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UTEP Miners
UTEP Miners
School Name: University of Texas at El Paso
Location: El Paso, Texas
Arena: Don Haskins Center
Capacity: 12,222
Conference: Conference USA
Head coach: Joe Golding

The UTEP Men's basketball team is an NCAA Division I college basketball team competing in the Conference USA. Home games are played at Don Haskins Center, located on University of Texas at El Paso's campus in El Paso.

Don Haskins Center[]

The Don Haskins Center (Capacity 12,222), the home of UTEP Miners basketball. With fans seated extremely close to the playing floor and the UTEP student section located near the opponent's bench, "The Don" is so notorious as a tough place for opponents to win that UTEP has historically had difficulty convincing top-rated teams to play there. The Don is the home of the UTEP Miners who are the only Division 1 Men's National Basketball Champions in the State of Texas (1966).

1966 Texas Western basketball team[]

As Texas Western, the Miners won the 1966 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. The 72–65 victory over Kentucky in College Park, Maryland is considered one of the most important in the history of college basketball, as it marked the first time that a team with five African-American starters won a title game. It came against a Kentucky team that had no African-American players, during the period of the Civil Rights Movement.

The title team has been chronicled throughout the American media, including the book When the Walls Came Tumbling Down by Frank Fitzpatrick and the 2006 Disney movie Glory Road.

The team was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame

NCAA Tournament Results[]

The Miners have appeared in seventeen NCAA Tournaments and were the 1966 National Champions. Their combined record is 14–16.

Year Round Opponent Result/Score
1963 First Round Texas L 65–47
1964 First Round

Sweet Sixteen Regional Third Place Game

Texas A&M

Kansas State Creighton

W 68–62

L 64–60 W 63–52

1966 First Round

Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four Championship Game

Oklahoma City

Cincinnati Kansas Utah Kentucky

W 89–74

W 78–76 W 81–80 W 85–78 W 72–65

1967 First Round

Sweet Sixteen Regional Third Place Game

Seattle

Pacific Wyoming

W 62–54

L 72–63 W 69–67

1970 First Round Utah State L 91–81
1975 First Round Indiana L 78–53
1984* Second Round UNLV L 73–60
1985 First Round

Second Round

Tulsa

North Carolina State

W 79–75

L 86–73

1986 First Round Bradley L 83–65
1987 First Round

Second Round

Arizona

Iowa

W 98–91 OT

L 84–82

1988 First Round Seton Hall L 80–64
1989 First Round

Second Round

LSU

Indiana

W 85–74

L 92–69

1990 First Round Minnesota L 64–61 OT
1992 First Round

Second Round Sweet Sixteen

Evansville

Kansas Cincinnati

W 55–50

W 66–60 L 69–67

2004 First Round Maryland L 86–83
2005 First Round Utah L 60–54
2010 First Round Butler L 77–59
  • Received a first round bye in 1984.

NIT Results[]

The Miners have appeared in eight National Invitation Tournaments. Their combined record is 6–8.

Year Round Opponent Result/Score
1965 First Round Manhattan L 71–53
1972 First Round Niagara L 76–57
1980 First Round

Sweet Sixteen

Wichita State

Michigan

W 58–56

L 75–65

1981 First Round

Sweet Sixteen

San Jose State

Tulsa

W 57–53

L 76–72

1993 First Round

Sweet Sixteen

Houston

Georgetown

W 67–61

L 71–44

1995 First Round

Sweet Sixteen

Montana

New Mexico State

W 90–60

L 92–89

2001 First Round

Sweet Sixteen

McNeese State

Memphis

W 84–74

L 90–65

2006 Opening Round

First Round

Lipscomb

Michigan

W 85–66

L 82–67

CBI Results[]

The Miners have appeared in two College Basketball Invitationals. Their combined record is 5–3.

Year Round Opponent Result/Score
2008 First Round Utah L 81–69
2009 First Round

Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals Game 1 Finals Game 2 Finals Game 3

Nevada

Northeastern Richmond Oregon State Oregon State Oregon State

W 79–77

W 75–66 W 81–69 L 75–69 W 70–63 L 81–73

Notable players[]

Retired Jersey Numbers[]

  • Tiny Archibald 14
  • Bobby Joe Hill 14
  • Jeep Jackson 22
  • Jim Barnes 45

Basketball Hall Of Fame[]

  • Don Haskins - Basketball Hall of Fame class of 1997
  • Nathaniel Archibald - Basketball Hall of Fame class of 1991
  • 1966 Texas Western team - Basketball Hall of Fame class of 2007

National Rankings[]

ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll 1. 2009-2010: The Miners cracked the rankings in Week 15 (February 22, 2010). They stayed in the rankings for four consecutive weeks and peaked at #21 in Week 17 (March 8, 2010).

AP Poll 1. 2009-2010: UTEP cracked the AP Top 25 in Week 16 at #24 (March 1, 2010) and remained in the rankings for two weeks. The Miners peaked at #24 before falling out in the post-season rankings.

External Links[]

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