UTEP still optimistic despite 10-game losing streak

The Miners may be in the midst of a ten-game losing streak, but that hasn’t dampened head coach Tim Floyd’s enthusiasm for the game or his team.

“Listen, I’ve always been the kind of guy that if we’ve got five guys that suit up, we’ve got five guys in uniform, I feel like we can go out and beat the Spurs,” said Floyd Tuesday.

Luckily for UTEP, their next opponent isn’t the San Antonio Spurs but rather Louisiana Tech. But Tech is no slouch, either. They’re currently rated as one of the top three teams in Conference USA in a number of polls and sit a 9-5 on the season.

The Miners will enter their game with the Bulldogs 0-1 in conference play after falling to UTSA in their conference opener on Sunday.

UTEP hasn’t won a game since the week before Thanksgiving, but they say they’ve still got each other’s backs.

“I mean, no one’s negative. I know we’ve lost ten in a row, but it’s not like we’re in the locker room hating everyone,” said UTEP center Matt Willms.

Willms says the team hasn’t resorted to the blame game that befalls many other teams during losing streaks.

“When we come out here, we still all like each other,” he said before practice Tuesday.

After Thursday’s tilt with Louisiana Tech, the Miners will then stay on the road and play at Southern Miss a couple days later. That makes for three straight road games to begin conference play. When asked about the difficulty in opening with three away games, coach Floyd state it “was not what the doctor ordered” at this point in the season for UTEP.

A win would do wonders for the confidence of the team, although they are still a fairly confident group – all things considered – that plays to win each game.

“I’m going to continue to take that approach,” said Floyd. If we’ve got five guys in a suit, then we can go out and beat the Spurs, and we’re gonna try figure out a way to do that.” The Miners will return to the Haskins Center for their conference home opener on Thursday, Jan. 12 against FIU.