John Locher/Las Vegas Review-Journal via Associated Press

UTEP's Stefon Jackson (passing) is the nation's No. 4 scorer at 25.5 points per game. He's also tied for second in free throws attempted, with 118 in the Miners' 11 games. Lobos guard J.R. Giddens, who's likely to be guarding Jackson when UNM plays at El Paso tonight, said, "You have to bone up on some extra film on Mr. Jackson because he's kind of a special player."

More LoboZone

• Richard Stevens: Faces I'll remember are the smallest ones
• Michael Garcia: Here's to you, athletes, coaches and friends. These memories - and lessons - will last forever.
• Tribune sports: Five faves

MOST RECENT TRIB STORIES

• ABQTrib.com to remain available
  08:48 a.m., February 25, 2008
• Congressman is indicted
  08:37 a.m., February 23, 2008
• Series of attacks target Green Zone
  08:36 a.m., February 23, 2008
• Iran is defying U.N., agency says
  08:35 a.m., February 23, 2008
• Waterboarding approval probed
  08:34 a.m., February 23, 2008

TRIB IN THE BLOGOSPHERE*

• Ty Murray Invitational thrills fans in Albuquerque
• Is Rome Burning?
• Ominous Skies
• The Road to Invalidation
• Albuquerque company participates in “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”

*Note: The Tribune does not create and is not responsible for the blogosphere's headlines and stories. These links to blogs talking about ABQTrib.com are automatically generated. Use them at your own risk.

STORY TOOLS

• E-mail story
• Comments
• iPod friendly
• Printer friendly

SHARE THIS STORY [?]

UTEP's Stefon Jackson is so cool he has his own CD.

UTEP burned the disc on Jackson. The Miners are promoting their 6-foot-5 willowy, wiry guard as an All-America candidate.

As they should.

Jackson is good, and his CD is more entertaining than some of the trash you can rent at your local Blockbuster.

The CD is a series of highlights with Jackson doing what he does best - destroying defenses.

Jackson does it with dribble-drive penetration to the rim. He does it by sliding and worming into gaps in defenses and nailing short jumpers.

He does it by averaging 25.5 points per game.

He does it by hanging and twisting beneath defenders and going to the foul line, where he is tied for the No. 2 spot in the nation in attempts at 118.

To give this number some perspective, UNM's top gunner, J.R. Giddens, has shot 47 free throws in three more games.

The CD makes Jackson look NBA-bound because that is what Jackson will probably be someday.

But not tonight.

Tonight, Jackson will be a UTEP Miner trying to defend his court against a bunch of hot-shooting Lobos.

And one of those Lobos might be tempted to stop and ask Jackson for his autograph.

One of those Lobos has been spending so much time watching Jackson on tape that he probably thinks of Jackson as Michael Jackson - with better moves.

"I've been looking at some extra film on Stefon," said the 6-5 Giddens, who has the size, the quickness and the experience to match up with Jackson on defense.

"I pay close attention to film all the time, but you have to bone up on some extra film on Mr. Jackson because he's kind of a special player.

"I think it will be an interesting matchup."

If there is a difference between UTEP's star and UNM's star - other than free throws - it's that UTEP lets its star shine a little brighter and take more shots.

Jackson has launched 179 times in 11 games. Giddens has shot 130 times in 14 games. Jackson averages nine more shots per game than Giddens.

Not that you can argue with either philosophy. The Miners are 9-2 and UNM is 12-2.

The teams have other similarities, too.

The Miners get 50.5 points from Jackson and two other guards: Marvin Kilgore and Randy Culpepper.

The Lobos get 48.1 points from the perimeter fivesome of Giddens, Chad Toppert, Jamaal Smith, Darren Prentice and Dairese Gary.

If all these hotshot guards neutralize one another, the inside game might be key.

UTEP has more of a committee thing going with 6-9 Tavaris Watts, 6-9 Victor Ramalho and 6-10 Jeremy Sampson combining for 16.3 points and 13.0 rebounds per game.

The Lobos lean mostly on 6-9 Daniel Faris, who averages 9.2 points and 3.9 boards.

Lobos coach Steve Alford says Faris, "gives us a low-post presence that I'm not sure we have when he's not in there."

Faris picked up only three fouls in UNM's past two games, but this might be a tough game for Faris to avoid foul trouble. The Miners big guys are active inside, and the Miners guards like to attack the middle.

"The strength of what they do offensively is their guards," Alford said. "Our depth isn't something that's going to wear them down.

"They are on a roll just as we're on a roll. It's a great matchup. This game obviously is very, very important to us, but the one on Saturday (at Wyoming) starts a whole new season and ultimately that's the game we have to look toward."