UTEP66: Football’s Scheduling Sacrifices 7

Carrera: Coming Back From Injury 8

McCulley’s Veteran Leadership 11

The Final Word 14

VOL 1 ISSUE 18 JULY 8, 2011

MINERILLUSTRATED

MINERILLUSTRATED

VOL I ISSUE 18 JULY 8, 2011

57. Only 57 more days till the first UTEP football game.

Yes, I’m counting. I know I’m not the only one. I’m sure every UTEP coach, football player and fan is counting. I know most of my staff is counting.

As a teacher, I am rarely one to count down the days until summer is over. But as a Miner fan and MI staff member, I can’t help but count down the days. It’s not that I want summer to fly by, but I am ready for the arrival of the 2011 season.

Hopefully, it will bring better news than this summer has.

After a disappointing end to the 2010-2011 athletic seasons, UTEP fans has to endure a dismal NBA draft only to learn that neither Culpepper or Stone would be playing in the NBA this fall. Add to the mix, the loss of another UTEP football coach and the dismissal of one of the team’s star players, and it’s no wonder why I’m ready for summer to be over.

Josh talks about this very topic in this issue’s Final Word when he explains what he feels the new football and basketball seasons will bring from Miner fans. In anticipation of the new season, Chris talks to Camilla Carrera about her return to the softball team and what she hopes to accomplish for herself and the team this year while Gus speaks with Gabe McCulley and learns what it is he is expecting of the new season for himself and the team.

Due to your overwhelming response to our recent online articles and editorials, we have twice the amount of Reader Responses this week. We have also included our new By the Numbers section highlighting some interesting UTEP statistics from this past year.

As always, we appreciate your participation and support of MI and UTEP athletics. Please continue to send us your comments and input at show@minerillustrated.com.

And remember, only 57 more days.

Rebecca Frazier

a publication of Shamrock Media LLC

CHRIS AVILAPRESIDENT

REBECCA FRAZIEREDITOR-IN-CHIEF

JEFF TAYLORCHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER

GUS CONTRERASANGEL LUNA

ALEX MORALESJOSH PUGA“UTEP66”

STAFF WRITERS

DANNY LEVARIODIRECTOR OF BUSINESS

OPERATIONS

SUZETTE THOMPSONMAGAZINE DESIGN

Letters to the editor, general feedback and advertising

inquiries:show@minerillustrated.com

Cover photo: Gabriel McCulley, seen here against

Memphis, will shoulder the leadership role for the

upcoming season. Image: Jeff Taylor

From The EDITOR

M I N E R I L L U S T R A T E D . C O M 4

readerRESPONSE

We’ve had a couple emails trickle in about some of the articles in our June 8 issue and what better place to put these comments and letters than a Reader Response section. Here is what our readers have to say.

Tim Floyd: “BCS Teams Won’t Play Him” It’s an absolute fact. Teams had no respect for Barbee. “They would play him anytime, anywhere.” Say what you will about Floyd, but he is a HIGH CALIBER coach. Teams don’t want to run into a buzz saw. The bad news is that we won’t be able to schedule as many quality teams in the near future. The good news is that Floyd has “been there/done that” before with Haskins and knows how to build a solid quality program that will eventually warrant a much better schedule. I am very excited to see what the future holds with Coach Floyd here at UTEP!

Dave Williams

Gonzales: I Lead by Example and Working HardHe will be an added strength to the Miner defensive front. He will only add to the growing depth of the UTEP defensive front that was plagued by injuries last season. It seems as if he is a very determined athlete and student; his strengths will be an added bonus this fall. I am excited for the upcoming season, despite the negative press published on other sites. MI is doing a fantastic job on constantly relaying up to date info and rumors. Thanks and keep up the good work! Go Miners!

John79924

Contreras: Negative Effects of Social Media on AthletesAs you said in your piece, this idea really isn’t that feasible. Round the clock surveillance on student-athletes’ tweets and Facebook posts? Are you serious? This would have to be done by a team, considering the football team alone has around 100 players. All to weed out comments like Bohannon’s that happen only very rarely? This is the first time I heard of any UTEP player saying anything

offensive via social media unless you count Myron Strong’s comments about Coach Floyd after he was dismissed.Bottom line is athletes should be allowed to speak their minds. I do not agree with Bohannon’s stance on gays AT ALL. But that still doesn’t mean that the university should hire Orwellian monitors to preserve the ‘crystal clean’ image of UTEP. I think student-athletes speaking their minds on social media (offensive or not) is a good thing. If Bohannon had kept his thoughts to himself, he might go on to continue believing as he does. Only when a controversy surfaced after his post did Big Bo realize that that type of attitude is harmful to some of his fans.

PaydirtZo29

Frazier: Coaching Staff Responsible for McClure TroublesIt really depends if the player is good or not… Big time colleges let their star players off the hook A LOT!!!! Look at what happened recently with Ohio State; the incident of Jim Tressell supposedly not knowing that Terrelle Pryor was receiving benefits and a free tattoo. We all knew that he was aware of what was going on, but as long Terrell Pryor was bringing in Prestige, TOP 25 rankings, and BCS bowl trophies to the school, he wasn’t going to kick him off the team or say anything! And look at Cam Newton from Auburn, Reggie Bush from USC; they were all getting benefits and doing god knows what with the coaching staff knowing what they were doing, but they weren’t going to get kicked off! It’s really naive to think that the coach doesn’t have any clue as to what their players are doing, especially people as talented as Terrell Pryor and Marlon McClure. The UTEP coaching staff doesn’t have much of a choice or leverage to be giving

players the boot, especially after several consecutive losing seasons and last year’s weak recruiting class. That’s the way it is folks, and that’s the way it’s always going to be, whether you are UTEP or Ohio St., Florida, Texas, USC etc…It’s not going to change.P.S. I can honestly say that UTEP is not crooked like those BCS rats’ I guess that’s why UTEP struggles with recruiting. They do it the honest way with a limited budget.

Miner Niner

Football Lands First HS Verbal Commit of SummerUTEP is not Washington State. Not sure what it is. Not sure if Houston, Dallas Metro, is a better place than El Paso. I love El Paso, UTEP as well. We may need a younger coach. Maybe it’s his age and losing season. There doesn’t seem to be a problem with recruiting in the basketball department. I know we don’t get 4 or 5 star recruits, but we get a number of 3 star recruits. Academic wise we can compete with all C-USA East division schools and some C-USA West division schools.

Viva UTEP

As we get more responses in about any of the work within the magazine or online, we’ll post the best ones here. If we think your opinion or point of view just knocks us off our seats, then we’ll send you a little surprise as our way of saying thanks.

Make sure to send your thoughts to our email (show@minerillustrated.com) because you never know when you might get rewarded for speaking your mind!

Along with these stellar statistics, Troupe also finished the regular season ranked 15th nationally in home runs per game (0.35), 21st in on-base percentage (.543), 43rd in walks (0.68 avg.), 52nd in runs per game (0.93) and 69th in batting average (.404). Undoubtedly, if Troupe keeps going this way into her senior year, she will most likely leave UTEP with more than just three school records.

The number of wins for the UTEP volleyball program on Sept. 18th, 2010, when the Miners swept past Prairie View A&M. UTEP started the 2010 season hot, winning 10 of its first 15. The Miners continued to improve over the course of the season, earning this significant win under Coach Ken Murphy. Though the Miners hit this landmark win early in the season, UTEP’s youthful UTEP volleyball team only posted 12 wins during the 2010 season, ending their season 12-21 and 4-16 in C-USA. But with the team’s top six hitters being four freshmen and two sophomores, the Miners’ 2011 will hopefully finish strong and with a winning record.

relays as well as a fourth-place finish in the 400m dash. In the NCAA preliminary round, freshman Richard Olsson qualified for the NCAA finals in the men’s javelin. Senior Anderson Mutegi was an automatic qualifier in the men’s 400-meter dash finishing second in his heat and posting the 15th best time of 48 individuals.

The number of school records junior softball player Chelsea Troupe currently holds.

Plagued with another injury-riddled season, Troupe stepped up to the lead the Miner softball this past year. Despite missing the final stretch of the season, Troupe ended the season with 14 home runs, which put her in 31st position among Division I hitters. Troupe also ended the season with a .885 slugging percentage, which put her in 10th position, and she was a perfect 11-for-11 on stolen bases. Troupe’s success in these three areas helped get her named to the Louisville Slugger/National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Midwest Region First Team.

M I N E R I L L U S T R A T E D . C O M 5

by theNUMBERS

The number of NCAA qualifiers on the track and field team for the Miners this year, making Mike

Laaksonen’s first year as track and field coach more than a success. Among Laaksonen’s successes was Endurance Abinuwa, who dashed to a fourth-place finish in the 400 meters at the NCAA Indoor Championships while Risper Kimaiyo earned indoor honors with a seventh-place finish in the 5,000 meters. In the indoor competitions, Dimitrios Fylladitakis along with teammate Terran Alexander claimed the hammer titles while Justice Chirchir and Kimaiyo dominated the 5k races. In the outdoor competitions, the Miners claimed three titles at the Texas Relays. Kimaiyo highlighted the women’s participation by defending her 5,000 meter title while Alexander took her first meet crown in the women’s hammer. In New Orleans, freshman Elkana Rotich took the top spot in the 5k and 10k while freshman Leon Dillihunt earned accolades as part of the 4x100m and 4x400m

The number of consecutive winning seasons for the UTEP women’s basketball team.

The 2010-2011 year was quite successful for the Miners. UTEP not only ended an opponent’s 18-game home winning streak, the team also posted its largest margin of victory in conference tournament play. Head Coach Keitha Adams led the Miners to halt Memphis’ 10-game winning streak and 18-game home winning streak. But it was the team’s final win

of the season that was the high point of the season; the Miners defeated SMU, 75-57, in the opening round of the 2011 Conference USA Championships.

3

5

9500

M I N E R I L L U S T R A T E D . C O M 6

minerPRIDE T-SHIRTcontest

In honor of our three year anniversary, MI is hosting a Miner Pride T-Shirt Contest. What would you wear to a football or basketball game that shows off your Miner pride? We are asking our readers to submit their t-shirt ideas to show@minerillustrated.com by July 16, 2011. The winner of the contest will have their design printed as this year’s MI t-shirt and receive a family pack of t-shirts (5 total).

Contest Rules: • Individuals must be 18 years or older to participate.• Individuals must be US Citizens to participate.• Entries need to be submitted by 11:59 pm on July 16, 2011.• Entries must be scanned and emailed to show@minerillustrated.com. • Entries must be either in black and white or in three-color design using an orange shirt as the base color. • Entries must be positive in connotation (no bashing the Miner opponents).• The MI staff will select the top 3 entries and our readers will vote for their favorite design.• The winner will receive 5 free shirts (in the sizes of their choice). • Once a design is submitted, MI has the right to use the design as they see fit.

829 Dakota River Ave.El Paso, TX 79932

tshirts@epscreenprint.com

Call us!915.422.0941915.256.6362

Online atepscreenprint.com

Screen printing and embroidery services!

Featuring brands such as:

PLAYING THE SACRIFICIAL LAMB: THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE UGLY

opponent. But then, why would road teams sign up to be thrown to the lions in the coliseum? This is another easy answer: money. Many schools, even in the best of times, need money to balance their precarious financial budgets and UTEP is no different. The Miners averaged 47,899 fans per game in 2005 while last year they averaged a mere 29,350 per game. To put things into a clearer perspective, let me point out that the

Miners averaged 41,052 fans per game between the 2005-2008 seasons. UTEP football attendance has plummeted these past two years, which in turn has left Bob Stull and Mike Price little choice but to take the “big money road games” despite knowing the impact such games will have on the program. Most will remember the mood in El Paso after the Miners ventured into Lexington and were destroy 77-17. The sting within the fan base was demoralizing. Calculating the mental and physical toll an outmanned team faces is hard to measure, but it does have a significant impact on the team, the season and the fan base. Obviously, this is something schools want to avoid at all costs.

But was there any another choice for UTEP? No. Fan support of the program declined by 11,800 people per game over the last two years. That’s revenue of 142,000 from admissions, parking and concessions. Simply do the math. It’s a big number for the Miners to make up. There seemed to be little choice for Stull or Price other than to take trips to “Roman Coliseums.” One “money game” would have been bad enough, but two is asking a lot of any

Miner team. Yet in the end, it was the only option for Stull. So who’s at fault? If you asked many in the fan base, they will quickly reply, “It’s the coach.” Others will complain about the record, the schedule, parking, cost or simply complain. Maybe there is some validity in all the reasons, but I believe the overwhelming reason is that El Paso

will only support winning programs. And I preface the word support; the “winning” UTEP men’s basketball team has seen few sellout crowds over the past few years. The El Paso fans need to decide if they will continue their dwindling support for the Miners or if they will step up and help the Miners build a successful program for the future. Because with another year of lagging fan support, I expect to see the Miner football team fed to lions at least twice come 2013. It’s really an easy decision to make. Do you want Division I football in El Paso or do you want to drop to Division II?

UTEP66

Much has been written about the Miners scheduling big “payday” away games in the 2011 and 2012 seasons, with power houses like South Florida, Wisconsin and Mississippi already on the docket. Phrases like ‘lambs to the slaughter’ sum up the concept and general caliber of games like these. Granted, there are always those magic moments, like when Appalachian State beat Michigan or Jacksonville State beat Ole Miss in overtime. But historically, what we see are blowouts like last year’s 62-24 Auburn thrashing of Chattanooga, 56-7 Georgia win over Idaho State, South Carolina’s 69-24 romp of Troy, Ohio State’s 73-20 “nail biter” over Eastern Michigan or Florida State’s 59-6 mauling of Samford. Competitive ... I think not, but rest assured, the crowd at the coliseum enjoyed the spectacle. Why would a home team schedule inferior opponents? Not a tough answer if you think about it for a minute or two. You need not look much further than the Miners scheduling of Arkansas-Bluff last year and this year’s opener against Stony Brook. Granted there are sometimes scheduling restraints and such that come into play, but the bottom line is schools need a breather game or two before going into tough conference play. The boosters and fans need that big win to pound their chests about and the coaching staff needs the confidence a strong offensive and defensive performance against an opponent brings, even if it is an inferior

M I N E R I L L U S T R A T E D . C O M 7

“UTEP football attendance has plummeted these past

two years, which in turn has left Bob Stull and Mike

Price little choice but to take the “big money road games” despite knowing the impact such games

will have on the program.”

M I N E R I L L U S T R A T E D . C O M

CARRERA WORKING HARD TO COME BACK FROM INJURY

8

part of the 2011 season was the inability to work through some routine drills and swing well at the plate. With a combination of running, stretching and alternative weightlifting workouts, i.e. the lack of squats and deadlifting, Carrera has become stronger while seeing some of the pain that bothered her subside. “I think the pain is going away and I’m getting used to it; it’s a little bit of both,” Carrera said. “My doctor told me I’m going to always have a little bit of pain because (the surgery) isn’t the end all, be all, but it’s what I do to help subside the pain while working through it to see what level of tolerance I’ll be at.” “Doing all this work shows me what level of pain I’ll have to work with so that I can take that and move forward,” Carrera added. Carrera isn’t waiting until the fall practice season starts to see where her pain threshold will be, nor is she waiting to actively get back into the swing of playing softball on a regular basis. In addition to going through her strength and conditioning workouts, she has made it a point to step back into the batter’s box and onto the field. Yet, as she works towards getting back into playing shape, one has to wonder what she might have to change due to her back surgery. As with any injury, there is an immediate concern for an athlete with regards to the mechanics of the game. In most cases, an athlete will adjust some aspect of their game so they can prevent the same injury or simply adjust to the after effects of the injury’s repair. Case in point, Tiger Woods has made a number of adjustments to his golf swing after injuring his knees and ankles over the years. Carrera doesn’t feel there will be

much alteration, if any, to her powerful swing when picking up the bat. “I’ve been hitting almost every day this summer and working on catching drills,” Carrera commented on her swing. “Me being the player that I am, I’m not going to have to switch any of my mechanics. Even if my current mechanics cause me a little bit of pain, I can work through that.” “It’s not worth having to change everything for a tiny bit of pain; it’s not going to keep me from doing what I know how to do. It’s a give and take thing right now,” said Carrera. “If something bothers me, I have to figure out a way to do that thing without it bothering me or figure out a way to make it not bother me as much.” Carrera’s goal is to be ready for her final year as a Miner and to erase any lingering memory of this past season with a spectacular final year. There is no question that when she talks about her final year at UTEP, she relishes the thought of improving on last season’s disappointing record and working with her teammates to improve everyone’s talent level. With another six weeks to go before even beginning the fall semester and getting into fall practices, Carrera is already excited about kicking things off with fervor. “I’m feeling great, and I just feel good about this next season,” Carrera said with a big smile. “I’m excited, and I can’t believe it’s just July. I’m ready for it to be February and for the season to be here already.”

CHRIS AVILA

Avoiding major injury is probably just as important, if not more important, than earning a victory. Every athlete dreads injury and hopes to never have to deal with something that takes him or her off the field for an extended period of time. Unfortunately, when that does happen, it’s up to the athlete to do everything in their power to recover and get back on the field. For softball standout Camilla Carrera, a back injury sustained during leg workouts last fall curtailed what should have been a stellar senior campaign. Instead of being at one hundred percent, Carrera tried to fight though the injury and subsequent surgery by playing in the first couple weeks of the 2011 softball season. Yet, the pain became intolerable, and it was evident that the best plan of action was to shut down for the season, apply for a medical red shirt and focus on rehabilitation and off-season workouts. With the red-shirt approved, Carrera has spent her summer in El Paso focusing on her workouts and back rehabilitation. Staying in town has been an added benefit as it has allowed her to keep an eye on her goals. “I’ve been doing a lot of rehab and working with Coach (Jordan) Johnson and our staff,” Carrera said. “It’s nice being here in El Paso because I can do my summer workouts with him so we can adjust things if they to be adjusted or go a little harder on things that I’m working on. Being here in El Paso is definitely a better thing for me because I really get to work one-on-one with our strength and conditioning staff, and I have all the resources that I need.” One of the issues during the early

Camilla Carrera has spent most of her summer working on her strength and condition-ing plan alongside her reha-bilitation workouts so that she can be at full strength for the fall practice season as well as the 2012 softball season. Chris Avila

Gabriel McCulley, seen here driving the ball against Tulsa in the 2011 Conference USA Tournament, will be the only player on the team to have worn a UTEP jersey for more than one season. There is no doubt he is the leader of this young Miner team. Jeff Taylor

M I N E R I L L U S T R A T E D . C O M 1 1

TAKING A LEADERSHIP ROLE AND THE MINERS TO THE NEXT LEVELGUS CONTRERAS

The UTEP basketball team is heading into the 2011 season with one experienced senior on their squad and that man is redshirted senior forward Gabe McCulley. He will be the rock that this very young team will need when things start getting tough. But having come off an impressive junior season, McCulley is up to the challenge. McCulley has spent time this summer working on his game and working out in the attempt to get stronger before the start of the season. Despite his experience, it is going to be a challenge for him to form a bond with his new teammates, but he knows what he has to take care of for himself and the team. “I just came back for the first summer session, and I’m trying to get acquainted with the new guys who are coming in and work out,” said McCulley. “I’m trying to get a feel of who I’ll be playing with this year. I’ve just been working on my game and working on my body; that’s all I’ve pretty much been doing.” A big change that most collegiate basketball players endure is the improvement of their physique, as they get stronger. McCulley already has a big body, which he showcased last year with his physical play on the court, but he really feels like he can improve on it. One thing in particular McCulley has been working on is his speed. This is an important aspect of his game that he will need to improve on quickly; last year McCulley found himself in foul trouble several times, and in some instances this was because he fell behind his man and was forced to foul the opponent. If McCulley can add quickness to his game, it would compliment his prowess on defensive

side of the ball. Although an improved physique would help McCulley in his senior year at UTEP, one other reason McCulley has been working on his fitness is because he dreams of playing professional basketball once he finishes up his career at UTEP. “I just think I need to get bigger body wise, and I need to get quicker,” said McCulley. “I want to keep working on my body because playing professionally those guys play a lot more games; they play a lot more games than we play in college. I want to get my body as strong as I can get it because I’m looking forward to playing professionally and I need to get my body at its peak.” In the 2009-2010 season, McCulley suffered a wrist injury that kept him out for the majority of the season. McCulley only played a handful of games that year, which really affected him mentally. The success the team enjoyed that year without him on the court forced McCulley to come back stronger and play harder. “I wear a little rubber band on my wrist that reminds me of the season that I sat out, and every time I go out into the gym it reminds me that it’s more than just a game. I wear that rubber band in memory of that year, that team, and me not being able to play that season,” McCulley said. “This is something that a lot people make a living doing; I work in the gym, but as far as it goes, it’s a business. The chance of making it is unlikely for a lot of people, but all I can do is put the work in.” It’s hard not to root for a guy that had one year of basketball taken away from him due to an injury, especially when his team that year was the best in Conference USA losing only one

Continued page 13

game and made the NCAA Tournament, where they crashed out to eventual runner up Butler. The team was built like a rock, but they lost two key players and their coach so that opened the door for a fully healed McCulley. The one good result of this unfortunate set back is the fire in McCulley’s belly to succeed. Coming off his injury, McCulley was one of the hardest working guys on the court. He proved to a lot of people, including himself that he belonged out there. “There is a million other kids out there trying to do the same thing as you, so with that being said the only thing you can do is let your work ethic speak for itself,” said McCulley. “Everybody thinks they’re going to go, everybody says they’re going to go, everybody thinks they are going to make it. All you can do is put the work in and hope that someone will like you and give you a chance.” One thing that Gabe McCulley has that former UTEP standouts Randy Culpepper and Julyan Stone did not have is an extra year under Coach Floyd, which will only help him improve his game. Culpepper and Stone have said multiple times that they improved their game in all aspects because of coach Floyd. McCulley is hoping that Floyd can help him improve his game since Floyd is experienced in professional basketball and the NBA. “He’s been a coach in the NBA so he knows what it takes to get there,” said McCulley. “He still has a lot of friends that are NBA general managers and pretty much knows what they are looking for so with that being said, I think he does prepare you.” The transition between Coach Barbee and Coach Floyd must have been difficult at first, but McCulley

Lounge and Patio

It’s not your average Cincinnati District watering hole.

Outdoor patio with anupscale atmosphere.

M I N E R I L L U S T R A T E D . C O M 1 3

McCulley (continued)

feels that he has matured a lot under Floyd and it kind of mirrors his career at UTEP. “It’s taught me a lot, and over the years I’ve grown from a high school student to a college graduate; I’ve matured a little bit,” said McCulley. “With Barbee and Floyd, it’s kind of reflected of my time at UTEP because Barbee was a young coach and Floyd is more experienced. I was young and rough around the edges, needed a little bit of work but I think with Floyd coming in I’ve started to get a little more experienced because he’s a little bit older. I think he knows just a little more about the game because he’s been around longer.” McCulley’s junior season showed just how tough of a player he was. He averaged six points a game and four rebounds. While that may not sound like a whole lot, those points came at important times and most of the rebounds came in defensively when that UTEP team was struggling to crash the boards. McCulley’s defense was outstanding last season, making him the sixth man of the team. In preparation for this season, McCulley will need to adjust his game because he is going to be starting

from the get go. Two things that McCulley will need to work on next season is his free throw shooting, in which he shot only 69 percent from the line last season. He will also have to reduce his fouling because he led the team in foul outs with a total of five last season; to his credit most of his fouls were necessary as he was playing down in the post. Still, if McCulley can improve his free throw shooting, he will be tough to

stop because of his ability to play down in the post. Last year, he played swingman and a power forward. “I’m looking forward to playing the power forward position, swingman position, center position; whatever position coach needs me to play,” said McCulley with a laugh. With McCulley as the team leader and the entire team pretty much new to El Paso, the team will be turning to him for direction.

McCulley believes there are already signs that coach Floyd has this team in the right direction. “Floyd did a great job recruiting the guys coming in and the whole coaching staff did a good job,” said McCulley. “The guys are ready to play as freshman; they’re all freshman. They kind of remind me of me, Julyan (Stone), Randy (Culpepper), Wayne (Portalatin), and Claude (Britten); there were six of us coming in and we looked

up to Stefon Jackson and Tavaris Watts and they were pretty much the only two seniors they had. I think that year that Stefon and Tavaris led us, I think this is what reminds me of these freshmen.” “It’s a handful of freshmen and all of them can play, and I just think that they’re just young and that’s it,” McCulley said. “Memphis was young last year and that didn’t mean anything. I think they’re a

good group of guys; they all have potential, and I think it’ll be a surprising year for everybody.” With all the potential that this team has, there have still been many critics, and most of them have come from Conference USA opponents beat writers, who are already gifting Memphis the conference title. McCulley and his teammates aren’t buying into the hype around here. The Miners just want to go out and show that they are in the

competition too. “Me and Jacques (Streeter) had a talk, and this is just all motivation for us,” said McCulley. “Last year just watching that Memphis Tiger team upset us on our floor; it’s still under my skin. It’s all motivation, and we don’t listen to what other people say. We just

have to worry about us playing hard and doing our best for the city of El Paso.” No truly competitive athlete needs motivation to win, but with the way last year ended, McCulley and his teammates are going to want to right the ship. This team may be young in age, but with a battle proven player like McCulley, the Miners will be ready for their conference rivals and any other challenges the new season will bring.

“Just watching that Memphis Tiger team

upset us on our floor; it’s still under my skin. It’s all motivation ... We just have to worry about us playing hard and doing our best for the city of El Paso.”

M I N E R I L L U S T R A T E D . C O M 1 4

JOSH PUGA

Summer is a fun time for people who enjoy hitting the pool, fireworks on the Fourth of July (though this might be a sore subject in El Paso), and family vacations among other activities. Unfortunately for loyal UTEP football and basketball fans, the summer couldn’t move fast enough. Being a writer for Miner Illustrated, there is no off-season for me and my colleagues. We are always looking for the next big UTEP story, but as a long-time Miner fan, Camp Socorro couldn’t come soon enough. Since the official start of summer back on June 21st, there has been recruiting news (basketball and football), a football coaching change (departure of cornerbacks coach Allen Johnson replaced by Gabe Franklin), the disappointing NBA draft for UTEP hopefuls (Randy Culpepper and Julyan Stone) and the Marlon McClure fiasco. Good and useful information? Sure, most diehard fans want to know what is going on with UTEP athletics, especially football and basketball. Even before I joined Miner Illustrated, I did my best to keep up with the day-to-day Miner happenings, but I admit I didn’t keep up as much during the summer since there wasn’t any action in the Sun Bowl or in the Don Haskins Center. Even beyond UTEP sports, it hasn’t exactly been a great summer in the sports world with two major sports in lockouts (NBA and NFL); not to mention the second round of the NBA draft, which was a brutal and fitting precursor to the current NBA labor situation. But before I go on a rant about both the NBA and NFL, let us return to the

subject of UTEP. In a way this summer might be one of the toughest for Miner fans to endure with the anticipation of possibly one of the most unpredictable seasons for both the football and basketball programs. Starting with football, this is the first time that I can remember under Head Coach Mike Price that the optimism seems to have waned to an all-time low. Some fans are preparing for the worst. Since Price took over in 2004, UTEP has won at least four games and has averaged almost six wins a season over his seven years as the Miners’ head man. Those

numbers might not seem impressive to fans outside of El Paso, but it’s a pretty good run when you consider UTEP’s football history. Yet going into the 2011 season, some previews have the Miners winning as few as two wins this year and not many have them winning more than four. Even the well-respected writers at Dave Campbell’s Texas Football Magazine predict a dismal 4-8 2011 season for the Miners. I usually take most of the so-called experts’ predictions with a grain of salt, although I have to say, it is hard to ignore the talk when most are picking the Miners to have a losing record. As for basketball, it is a safe bet that Head Coach Tim Floyd and the Miners will

not have a losing record, but duplicating last season’s results will be a challenge with so many new players on the team. Similar to Price, Floyd has also had some coaching changes with former assistant coach William Small moving on to Murray State, which in turn should give assistant and former UTEP player Greg Foster an even bigger role on the staff. Overall, the fans should be excited as Floyd unveils his first full recruiting class. As I have mentioned in previous articles, there will be some growing pains along the way, but it should be an awesome experience to watch these players

develop from November through March. With so many freshmen, this will be a great opportunity for the fans to see Floyd and his staff to teach these players and watch them blossom over their time in El Paso. But even with the upcoming challenging seasons for both programs, this fall will most certainly be interesting and worth following. Unfortunately, this summer could serve as a reminder that Miner fans

might have to wait a while before they see both programs successful in the same year similar to the 2004 and 2005 seasons when Price led the football team to back-to-back bowl games and the basketball team followed suit with consecutive NCAA tournament appearances. Don’t get me wrong; Price and Floyd will do everything they can to be successful. It might not be enough for some, but it will be a hell of a ride that you won’t want to miss. I know I can’t wait.

THE FINAL WORD:The Summertime Blues

“In a way this summer might be one of the toughest for Miner fans to endure with the anticipation of

possibly one of the most unpredictable seasons

for both the football and basketball programs.”