ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Proud. Talented. Over-confident. Shocked. Embarrassed. Tired. Beaten. Humbled. Flawed. Tested. Resilient. Unpredictable.
Forget the rest of the 2015-16 college basketball season, the grueling 21-day stretch the UNM men’s basketball completed with a surprisingly dominant road win Saturday night in Fresno, Calif., ran the gamut of descriptions.
“I think they became stronger,” Lobos coach Craig Neal said. “Now, they still have a lot of issues. They’ve got to keep growing up and get better. But if they keep listening and keep doing what we’re asking them to do, they’ll keep getting better.”
The coach’s mood, and that of the Lobo players inside a celebratory visitor’s locker room at the Save Mart Center where UNM just dominated the Fresno State Bulldogs on their home court, was a combination of relief and elation.