New Mexico head coach Craig Neal is quick to remind everybody the youth on this year’s Lobos squad, even calling it the youngest in nine years.
In every game this year, the Lobos started three sophomores – two of them redshirts – and two juniors. The bench doesn’t get much older with only one senior who sees any meaningful minutes in games, and he joined the team last year as a preferred walk-on transfer.
When considering that youth, Neal said he knew adversity would come at some point in the season. However, he didn’t see it the way it came: an unusual loss to Rice then to three straight at the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic.