The NMHU Men's Basketball team will be starting the defense of their 2009 RMAC West Division Championship with their season opener against the Buffalos of West Texas A&M University on 11/17 in Las Vegas, N.M. at 7:00pm. In the RMAC pre-season poll the Cowboys are ranked first overall after a second place finish in the 2008-09 season. Trailing the Cowboys in the pre-season polls are the 2008-09 RMAC champion Metro State College and perennial powerhouse Fort Lewis College.
The Cowboys are coming off of their best season in the past decade as the Cowboys set a new NCAA record for the greatest All-Time Turnaround in all divisions. The Cowboys went from a 1-25 in the 2007-08 season to 20-8 in the 2008-09 season under new
Head Coach Joe Harge. In Coach Harge's first year the Cowboys clinched the 2009 RMAC West Division Championship and hosted a RMAC Shootout first round game. The Cowboys season was ended in a heartbreaking loss to the Cougars of Colorado Christian University in the first round RMAC Shootout game by a final score of 86-83. The Cowboys look to better their 2008-09 record breaking season in the 2009-10 season with everyone returning from their record breaking 2008-09 campaign.
The Cowboys started out their preseason with some tough NCAA Division I opponents in the University of New Mexico Lobos and the University of Texas-El Paso. The Cowboys competed with each opponent throughout the game but would eventually fall to each of their pre-season opponents.
The Cowboys will be headed by returning senior All-American
Roman Andrade. Andrade was named the All-West Division Player of the Year in 2008-09 as well as to the All-RMAC First Team. Andrade was also named to the Pre-Season All-RMAC Team for the 2009-10 season. Other notable returners are:
Chris Dunn and
Mindaugas Markevicius. Dunn was an All-RMAC First Team selection in 2008-09 as well as was named to the Pre-Season All-RMAC First Team in 09. Markevicius was named the RMAC West Division Freshman of the Year in the 2008-09 season.
Click
HERE to View the 2009-10 Pre-Season Poll
