Smart will kick our rear-end, but I don't recall a time where UTEP played UT, here or there. A 2-1 deal would be nice, package it in with the football deal. It would give fans something to get excited about. I just find it odd that these two schools never play each other.
Why does UTEP not play UT in basketball?
- Thread starter Nugget 07
- Start date
I don't remember the year, but we did play UT back in the 60's or 70's. I do remember the score was something like 45-44, but not sure who won. Somebody out there will know. UT probably would back off any talk about competing because it's a no win situation for them. How embarrassing it would be to lose to a piddly little school that's barely in Texas.
We played UT at the Don in either Dec of 91 or January of 92. It was the sweet 16 team. We got up on them by about 30 and they mounted a furious comeback, led by BJ Tyler, and we ended up winning by only 2 or 3.
MINER63
MI Hall of Famer
MINER63
MI Hall of Famer
Yup. Boy the game was unreal. Fans from both sides were jawing at each other, refs were missing calls on both sides all over the place which made things even worse. Don Haskins said no more games with UT as far as he is head coach.
UTEP beat Texas in the Sun Carnival tournament in 1986 in a blowout 76-51 and followed that up with a win over a ranked Auburn team for the SC championship 87-82. Beat Arizona in ot at their place in the ncaa but lost by 2 to Iowa. Great year 86-87.
That was in the Sun Bowl tourney. UTEP beat Tennessee in the first game and then beat Texas 45-40 for the championship. 1962-63. Lost to Texas in the ncaa that same year 65-47.
We could play Texas any year we wanted to, we would just have to go Austin. The Whorns wont play us or any other mid/low major on the road. The same goes for A&M and Baylor we could play them any year just not at home. Thats why the only big 12 school we've scheduled is Tech they would play us home and home. Although I no longer think they will play us in El Paso. Stull wont schedule games unless we get a homegame. Our reputation and accomplishments dont warrant teams playing in El Paso. If we could turn the program around and become relevant again we could get big home games. Just look at Northern Iowa they built a great program and North Carolina came to town and UNI won.
UTEP would have nothing to lose by going on the road and playing some of the big boys, including Texas. It has been so long since the Miners have been relevant in bb, that some of the newer generation coaches know of our history only because of Glory Road. That's what happens when you only go to the tourney 4-5 times in the last 25 years or so. We have to earn the right to attract bigger name schools to UTEP on a regular basis. Those that have come recently, have basically done so as a favor to Floyd due to a few relationships built in his time in the PAC10 (12). We need big change at UTEP before this program fades into absolute obscurity, which is already happening at a rapid rate.
The reason Roy Williams set up Northern Iowa trip is because of Marcus Paige, who is from Marion, IA.
http://wcfcourier.com/sports/colleg...cle_1713c961-d3c3-5053-b992-908970131dc0.html
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