近距离内射合集

Maybe the introduction between new Lobo big man Federico Grani and the Albuquerque media could have been better.

After the pleasantries and introductions at a pre-practice media session on Tuesday night in the Pit, talking to the 23-year-old power forward from Italy 鈥� who has been in town less than a week now 鈥� went like this:

Journal: "So, you enjoying the World Cup?"

Grani: "No, not really. Not at all, actually. I'm from Italy, and when I see a World Cup without Italy in it, I just 鈥� I can't watch it, because so disappointed.

"We won the European Championship five years ago, and now we can't even qualify."

Okay. So much for the friendly small talk.

Yellow card: Reporter.

After talking for a few more minutes, and after the 6-foot-10 big man acknowledged he's having a hard time with the mile-high elevation of Albuquerque so far, the reporter then asked how it felt running the mile 鈥� something his Lobo teammates who got here three weeks ago had to do in the first week of summer workouts as part of the baseline testing of strength coach Charisse Williams.

Grani: "What mile?"

Reporter: "They all had to go across the street (to UNM's track) and get timed in the mile. You haven't had to do that yet?"

Grani: "Are you serious? Run a mile?"

Welp. Maybe let's just stick to basketball.

Red card: Reporter.

So, about that World Cup

To be clear, the World Cup was a topic of discussion in the media room full of Lobos before Tuesday's practice.

This is, after all, quite the international roster Eric Olen and his staff have assembled with players from Italy, two from Austria and one from Sweden 鈥� the latter two not only being in the World Cup, but both with solid chances of making it out of group play and advancing into the Round of 32.

"I thought Austria was playing pretty good (Monday in a 2-0 loss to defending champion Argentina)," said 6-9 freshman forward Beni Schuch, who along with 6-8 St. John's transfer forward Imran Suljanovic are both from Austria and both watching their home country in the World Cup.

"I mean, they were fighting. (Lionel) Messi missed that penalty (shot). I thought, like, maybe we had a good chance, but at the end, it's just that the quality from Messi just stands out. It's hard to beat that."

Tunde Vahlberg Fasasi, a 6-7 from Sweden and a transfer forward from William & Mary, played soccer until he was 13. He was a striker.

"I was pretty good, but I was better at basketball," Vahlberg Fasasi said.

As for the World Cup?

"Whenever Sweden's playing, I follow it religiously," he said. "Lucky enough they're playing this year. ... (This year's team) is really good. We just had a heartbreak against the Netherlands (a 5-1 loss Saturday), but I think we're really good. We should make it out of the group and we're a dark horse, for sure."

And will there be friendly trash talk among teammates about the beautiful game 鈥� soccer, not basketball?

"I think there will be, especially with me and Chris (Howell) if our teams play," Schuch said, referring to senior teammate whom he has said has been like a big brother to him since he arrived.

"He has a couple teams he roots for, but if they play, I'll definitely trash talk him if it comes to that."

So, about that practice?

As the Lobo women's team did last week, the men's team on Tuesday night hosted an open-to-the-public practice, giving eager fans a chance to get their first glimpse of the new roster (minus two players, more on that below) and then get autographs of pictures with all the players afterward.

For second-year Lobos coach Eric Olen, he's not exactly ready to start naming a starting five yet, but he likes what he's seen from the group over the first three weeks of summer workouts.

"Really like the group, attitude is great, work ethic is really good," Olen said. "I think we are becoming a connected group. The vibes are pretty good right now, but you know it's early, it's summer. ... We're very much in a learning process right now, and just kind of getting guys in shape, getting them on the same page."

Great Scott!

UNM Special Assistant Scott Waterman, who was the winningest coach at Division II Academy of Art University in San Francisco until that school discontinued its athletics programs after last school year, has been hired as the new head coach at New Mexico Highlands University.

The D-II school made the announcement on Tuesday.

Waterman took the job with the Lobos rather than pursuing another head coaching job last summer because the program was discontinued so late in the coaching cycle that he felt a year at UNM, even as a non-salaried special assistant to the head coach, would be more beneficial to his career moving forward.

The Journal will have more on Waterman's hire at NMHU later this week.

Excused absences

When a player doesn't play in a game (or in this case practice), it's logged as a DNP.

Common notations in this regard are: DNP, Coach's Decision or DNP, Injured.

Tuesday, the Lobos had two DNP's for their open practice. Fynn Lastring, the 6-10 German freshman who is expected in the 近距离内射合集 States within a week or so, and the other being a first-of-its-kind notation for the Journal.

Chris Howell was a DNP, marriage.

The senior guard is back in San Diego preparing for his wedding later this week. A rather understandable reason to miss a summer practice.

Reach Geoff Grammer at ggrammer@abqjournal.com or follow him on Twitter (X) .