PORTALES, N.M. – Eastern New Mexico men's basketball season is finally here. Before the Greyhounds home opener against Fort Lewis, please take a look at the Starting Five Preview:

1.) Reviewing 2024-25: Eastern New Mexico went 18-11 (13-9 LSC) in head coach Daven Võ's first season leading the Greyhounds. The program made a statement by leading the conference in fastbreak points (20.31), field goal percentage (51.4), rebounds (39.14), and scoring (88.5). They ended up qualifying for their third-straight LSC tournament and came out shy of a berth to the NCAA tournament. ENMU went 11-4 at home and combined for a 7-7 record in away/neutral contests. The program went 1-4 in games against ranked teams with their only victory coming against MSU Denver. One key area for Eastern New Mexico is that all players had opportunities to score and make differences offensively as the Hounds had five players boast 10+ points per outing.

2.) Hooray Jose: One of the prime returners for Eastern New Mexico is senior forward Jose Murillo. In his three seasons with Eastern New Mexico, Murillo has started 85 of 90 total games played. His 2024-25 season marked the first time he scored in double figures (13.2 ppg) and allowed him to lead the conference with 43 blocks and a 64.5% shooting percentage. He is the all-time school leader with 125 blocks. Murillo boasts 868 career points alongside 472 rebounds and 87 assists. Last year, he was named a second team all-conference honoree and was honored on the all-LSC defensive team.

3.) All-Conference Recognition: Four of the six Greyhounds who earned all-Lone Star Conference awards last season are back with Eastern New Mexico. Jose Murillo leads the way with his second team nod and all-defensive team recognition. Treyvon Byrd was a third team all-conference player after appearing in 28 games and posting 11.7 points per contest. Cooper Jackson was an honorable mention player who was also named to the all-defense team for his efforts in leading the league in steals per game. Lastly, Mo Austin was named to the all-freshman team as he started in 20 games in his first season for the green and silver.

4.) Fear The Foe: Eastern New Mexico will play a pair of Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) institutions. Friday night, ENMU will face Fort Lewis at 7 p.m. On Saturday, the Hounds take on in-state foe New Mexico Highlands also at 7 p.m. Fort Lewis has revamped their lineup and are slated fifth in the conference preseason polls. The Skyhawks bring in New Mexico native Jude Tapia after he led the RMAC in scoring last season at Adams State. They also bring in a pair of DI transfers in Jaxon Smith (Utah State) and Massal Diouf (Western Illinois). FLC is led by second year head coach Jordan Mast. New Mexico Highlands is in a unique situation with no returner recording playing time for NMHU. Instead, first year leader Zach Setembre will focus on showcasing his newcomers. The Cowboys have already played three regular season games and have gone 0-3 in those contests. NMHU is looking to improve defensively as they allowed opponents to score 70+ points in all, but six contests one year ago. Despite going 7-1 in nonconference play, the team did not fare well in conference action with a 5-15 mark.

5.) Action In The Arena: Steve Loy Family Foundation Arena is the best place to be this season to catch Greyhound men's basketball action. Friday's game is special as ENMU Athletics will be supporting the Support Senate and ENMU Student Pantry with a food drive. Non-perishable food item donations will guarantee entry into Friday's contest. Saturday will be special as Eastern New Mexico will do a 2-for-1 special. A ticket to the football game against Texas A&M-Kingsville will get fans into the arena for the Hounds game against New Mexico Highlands. Friday and Saturday festivities will begin at 5 p.m. as Western New Mexico, New Mexico Highlands, Fort Lewis, and Eastern New Mexico meet for the two day event in Portales. Fans can catch two collegiate games by attending each night.