TEXAN TIP-OFF CLASSIC
NOV. 14 at TARLETON STATE 6 P.M.: LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO | LIVE AUDIO
NOV. 15 vs TEXAS A&M COMMERCE 1 P.M. LIVE STATS
STEPHENVILLE, Texas – It will be a new look for the New Mexico Highlands men's basketball in 2014-15
. The Cowboys have a new head coach in
Craig Snow and only three players return from last year's squad. However, coach Snow is excited about the players brought in and to see what the season brings.
"I think we have some really high character kids who are doing things the right way and have committed to being here," Snow said. "We're excited about building them into a basketball team. We have good quickness on the perimeter and guys who can shoot the basketball. Eventually, we will have a physical, inside presence that will really help us on the backboard. It is a very unselfish group, a team that understands it is about the collective and improving as a team.
"What they have shown in scrimmages and practice is a team that has improved every day and has a tremendous work ethic. Overall, this is a group you will see get better as the season progresses."
The truly diverse group accentuates the recruiting strength that coach Snow showed while as an assistant coach for three seasons with New Mexico. While in Albuquerque, Snow helped the Lobos win three Mountain West Conference Tournament titles and three NCAA Tournament berths. The 2014-15 Cowboys will feature a pair of players from Australia: guards
Jonathon Mines (Jr., 6-4, 185) and
Matthew Logan (Jr., 6-2, 185).
Three other players who are new to the program call Albuquerque home: guards
Adrian Ortega Jr. (Fr., 5-10, 185),
Drew Herig (Jr., 6-1, 185) and
Joe Anaya (Fr., 6-1, 175).
Assistant coach
Brandon Mason, who played collegiately with New Mexico State, helped bring in six new players from Chicago for the 2014-15 season. They include guards
Ricky Norris (So., 6-2, 200)
Charles George (Jr., 6-0, 185),
Kendrick Nichols (Jr., 6-3, 200) and
Marcus Stevens (So., 6-1, 170).
Combining the players from Australia, Albuqerque and Chicago with guards
Renato Torres (So., 6-2, 185, El Paso, Texas) and Las Vegas-native
Justin Bustos (RSo., 6-3, 185), coach Snow feels the Cowboys can go 6-7 deep at the guard spots.
"We are a very guard-heavy team," coach Snow explained. "We have tremendous depth on the perimeter and there is not a ton of separation from our top of the line guards to our guys who will probably play less minutes. I am excited about that as it makes practice very competitive. We have some guys who have definitely stepped up and showed some things.
Charles George will be our starting point guard to begin the year and he has shown capabilities that you want in a point guard.
Jonathon Mines, who is a really good scorer, can shoot the basketball really well and has a lot of confidence offensively. I think those two guys will be center pieces for us on the perimeter.
"Our depth with
Matthew Logan and
Marcus Stevens along with
Drew Herig,
Renato Torres and
Joe Anaya is something that can set us apart from many teams as we can go six or seven deep at the guard position. It is something with which I am very proud," Snow added.
The front court will not be as deep as the backcourt and coach Snow it will be a work in progress for the upcoming season.
"In the front court, we have some guys that battled through some injuries and have come in out of shape because of those injuries," coach Snow opined. "Kaylen – who is 6-10, 285 – was a high major recruit, is a very phyical presence inside. The challenge with him is to keep him on the floor because he is so physical, he is a guy who attracts fouls. However, he is a big body that is rare at the Division II level so we are excited about him. Other guys we have around him are Panda (
Erick Vega) and eventually Torin, who can rebound and really play. We also have a utility player in Kendrick that you can pay all over the floor. He is really talented and can be a scorer."
The front court will feature forwards
Erick Vega (Jr., 6-6, 230, Guadalajara, Mexico) and
Torin Washington (Jr., 6-7, 230, Chicago, Illinois); players who can play the four or five in
Amal Wilson (Jr., 6-6, 265, San Bernadino, California) and
Jacoby Harrison (Jr., 6-6, 275, Houston, Texas) and center
Kaylen Shane (Jr., 6-10, 285, Chicago, Illinois).
"I think it is a group that has some talent and will continue to get better," coach Snow added.
Besides returners Vega and Bustos, the Cowboys have guard
Luis Rodriguez-Quintana (Sr., 5-11, 165, Parral, Mexico) back for the 2014-15 season.
Unfortunately, it will be right from the frying pan into the fryer with the new coaches and players as the Cowboys begin play at 10th-ranked Tarleton State in the Texan Tip-Off Classic Friday (Nov. 14). Highlands will also battle Texas A&M Commerce the following afternoon. The Lions are not ranked, but beat NCAA Division I Texas Tech and narrowly fell at Texas A&M in the preseason.
"The schedule is very difficult," coach Snow stated. "You do not have to go into detail to realize how hard the conference is as it is one of the premiere Division II leagues in the country. We are opening with Tarleton State, who is coming off a school record 28 wins and is ranked 10th in the nation. Opening up with a nationally-ranked team is tough enough, but we follow that up against Texas A&M Commerce, who beat Texas Tech and almost beat Texas A&M in exhibitions. To have those two teams on opening weekend makes it a challenge in of itself but that is something we want to measure our self against. To get this program where we want to be, it is really good for me and our team early on in this process to see what a nationally-ranked team looks like from an organizational standpoint and a talent standpoint. It will only help us long term. We are excited about that."
If the tough opening weekend was not enough, the Cowboys travel to Phoenix to take on Arizona Christian the Tuesday before Thanksgiving (Nov. 25) and then travel to New Mexico State on January 5, 2015.
"We also have Arizona Christian, who is coming off a really good season last year with more than 20 wins and an NAIA Tournament berth. They have a well-respected program," coach Snow noted. "We also have New Mexico State, who we all know made the NCAA Tournament last season and gave San Diego State all they could handle in a First Round NCAA Division I Tournament game. They have a lot of size coming back and Coach Menzies is well-respected. For us to have an assistant in
Brandon Mason that played there and to be able to play a game there is special to us.
Added Snow: "At the end of the day, we want to play the premiere Division II programs and play as many Division I teams as we can. We are excited about the non-conference schedule and what will lead in to always difficult conference play."
