UTEP Men’s Hoops Schedules Road Contest at Preseason Top 20 Arizona State

[MistaBinks]

EL PASO – UTEP Head Coach Rodney Terry announced a fifth nonconference contest as the Miners will travel to Tempe, Ariz., to take on Associated Press Preseason no. 18 Arizona State on Dec. 16. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. MST at Desert Financial Arena.

The Miners and Sun Devils can be seen on the Pac-12 Network, and heard on 600 ESPN El Paso.

ASU Head Coach Bobby Hurley enters his sixth season at the helm, as the Sun Devils are picked to finish second in the Pac-12. Senior Remy Martin leads the Sun Devils as the 6-foot guard earned AP Preseason All-America honors on Nov. 10. Martin led Arizona State to a 20-11 overall record, averaging team bests in points per game (19.1) and assists per contest (4.1). Martin was also announced to the NABC Division I Player of the Year Award Watch List on Nov. 23. Senior Alonzo Verge Jr. also returns for Hurley as the 6-foot-2 guard ranked second on the team in points (14.6 ppg).

The contest will be the second against a Pac-12 program as the Miners will also play at perennial-power Arizona on Nov. 29. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. MST at McKale Memorial Center.

 

[miner1liner]

EL PASO – UTEP Head Coach Rodney Terry announced a fifth nonconference contest as the Miners will travel to Tempe, Ariz., to take on Associated Press Preseason no. 18 Arizona State on Dec. 16. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. MST at Desert Financial Arena.

The Miners and Sun Devils can be seen on the Pac-12 Network, and heard on 600 ESPN El Paso.

ASU Head Coach Bobby Hurley enters his sixth season at the helm, as the Sun Devils are picked to finish second in the Pac-12. Senior Remy Martin leads the Sun Devils as the 6-foot guard earned AP Preseason All-America honors on Nov. 10. Martin led Arizona State to a 20-11 overall record, averaging team bests in points per game (19.1) and assists per contest (4.1). Martin was also announced to the NABC Division I Player of the Year Award Watch List on Nov. 23. Senior Alonzo Verge Jr. also returns for Hurley as the 6-foot-2 guard ranked second on the team in points (14.6 ppg).

The contest will be the second against a Pac-12 program as the Miners will also play at perennial-power Arizona on Nov. 29. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. MST at McKale Memorial Center.

That's great, but why can't we ever get a high profile team to come to EP? Do we at least get a home and home out of the deal?

 

[axingfools1]

That's great, but why can't we ever get a high profile team to come to EP? Do we at least get a home and home out of the deal?

These contests could pay off in the future with home and home series (unless we win of course).

 

[JCorona]

That's great, but why can't we ever get a high profile team to come to EP? Do we at least get a home and home out of the deal?

It’s really not the best time to host a high profile program.

 

[axingfools1]

It’s really not the best time to host a high profile program.

Agree. Also in UTEPs current position (middle of the road CUSA) they should be willing to play anyone and anywhere.

 

[Cube Jack]

UTEP wins!

 

[MineroFanatico]

It has a nice ring to it that UTEP, who was projected to finish 9th in CUSA, beat ASU who was projected by many to win the PAC 12, on their home court, and was actually an ass kicking.

 

[TxRdKiller]

It has a nice ring to it that UTEP, who was projected to finish 9th in CUSA, beat ASU who was projected by many to win the PAC 12, on their home court, and was actually an ass kicking.

Indeed. As the color analyst said in the last couple of minutes when ASU did not use a time-out, he said something along the lines of "ASU isn't playing with energy or intensity so Bobby Hurley is just letting them keep going. He's letting them finish taking this whooping." Something like that...

 

[utep2step]

It has a nice ring to it that UTEP, who was projected to finish 9th in CUSA, beat ASU who was projected by many to win the PAC 12, on their home court, and was actually an ass kicking.

Reading ESPN article on ASU post game it sounds like Hurley has problems he, not the players need to address: a) Just because UTEP was picked at bottom half of CUSA doesn't mean the Miners do not have talent. Someone on the ASU staff and/or Hurley did not do their homework. This is a very talented UTEP team and it came together last night, finally. They have Christopher, we have Williams & both are future NBA quality talent. Everyone in CUSA 2x teams Williams, ASU didn't. b) Hurley got outclassed last night. c) We on this board knew what CRT had on paper, I guess the college gurus didn't; and they're paid to study this? d) IMO, this maybe an upset on paper of a mid-major beating a P5 on their home court, but UTEP was just ready to bust a big game; however, does UTEP have enough to topple WKU?

 

[Rocketsr]

ASU is a very overrated team. This is the 3rd time I have seen them play and all they do is jack up 3's and run a pro style offense. Yes, they have talent, but they are not jelling as a team. They think they are Kentucky west, and are not even close to being that kind of team. They shot 34 3's against SDSU because they lack an inside game. They were 1 out of 18 against us.

Now in all fairness to UTEP, we made them shoot that way as we played outstanding defense. Either the Pac 12 is extremely weak this year or ASU is going to finish toward the bottom unless they re-invent themselves and begin to start utilizing more of an inside game to help them with their poor 3 point shooting.

Either way, it is a great win for UTEP as I cannot remember a quality win like this on the road in years. And to echo what every is saying, hopefully it is a springboard to a weaker schedule coming up with CUSA. These tougher games hopefully get us ready for them.

 

[utep2step]

""We have to decide if this is important enough to you to commit the amount of emotional attachment, to appear like you're really interested in playing and competing harder through the whole game, and not just 20 minutes," Hurley said when asked what message he had for his players after the loss. "It's just mysterious how inept we were in terms of competing and giving energy."

Sounds familiar, doesn't it? Almost exactly one year to the day when some UTEP players wanted to mutiny in Hawaii. One year later UTEP is celebrating it's biggest win in years.

I still think Hurley came into last nights game thinking they would not lose to a bottom tier CUSA team not know the composition athletes for UTEP.

However, thanks to them this team knows they can play any one, any where, any day if you play together as a team.