Coach Daven Võ on embracing small-town culture to build a D-II contender at Eastern New Mexico

After each home game at the Steve Loy Family Foundation Arena, the men’s basketball players at Eastern New Mexico University make the rounds to shake hands and visit with the Greyhound faithful. Head coach Daven Võ says the fans’ relationship with the team is a big reason why ENMU leads the Lone Star Conference in attendance and has created an intimidating atmosphere for visiting opponents. While embracing a small-town culture, Võ has assembled a tight-knit group that is reaching new heights. Winners of nine straight games, the 21-3 Greyhounds sit atop the Lone Star Conference standings and are now No. 9 in the Division II rankings. It’s the highest ranking for the program in the NCAA era. In the latest episode of “The Sports Den” podcast, Võ joins Santa Fe New Mexican sports reporters Will Webber and James Barron to speak about his team’s impressive run. Võ says the squad’s success largely stems from its continuity, as it returned eight players from last year’s team that went 18-11. The roster includes players from four countries and states across the U.S., but Võ says the centerpiece is 6-foot-9 senior forward Jose Murillo. The Albuquerque Highland graduate is among the conference leaders in points, rebounds and blocks this season. In the second segment, Will and James talk about the upcoming state wrestling and swimming tournaments before touching on Will’s recent curling experience and James’ planned participation in the New Mexico Senior Olympics Winter Games.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.