Not Dead Yet: UTEP Men in the midst of stunning turnaround

It’s potentially the biggest single season turnaround in school history.

The UTEP basketball team has won six of its past seven games after losing a dozen in a row. It was just a month ago that the Miners (14-8, 6-4) lost that 12th straight game, the schools’ longest losing streak since the 1930’s.

What a difference a month makes!

“This is probably one of the best turnarounds I’ve ever seen,” 36-year Voice of the Miners Jon Teicher told ABC-7. “I think there were a lot of people, both inside and outside the program, that were wondering if this team would win another basketball game.”

UTEP seventh-year coach Tim Floyd admitted “the buzzards were circling at that time.”

Just a couple of months ago, there were “Fire Floyd” signs at the Don Haskins Center.

“He’s ridden the waves before,” Teicher said. “He’s been through stuff like this in the past.”

Indeed.

“We had a team at the University of New Orleans that was 2-9 to start the season,” Floyd said. “We won 19 out of our last 21.”

Wins this week against Louisiana Tech () and Southern Mississippi () and the Miners could climb into second place in Conference USA.

“That would be something,” Floyd said. “That would really be something.”

Added Teicher: “Certainly they’ve put themselves in a position where they can do some things that three weeks to a month ago seemed unthinkable.”

“The guy could end up being the coach of the year in Conference USA,” added longtime UTEP booster Russ Vandenburg. “It’s been remarkable and they’re playing good teams. How people are missing it right now, I don’t know. But it’s been a lot of fun.”

Despite the turnaround, the Haskins Center remains half empty on game days.

“I was surprised I could get a great seat in the very front,” said longtime Miner fan David Cuevas, who hasn’t stopped coming to games.

Cuevas pointed out that that way the Miners are playing the past month, it reminds him of the old days under Coach Haskins.

“The Bear would be extremely proud,” Cuevas said, “because the boys are playing a tough defense just like The Bear believed in.”

Coach Floyd called Thursday’s home game against Louisiana Tech, a team that beat a much-different UTEP team by 20 points earlier this season, “the real test.” There are plenty of seats remaining for the game.