Lobos rev up fans at annual Howl

Source: The Santa Fe New MexicanOct.儲存 19--ALBUQUERQUE -- As far as entrances go, give bonus points to Craig Neal for his introduction to Friday night's Lobo Howl in The Pit.The first-year University of New Mexico men's basketball head coach worked the crowd of more than 10,000 into a frenzy when he rode his custom motorcycle down the ramp and onto Bob King Court under the glare of a spotlight and to the tune of blaring rock music.Parking his rumbling ride near midcourt, he dismounted and -- decked in blue jeans and a black leather jacket -- greeted the fans and thanked them for jumping on board for what should be another huge year for Lobo basketball."I've been talking about it for six years, but I guess now that I'm the boss I am allowed to do it," Neal said, adding that the biggest hurdle to pulling it off came from UNM athletic director Paul Krebs."He wanted to know if I had insurance," Neal joked.Friday was the first day that college teams could officially begin preseason workouts. The Howl was a free public event that allowed fans to enter The Pit and watch both the men's and women's teams on the floor as well as get autographs.Just hours before it started, the men's team learned that it was ranked No. 20 in the preseason USA Today Coaches' Poll, three spots ahead of UCLA. The Bruins, of course, are forever linked to Neal and Lobo basketball now that Steve Alford -- Neal's best friend and longtime assistant -- spurned a 10-year contract extension from UNM and moved to Westwood.Offered a spot on Alford's staff, Neal chose to stay in Albuquerque and was promoted to UNM's top job shortly after the Lobos were bounced from the NCAA Tournament last March.His entrance on Friday night showed how he's already making a change. The custom for Lobos coaches is to don a cherry red blazer and fashion it like a beacon for UNM hoops. In a pre-Howl video montage, Neal was shown thumbing through his closet and bypassing the blazer in favor of the black leather jacket."We've got the best fans and the best facility in the country," he yelled, bringing the crowd to its feet.UNM opens the season in two weeks with the first of two exhibition games, facing Eastern New Mexico on Nov. 2 and then J迷你倉mestown four days later. The regular season opener is Nov. 9 in The Pit against Alabama A&M.The defending Mountain West Conference champions are seeking their fifth title in six years, but on Friday all the fans cared about was greeting the familiar faces and welcoming the new players.Returning starters Cameron Bairstow, Hugh Greenwood, Kendall Williams and Los Alamos High grad Alex Kirk all received ovations so loud that they drowned out public address announcer Stu Walker.Among the newcomers are freshmen Cullen Neal, the coach's son, and another 7-footer in Obij Aget. Aget joins a crowded low post dominated by two of the country's best big men, 7-foot junior Alex Kirk and 6-9 senior Cameron Bairstow.Friday's Howl lasted three hours. The UNM women kicked things off with an autograph session, followed by a brief practice. Along the way were a dunk contest and 3-point shooting competition.UNM women's head coach Yvonne Sanchez said it's easy for the players to get caught up in the excitement of the Lobo Howl."I told the kids not to be nervous because it's just a practice, but that's like telling a freshman not to be homesick," she said.Howl notes--Antiesha Brown won the women's 3-point shooting contest, beating Alex Lapeyrolerie in the finals. A Clovis High grad and one of two transfers from Texas Tech, Brown used a late surge to hit 10 treys while Lapeyrolerie, a freshman from Highland Village, Texas, hit seven.--Cullen Neal won the men's 3-point contest.--Deshawn Delaney won the dunk contest, beating defending champion Bairstow and Nick Banyard in the finals.Z-factorHighly touted recruit Zylan Cheatham was on hand for the Howl. Fifteen minutes before the men's team took the floor, he found a seat behind the Lobos bench just as fans waved white placards with a red and black 'Z' on them.A 6-foot-7 power forward from Phoenix, he is weighing scholarship offers from UNM, San Diego State, Arizona State, Memphis and Washington. The Pit fans chanted "We Want Z" as he filmed it all on his smartphone.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 The Santa Fe New Mexican (Santa Fe, N.M.) Visit The Santa Fe New Mexican (Santa Fe, N.M.) at .santafenewmexican.com Distributed by MCT Information Servicesself storage