“Our backcourt is a real strength for our team. I think on any given night against anyone on our schedule, we can have the best backcourt on the floor…”
Three players, three different skill sets and one backcourt that could give opposing defenses fits.
Sophomore guards Jake Hall, Uriah Tenette and Hudson Mayes headline UNM men’s basketball’s lineup as the Lobos open the 2026-27 season on Monday Nov. 2 at 7 p.m. against Utah Tech in the Pit (Powered by Nusenda). The game will be streamed on the Mountain West +.
“…Our backcourt is a real strength for our team,” head coach Eric Olen said during media availably last Friday. “I think on any given night against anyone on our schedule, we can have the best backcourt on the floor…”
Hall, Tenette and Mayes each impressed during the preseason, showcasing how their different skill sets complement one another in UNM’s backcourt. Hall, known first for his volume and efficient 3-point shooting, started preseason contests against Oklahoma State and Washington State shooting an ungodly 77% from deep (10 of 13).
UNM’s offense will flow through Hall this season, and Olen has even said UNM should be selective with the shots it takes in transition because the Lobos, with Hall, have the chance to be even more efficient in their half-court offense.
“We always want to play fast, but we might not play at the same pace we played last season, in part because we feel like have the chance to be much more efficient in the halfcourt,” Olen said after UNM committed several turnovers in transition in the first exhibition against OSU.
Olen and the Lobos feel like Hall has added more weapons in his arsenal. After putting on 10-15 pounds of muscle in the offseason, he has shown glimpses of being that true 3-level scorer who can not only shoot it from three at a high-clip, but also attack the basket and draw fouls.
Hall drew 12 fouls in the three exhibition contests and shot 15 of 17 from the line. Hall’s value to UNM extends beyond his production, with his presence alone commanding attention from opposing defenses.
“He impacts the game even when he’s not scoring in a lot of ways just with his gravity and some of the things he’s doing out there,” Olen said.
Uriah Tenette
Hall may be the main ingredient, but Tenette is the straw that stirs the drink for the Lobos. As an All-Mountain West freshman, Tenette started all games in the Mountain West Conference Tournament and NIT. He averaged 11.5 points and 4.5 assists per game while committing only three turnovers during that 6-game stretch.
Tenette’s athleticism and ability to get into the paint and score or dish are elite. He believes his skill set compliments Hall’s scoring ability, which can make UNM difficult to defend.
“(Jake) draws so much attention,” Tenette said. “Him drawing that attention, and me being aggressive, I think that’s going to compliment each other really well out there and I think it’s going to be hard to stop.”
Uriah Tenette attacks the basket during UNM’s Oct. 18 exhibition win over Washington State. Photo courtesy of Andres Chavez, ESPN Radio 101.7 The Team.
Tenette averaged 14.3 points and 3.6 assists in the three exhibition contests. His efficiency was perhaps overlooked because of Hall’s dominant scoring, but he can adjust his game to what the Lobos need him to be: an aggressive playmaker who can find the balance of distributing and scoring.
“I think one of the things that is sort of underrated about Uriah is how he’s able to scale his game relative to what is needed,” Olen said. “If we asked him to, Uriah could go out and score 20 points on any given night. He can really score the basketball. But he plays within the flow and takes what the defense gives him.”
Hudson Mayes
Hudson Mayes is the X-factor. He is projected to give UNM strong production in scoring, free throw attempts and rebounding. Mayes had a coming out party in the final exhibition game against ASU with his two thunderous slams and a double-double performance of 17 points and 10 rebounds.
What may be more impressive than the dunks is that Mayes is starting to understand his role within the offense, and when to be aggressive when teams concentrate so much attention on Hall.
“(Hudson’s) doing a good job of kind of figuring out when to be aggressive, what he’s reading defensively in terms of end of drive decision making,” Olen said. “He’s playing good basketball and we want to get him the ball in situations where he can attack the basket.”
Mayes’ impact on the glass may be his most important contribution. He led UNM in rebounding in two of the three exhibition contests and his presence on the glass will be a necessity since UNM expects smaller rebounding contributions from the rest of its backcourt.
“Hudson is rim pressure, and does a great job on the glass, which is a pretty nice compliment to a Jake, Uriah backcourt that maybe isn’t getting defensive rebounding at a a crazy level,” Olen said.
About Utah Tech
The Trailblazers check in ranked No. 230 in the preseason Ken Pom poll and were picked seventh in the pre-season Big Sky Conference media poll. Last season, they were third-place finishers in the WAC conference with a 19-15 record and a 11-7 record in conference play. They were a borderline Quad 3 team last year finishing No. 177 in the NET.
Utah Tech’s basketball metrics were nothing special. They were 141st in adjusted offensive efficiency but played an incredibly slow pace with a ranking of No. 241 in Ken Pom’s adjusted tempo.
The Trailblazer offense will go through 5th-year senior forward Ethan Potter (6-foot-8), who led the WAC in rebounding at 8.2 boards per game while also adding 16.8 points. Potter’s not a 3-point shooter, but more of a low-post and mid-range scorer who can get to the free line.
Utah Tech brings back four other returners, none of which played significant minutes last season. The Trailblazers went 2-0 in this exhibition season, beating Utah Valley and West Coast Baptist College.
“We want to set the tone and play good basketball from the start, said Olen on Oct. 30. “We have NCAA tournament aspirations, and so like every game matters. They’re all important. This is just the first one.”
Prediction: I expect the Lobos to roll in the season opener over Utah Tech. Ken Pom predicts this as a 86-70 win for UNM, while Las Vegas picks the Lobos as 21 ½ point favorites as of Sunday night. UNM wins 91-68.
UNM men’s basketball opens the 2026-27 season Monday against Utah Tech, leaning on a versatile backcourt featuring Jake Hall, Uriah Tenette and Hudson Mayes. Hall provides elite perimeter shooting and expanded scoring ability, Tenette brings playmaking and athleticism, while Mayes adds rim pressure and rebounding. Head coach Eric Olen believes the trio is one of the Lobos’ biggest strengths as they look to build momentum toward an NCAA Tournament appearance.