The UTEP Basketball Team Is as Cold as The Don Haskins Center

It has been a tough month of basketball for Joe Golding and his UTEP men's basketball team. Dating back to the 21st of last month, the Miners have lost six of their last seven games including a 13-point defeat last night at home against UAB. On top of the team's struggles, the Don Haskins Center has been a little chilly inside since the building's heater broke last week. According the school, the heat inside the Haskins Center will not be restored until next week.

It is hard to believe that the Miners are two games under .500 on the season and just 5-10 in Conference USA. That means that UTEP is next to last in the league with five games left to play. The bigger issue at this point is that the team is trending in the wrong direction and there have been no signs that Coach Golding and his squad will be able to salvage the season in time for the C-USA Tournament next month in Frisco.

The same problems that plagued the Miners in November are still issues late in the regular season. Turnovers, missed free throws, and the lack of outside shooters has been the three biggest issues that UTEP has not been able to correct. They also lack leadership, which Coach Golding admitted to the media after last night's loss to the Blazers.

Although this team is filled with newcomers, veteran players like Shamar Givance, Calvin Solomon, Tae Hardy, and Otis Frazier III are not new to Division 1 college basketball. Unfortunately, none of them have ben able to rise to the occasion in late moments of close games when the Miners were in desperate need of a basket. Meanwhile, Ze'Rik Onyema, Kevin Kalu, and Derick Hamilton are all developing big men who are raw and need more time on the floor to improve their games. Add it all up and you have a 12-14 basketball team.

The Miners do have three of their final five games at the Haskins Center, including North Texas tomorrow night. Since the heaters will not be working, it will be up to UTEP to try and warm up the building. Hopefully they can give their fans something to cheer about rather than speculate about next season.