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PRINT THIS PAGE | E-MAIL THIS PAGE Tuesday, November 24, 1998 UTEP still searching for next great guard By EDUARDO MONTES Associated Press Writer EL PASO, Texas (AP) - Winford "Eggie" McRae pushes the ball up the court, barking commands to his Texas-El Paso teammates and attempting to set up the play he thinks will best penetrate the defense ahead. He moves at a deliberate pace, makes a decision and fires the ball toward the paint. After a couple more passes inside, the post man clangs the ball off the rim. Ordered to try again, McRae begins another trip, his face fixed in concentration, his voice becoming more forceful. Maybe he's not thinking about it at just this moment, but McRae knows he's dribbling in the footsteps of some college basketball greats. Legends, he calls them. Basketball Hall of Famer Nate "Tiny" Archibald and Miami Heat star Tim Hardaway are among his predecessors as UTEP point guard. "Sometimes I think about how the legends played," said McRae, who joined the Miners this year as a transfer from Tallahassee Community College. "It gives me something to work for. It gives me inspiration to work hard." Good thing, because it's important to the Miners that McRae plays well. UTEP's success has always been linked to the play of its point guards and the last few years have reflected the lack of ability they've had there. The Miners have not had a winning record the last three seasons while having a revolving door at the point. None has left much of an impression. There's no comparison to the 1980s and early '90s, when the Miners won six Western Athletic Conference titles with teams that featured pointmen such as Hardaway (1985-88) and the less heralded but talented Eddie Rivera (1991-93). "When we've played our best we've had (good) guards," said Hall of Fame coach Don Haskins. "When we won the national (title in 1966), we had a guard." They might have one again. Haskins said he has been pleased with his guards this year, particularly the 6-foot-1 McRae. McRae has displayed leadership ability and moves the ball quickly and efficiently and, something important to Haskins, he plays with a desire to win. "He's a competitor," Haskins said. "He's got a lot of talent. You remember Eddie Rivera? He's a little like him." Rivera, the Miners' last true point guard, helped lead UTEP to the round of 16 in the 1992 NCAA tournament, the school's best run in decades. In each of his two seasons, Rivera had more than 100 assists. No Miner has passed 90 since. Another obstacle to UTEP's success in recent years has been NCAA sanctions that have cost the team scholarships. The Miners have opened this season with consecutive losses, but they've played tough. They fell 59-57 on the road to New Mexico State in the opener and dropped their home opener 75-70 to Texas Christian at home Saturday. Overall, this year's team is considered more talented than any of the last three, which should allow McRae to share the burden of returning them to former glory. But the point guard will still be the key. "Any time you have a new guard, he's going to make mistakes," Haskins said. "But you hope he's going to grow." As the past has shown, it's in the Miners' best interest that he does. Send a Letter to the Editor about This Story | Start or Join A Discussion about This Story Send the URL (Address) of This Story to A Friend: Enter their email address below: texnews.com Reporter OnLine Local Sports Texas Sports Copyright ©1998, Abilene Reporter-News / Texnews / E.W. Scripps Publications Send the URL (Address) of This Story to A Friend: Enter their email address below:

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