UTEP basketball to open three-game road swing at Western Kentucky Thursday
EL PASO, Texas - The UTEP men’s basketball team (15-5, 5-2 CUSA) will open a three-game road swing when it plays at WKU (12-8, 3-4 CUSA) at 6 p.m. MT/7 p.m. CT Thursday.
The Miners, who sit in a three-way tie for first place in Conference USA alongside Middle Tennessee and Jax State at 5-2 within the league, rallied past Kennesaw State, 73-71, on Jan. 25.
UTEP won for the first time this season when trailing at the half (1-3), in addition to overcoming a nine-point deficit (50-41) with 16:30 to play in regulation.
The triumph allowed the Miners to pick up some momentum heading into a stretch with five of the next seven coming on the road, including matchups at WKU on Thursday, at Middle Tennessee on Saturday and at I-10 rival NM State on Feb. 8.
The Toppers bounced Sam Houston, 75-66, on the road last time out on Jan. 25, which halted a two-contest losing streak and capped a run of three straight on the road on a high note.
UTEP is 3-2 on the road and has claimed its past four CUSA road contests dating to last season.
That marks the longest such streak since the Miners ripped off five in a row on the road in league play during the 2016-17 campaign (Jan. 28 to Feb. 25, 2017).
The Toppers are a stout 9-2 at home and 21-4 inside E.A. Diddle Arena since the start of last year.
UTEP will be looking for its first road triumph against WKU in its sixth trip to Bowling Green, Ky.
The Miners’ overall mark of 15-5 is their best through 20 games since standing 16-4 in 2010-11 in former head coach Tim Floyd’s first season on the sidelines. Meanwhile, the 5-2 beginning to CUSA play is the top since standing 6-1 through seven contests in 2013-14 (got to 8-1, finished at 12-4).
Jon Teicher (44th year) will be on the call for the game with the Toppers on “The Home of UTEP Basketball” 600 ESPN El Paso, with audio available on the UTEP Miners App as well. It will also be streamed on ESPN+ (subscription required).
SIXTH STRAIGHT WEEK IN COLLEGE INSIDER INC. MID MAJOR POLL
For the sixth consecutive week, UTEP has a spot in the College Insider Inc. Mid-Major Top-25 poll.
The Miners are 24th in the most-recent edition after splitting at home last week. Liberty (No. 9) is the only other CUSA program to be in the poll, but Middle Tennessee, LA Tech, Jax State, WKU and NM State are all receiving votes.
The poll is voted on by 31 Division I head coaches.
SERIES HISTORY: WKU LEADS, 11-2
WKU leads the series, 11-2, with the Toppers knocking off UTEP, 78-71, in the 2024 Conference USA Championship contest in the most-recent matchup. During the ‘23-24 regular season, the Miners snapped a seven-game winning streak by WKU in the series with a 93-87 home triumph on Jan. 20.
WKU defended its home court later that season, 90-80, on Feb. 15.
UTEP battled only to fall in the title tilt of the CUSA Championship, which marked the second consecutive campaign the that Toppers bested the Orange and Blue at the CUSA Tournament.
Prior to the 2022-23 campaign, the two programs had not faced each other more than once in a season.
UTEP’s first win in the series came in OT (93-89, Feb. 6, 2016) in front of a capacity crowd as part of the 50-year celebration of the Miners winning the 1966 NCAA Championship vs. Kentucky, 72-65.
UTEP is in search of its first victory at E.A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, Ky., with all of those matchups coming since WKU joined CUSA.
GET TO KNOW WKU (12-8, 3-4 CUSA, 9-2 HOME, 3-6 AWAY, 0-0 NEUTRAL)
WKU, the defending Conference USA tournament champions, enter Thursday’s matchup with the Miners at 12-8 overall and 3-4 within CUSA play.
The Toppers have played five of their first seven league tilts on the road, and they are coming off a 75-66 road vanquishing of Sam Houston on Jan. 25.
That stopped a two-game skid. WKU, which is 9-2 at home and 21-4 in Bowling Green, Ky., since the start of last season will now get to play back-to-back and five of the next seven inside E.A. Diddle Arena.
The Toppers are one of the most veteran-laden teams in the country, boasting 13 seniors or grad students.
They also have one junior, two sophomores and two freshmen.
Setting the tone for WKU is one of those seniors, Don McHenry, who leads the way on both ends of the court.
The 2024 All-CUSA First-Team honoree pours in 17.2 ppg (sixth CUSA) while also pacing the squad in steals per game (1.8-third CUSA).
He has seven contests with 20+ points on the season.
Three others join him in double figures, and they are in the form of Babacar Faye (15.2 ppg), Julius Thedford (12.4 ppg) and Khristian Lander (10.0 ppg), though Faye has not played since Dec. 14 due to an injury.
Tyrone Marshall (9.5 ppg), a 2024 Honorable-Mention CUSA honoree, and Enoch Kalambay (8.6 ppg) have also been consistent scoring threats. Marshall is the top active rebounder at 6.5 rpg (11th CUSA), aided by pulling down 5.6 defensive rebounds per contest (fourth CUSA). Jalen Jackson runs the offense effectively with 2.2 assists per game while rating second on the squad for steals at 1.5 spg (11th CUSA).
WKU is putting up 76.8 ppg while yielding 75.1 ppga, but it is fifth in CUSA and 49th in the country with a field-goal percentage defense of 40.7.
The Toppers are also among CUSA and national leaders for free throws attempted per game (20.9-third/98th), free throws made per game (15.4-second/88th), defensive rebounds per game (28.9-second/ninth), total rebounds per game (38.2-fourth/72nd), steals per game (8.9-third/35th), 3-point percentage defense (fifth/58th), turnover margin (2.3-third/66th) and turnovers forced per game (13.9-third/70th).
WKU has struggled with sharing the ball, rating last in the league for assists per game (12.1-295th NCAA). It also is 10th in CUSA for field-goal percentage (42.3-303rd NCAA). Notable university alumni include Romeo Crennel (former head coach of the Cleveland Browns & KC Chiefs), the late Duncan Hines (pioneer of restaurant ratings for travelers) and the late Cordell Hull (Secretary of State under FDR).
LOOKING BACK (AT UTEP 73, KENNESAW STATE 71, Jan. 25)
Otis Frazier III tallied 17 points to pace a quartet of Miners in double figures while also equaling the school record for steals (eight) as UTEP rallied back from a nine-point second-half deficit to defeat Kennesaw State, 73-71, in front of 5,300+ roaring fans at the Don Haskins Center on Jan. 25. The game featured three lead changes and six ties, and the Owls’ 3-pointer to take the lead in the waning seconds didn’t go. Frazier III pulled down the rebound to lock up the victory. Kevin Kalu (career-high 14 points), Elijah Jones (season-best 12 points) and Devon Barnes (10 points) joined Frazier III in double figures for scoring.
THAT’S A LOT OF STEALS
Otis Frazier III posted a school-record tying eight steals in the win vs. Kennesaw State on Jan. 25. It marks the second time of his career that he has equaled the record. He previously had eight vs. Middle Tennessee on Jan. 18, 2024. Edgar Moreno also had eight in a contest, doing so vs. DII program UTPB on Nov. 21, 2005.
IN RARE AIR
Otis Frazier III is the lone player in program history to have multiple games of eight steals, doing so vs. Kennesaw State (Jan. 25, 2025) and vs. Middle Tennessee (Jan. 18, 2024). Furthermore, he joins Hall of Famer Tim Hardaway as the lone players in program history with at least seven steals in four games. Frazier III has two with eight and two with seven while Hardaway had four with seven.
STILL PERFECT WITH FOUR IN DOUBLE DIGITS
Four different Miners hit double figures in scoring against Kennesaw State, improving them to 10-0 this season in the situation.
WINNING CLOSE
With the two-point victory against Kennesaw State last time out on Jan. 25, UTEP improved to 7-2 on the year in two-possession games (decided by six points or less). That includes a mark of 4-0 at home in the situation.
HAVE BEEN ABLE TO BOUNCE BACK
UTEP has won its past six games when coming off a loss, including standing 5-0 in the situation this year. Most recently the Miners knocked off Kennesaw State, 73-71, on Jan. 25 after falling previously to Jax State on Jan. 23.
AN HONOR WELL DESERVED
Otis Frazier III was voted as the CUSA men’s basketball Player of the Week, the league office announced on Jan. 27. He is the first Miner this season to claim the honor while it marks the second time of his career that Frazier III has taken it home (Jan. 22, 2024). The senior averaged 17.0 points (50.0 percent shooting) 5.5 steals, 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 32.3 mpg to help UTEP climb back into a three-way tie for first place in the league.
WON THE SECOND HALF
UTEP was +6 (36-30) in the second half against Kennesaw State. That marked the second-biggest positive differential vs. a DI opponent over the final 20 minutes this year. UTEP was +12 (33-21) vs. Long Beach State (Nov. 26, 2024).
JONES COMING ALONG
Elijah Jones has two games of at least eight points in his past four appearances, putting up a season-high 12 vs. Kennesaw State and notching eight points at Liberty on Jan. 16. He matched his career best for free throws (three) while setting it for free throws attempted (four) in the win vs. the Owls, including a toss to stretch UTEP’s lead two (73-71) after he came up with an offensive rebound and was fouled with 13 seconds left. Jones had not scored more than four points vs. a DI foe prior to his recent stretch of success.
NO EASY NIGHTS IN CUSA PLAY
Seven of the 10 teams in Conference USA stand at .500 or better within league, including UTEP, Jax State and Middle Tennessee sharing first place at 5-2 in conference contests.
RALLYING BACK
UTEP won for the first time this season (1-3) when trailing at the half. It was a four-point deficit (41-37) at the break, but that ballooned to nine (50-41) with 16:30 left in regulation. The Miners went on a 15-4 run over the next seven minutes to pull ahead, and even though the Owls kept fighting, UTEP never trailed again.
PICKED UP THE D IN THE SECOND HALF
While UTEP was consistent in forcing turnovers throughout the tilt (13 forced in first half, nine forced in second), a big reason UTEP was able to forge a comeback vs. Kennesaw State in the second half was due to its on-ball defense. After making 51.6 percent (16-31) in the opening frame, the Owls were held to just 38.5 percent shooting (10-26) in the second half.
LET THE BIG MEN EAT
6-9 post Kevin Kalu (career-high 14 points) and 6-8 post Elijah Jones (season-best 12 points) got things going down low, especially on the pick and roll with David Terrell Jr. (six assists in the game). The duo combined for 26 points while shooting 10-13 between them. Both made key plays down the stretch as Kalu had a dunk with 1:03 left to nudge UTEP’s margin to three. After KSU was back within one, Jones came up with an offensive rebound and was fouled. He split the pair to edge the Miners back out by two (73-71) with 13 seconds left, and the defense did the rest.
TURNED THEM OVER PLENTY OF TIMES
UTEP harassed Kennesaw State into 22 turnovers, which were converted into 26 points. The giveaways by the Owls also allowed the Miners to get out and run, as they finished with 16 fastbreak points. It marked the seventh time this season the opposition has committed at least 20 giveaways. UTEP has one such game.
BATTLED ON THE BOARDS
Kennesaw State entered the contest as the second-best rebounding team in the league (+6.7 margin-32nd NCAA), aided by pacing the league and rating 13th nationally at 14.3 offensive rebounds per game. The Owls did end up holding a 43-29 advantage on the glass, including 13 snagging offensive boards, but the margin was much closer in the second half (18-16, KSU). Furthermore, when it mattered most, the Miners got the rebound. Otis Frazier III pulled down the board after a miss on a potential go-ahead 3-pointer from the Owls, and he held onto it as time expired.
TERRELL JR. DID IT ALL
David Terrell Jr. did everything across the board with eight points to go along with team bests in both rebounds (six) and assists (career-high tying six) in the win against Kennesaw State on Jan. 25. The sophomore was even more impressive defensively, holding six-time CUSA Freshman of the Week Adrian Wooley (entered at 18.6 ppg) to seven points on 3-10 shooting.
ANOTHER BIG SHOT FROM BYNUM
Ahamad Bynum has shown the ability to knock down shots in key moments throughout the year, and he hit another big one in the victory against Kennesaw State. He drilled a corner 3-pointer as part of a 9-0 run that tied the tilt and forced a timeout by KSU. UTEP capped it the surge and pulled ahead with a score on the next possession. Overall, Bynum tallied eight points, two steals, two rebounds and two assists while starting in place of Corey Camper Jr.
GET THAT WEAK STUFF OUTTA HERE
Derick Hamilton swatted a career-best shots in the victory against Kennesaw State on Jan. 25. He added five rebounds (tied second on the team), including a game-high three offensive boards, to go along with one assist in a very active nine minutes of action. Elijah Jones (two) added two rejections while Kevin Kalu had one to help UTEP tie its season high for blocks at six.
MAKING FREE THROWS WHEN IT MATTERS
UTEP finished 16-23 (69.6 percent) at the charity stripe against Kennesaw State, but the Miners were 10-12 in the department in the second half. It marked the fifth time this season that UTEP has missed two free throws or less over the final 20 minutes of action. The Miners are 4-1 in those games (7-7 UTPB, 14-14 Seattle U, 11-12 NM State, 10-12 Liberty), with the lone loss in the situation coming to NM State.
TAKING GOOD CARE OF THE BALL
For the first time this season, the Miners have had single-digit turnover totals in back-to-back contests. UTEP had eight against Jax State on Jan. 23 and nine in the win vs. Kennesaw State last time out. Furthermore, the Orange and Blue have now committed less than 10 turnovers in three of the past four games and four times total in seven CUSA tilts. The effort, coupled with UTEP pacing the country with 18.0 turnovers forced per game, has vaulted it into seventh nationally with a +5.7 turnover margin on the season. The Miners easily lead Conference USA in the category, with the next closest team being Liberty at +2.3.
KALU CLEANING UP THE BOARDS
Kevin Kalu, who tops UTEP in rebounding at 5.3 boards per game (tied 17th), has pulled down at least eight rebounds in five different games this season. The only other Miners on the campaign to have recorded at least eight rebounds in a contest are Otis Frazier III (11 vs. LA Tech, Jan. 2) and David Terrell Jr. (nine at Liberty, Jan. 16).
TERRELL JR. MAKING LEAPS AND BOUNDS AT THE POINT
David Terrell Jr. has been racking up the assists of late, but just as importantly, he is taking care of the ball as well. Since the start of Conference USA play, the sophomore has dished out 31 dimes while committing just 12 turnovers for a team-leading 2.6 assist-to-turnover ratio. That is aided by at least five helpers in four of the seven CUSA contests No one else has more than 15 assists since the onset of league play. In his 12 nonconference appearances (missed one game) Terrell Jr. registered 27 assists while also turning it over 27 times.
FRAZIER III’S OFFENSIVE TEAR
Otis Frazier III has been piling up the points lately, stringing together 11 straight games of double-digit scoring efforts to more than double his prior long such stretch (five to begin the season). The senior, who is averaging 15.9 points per game during the surge, has elevated his seasonal average from 12.9 ppg to 14.6 ppg (tied eighth CUSA) as result. He has knocked down multiple 3-pointers five times during the 11-contest sequence (45.5 percent of the tilts) after doing so three times over the first nine games (33.3 percent of the games) of the season.
