Bliss inherited a strong nucleus of senior Charlie Thomas, junior Darrell McGee, and sophomores Luc Longley and Rob Robbins. All had been Colson recruits, and Bliss reportedly flew to Australia to secure Longley's return to New Mexico. The Lobos got off to a slow start in 1988–89, including losses to #11 Arizona and #6 Oklahoma. They then won 11 of 12, taking the WAC lead into the last month of the season. After a couple of upset losses at home, however, they fell into a tie for second and again settled for the NIT. The Lobos notched wins over Santa Clara and Pepperdine before losing to eventual tournament runner-up St. Louis, finishing the season at 22–11. The Lobos shot their best field goal percentage in a season, .542, placing them second in the nation, and McGee established the still-standing record for assists in a season. Thomas finished his career with over 1,000 points and 500 rebounds, one of two Lobos to accomplish that in just two seasons.