The Paul Weir era of the University of New Mexico basketball program is set to tip off tonight at DreamStyle Arena against Northern New Mexico as part of the New Mexico Opening Weekend Tournament featuring Eastern NM, Fort Lewis, and NM Highlands.
The heavily favored Lobos have never faced off against Northern New Mexico in a regular season game, although Weir coached his former New Mexico State Aggies to a win over the Eagles last season.
UNM is led by senior forwards Sam Logwood and Joe Furstinger. The two players combined for 31 of UNM’s 73 points in an exhibition against BYU on October 27th, with Logwood leading all scorers with 23 points on 8 of 15 shooting.
Tonight’s game will be an introduction of sorts for many Lobo fans as Weir’s team features nine newcomers, including Troy Simons, Antino Jackson, Makauch Maluach, Jachai Simmons, and Vladimir Pinchuk. The staring five for Weir has yet to be locked down and will likely be a fluid work in process. However, veterans Logwood and Furstinger will likely be mainstays in the starting rotation, with Juco transfer Simons working as a starting guard.
A game against a small college like NNM with a student body of just over 1,000 is not exactly a difficult matchup for a division one program like UNM. But it will be an excellent opportunity for Weir and his new look Lobos to get their feet wet with a game that counts, and a fan base of excited Lobo fans looking to move on from the disappointing Craig Neal era will be ready at DreamStlye arena.
Tipoff is set for 7:00 PM, with television coverage provided by the Mountain West Network.