UTEP opens conference play tonight at home against Charlotte

The 10-5 miners open conference play tonight at home against Charlotte, followed by a home game on Saturday against Marshall.

Without McKenzie Moore, the team’s leading scorer, the Miners will have a hard time winning Conference USA or its post-season tournament, which will be at the Haskins Center this year.

Moore, Jalen Ragland, and Justin Crosgile are no longer on the team following an FBI investigation revealing that they gambled on unspecified sporting events.

“It’s a challenge, and one that we will try to embrace and do the very best we can with,” ITEP Coach Tim Floyd said. “We are very limited in terms of our options right now with foul trouble and or injury, and also parts of the game like being able to dribble penetrate. We have three perimeter guys on scholarship. We just have to hope they don’t foul or get tired.

“We have a couple of walk-ons right now that are looking forward to an opportunity to play, and they’re going to have to play,” he added. “And when they’re in the game, we’ll probably play somewhat unconventional for our fans. In our sport, everybody wants to play a different position. The centers want to play power forward, the power forwards want to play small forward and the small forwards want to play guard. John Bohannon has wanted to be a two guard since he got here. I assume he’ll have a chance to do that at some point. That’s kind of the way it works. Vince Hunter will play some small forward, which he would love. We’ll find out if we’re saying `I told you so, you can’t do it’ or they’re saying `I told you so.’ That will be the interesting part to the remainder of the season.”

Charlotte is 9-4, including wins over no. 14 Michigan (63-61) and Kansas State (68-61) in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off back in November.

UTEP has added football players Aaron Jones and Alvin Jones to the roster and they have been cleared to play. The Jones brothers both played basketball at Burges High School in addition to football.

The Jones brothers will dress for tonight’s game.