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[]
- Tiny Archibald
- Tim Hardaway
- Antonio Davis
- Jim Barnes
- Greg Foster
- Derrick Caracter
- Nolan Richardson
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.