MinerDigs.net - Top storylines

December 31, 2007

Carlos M. Silva Jr.
MinerDigs.net Staff Writer

Imagine yourself back in college during finals week; the time finally arrived. You placed your pencil down on the desk, picked up the scantron and walked to the professor's desk to turn in your final exam. Words could not describe how elated you were, not only for completing another semester, but for the future prospects of UTEP basketball.

The start of UTEP's 2008 conference basketball season is less than a week away; here are the top five storylines, positive and negative, which fans can keep track of throughout the remainder of the season.

Pencils down students, it's time to support the Miners.

Battle of the boards
UTEP head coach Tony Barbee brought taller recruits to El Paso, but the team has been outrebounded in six of their 11 game so far, which led coach Barbee to question the team's toughness, in terms of outrebounding their opponent.

Following the team's Christmas Break after the State Farm Sun Bowl Tournament, the Miners worked out with the 11th Air Defense "Air Attack" Brigade to help toughen them up. The result; UTEP outrebounded Texas Southern 59 to 26. It remains to be seen if the Miners keep their toughness when they play the New Mexico Lobos Jan. 2. The Lobos average 34.9 boards, compared to UTEP's 37.4.

Reliable scoring
The Miners have been steady in terms of scoring. The team has scored more than 75 points in 10 out of their 11 games. The one game the Miners scored less than 75, an 84-71 loss at UNLV.

Perfect at home
The Miners are 6-0 at the Don Haskins Center following a 77-69 win against USC Upstate. This is the first time UTEP has been undefeated at home since the 2003-04 season, when the Miners went 8-0 until falling 98-84 to Boise St. in the WAC home opener.

Coach Barbee has said it was a team goal to stay undefeated at home.

Scoring machine
Junior guard Stefon Jackson is ranked fifth in the nation in scoring. The Philadelphia native averages 25.9 points per game, and led the team in scoring (15 consecutive games) until a Dec. 29 game against Texas Southern.

Freshman guard Randy Culpepper scored 23 points, while Jackson chipped in 22, breaking Jackson's 15-game streak.

Young guns
Freshman guard Randy Culpepper injected life into the Don Haskins Center with his spectacular dunks, and has been a welcomed spark off the bench.

Coach Barbee switched Culpepper from a starter to reserve following the Dec. 1 UNLV game, and started defensive-minded guard Julyan Stone.

The next five games against NMSU, Southeastern Louisiana, USC Upstate, Wyoming and Texas Southern, the UTEP bench scored 27, 29, 27, 23 and 48 points respectively. Culpepper contributed an average of 16.2 points per game in that span, 53 percent of the bench's offense.

Carlos Silva Jr. is a Staff Writer for MinerDigs.net. He can be reached by clicking here.

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