UTEP Miners (25-9, 11-5)
Projected starting five:
Gabriel McCulley
Michael Perez
Darius Nelson
Jacquis Streeter
John Bohannon
Important departures:
Randy Culpepper: 19.3 ppg, 3.1 apg, 2 steals per game
Julyan Stone: 8.5 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 5.3 apg
Christian Polk: 11.7 ppg, 3 apg, 44.9 percent from 3-point range
Additions:
Two-star SF Darius Nelson
Two-star SF Jalen Ragland
% returning scoring and rebounding:
Scoring: 17.7 percent
Rebounding: 35.3 percent
Schedule highlights
Key nonconference game: vs. Clemson Dec. 19
Key conference stretch: vs. UAB Feb. 4, vs. Tulsa Feb. 8
Outlook:
UTEP had a great season in C-USA last year. The Miners tied for second in the regular season and made it to the C-USA championship game before falling to Memphis in the final seconds. They relied heavily on senior leadership for success. As Randy Culpepper Julyan Stone and Christian Polk move on, UTEP is going to find it a lot harder to win.
