Big men, perimeter shooters, solid guards and athleticism. You'll pardon UTEP head men's basketball coach Tim Floyd if he seems cautiously optimistic for his 2012-13 Miners. El Paso gets its first look Saturday night for free at the Haskins Center for the Orange & White scrimmage.

Couple all of that with the whole beer selling thing and it all just might put some much-needed punch into the crowd at The Don -- a punch this city hasn't had since UTEP went to the CBI Finals and sold the place out with $10 tickets for any seat.

UTEP's slogan this year is "Bringin' Back the 80's". Aside from the questionable fashion choices of the time (really, you can't even find those high-rise basketball shorts at Goodwill anymore), the Miners were the dominant basketball force of the old WAC.

Floyd could only hope for another run of consecutive conference titles and NCAA tournament appearances like the ones he helped engineer as chief recruiter for Don Haskins. But if he keeps building the program he's creating now, it promises to keep the Miners at or near the top of Conference USA in the years to come.

 

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