Now that March Madness is upon us, and brackets are brimming with favorites and Cinderella teams, we’d like to give a shout out to two of our favorites here in New Mexico: the UNM Lobos and the NMSU Aggies.
The history of Men’s & Women’s College Basketball in New Mexico is rich, and includes over 50 NCAA tournament appearances combine. Not to mention, tremendous displays of fan pride and loyalty. And of course, the famous Jim Valvano moment in the Pit, which is widely considered to be one of the most memorable moments in men’s college basketball history.
Looking ahead, the future of men’s basketball in New Mexico is as promising as its history is rich. UNM has been successful in conference championships recently, but the last 2 years the Lobos have struggled. Never the less many UNM fans hope that the magic of March will grace this year’s Lobo team in the Mountain West Conference tournament. Winning the tournament, which started March 9th, would grant the Lobos an automatic bid. On the Women’s side, the Lady Lobos, after a string of NCAA tourney appearances have also been down as of late, but Lobo fans are ever optimistic.
Meanwhile, fans of NMSU are equally hopeful. They’ve made the Final Four once before, (yeah, that was a long time ago) but hope springs eternal. The Aggies have been consistent as of late, and should make another tourney appearance this year. As for the women, the Aggies are set to make their first NCAA appearance since 1988.
Of course, no matter how well our men and women play, the fact remains that New Mexico is a great state for basketball. Fans of both teams are passionate and knowledgeable, and make being a fan of the sport enjoyable (even when it hurts a little).
So let the madness begin! Go Lobos! Go Aggies!
Where to watch:
Mountain West Conference Tournament:
March 9-12
Being aired on the CBS networks
WAC Tournament:
March 9-12
Streaming on the WAC Digital Network
What are your thoughts on this year’s NCAA Championship? Tell me in the comment section below.