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At the Mountain West Media Conference held Wednesday at the Palms Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, name tags might have been useful given the league's many new faces. The annual gathering, designed to introduce the conference's teams and players, had an especially fresh feel this year. The 10-team league now includes three new programs—Hawaii, UC Davis, and UTEP—along with second-year member Grand Canyon and Air Force, which has a new head coach in Joe Crespin.
However, no introduction was necessary for UNM's second-year head coach, Eric Olen. The leader of the preseason Mountain West favorite Lobos—who edged Grand Canyon by a single point in the preseason poll—drew praise from multiple head coaches for his efficient and effective coaching style and schemes on both ends of the court.
Two new Mountain West coaches who previously faced Olen in the Big West when he was at UC San Diego expressed mixed feelings: while they are glad to be in the new league, they are not exactly thrilled to have to compete against Olen again—a coach for whom both have the utmost respect.
"I see him as fierce a competitor as I've ever faced," said UC Davis head coach Jim Les, against whom Olen went 3-1 in their last two Big West seasons as the Tritons completed their transition from Division II to Division I. "But his sideline demeanor is not about reacting to calls or bad plays; it's about figuring out how to make adjustments and get his team out of whatever adversity they're facing. I think that's a misconception about him. He's an elite competitor."
Eran Ganot, the Hawaii head coach who led the Rainbow Warriors to the NCAA Tournament last season, also faced Olen's UC San Diego teams during that same transition period, going 3-1 against him in Olen's final two seasons. "You respect him and what he's done with his programs—not just what they've been doing, but how they're doing it," Ganot said. "First-class program, the way they play, very open-minded. It's no surprise he's doing such a great job right away at New Mexico. Remember, this guy has won at an elite level. For me, you'll always hear nothing but great respect for him and what he's about."
For those keeping score at home: Seven. That's the number of Mountain West men's basketball coaches, out of 10 asked by the Journal about the Protect College Sports Act and the current state of college basketball, who used the term "guardrails" in voicing support for proposed national legislation aimed at overseeing the volatile landscape of high player transfer rates and increased university spending since players gained the right to be paid. UNM's Eric Olen did not use the term "guardrails," but he did say there needs to be a framework of sorts for college athletics.
Also for those scoring at home, Grand Canyon (three) and UNLV (one) have potential starters whose playing eligibility for the season starting in less than a month remains uncertain pending litigation. Every coach, without hesitation, agreed that at a minimum, it would be nice to have a drop-dead date for roster certainty so everyone knows who they have—or don't have—for the coming season.
So Long, Steve
Nevada head coach Steve Alford, whose six-year tenure at UNM from 2007 to 2013 was one of the most successful stretches in program history, faced another round of reporter inquiries Wednesday about his recent announcement to retire after the upcoming season. "I've been thinking about it for a couple years, just because I've always been about family," Alford said, noting the decision gives him more time with his three children and four grandchildren. Nevada and Alford's final walk down the Pit ramp as a head coach will come on Jan. 5. He noted that the Pit still holds a dear place in his heart, much like his high school gym in New Castle, Indiana, and Assembly Hall at the University of Indiana.
Sunny D Bringing the Juice
The league's walking soundbite, Wyoming head coach Sundance Wicks, did not disappoint under the bright lights on Wednesday. Asked by the Journal about some social media criticism—not an overwhelming amount, but a memorable some—regarding his on-court interactions with players during the Cowboys' game in the Pit last year, in which the fiery coach emphatically coached up (or yelled at, depending on your perspective) several of his players, Wicks responded with a sly smile: "I don't know how they do it in Querque Town, but we're gritty and not pretty in Wyoming." It is worth noting that Wicks has been a longtime, vocal fan of the UNM Lobos program and its fan support since his time coaching former Lobo Dane Kuiper when UNM's staff was recruiting Kuiper. "I love the wolves out there, man," Wicks said. "Like, I love Querque, bro. The Pit is a fantastic venue to play, and there's never not an unbelievable energy—a competitive, relentless energy to will their home team to victory, and I love that stuff."
Brotherly Love
UC Davis returning forward Omer Suljanavic, the older brother of UNM transfer forward Imran Suljanovic, said he looks forward to playing against his brother for the first time this season as Mountain West foes. The two played against each other plenty growing up in drills and practices, but never in a formal game. As for a scouting report on his Lobo brother, who is one year younger, Omer offered the following: "He knows what he's doing on the court—he's very offensive-minded. He's a great shooter. He can pass the ball. He can rebound the ball." The praise went on. So how much of that basketball skill did Imran, the new Lobo, get from his older brother Omer, the returning UCD Aggie? "I mean, pretty much all of it," Omer said smiling. "I'm older, taller, and stronger than him, so he always had to figure out new ways to try to beat me."
Geoff Grammer is the Sports Editor of the Journal, a podcaster, columnist, and covers UNM Lobos basketball, among other things. Reach him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter (X) @GeoffGrammer.
Originally reported by yahoo.