New Mexico Lobos to Clash with Nebraska Cornhuskers in hall of Fame Classic

Albuquerque,NM – The New Mexico Lobos are set to face the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the opening round of the 2025 Hall of Fame Classic,marking an early highlight in the Eric Olen era. The tournament bracket was revealed Thursday,setting the stage for the Lobos and Cornhuskers to battle it out in Kansas City,Missouri,on November 20-21 [2].

Hall of Fame Classic Matchup Details

The Lobos and Cornhuskers will tip off at 5 p.m. MT, followed by a matchup between Kansas State and Mississippi State, coached by former New Mexico State coach Chris Jans, at 7:30 p.m. MT. The winners will advance to the championship game the following day at 7:30 p.m. MT, while the losers will compete in a consolation game at 5 p.m. MT.

Did You Know? All Hall of Fame Classic games will be available for streaming on the Peacock app and NBC Sports Now.

Team Rankings and Historical Context

At the conclusion of the 2025 season, KenPom rankings placed Mississippi State at 33, followed by New mexico at 41, Nebraska at 46, and Kansas State at 65.For context, Eric Olen’s previous team, UC San Diego, was ranked 39th.

The Lobos and Cornhuskers have only met once before, with New mexico securing an 83-71 victory in the Pit during the NIT on March 17, 2009. Daniel Faris lead the Lobos with a game-high 28 points and 13 rebounds in that contest.

New Additions to the Lobo Roster

The Lobos have officially announced the signings of two international players: 6-foot-8 guard Timéo Pons from France and 6-foot-9 power forward Tomislav Buljan from Croatia. While the exact arrival dates are uncertain, there is optimism that Buljan’s student visa will be approved soon. Pons is currently competing for the France U19 national team in the FIBA world Cup in Sweden.

Buljan, who earned second-team All-League honors in the Croatian Premijer Liga, averaged 12.5 points and 8.8 rebounds for KK Cedevita Junior.He also awaits an NCAA ruling on his eligibility due to his prior professional experiance.

Pro Tip: Keep an eye on Buljan’s eligibility status, as his addition could considerably impact the Lobos’ frontcourt.

Coach Olen expressed enthusiasm about both players, noting Pons’s size and skill and Buljan’s physicality and athleticism.

Mountain West NBA Draft Highlights

In the recent NBA draft, Colorado State’s Nique Clifford was selected in the first round by the Oklahoma city Thunder at No.24 but was then traded to the Sacramento Kings. Clifford’s selection marks the 16th mountain West player drafted in the first round since 2000.

With Clifford’s selection, CSU joins UNLV and the Lobos with the most first-round NBA draft picks from mountain West schools. Previous Lobo first-round picks include Danny Granger (2005), J.R. Giddens (2008), and Tony Snell (2013).

Arizona High school Standouts

Two former Lobos, Lamont Long and Jaelen House, were recognized among the Top 50 Arizona high school players of the past 40 years by Arizona Republic’s Richard Obert. Long, UNM’s No. 3 all-time scorer, starred at tempe Corona Del Sol, while House, UNM’s No. 11 all-time scorer, graduated from Phoenix Shadow mountain in 2019.

J.R. Giddens Joins ABC Prep

Former Lobo J.R. Giddens, who has played professionally for 17 years and coached at Northern New Mexico College, has joined ABC prep as a coach.

Hall of Fame Classic: Team Comparison

What are your predictions for the Lobos in the Hall of Fame Classic? Will the new international players make an immediate impact?

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