New Mexico does not need to spend the opening night of its 2026-27 season figuring out who will handle the offense. That responsibility belongs to Uriah Tenette, and the Lobos are asking the preseason All-Mountain West point guard to set the tone immediately when they face Utah Tech at The Pit on Monday at 7 p.m.
It is a meaningful assignment, but not a surprising one. After New Mexico's loss to Tulsa in the NIT semifinals in Indianapolis, Tenette announced he was back to run the offense for the Lobos, and late last week Eric Olen said the guard had impressed in practice and was playing really good basketball. In other words, the offseason decision was not just about continuity. It was about trusting the player most capable of organizing everything around him.
That matters because New Mexico's attack does not need a stationary scorer at point guard as much as it needs a decision-maker who can control the flow. Tenette averaged 10.6 points, 2.9 assists and 1.4 steals last season, and he raised that production in three preseason games to 14.3 points, 3.7 assists and 1.0 steals. The numbers suggest a player whose influence is already expanding, even before the season starts to count.
What Tenette says his role is
Tenette has described that role in simple terms: more leadership, more communication and more aggression. He said his job is to be more vocal out there, while also staying aggressive for the full game. That does not just mean shooting. It also means using his dribble to make plays and keep pressure on the defense.
That is the right framing for a point guard on a team that may also want to maximize the skill set of shooting guard Jake Hall. If Tenette can combine control with aggression, New Mexico gains a backcourt piece who can steady possessions without becoming passive. Olen echoed that balance, saying Tenette is making good decisions with the ball and playing the game the right way, while also suggesting there is still room for him to be even more aggressive at times.
The encouraging part for New Mexico is that the Lobos enter the opener relatively healthy. That gives Olen a chance to build the offense around the pieces he wants instead of spending the first few weeks patching holes. The connection between Tenette and the rest of the rotation should matter early, especially with a season-opening game that serves as more than just a tune-up.
Tenette is also part of New Mexico's 'Real One' marketing campaign for players who chose to return instead of transfer, which adds another layer to his decision. He was not only coming back to play; he was coming back to lead. That distinction matters in a season where the Lobos are trying to turn returnees into structure, not just familiarity.
Olen did leave one useful warning, though: there will be nights when Tenette scores a lot, and others when he does not. What the staff wants most is a higher-assist version of his game when that is what the matchup calls for. For New Mexico, that is the cleanest sign of a point guard ready to run an offense from day one.
