Several new UNM basketball players got hit with the full Lobo experience this week.
Sunday, they started arriving at the Sunport — warm welcomes and even fans asking for autographs and selfies once they were recognized. By Wednesday, a dozen media members were on hand at the Pit for the first summer workout for Eric Olen’s new team, looking for video, pictures and content to feed the local thirst for information on a team held on a pedestal in this community.
Advertisement
The Lobo newcomers were riding high.
Thursday, came a harsh reminder about the daunting task at hand.
Charisse Williams, the program’s second-year strength and conditioning coach, took the Lobos across the street to the UNM track for her usual beginning-of-summer baseline test, the mile run. It’s a not-so-enviable task for newcomers unaware of how the thin mile-high air affects unsuspecting lungs.
As they lined up, fellow Lobo athlete Habtom Samuel, one of the most decorated collegiate runners of all-time who is preparing for next week’s NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, casually strolled by with a grin on his face.
Advertisement
Out on the track #GoLobos pic.twitter.com/tjWWNf7SNR
— Lobo Basketball (@UNMLoboMBB) June 4, 2026
Four excruciating laps later, in a time of 5 minutes, 40 seconds, the first to break the tape, if you will, was freshman Dax Hall — surprising in that the 6-foot-1 guard was in his sea level home of San Diego just last week. Then Uriah Tenette a few seconds later, followed by Tunde Vahlberg Fasasi and then former two-year Air Force Academy cadet Rytis Petraitis.
None were seeming pleased with Williams’ choice of workouts to start the day as they all bent over in pain, sucking wind before Olen happily directed them all to a nearby awards podium to pose for a picture that looks like — well, it looks like group of basketball players who just ran a mile at high elevation.
Advertisement
“They’re all feeling the elevation this week,” Olen told the Journal in a text message Friday.
Why are they hitting the conditioning this hard in June?
Petraitis summed it up earlier this week with his explanation of why he came to UNM: It’s fun to be Lobo basketball player in Albuquerque, but that privilege doesn’t come without some lofty, maybe even mile-high expectations.
“The culture,” Petraitis continued. “I know what the culture here is. I’ve experienced the culture here. The basketball here is different.”
Petraitis had stops at Air Force Academy and California, of the ACC, before transferring to UNM.
Advertisement
“I want to win. I want to play in the (NCAA) Tournament. That’s my goal, that’s my dream. Never experienced it, and I think if we make the tournament, we can make a big run in the tournament. Mindset-wise, I think we all have those same expectations, but we know it’s going to take a lot of work to get there.”
Two more games on tap
The Lobos will play Boise State and Oregon State in a four-team event in California in December, according to a report Thursday by college basketball journalist Rocco Miller.
NEWS: Four squads will compete in a December Southern California event, per multiple sources.
Advertisement
Boise State and Oregon State will each face New Mexico and Santa Clara. Two games per squad.
Dates range from Dec. 21-23 in San Juan Capistrano, the former home of the SoCal Challenge. pic.twitter.com/BFotHow4Th
— Rocco Miller (@RoccoMiller8) June 4, 2026
While no contracts have been signed, the Journal has confirmed the report. The fourth team in the event is Santa Clara, a team the Lobos are already scheduled to play in California on another date this coming season.
Kids camps coming
The first of two three-and-a-half day Lobo basketball kids camps — open to boys and girls entering first through eighth grades — will be Monday through Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Thursday 9 a.m. to noon, at the Pit and Rudy Davalos Practice Facility (southwest side of the Pit).
Advertisement
For information, contact Assistant Coach Michael Wilder at mwilder2@unm.edu.
There will be another kids camp July 27-30. UNM is also hosting the Lobos Team Camp for high school junior varsity and varsity teams, June 26-28. Team entries are $350 and there is a three-game guarantee with at least on in the Pit.
Dent and Dairese, too
Former Lobo point guard greats Donovan Dent and Dairese Gary will be helping run a kids basketball camp at Mesa Vista High School in Ojo Caliente on Monday, June 15 (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.) for boys and girls entering third through 12th grade.
The camp, being hosted by the state champion Mesa Vista Lady Trojans girls basketball team, costs $50. For information about registration, text coach Jesse Boies at (505) 927-3806.
Reach Geoff Grammer at ggrammer@abqjournal.com or follow him on Twitter (X) @GeoffGrammer.
