What: Tulsa Golden Hurricane (9-3, 2-1) at UTEP Miners (3-10, 1-3) in a Western Athletic Conference men's basketball game.
Where: Don Haskins Center.
When: 6 p.m. today.
Tickets: $6.50, $12.50, $15.50, $18.50.
TV: Fox Sports Southwest (cable Channel 27).
Radio: KROD-AM (600); KSVE-AM (1150) in Spanish.
Information: 747-5234.
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And then there were seven.
UTEP's hard luck season got a little harder Wednesday afternoon when it was learned freshman starter John Tofi will miss anywhere from two to six weeks -- which obviously includes tonight's regionally televised matchup with the University of Tulsa in the Don Haskins Center.
Tofi, who averages 13.3 points and 6.1 rebounds per game, has been battling tendinitis in his right knee for a couple of weeks. He underwent an MRI Tuesday and the results came when trainer Matt Doles' cell phone rang Wednesday after practice had started. Tofi was immediately pulled out of the action.
"That's a tough break for John and a tough break for us," UTEP coach Billy Gillispie said. "But we'll play with seven."
UTEP began the season with 10 players in uniform, but senior Roy Smallwood was lost Dec. 18 with a torn anterior cruciate ligament and walk-on Brandon Clausen, who is on academic scholarship, elected to leave the team this semester to concentrate on his grades.
"There's a lot of swelling in the tendon," Doles said of Tofi's knee. "It's considered a severe case of tendinitis. And they are concerned that it could lead to a rupture. He got it banged around a lot last week at Fresno State, so I'm hoping with a couple of weeks of rest he could be OK. But they are saying four to six weeks right now."
The 6-foot-8 Tofi, who leads the Miners in scoring and is second in rebounding, stood on the sidelines, an ice bag taped to his offending right knee: "Shoot. My folks back home (in San Francisco) were looking forward to watching me on TV."
With or without Tofi, the Miners are excited to be playing perennial Western Athletic Conference powerhouse Tulsa, and about playing on television.
"It's exciting," freshman Giovanni St. Amant said. "I found out walking around campus that there are a lot of flyers and posters talking about UTEP basketball being on TV (Fox Sports Southwest). Sure, something like that makes you feel good. It gets you juiced. But that's not our main focus. We really, really need to stick to our game plan. Coach Gillispie knows their style, their program. So, if we listen, we can benefit a lot."
Gillispie, of course, was an assistant coach -- along with current Golden Hurricane head coach John Phillips -- at Tulsa under Bill Self.
"Billy's done a great job getting UTEP to play with great pride and intensity," Phillips said. "We had certainly better go into UTEP ready to play, because they are going to knock some people off this year. Of course, you don't want to compete against friends. Billy and I are very close. But I'm excited for him to get an opportunity like I am -- to be a head coach. We always compete, though -- whether it is at ping pong or whatever. There is no doubt, though, that he will get that program back where it was -- one of the best."
Gillispie is close with the coaches and the players.
"There are six players on the team who were there when we were," Gillispie said. "Those guys have won a ton of games and we thought they would. They are great young men and really good basketball players. I want nothing but the best for them ... except when they play us a couple of times. And John has done a super job there. Of course, Thursday night we're going to try and beat their tail."
Unfortunately for these hard luck Miners, they will have to do it with only seven players.
Bill Knight may be reached at
bknight@elpasotimes.com
