The point guard matchup between New Mexico’s Donovan Dent and Marquette’s Kam Jones took over the headlines prior to the game. Although they didn’t guard each other, Dent won the matchup in the final minutes and he won the game for the Lobos. The junior finished 21 points, including 13 in the second half.

A Stepping Stone to the Power Five (or a Long-Term Home) – The last two Lobo head coaches—Richard Pitino and Steve Alford—parlayed their success at UNM into Power Five jobs. But for the right coach, New Mexico is a place to build a legacy, not just a stepping stone. A deep NCAA Tournament run here would turn any head coach into a household name.

The New Mexico men’s basketball team hasn’t won an NCAA Tournament game since 2012. The 10th-seeded Lobos (26-7) will look to change that at 5:25 p.m. Mountain time Friday against seventh-seeded Marquette (23-10) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

For the first time since 2012, the University of New Mexico men’s basketball team won a game in the NCAA Tournament, advancing to the next round. This was the Lobos’ second year in a row making an appearance in the NCAA Tournament after falling short against Clemson last year.

The New Mexico men’s basketball team has found a replacement for departed head coach Richard Pitino.  According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, the Lobos and UC San Dieg

Coach Olsen praised former coach Richard Pitino in his introductory news conference, acknowledging the foundation for success he built over the past four years.

Borovicanin entered the transfer portal with a "do not contact" tag before joining Richard Pitino's first roster at Xavier.