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Richard Stevens: With name like Alford, Lobos expect attention

By Richard Stevens
Thursday, July 26, 2007

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Steve Alford isn't comfortable having to coach against Bobby Knight, Alford's former coach at Indiana.

Poor Steve.

Steve Alford dropped Iowa off the University of New Mexico schedule because he felt returning to the school he dumped (before it dumped him?) would aim too much attention at Alford and take away from the game between the Lobos and Hawkeyes.

So what?

It seems Alford's comfort zone is being given too much importance in scheduling UNM basketball.

It also seems Alford is forgetting that one of the reasons UNM dropped a $975,000 coaching package into his lap is because he has a big name that can bring much-needed attention to UNM.

Alford dumping Iowa - replacing the Hawkeyes with Ole Miss - and contemplating dumping Texas Tech just doesn't wash.

It's selfish reasoning.

UNM purchased the Alford name just as much as UNM purchased a coach the school believes can take them to a higher level of basketball.

That name needs to be squeezed for all it's worth - about $975,000.

The Alford name has much more meaning in a game against Iowa than it does in a game against Ole Miss - or Colorado or Hawaii or UTEP.

If Alford isn't comfortable playing at Iowa, who cares?

It's an ESPN moment. UNM, buried in a Mountain West TV package that also should be buried, needs all the ESPN moments it can get.

The Hawkeyes fans would have gone nuts over Alford's return to Iowa. Most of them never liked this Indiana transplant from the get-go. Alford at Iowa would be pure drama and the nation would have tuned in. The visit to Ole Miss is a step down.

If Alford is uncomfortable playing Knight, who cares?

This is another ESPN moment that Alford and UNM need to grasp and squeeze for all the TV time they can get.

Tech and Bad Boy Bobby are one of the better regional matchups for UNM, especially since Lute Olson at Arizona is so scared of The Pit. UNM vs. Texas Tech should be a home-and-home deal as long as Alford and Knight are at those two schools.

Now, don't consider these thoughts to be a knock at Alford's first schedule as a Lobo.

The list might not be as brave as the New Mexico State schedule that includes visits to Duke and Louisville, but it beats the Gary Colson cupcakes, the Dave Bliss patsies, the Ritchie McKay no-names.

Alford's nonconference schedule includes Texas Tech, Ole Miss, Colorado, New Mexico State, Texas-El Paso and Hawaii.

Not bad.

But this schedule might be a tough test for a first-year UNM coach who is still patching up the mess left by the mistake named McKay.

The good news is that the schedule is a test, and there are about 975,000 reasons why Alford's schedules should be considered tests and why his comfort zone shouldn't be a factor.

And the only reason Alford should ever, ever feel uncomfortable about playing Knight is if the game is in The Pit - and Alford loses.