The day before the NCAA tournament began, UNM announced a ten-year contract extension with Alford; ten days later he resigned to take the head coaching position at UCLA. In the interim, Snell announced he was declaring for the NBA draft. The tournament upset and departures were disheartening blows for Lobo fans. Alford had led the program back to national prominence, attaining its best six-year stretch ever while improving academic achievement. The Lobo players and fan base rallied around long-time associate head coach Craig Neal, hoping to maintain continuity, and he was hired to replace Alford. Snell was selected by Chicago with the 20th pick in the first round of the NBA Draft.