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UNM men's basketball: Transfers put on a good show in win
Photo by Craig FritzTribune
Tribune
J.R. Giddens continues to celebrate his second-half dunk after running to the opposite end of the court. UNM routed Western New Mexico 98-42 in an exhibition Thursday night at The Pit. Giddens had 20 points in 16 minutes for the Lobos.
Photo by Craig FritzTribune
Tribune
In the final seconds of Thursday night's home exhibition against Western New Mexico, the Lobos were looking for a score to top the century mark. Darren Prentice (front), Aaron Johnson (center top) and J.R. Giddens (left) anticipated a final basket to give the team 100 points, but UNM had to settle for a 98-42 win.
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Entertainment, guaranteed.
That's what J.R. Giddens and Aaron Johnson - the supposed saviors of Lobo basketball - promised for the rest of the year after Thursday's 98-42 exhibition win over Western New Mexico.
Excitement and swagger is what they present to The Pit faithful, they say.
But will it last?
"It has to," said Giddens, a junior guard who finished with 20 points in 16 minutes. "We have to learn to keep the intensity and have fun out there."
The announced crowd of 11,075 watched these two sashay around The Pit floor with a chemical mix of swagger and sixth-grader enthusiasm.
They encouraged the student section.
They yelled.
They swung arms.
They smiled.
They waved.
They celebrated over free throws.
They encouraged more fans.
They lost shoes (well, Giddens lost a shoe in the first half).
And Giddens, of course, threw down a reverberating fast-break dunk.
Johnson, a senior forward, threw his red Nike headband into the crowd.
This outpour of jubilance could be the result of not playing an official college basketball game in 20 months.
Both players sat out last season after transferring from big-name schools.
And it's easy to celebrate against Western New Mexico, an easy win. The Lobos jumped to a 15-0 lead and never looked back.
But these two say it's their personality to act this way.
All the time.
Against UCLA or Average Joes.
"That's me every day," said Johnson, a Penn State transfer. "If I didn't play ball, I'd probably be in an asylum somewhere. I can't control myself. I get hyped with energy."
Their next chance for showcasing is the Nov. 10 season opener at 7 p.m. against Abilene Christian.
Coach Ritchie McKay said Johnson and Giddens' passion is affecting the younger players.
Maybe Giddens' shooting touch will affect them, too. The former Kansas guard is as good as advertised - at least in exhibition games.
The Lobo's dynamic scorer poured seven of his team's first nine points on the Mustangs. He hit seven of his first eight shots.
The rest of the team shot a frigid 7-of-25 (28 percent) in the first half, but UNM finished at 49 percent for the night.
Johnson recorded the only double-double of the night with 11 points, 10 rebounds.
The challenge for these two is providing instant excitement that endures for a 31-game season and translates into wins.
Giddens said he plans to remain the same player the crowd saw Thursday, whether the team is putting up 98 points or 48 points, whether he's providing swish after swish or brick after brick.
Based on Giddens' confidence, however, the swish part seems elementary.
"I'm going to score," Giddens said. "I'm going to put the ball in the basket. It's just a matter of keeping that confidence and excitement going for the rest of the team."
Teammates didn't seem to mind jumping into the action Thursday, as freshmen David Kanyinda and Sean Imadiyi both celebrated after fast-break dunks late in the game.
In an effort to match the team's athleticism with excitement, the Lobos are trying to run a more uptempo, fast-break style of offense this season.
UNM registered 30 fast-break points against the Mustangs.
Giddens said UNM "is an exciting team to watch," but that's not only because of the on-court play.
"(The other stuff) helps, too," he said with a smile.
