In his second season as UTEP's coach, Tony Barbee appeared to establish a higher standard of effort and expectations that helped the Miners improve from 14-17 in 2006-07 to 19-14 in 2007-08 and earn a postseason invitation.

What the Miners didn't do on a consistent basis was rebound and shoot effectively. More important, they often got bounced around by bigger, stronger and tougher teams.

Those shortcomings were evident in UTEP's final game, an 81-69 home loss in the first round of the College Basketball Invitational.

"It's no secret that we've got to get better individually and get stronger," Barbee said. "We've lacked toughness, and toughness starts in the weight room. I'm looking forward to next year. I think we're going to improve our overall size, depth and strength considerably."

While the Miners do lose four starters, only point guard Marvin Kilgore will be difficult to replace, mostly for his leadership and experience. Freshman Julyan Stone saw significant playing time at the point and combines with freshman shooting guard Randy Culpepper to form a duo with a promising future.

In the more immediate future, the real concern is whether or not junior guard Stefon Jackson will return or attempt to go pro. Jackson, a 6-5 wing, led C-USA and set a conference scoring record for juniors with 23.6 points per game and ranks fourth on UTEP's all-time scoring list with 1,548 points.

"Whether I'm here or not, this team is headed for greatness," Jackson told the El Paso Times. "This was good for our young guys. Hopefully, we can carry it over to next year."

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