What will be different about Lobo basketball this season?

Sep. 24—It’s not exactly a changing of the guard(s).

All-Mountain West-caliber Donovan Dent is back in the saddle, of course, and leading this season’s UNM Lobo men’s basketball team.

But when two three-year starting, all-conference Lobo guards in Jaelen House and Jamal Mashburn Jr. — each of whom scored more than 1,000 points in their UNM playing careers — are no longer the figureheads of the program, the question is obvious.

What exactly will the Lobo team be this season?

“Obviously bigger,” UNM coach Richard Pitino said.

The fourth-year Lobos coach addressed local media Tuesday as official team practices began this week at UNM and around the country — nearly six weeks from the Nov. 4 season opener.

“We made the decision to play three guards (last season), and obviously, none of them are very tall by any means. But they won us 26 games. They took us to an NCAA tournament and a championship. So, obviously they did a lot right,” Pitino said. “So I just think you’ll see a little bit more length in the perimeter. …

“We definitely set out to get a little bit taller, but we’ll play the five best guys and make it work.”

House, the graduated 6-foot dynamo who is now pursuing his professional career, and Mashburn, the 6-2 shooting guard who transferred to Temple, were the on-court identity of the program for three years.

But Pitino never shied away from dubbing the 6-2 Dent the future of the program since he was signed out of a California high school in 2022.

And that future is now.

“I mean, just more of a leadership role for sure,” Dent, last year a second team all-conference guard, said of his new role. “Body wise, I’ve definitely added a couple of pounds … just playing more confidently.”

Dent never lacked for confidence, but did at times have a noticeably hard time deferring to the two veteran guards while also being the natural floor general he has been most of his playing career.

“Those two guys on the team took a lot of pressure off me, of course, because a lot of focus was on them,” Dent said. “… This year is more so (having me be) the main focus point for people’s defense. I’m ready to adjust to that.”

Among the guards helping Dent in the backcourt this season will be returning scholarship players Tru Washington, a 6-4 tenacious defender, 6-7 wing Braden Appelhans and 6-6 Quinton Webb.

Newcomers include 6-4 North Texas transfer C.J. Noland, 6-2 freshman point guard Kayde Dotson and 6-9 Arizona transfer Filip Borovicanin, a player Pitino had to reiterate is a guard and not a forward, something he has already mentioned to media on at least three other occasions since the Serbian native joined the team over the summer.

On the walk-ons …

One of the more popular fan questions every season centers not around the Lobos who are playing, but those who are not. Even more so when those walk-ons are local, as all three are this season in 6-1 sophomore point guard Shane Douma-Sanchez (Del Norte), 6-7 junior forward Deraje Agbaosi (Eldorado) and 6-5 freshman guard Dylan Chavez (La Cueva).

“My goal is always, if we can, even if they’re walk-ons, keep those guys home. I really, really do value hometown kids staying home, going to their university, hopefully graduating, hopefully those people in the community take care of them, and they have a valuable experience,” Pitino said.

“Guys want to play, and it doesn’t matter if they’re walk-ons or whatever. … I’m not against playing walk-ons, but certainly we have a lot of guys.”

Obligatory conference realignment comment

How could Pitino not have been asked about conference realignment — specifically the Mountain West and UNM finding themselves with such uncertain futures?

“Disappointed solely from a basketball coach perspective because — I know there’s so many factors, and I think every coach will look at it differently, and every student athlete will look at it differently — but I thought the men’s basketball programs did an amazing job of really making the best of the situations that they have,” Pitino said, noting in his three years in the Mountain West, the league has sent four, four and six teams to the NCAA Tournament.

“… But decisions are being made right now that have nothing to do with men’s basketball, and that’s a tough pill to swallow, because I know how important this program is to this community.”