New Mexico fans expected to lose Mountain West Co-Player of the Year J.R. Giddens. And they did, courtesy of a first-round selection by the Boston Celtics in the NBA Draft.

Lobos fans feared they would lose head coach Steve Alford to the vacancy at his alma mater, Indiana. He signed a three-year contract extension instead, keeping him in The Pit through the 2015-16 season.

"This is another example of what I have said all along -- that I am committed to being a Lobo," Alford said.

It's a good time to be one. Four starters return from a team that matched a school record with 24 regular-season wins and went to the NIT. That doesn't even include the return of three-year starter Tony Danridge, who missed all of 2007-08 with a broken leg.

There's also a top-shelf recruiting class ranked as high as No. 9 by ESPN.com that features 6-5 shooting guard Phillip McDonald, 6-9 power forward Will Brown and 6-3 point guard Nate Garth. All three were ranked as the top signees in the Mountain West at their respective positions by Rivals.com.

"The caliber of both the students and the players we are getting keeps Lobo basketball moving in a positive direction," Alford said. "I couldn't be more excited."

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