PULLMAN, Washington—The Lobos opened the Eric Olen era with a 74–66 exhibition loss to Washington State, but Olen remained optimistic afterward, citing encouraging defensive stretches and valuable lineup experimentation. UNM led 38–37 at halftime after forcing 13 turnovers and closing the half on a 14-5 run, but the offense collapsed in the second half, hitting just 20% from the field and 13% from three as the Cougars pulled away. Despite the loss, Olen said the exhibition gave his team a chance to build chemistry and evaluate rotations ahead of the regular season.

UNM’s Defensive Identity—UNM head coach Eric Olen is bringing his signature fast-paced, space-and-pace offensive style to the Lobos — but it starts with defense. With 14 newcomers, the team has embraced a high-intensity, turnover-focused defensive identity that mirrors Olen’s 2024–25 UC San Diego squad, which ranked among the nation’s best in efficiency and steals. The Lobos are expected to at times run a disruptive matchup zone that blurs the lines between man and zone defense, designed to confuse opponents and fuel transition offense. Despite some fan concerns about a lack of traditional bigs, Olen emphasizes the team’s length and versatility across positions. The vision is clear: create chaos on defense, run the floor, and let it fly from deep

Lobo Howl - Freshman guard Uriah Tenette and junior forward Kevin Patton Jr. cranked the energy to the maximum, closing the night with a spectacular dunk contest that more than compensated for the tepid tipoff. In front of an estimated crowd of 2,000 at the Pit, the 5'11" Tenette soared through the air, delivering a quartet of hair-raising slams that ultimately edged out Patton Jr. in an electrifying extra round.

Lobo Howl - Freshman guard Uriah Tenette and junior forward Kevin Patton Jr. cranked the energy to the maximum, closing the night with a spectacular dunk contest that more than compensated for the tepid tipoff. In front of an estimated crowd of 2,000 at the Pit, the 5'11" Tenette soared through the air, delivering a quartet of hair-raising slams that ultimately edged out Patton Jr. in an electrifying extra round.

UNM men’s and women’s basketball prepare to showcase teams at the Lobo Howl on Saturday evening at The Pit. This is the first Lobo Howl since the 2017 season.

The UNM men’s basketball team and first-year head coach Eric Olen annoucned their non-conference schedule for 2025-26. Nick Nunez with the opponents and dates.

Grand Canyon University announced on Tuesday that they would be joining the Mountain West Conference a year early for the 2025-26 academic year. The Lopes were originally scheduled to make the move on July 1, 2026, but the MWC offered an immediate transition.

Future UNM men’s basketball player Timéo Pons is averaging 6.8 points for Team France at the FIBA U19 World Cup, rebounding from a tough debut with standout performances vs. Team USA and Australia. He posted a team-best +12 in an OT loss to Switzerland. France next plays China. His U.S. arrival awaits visa approval.

UNM head men’s basketball coach Eric Olen and senior transfer guard Chris Howell met with the media for the first time to discuss the new look Lobos.

UNM head men’s basketball coach adds French guard Timéo Pons, a 6-foot-7 wing who played in France for the last three season. Pons could be an efficent shooter for the Lobos in 2025-26.

Cortain Tomislav Buljan, a six-foot-nine forward from Zadar, Croatia, announced his commitment to Eric Olen and the Lobos on Friday via his Instagram account. He’s the 13th member to join the roster for the 2025-26 season.

Add another one to Eric Olen’s roster, Tajavis Miller, a 6-foot-4 junior who played his previous three seasons at Summit League North Dakota State, announced his commitment to join the UNM men’s basketball team on Wednesday.

Former Utah State guard Deyton Albury is the latest player to commit to UNM and new head men’s basketball coach Eric Olen. Albury averaged nearly eight points a game in under 19 minutes with the Aggies in 2024-25.

UNM head men’s basketball coach Eric Olen signs All-PacWest point guard Luke Haupt. Haupt is the ninth player added to the 2025-26 Lobos’ roster. Haupt is 6-foot-6 and is known for his defense.

A 7-foot-1 center signs with new UNM head basketball coach Eric Olen. JT Rock becomes the eighth player to join Olen since he took over as head coach at the beginning of April. Rock adds more size to the nearly complete Lobos’ lineup for 2025-26.

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The Patton brothers, Kevin and Kallai, join new UNM head men’s basketball coach Eric Olen. Kevin and Kallai are the latest transfers to the Lobos and are slowly molding a new-look Lobo team for 2025-26.

EDITORIAL