On the balance, the UTEP men's basketball team should feel good after its toughest road trip of the season ended with two victories and the expected loss at Middle Tennessee.
The upset at Louisiana Tech was a surprise, the win at Southern Miss showed a building team taking care of business. The effort was there against Middle Tennessee, and while the Miners aren't ready to beat a team of that level on the road, they are getting closer.
Finishing the year at .500 in Conference USA seemed an optimistic goal when the season tipped, it didn't seem likely when the Miners started 1-3, but it was clinched in Southern Miss when UTEP won its ninth league game.