1996–97 New Mexico Lobos men's basketball team

American college basketball season March 2026 August 2023 1996–97 New Mexico Lobos Basketball Western Athletic Conference Mountain WAC 19 11 25–8 11–5 Dave Bliss 9th University Arena NCAA tournament Second round The 1996–97 New Mexico Lobos men's basketball team represented the University of New Mexico as a member of the Western Athletic Conference during the 1996–97 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Lobos were coached by head coach Dave Bliss and played their home games at the University Arena, also known as "The Pit", in Albuquerque, New Mexico. New Mexico finished 3rd in the WAC Mountain division regular season standings and lost to Utah in the semifinals of the WAC Tournament. The Lobos received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament as No. 3 seed in the East region. After defeating Old Dominion in the opening round, New Mexico was bounced in the round of 32 by Louisville, 64–63, to finish with a 25–8 record (11–5 WAC). The top four scorers (career) in school history played on this team – Charles Smith, Kenny Thomas, Lamont Long, and Clayton Shields. Roster 1996 New Mexico Lobos y Lamont Long 3 G 6 4 Fr Kenny Thomas 4 F 6 7 230 So Albuquerque, New Mexico y basketball Charles Smith 5 G 6 4 195 Sr Fort Worth, Texas y basketball, born August 1975 Clayton Shields 22 F 6 8 205 Jr Baytown, Texas y David Gibson 32 G 6 2 Jr Dave Bliss https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/new-mexico/1997.html 1996–97 New Mexico Lobos Roster and Stats Sports Reference February 7, 2022 Schedule and results yes |- !colspan=9 style=New Mexico Lobos| Regular season Nov 18, 1996 yes 18 1996 men Simon Fraser Clan Simon Fraser The Pit Albuquerque, New Mexico 107–54 1–0 Nov 22, 1996 yes 18 1996 men Columbia Lions Columbia The Pit Albuquerque, New Mexico 94–56 2–0 Nov 23, 1996 yes 18 1996 men Eastern Washington Eagles Eastern Washington The Pit Albuquerque, New Mexico 69–53 3–0 Nov 27, 1996 yes 19 1996 men Centenary Gentlemen Centenary The Pit Albuquerque, New Mexico 96–64 4–0 Nov 30, 1996 yes 19 Arizona 11 The Pit Albuquerque, New Mexico 84–77 5–0 Dec 4, 1996 yes yes 11 Texas Tech Lubbock Municipal Coliseum Lubbock, Texas 68–77 5–1 Dec 7, 1996 yes yes 11 1996 men New Mexico State Aggies New Mexico State Pan American Center Las Cruces, New Mexico 86–72 6–1 Dec 13, 1996 yes 15 New Mexico State The Pit Albuquerque, New Mexico 84–82 OT 7–1 Dec 21, 1996 yes 15 1996 men Sam Houston State Bearkats Sam Houston State The Pit Albuquerque, New Mexico 76–55 8–1 Dec 23, 1996 yes 14 1996 men Jackson State Tigers Jackson State The Pit Albuquerque, New Mexico 98–45 9–1 Dec 27, 1996 yes 14 1996 men Bucknell Bison Bucknell The Pit Albuquerque, New Mexico 67–57 10–1 Dec 28, 1996 yes 14 Ole Miss The Pit Albuquerque, New Mexico 75–64 11–1 Jan 5, 1997 yes 16 1996 men Hawaii Rainbow Warriors Hawaii Stan Sheriff Center Honolulu, Hawaii 62–75 11–2 0–1 Feb 22, 1997 10 Hawaii The Pit Albuquerque, New Mexico 89–69 21–5 10–4 Feb 27, 1997 yes 11 1996 men BYU Cougars BYU Marriott Center Provo, Utah 90–48 22–5 11–4 Mar 1, 1997 yes 11 Utah 4 Jon M. Huntsman Center Salt Lake City, Utah 58–78 22–6 11–5 |- !colspan=9 style=New Mexico Lobos| WAC tournament Mar 4, 1997 yes yes 14 3 M 1996 men San Jose State Spartans San Jose State 6 P Thomas & Mack Center Paradise, Nevada First round 103–70 23–6 Mar 6, 1997 yes yes 14 3 M 1996 men Hawaii Rainbow Warriors Hawaii 2 P Thomas & Mack Center Paradise, Nevada Quarterfinals 65–57 24–6 Mar 7, 1997 yes yes 14 3 M Utah 3 1 M Thomas & Mack Center Paradise, Nevada Semifinals 70–72 24–7 |- !colspan=9 style=New Mexico Lobos| NCAA tournament Mar 14, 1997 yes yes 11 3 E Old Dominion 14 E Civic Arena Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 59–55New Mexico 59, Old Dominion 55 https://www.upi.com/Archives/1997/03/14/New-Mexico-59-Old-Dominion-55/8070858315600/ UPI Archives March 15, 1997 February 7, 2022 25–7 Mar 16, 1997 yes yes 11 3 E Louisville 25 6 E Civic Arena Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Second round 63–64New Mexico Its Own Worst Enemy in One-Point Loss https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-03-17-sp-39264-story.html The Los Angeles Times March 17, 1997 February 7, 2022 25–8 AP poll E East 1992–93 New Mexico Men's Basketball Schedule https://golobos.com/sports/mbball/schedule/season/1992-93/ University of New Mexico Athletics February 7, 2022 Rankings 1996–97 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings *ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia: The Complete History of the Men's Game Random House 1053–1054 2009 978-0-345-51392-2 References Category:New Mexico Lobos men's basketball seasons New Mexico New Mexico Lobos Lobos