If you're a UNM mens basketball fan and looked at the first half of the Lobos game against New Mexico State in Las Cruces Tuesday night, you can't help but feel good about the team's future.

Juco transfer Darrington Hobson was lighting up the scoreboard and sophomore Philip McDonald was on fire as the Lobos raced out to a big first half lead on the Aggies. The Aggies dd stage a second half comeback, but senior Roman Martinez was the calming force, hitting a couple of key baskets as the Lobos won once again in Las Cruces.

That first half was a taste of what might come. With nine freshmen and sophomores on this team, will there be moments this season that they break Lobo fans' hearts? Probably. It's all part of growing up and growing as a team. But for now, Lobo fans can feel good about smiling, and for more than just another win over the rival Aggies.

No question about it, first-year UNM head football coach Mike Locksley has had enough go wrong to last several years. There's the team's 0-10 record and a well-documented incident involving one of his assistant coaches.

Enter Tony Dungy. Dungy is a former Indianapolis Colts coach that led his team to a Super Bowl championship. Dungy, now retired from coaching, has agreed to mentor Locksley as part of a program to help minority coaches around the country. And this will be about much more than just football X's and O's.

Talk about turning a negative into a positive in a hurry. Dungy is a man's man when it comes to coaching smarts and how to conduct one's self. He's well respected in the coaching fraternity and his character is second to none.

And for those looking for a negative in a positive, Dungy's services will not cost UNM a penny. Dungy now wants to concentrate on other pursuits in his life and this mentoring program is one of them.

Locksley believes Dungy will make him a better coach and a better man. Help like this can't hurt. It's probably win-win all the way around.

...the dark clouds were starting to somewhat lift on UNM athletics, yet another thunderstorm rolled onto the scene late Thursday afternoon. Lobo womens soccer player Elizabeth Lambert was the center of attention in completely all the wrong ways in the team's 1-0 loss to BYU in the Mountain West Conference Womens Soccer Tournament semifinals. Lambert was the instigator of several rough plays in the match, but the capper was when Lambert pulled the pony tail of one of the BYU players, literally snapping her neck back and forcing her to the ground.

The game was broadcast by The Mtn., with the rough plays splattered Friday all over YouTube and national television outlets, including The Early Show on CBS and ESPN. This was not what UNM needed in light of the recent events surrounding Lobos football coach Mike Locksley and his altercation with assistant J.B. Gerald; more negative national publicity and more negative national commentaries about something involving UNM.

Give UNM credit for something. Unlike the Locksley incident which has dragged on for weeks, the university acted swift here. Lambert has been suspended from the Lobo womens soccer program indefinately. How long does that prove to be since she's a junior and is expected to return to UNM next season? Time will tell. But for now, this was the right action to take. The things Lambert did on a soccer field have no place in sports, actions she has admitted were wrong and has apologized for. Just the same, the damage is done and like in the Locksley fiasco, there is much healing that needs to happen.

One footnote to this issue. There were some who called in to local radio sports talk shows Friday afternoon who felt that since this involved BYU, who some Lobo fans have learned to hate, this was okay. Think again and this time take off the rose colored glasses. Bad sportsmanship is bad sportsmanship, no matter who the opponent is. It's not a good example to set for young people who may one day wear the cherry uniforms the Lobos don now.

The UNM mens basketball team saw its first game action of the season Tuesday night, even though it was just an exhibition that doesn't count in the win-loss record. The Lobos defeated a pesky New Mexico Highlands team 98-68, with junior guard Dairese Gary leading the way with 20 points.

The on-court product at times was impressive. Freshmen guard Jamaal Fenton looks like a real keeper. He's lightning quick in handling the basketball and despite his diminutive size isn't afraid to mix it up with the bigger guys on the floor. Junior college transfer Darrington Hobson showed flashed of his massive potential. The guy kinda reminds me of when Danny Granger first came to UNM: good size, nice shooting touch and can play all over the floor. But there were stints in this exhibition where having nine freshmen and sophomores on the team showed. And matching up with bigger, more physical teams is going to be a challenge all season long for this size-challenged team.

As for the product AROUND the court, I have some simple advice if you plan to go to any games at the Pit in chilly January and February: bring a heavy coat if you're sitting in the higher seats. At least that will be the case if things don't change around the outside of the under-heavy renovation Pit. You could feel a draft around the inside of the building as there are no doors. And it wasn't even that cold a night. Hopefully for the fans sake measures will be taken to alleviate the draft issue. One other thing, you have to go outside to use porta potties to relieve yourself. Moral to this: go before you go to the game. It's all part of short term growing pains for what should be a future palace of an arena.

On the heels of a school human resource investigation, UNM has suspended head football coach Mike Locksley for 10 days for his role in a September 20th altercation with assistant coach J.B. Gerald. Locklsey cannot have any contact with his team during his suspension and will not coach the Lobos in their October 24th homecoming game against UNLV. Locksley will also lose $29,000 in salary and in the next three months has to take part in a class on conflict resolution.

The punishment fits the crime here. Especially in today's society, you can't get in a physical altercation in the workplace. Said altercation was established in the UNM HR investigation. Losing the 29-grand in salary is like a parking ticket compared to the 750-grand a year Locksley makes. A conflict resolution class can be good for anyone and should be for Locksley as well. But the hardest part for Locksley will be the 10 days he can't be around his team. That's very tough on any coach during their season. 10 days is a lot of time to reflect.

As for the Lobos team itself, life will go on with interim head coach George Barlow. The Lobos are on a bye this weekend and it's probably a good elixor for them, given the last two weeks of negative publicity surrounding the altercation and the ongoing investigation, combined with the team's 0-6 start. Even though the team is 0-6 and handing the reigns to Barlow for one game, don't expect any drastic lineup changes or new offensive or defensive formations. It will still be Locksley's game plan against UNLV. But if Barlow and the Lobos win the game, things could get a little interesting. Barlow for permanant head coach? Somehow I doubt it.