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The Pit pitch becomes the same-old at this time of the season.

The current keeper of the keys puts on that used car salesman smile, gets ultra serious and tries to convince you the 95-pound weakling coming into The Pit is really Mr. Universe.

Oh, the faces change. From Norm Ellenberger to Gary Colson to Dave Bliss to Fran Fraschilla to Ritchie McKay to Steve Alford.

But the pitch is the same. University of New Mexico coaches want you to look at teams like Eastern Washington and Presbyterian and see Duke and Kentucky.

Of course, the pitch really isn't for the media. It's for the fans so they'll kick out some entertainment bucks and it's for the Lobos players so they won't play flat and get their butts kicked.

Eastern Washington is the cream puff in The Pit tonight.

Alford can stand in front of you with a straight face and tell you that he is worried the Eagles actually could beat the Lobos in The Pit.

Probably because he believes it.

"It's that on-any-given-night deal," said Alford. "It could happen.

"And it's not like we are Duke. We are not a very good basketball team at this point. We haven't done anything. If we don't respect Eastern Washington or Presbyterian, we are going to get beat by those teams.

"We're just not that good to just show up and play."

The Lobos showed in Boulder, Colo., that they aren't yet that good. Their 54-47 win over Colorado revealed a UNM team with good shape on offense and defense, but also revealed a team with some internal flaws:

Eighteen turnovers.

Questionable inside scoring.

Too much holding of the ball before ball reversal.

Not enough scoring — or shooting — from J.R. Giddens.

Not enough playmaking from the point.

Still, since UNM beat a Big 12 opponent on the road doesn't that mean UNM should hammer this Big Sky opponent tonight in The Pit?

"These are good teams," said Alford. "I think some fans don't realize that because they look at a name and maybe they are not in The Final Four.

"I don't think (Eastern Washington) is a no-name. They had an NBA guy last year. You always respect your opponent regardless of the name, regardless of where they are from."

Eastern Washington comes from that hotbed of basketball talent called Cheney, Wash.

Presbyterian, which plays UNM Friday in The Pit is from Clinton, S.C.

The Lobos play St. Bonaventure Saturday and Loyola Marymount on Sunday. Next Hawaii and Southern Utah visit The Pit.

Alford has a good chance to be 7-0 when his Lobos go to Ole Miss on Dec. 1.

But not if they don't beat Eastern Washington. Which is why you have to cut Alford some slack when he puts on that used car salesman face.

He's really worried some old clunker might run his Lobos down.

Stevens is The Trib's deputy sports editor. You can reach him at 823-3663 or rstevens@abqtrib.com.