As often as not, one way or another, the road to the Conference USA women's basketball trip ends up going through the Don Haskins Center.
As the Miners work through some rebuilding and growing pains, that won't involve them this season, but Thursday night UTEP will get a chance to make an impact on the race for the title.
Preseason C-USA favorite and, for that matter, current favorite Western Kentucky comes to town, part of a four-way tie for first in the loss column, a snapshot of where UTEP wants to be in the near future, and the Miners get to take their shot.