Newcomers shine at UNM Lobo Howl ahead of Albuquerque exhibition opener

Hudson Mayes led newcomers at The Pit in Albuquerque during the annual preseason basketball showcase on Thursday night. The event introduced new players from both Lobo programs ahead of upcoming matchups. Fans watched players compete in skills contests.

Mayes won the dunk contest. He dethroned last year’s winner, Uriah Tennette, to claim the title. Mayes said he was impressed by the turnout and fan energy.

“I love the support from everybody who came out and the whole city,” Mayes said. “This is the amount of people I have seen at a regular game at my last school. So, it was pretty surprising, but it’s a great atmosphere for sure.”

William & Mary transfer Tunde Fasasi won the men’s 3-point contest. Fasasi defeated Jake Hall for the crown. Incoming freshman Kate Wenli won the women’s 3-point contest. Wenli made every shot.

The women have two weeks until their first exhibition. The New Mexico men play Oklahoma State in Albuquerque on Friday at 1 p.m. The exhibition matchup will not be televised.

“The Big 12, it’s a Power Four team, so we are excited to play against them,” Mayes said. “But we just need to go out there and execute, play hard, and I think we are going to have a really good chance of winning. We have all the talent in the world to do it.”

Olen said the team needs to play outside competition.

“I think we just need to play someone else,” Olen said. “We know how it works against each other, but we need to play other people and learn a little more about our team. How guys fit together and just kind of a welcome to college basketball for some of our guys.”

Preseason exhibitions allow college basketball coaches to test lineups before regular season games. Programs often schedule opponents from other conferences to prepare players. These early contests do not count toward official season records.

The Friday matchup gives Albuquerque fans their next look at the men’s team on the court.