’s more. What’s that sound I hear? It’s there, if you listen carefully.