History of UTEP Basketball

Over the course of the program history, there have been many great players who have played for the Miners. They have helped to create UTEP's longstanding tradition of winning teams. One of the most celebrated players is Tim Hardaway who went on to become a professional player, assistant coach and basketball analyst for ESPN. There are plenty of other superstar players who dominated for the Miners before heading on to play at the pro level.

In the current era, the Miners have also solidified their status as one of the toughest teams in C-USA, where fans can find some of the most intense college basketball in the country. As the Miners hope to ride another wave of talented players back to the NCAA Tournament, anything can happen when UTEP is on the court.

UTEP Miners Basketball History

UTEP has a program that goes back to 1914, helping to make the Miners a crucial part of the sports landscape in El Paso. Although there have been plenty of amazing eras, one of the landmark moments happened in 1966, the year that the team controversially started five black players and put together a stunning postseason running that finished with a national title. Since then, the Miners have kept the winning seasons coming as well, including 17 different NCAA Tournament trips that have helped to make them a standout in Conference USA in the modern era.

UTEP Miners Basketball Greatest Moments

The 1966 Miners ended up in the middle of an incredible battle in the second round of the NCAA Tournament against Cincinnati. In a see-saw game, the Miners were able to narrowly slip by the Bearcats by just a bucket and make their move to the Elite Eight. After the wakeup call, the Miners survived another scare against Kansas before dominating Utah and Kentucky to wrap up the historic national championship.

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