Giddens rebounds from past

Almost three years after an ugly incident at a Lawrence, Kan., nightclub, and one year after being disciplined by his former coach, there is proof that Giddens is going in the right direction.

Most of the growing pains seem to be behind him, and only a harmless scar on his right calf remains.

"I’m just having a lot of fun this year," he said. "Winning brings a smile to a lot of people’s faces."

Giddens, the Mountain West Conference co-Player of the Year, has turned New Mexico into a winner. First, though, he had to turn himself around, and he needed an assist from first-year coach Steve Alford.

"He gave me a clean slate and gave me a chance to be me," said Giddens, a 6-foot-5-inch senior guard.

The Lobos are the No. 3 seed in this week’s Mountain West tournament at the Thomas & Mack Center. Giddens, the most talented player in the conference, makes his team the wild card in the deck.

New Mexico (24-7, 11-5) opens against sixth-seeded Utah (16-13, 7-9) in the quarterfinals at 8:30 p.m. Thursday.

The Lobos beat the Utes twice this season — 72-71 in Salt Lake City and 77-67 in overtime in Albuquerque, N.M. — but are no lock to get by them a third time. Yet, with Giddens showing the way, New Mexico has the potential to run the table and win the title.

If the seeds hold up, the Lobos would face No. 2 UNLV (23-7, 12-4) in Friday’s semifinals. Top-seeded Brigham Young (25-6, 14-2) is on the other side of the bracket. The championship game is Saturday.

New Mexico, which ranks 52nd in the nation in the Ratings Percentage Index, might need to reach the finals to get an at-large invitation to the NCAA Tournament. An automatic bid goes to the Mountain West winner.

"We can’t have any slip-up. Because if you lose, you’re done," Giddens said.

And he knows something about slipping up. After his sophomore season at Kansas, Giddens was involved in an altercation at a bar near campus. He was stabbed in the calf in the May 2005 fight and needed 23 stitches to close the wound and seven stitches to repair a severed artery.

It was uncertain if Giddens could play again. Kansas coach Bill Self made certain Giddens would not play again for the Jayhawks. Self shoved open the door, and Giddens transferred to New Mexico.

Giddens, a former McDonald’s High School All-American from Oklahoma City, started 27 games as a Kansas sophomore.

Former Lobos coach Ritchie McKay touted Giddens as a future NBA lottery pick, and Giddens averaged a team-high 15.8 points per game as a junior last season. But he also was suspended twice by McKay, who was fired after the team finished 15-17.

Alford, who left Iowa for a fresh start of his own at New Mexico, gave Giddens a clean slate but a short leash.

"He’s got a lottery ticket in his pocket," Alford said before the season. "He’s either going to cash it in and do what’s right, or he’s going to be one of those guys with a lot of wasted talent and you tear it up. It’s really from the shoulders up. If he can figure it out, he has a chance to have a phenomenal season."

Giddens apparently has figured it out. He led the Mountain West in scoring (18.3) and rebounding (8.3) in conference games and shared the player of the year honor with BYU junior Lee Cummard.

"J.R. has as much talent as I’ve ever coached. I can’t imagine too many more talented players," Alford said this week. "There have been zero instances all year that we’ve had to deal with J.R. in a negative way. He has been unbelievable for us."

Alford called Giddens a "special talent and a special kid."

Giddens credited Alford for instilling more discipline and unity in the Lobos’ program. While Alford took the team on a trip to the Bahamas last summer, Giddens was left behind in Albuquerque to tend to academic responsibilities.

"I feel a lot closer to everybody. My relationship with my teammates is a lot stronger," Giddens said. "Everybody enjoys being around each other.

"It’s not as stressful as last year. Basketball is fun every day, and we feel like we can beat anybody in the conference."

Contact reporter Matt Youmans at myoumans@reviewjournal.com or (702) 387-2907.