New Mexico will try to maintain its perfect start to the season when it travels to SMU on Tuesday night. The Lobos have picked up wins over Southern Utah and South Alabama to open the season, and this will be their first road game of the year. SMU is hoping to bounce back after losing a road game at then-No. 24 Dayton last Friday.
New Mexico has taken care of business in its first two games of the season, beating Southern Utah and South Alabama. The Lobos pushed the 8-point spread in their win over the Thunderbirds and narrowly failed to cover the 9-point spread in their 80-74 win over the Jaguars. They will now open the road portion of their schedule on Tuesday night. Guard Jaelen House leads the Mountain West in scoring (22.0 ppg) and assists (7.0 apg). Jamal Mashburn Jr. is adding 20.0 points per game, making New Mexico one of five teams nationally with two players averaging at least 20 points.
Lobos open road schedule Tuesday night in Dallas against SMU. #GoLobos
INFO: https://t.co/LlWYAn8akl pic.twitter.com/Pa1sGYk56O
— Lobo Basketball (@UNMLoboMBB) November 14, 2022
The Lobos are certainly paced by their strong offense, as they rank inside the top 80 out of 363 Division I teams in KenPom’s adjusted offensive efficiency ratings. They have used their experienced guard play to their advantage, listed at No. 14 in the nation in turnover rate. SMU has struggled to force turnovers so far this year, ranked No. 299 in that category, so it is going to be difficult for the Mustangs to force many takeaways on Tuesday night. New Mexico likes to get up and down the court, ranked inside the top third nationally in tempo, but it does not shoot a ton of 3-pointers.