VOTE NOW: 64-Man All-Time UTEP Men’s Basketball Player Bracket

Over the last 70 years, Texas Western College and later UTEP has given Miners fans some of the best college basketball that anyone could ask for. It included a player taken first overall in the NBA Draft, the first and only school from Texas to win a National Championship, and a total of 10 NIT and 17 NCAA Tournament banners hanging in the Don Haskins Center. A total of 26 players have been drafted by the NBA while two former players, an entire team, and their head coach are all in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. With so much history, we decided to conduct a bracket style list featuring the 64 best players in the history of the TWC and UTEP men's basketball program. Each of those players were then seeded just like teams competing in March Madness each season. Over the next few weeks, you will have a chance to cast your vote on social media to determine which players will advance to the round of 32, Sweet 16, Elite 8, and Final Four. Ultimately, the fans will crown the greatest Miners basketball player in program history.

The bracket voting will primarily take place on Twitter. If you do not have a Twitter account, you will be able to cast your vote either by calling us during SportsTalk at (915) 880-5763 or by messaging us on our free 600 ESPN El Paso mobile app, powered by United Bank El Paso-Del Norte. The voting for each matchup will last 24 hours and the results will be announced on SportsTalk and the bracket updated online.

The first round of 64 will consist of the following matchups: #8 vs. #9, #7 vs. #10, #6 vs. #11, #5 vs. #12, #4 vs. #13, #3 vs. #14, #2 vs, #15, and #1 vs. #16. Each of the four regions will have their own bracket. The round of 32 will be reduced to the Sweet 16, then the Elite 8, and Final Four. We will conduct the semifinals and then championship to crown the Greatest Player in TWC and UTEP History.

*Updated at 3:24 PM with the addition of Jim Forbes*

Glory Road Region

Matchup breakdown

Player key facts and stats

1. Jim "Bad News" Barnes (1962-64)

• Career: 24 ppg, 17.9 rpg, 54% FG; Senior year (1963-64): 29 ppg, 19 rpg, 56% FG (51 pts vs. WNMU; school record for points in a game)
• Scored 1,308 points, grabbed 965 rebounds and led the MIners to their first and second NCAA Tournament appearances; All-American in 1964
• 1st Pick in 1964 NBA Draft (NY Knicks)

2. Antoine Gillespie (1992-95)

• Career: 18.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 1.9 assists;
• 3rd in UTEP history with 168 3-point FGs & 470 free throws
• Member of the 1,000-point club (1,706); 2x first-team All-Wac

3. Bobby Joe Hill (1961-67)

• Led the '66 National Championship team in scoring (15.0 ppg); All-American
• Career: 10.6 ppg, 4.1 rpg
• An integral piece to the 1966 title that featured an all-black starting five defeating a white Kentucky team, 72–65

• He and his brother Cecil were the first African American players to compete in a major sport at a major university in the south
• Scored 1,170 in 67 games; 3x All-Borderland Conference selection
• Averaged 8.6 rebounds in his career despite being 6-foot-1; inducted to the UTEP Hall of Fame

• Jackson led UTEP to 101 victories, four NCAA Tournament bids and four WAC regular-season titles.
• Leader in 1986-87, averaging 12.9 points en route to UTEP's NCAA Tournament bid
• Passed away on May 2, 1987

• 1st in school history in minutes played (4,448), fourth in field goals (592), sixth in scoring (1,526 points)
• Scored in double-figures 81 times an played in 130 games for UTEP
• Finished career as only player in history with four seasons of 1,000+ minutes; NBA G-League (2015-Present)

• 1st Team All-Conference USA (2015); C-USA Freshman of the Year (2014)
• Team leader in scoring (14.9 ppg), rebounding (9.2 rpg) and steals (1.2 spg); First player in history to lead in points (492), rebounds (305), blocks (34) and steals (41)
• Only the fourth Miner to have 300 rebounds in a season; Playing professional basketball overseas (2015-Present)

• Career: 11.5 ppg, 5.8 rpg; Senior year: 16.6 ppg, 6.8 rpg
• Helped Miners win 95 games (82-86) including two trips to the NCAA Tournament
• Drafted in 2nd round to Houston Rockets; Played with the Warriors, Bullets and Nets in the NBA (1986-96)

• Career: 12.7 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 3.3 apg; Senior year: 15 ppg; 7.5 rpg; 3.6 apg
• Helped Miners to back-to-back postseason appearances and 72 wins in three years
• Williams finished as the only Miner to have 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 300 assists; holds the only triple-double in school history

• Career: 10.2 ppg, 4.7 rpg; Senior year: 12.7 ppg; 5.1 rpg
• Helped UTEP return to postseason action with back-to-back NIT appearances (80 & 81); second team All-WAC
• Drafted by Portland in the sixth round of the 1981 NBA Draft

• Career: 10.8 ppg, 5.9 rpg; Junior year: 12.4 ppg, 6.7 rpg
• One of Don Haskins' final recruits who helped UTEP to trips to the NIT and NCAA Tournament
• 2000 WAC Freshman of the Year

• Career: 10.3 ppg, 4.1 rpg; Senior year: 15.0 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 5.8 apg
• 2nd Team All-C-USA; First Player to lead UTEP in rebounding (6.5 rpg), assists (5.8 apg) and steals (1.9 spg) in a season (2016-17)
• Fourth player in C-USA history (first at UTEP) to have 400 points, 150 rebounds, 150 assists and 50 steals in a season

• Career: 8.5 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 2.6 blocks per game; Senior year: 13.9 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 3.6 bpg
• Led UTEP to three NCAA Tournament appearances; UTEP went 90-38 during his time
• Career leader with 336 blocks; second-team All-WAC in 1992

• Career: 10.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg; Senior year: 13.5 ppg, 6.7 rpg
• Steady performer in final years of the Don Haskins Era; dished out 248 career assists
• Scored 1,167 points over 107 games

• Career: 9.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg; Back-to-back years averaging 10.0 ppg or better
• Helped UTEP go on a 16-game winning streak and win a C-USA Regular season title in 2009 (15-1)
• Helped UTEP to an NCAA Tournament berth and a 26-7 record

• Career: 11.3 ppg
• Senior year: 12.0 ppg
• Helped Texas Western to their NCAA Tournament appearance in 1962

Memorial Gym Region 

Matchup breakdown Player key facts and stats

1. David Lattin (1965-67)

• Career: 14.6 ppg, 9.3 rpg; Senior year: 15.1 ppg, 10.1 rpg
• Helped lead Texas Western to the 1966 National Championship which featured an all-black starting five defeating a white Kentucky team, 72–65
• Drafted 10th overall in the 1967 NBA Draft to the San Francisco Warriors

2. Stefon Jackson (2005-09)

• All-time leader in points at UTEP (2,456 points) and in C-USA history
• Career: 19.6 ppg, 5.1 rpg; Senior year: 24.6 ppg, 5.4 rpg
• First in UTEP history with 68 20-point games; 2nd with 15 30-point games (one behind Jim Barnes' 16)

3. Omar Thomas (2003-05)

• Career: 18.1 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 52 percent FG; Senior year: 20.5 ppg, 6.7 rpg
• Second member of the 1,000-point club to play just two seasons at UTEP (1,211 points)
• Guided the Miners to 51 wins and back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances, along with All-WAC honors in 2004 & 2005

4. Filiberto Rivera (2003-2005)

• Career: 12.3 ppg, 6.0 assists, 1.5 steals; Senior year: 13.5 ppg, 7.2 apg
• Career assists average leader in school history (6.0); Single-game assist leader in history (18 vs. LA Tech)
• School leader in assist to turnover ratio (3.23; 229 assists: 71 turnovers)

5. Anthony Burns (1977-81)

•  Career: 11.2 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 52% FG
•  2x NABC All-District selection; Second-team All-WAC (1979)
• Scored 1,235 points from 1977-81

6. Terry White (1978-82)

• Career: 9.8 ppg, 8.5 rpg; Senior year: 10.1 ppg, 10.3 rpg
• Scored 1,092 points and is second in career rebounds at UTEP (948)
• Selected by Cleveland in the 1982 NBA Draft's fifth round

7. Johnny Melvin (1990-93)

• Career: 8.9 ppg, 4.7 rpg; Senior year: 11.6 ppg, 5.3 rpg
• Scored 1,142 points and had 602 rebounds in his career; ranks in top-15 for 270 assists and 154 steals
• Helped lead the Miners to three postseason appearances, including two NCAA Tournament appearances

8. Ralph Davis (1990-94)

• Career: 10.8 ppg, 5.2 rpg; Senior year: 16.7 ppg, 6.5 rpg
• Helped the Miners in their Sweet 16 run (1992)
• Member of Team USA for 1992 National Junior Olympics; played in Europe after UTEP

9. Mike Richmond (1985-87)

• Career: 10.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg
• Senior year: 12.6 ppg, 6.4 rpg
• Helped the Miners in back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances (1986 & 1987)

10. John Tofi (2002-2006)

• Career: 10.7 ppg, 6.6 rpg; Senior year: 13.9 ppg, rpg
• One of nine Miners to have over 1,000 points and 700 rebounds in a career
• Led UTEP to three straight postseason appearances including back-to-back NCAA Tournament bids in 2004 & 2005

11. Jake Poole (1973-1977)

•  Career: 10.5 ppg; Junior & Senior: 13.3 ppg, 13.9 ppg, respectively
•  Helped the Miners to their 1975 NCAA Tournament appearance

12. Greg Foster (1988-90)

• Junior: 11.1 ppg, 7.3 rpg; Senior: 10.6 ppg, 6.2 rpg
• Drafted by Washington in the 1990 NBA Draft; played for Bullets, Hawks, Timberwolves, Jazz, Sonics, Lakers and Raptors
• 2001 NBA Champion with the Lakers

13. Willie Worsley (1965-68)

• Member of the 1966 National Championship Team for Texas Western
• Helped lead the Miners to back-to-back Tournament runs (1966 & 1967)
• Career: 11.2 ppg; Senior year: 14.4 ppg

14. Julyan Stone (2007-11)

• Career: 5.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 5.2 apg, 1.5 steals per game
• 2x All Conference Defense (2010 & 2011); single-season assist leader in program history (236 in 2008-09)
• NBA & G-League: Denver, Toronto & Charlotte (2011-Present)

15. Carl Davis (1993-96)

• Career: 10.6 ppg
• Senior year: 14.3 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 3.1 apg

16. Arnett Moultrie (2008-10)

• Career: 11.4 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 51% FG
• 9x double-doubles in two seasons at UTEP

Texas Western Region

Matchup breakdown

Player key facts and stats

1. Nate Archibald (1967-70)

• Career: 20.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 51% FG; led the Miners to the 1970 NCAA Tournament
• 6x NBA All-Star, including the NBA's MVP (1981) during his 14-year career; led Boston to the 1981 NBA title
• Elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991

2. Randy Culpepper (2007-11)

• Career: 16.9 ppg; Senior year: 19.3 ppg
• Took him just two years to become the school's all-time leader for 3-point field goals made in a season (89 in 2008-09). First Miner to reach 1,000 points as a sophomore
• Among UTEP and C-USA leaders in scoring, field goals (782), three-pointers (318), free throws (456) and steals (251). Currently playing overseas (2011-Present)

• Career: 14 ppg, 7.4 rpg; Registered 18 double-doubles
• Leading scorer on the 1990 and 1992 NCAA Tournament teams for the Miners
• Drafted in the 1992 NBA Draft by Minnesota, where he played from 1992-94

• Career: 10.5 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 50% FG; Scored 1,181 points in his UTEP career
• Member of Team USA from 1982-83; played on the gold medal team at the 1983 Pan American Games
• Second-round pick by Washington in the 1984 NBA draft

• Career: 10.1 ppg, 4.8 rpg; Senior year: 13.7 ppg, 4.7 rpg
• First team All-WAC in 1985; scored 1,182 points over four-year career with UTEP
• Third-round pick by Portland in the 1986 NBA Draft

• Career: 12.1 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 50% FG; 2x All-WAC honors
• Scored 1,213 points and helped the Miners in their 1975 NCAA Tournament appearance
• Third-round draft pick by Buffalo in the 1976 NBA Draft; served as an assistant coach under Don Haskins in the 90s.

• Career: 6.8 ppg, 3.9 rpg; Senior year: 10.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg
• Helped the Miners in their NCAA Tournament appearances in 1986 & 1987
• Drafted by Dallas in the 1987 NBA Draft

• Career: 14.3 ppg, 9.7 rpg; Senior year: 17.4 ppg, 10.6 rpg
• Helped lead the Miners to their 1970 NCAA Tournament appearance; Registered 16 double-doubles
• Drafted by Chicago in 1971 NBA Draft; Played for Houston, Kansas City, Seattle, Washington and Buffalo (1971-76)

• Career: 8.4 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 3.7 apg, 1,8 steals per game; Senior year: 11.5 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 4.4 apg, 1.2 spg
• Third in career assists (481) and tied for fifth in steals (154) at UTEP
• Member of three NCAA Tournament teams at UTEP

10. Kent Lockhart (1981-85)

• Career: 8.1 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 2.3 apg
• Member of back-to-back NCAA Tournament teams (1984 & 1985)
• Selected in the 1985 NBA Draft by New York in the sixth round

• Career: 12.7 ppg, 2.8 rpg
• Scored 1,058 points in three seasons with the Miners and ranks in the top-15 with 103 career steals
• Team leader in scoring in 1996 & 1997

• Career: 7.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 1.2 steals per game; Senior year: 10.2 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 1.6 spg
• Member of the 1987 & 1988 NCAA Tournament teams; registered five double-doubles
• Single-game school leader in blocked shots (8 blocks vs. Northern Illinois)

• Career: 9.6 ppg, 7.6 rpg; 20 double-doubles in his career
• Averaged 10.6 ppg, 7.9 rpg in NCAA Championship season (1966)
• Helped lead the Miners to the Championship (1966) and NCAA Tournament (1967)

• Career: 20.0 ppg, 8.4 rpg; Senior year: 20 ppg, 11.5 rpg
• Racked up 986 points in two seasons; 13 double-doubles
• Registered three 30-point games and four 20-rebound games

• Career: 11.8 ppg, 2.9 rpg; Junior year: 17 ppg (All-Conference USA)
• Nine 20-point games in the 2016-17 season; scored in double-figures in 16 straight games
• Second in UTEP history with 174 3-point field goals

• Career: 13.7 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 3.9 apg, 1.6 steals per game
• All-time leader in minutes averaged per season (34.7 mpg)
• All-WAC Selection 2002

The Bear Region

Matchup breakdown

• Career: 12.8 ppg, 2.6 rpg; Senior year: 22.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg
• 1989 WAC Player of the Year; Starred in four NCAA Tournaments; ranks 1st in steals and second in assists in school history
• 14-year NBA career with the Warriors, Heat, Mavericks, Nuggets, Pacers (2000s Olympics); Averaged 17.7 ppg, 8.2 apg in the NBA (1989-03)

• Career: 16.1 ppg, 6.4 rpg; Senior year: 22.3 ppg, 7.6 rpg
• 3x All-WAC; 2x NABC All-District; Third in UTEP history for scoring (1,831)
• First-Team Academic All-American; Seven 30-point games

• Career: 11.5 ppg, 3.4 rpg; Senior year: 12.6 ppg, 3.5 rpg (NCAA Champions)
• Integral member in the starting five of the 1966 National Championship team; Member of the 1964 NCAA Tournament team
• Third best single-season free throw percentage in 1965-66 (86.7% FT)

• Career: 14.5 ppg, 5.9 rpg; Junior year: 17.6 ppg, 6.8 rpg; Scored 1,051 points in his career
• Helped the Miners get to the 1970 NCAA Tournament;
• Went to high school and junior college with Nate Archibald

• Career: 14.7 ppg, 7.7 rpg; Sophomore year: 21 ppg, 9.2 rpg
• 3x First Team All-Borderland Conference; led the Miners to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 1963
• Won the 1994 NCAA Title as a coach at Arkansas;

• Career: 10.7 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 49.8 percent FG; Sophomore year: 12.1 ppg, 10.7 rpg
• Member of the 1972 U.S. Olympic basketball team; Drafted by the Chicago Bulls
• Over three decades of coaching in El Paso (Andress, Riverside & Austin High School)

14. Sharif Fajardo (1994-99)

• Career: 11.3 ppg, 5.6 rpg; Junior year: 15.4 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 51% FG
• Scored 1,118 points and totaled 557 rebounds
• Member of Puerto Rico national team at 2004 Olympics; Played professionally in Puerto Rico, Europe and the U.S.