Basketball Recruiting: October’s Been a Busy Month For New Mexico
The Lobos add Four recruits in October So Far.
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Paul Weir’s staff receives three commits for 2020, and keeps local four star home in 2021.
The month of October has been good to Dr. Paul Weir and company. The Lobos have received a total of four commitments this month with more possibly around the corner. This jump in the programs recruiting success comes just in time with the departure of several impact seniors set to graduate in May. Forwards Corey Manigault and Carlton Bragg Jr. are both seniors and as of right now Ohio State transfer guard JaQuan Lyle is too. Lyle is listed as a redshirt senior on the lobos official roster, but it is unclear if he and the coaching staff will decide to apply for a medical waiver after sitting out last season with an Achilles injury suffered in the preseason.
Add junior forward Vance Jackson to the mix who tested the NBA Draft waters last year in April. He ultimately decided to return but could do the same this spring and depending on his performance this year may not come back. That makes a possible four guys the coaching staff has to plan on replacing, not accounting for possible transfers out of the program.
Which saw a peak under Craig Neal with fourteen players opting to play for other programs. And Paul Weir has had five players leave the team during his tenure, four transfers and forward Karim Ezzedine who opted to move back to France and to begin his professional career.
The bulk of Paul Weir’s players have come by way of transfers into the program from high major conferences. Guys like Vance Jackson (UCONN), JJ Caldwell (Texas A&M), Jaquan Lyle (Ohio State), Carlton Bragg (Arizona St./Kansas) and Vante Hendrix (Utah) all come to Albuquerque after logging minutes in high major conferences. While others come from smaller schools like Zane Martin (Towson) or Antino Jackson (Akron). Weir has also dipped into the junior college ranks to recruit and grabbed impact guys like Chris McNeal (Indian Hills C.C.) and Troy Simon (Polk State) in 17-18 and Keith McGee (South Plains College) and Corey Manigault (Indian Hills C.C.) last season.
This high influx of transfers has been combined with only ten freshman (two international) over the past three seasons and has produced different results in both of Weir’s first two seasons in Albuquerque. But this looks to be the year Lobos fans have been waiting for, and it’s headlined by a group of talented seniors and juniors.
Replacing this amount of leadership and production from a squad picked third in preseason polls won’t be easy, but they are giving it a heck of a try. The Lobos received their first commitment from three star center Bayron Matos (6-9 245). A former Mississippi State commit who had his official visit to Albuquerque during the first week of October and committed on the 5th. Matos who hails from the Dominican Republic was looking for a program in a Spanish speaking community and one that could give him playing time right away as a freshman.
His commitment couldn’t have come at a better time, with him and Vance Jackson being the only two guys on a potential roster in 2020-2021 over six-foot-eight. That’s is likely to change but it’s very likely he comes in and is counted on right away in the post in some form or fashion.
The second commit happened the next morning coming from 6-6 180 pound point guard Nolan Dorsey out of Millbrook High School in Raleigh, NC. Dorsey who is known as a past first point guard burst on the scene this fall after a big summer running with Big Shots Elite accompanied by a growth spurt. He chose the Lobos over programs like Air Force and Appalachian State after an official visit back in late September.
Dorsey’s passing ability is what makes his commitment stand out. As that skill set seemed to be lacking on last years squad who struggled making plays and had the tendency to turn the ball over. But a guard heavy roster in 2020-2021 could mean a redshirt year for him.
The next commitment came just this past week on the 17th when a midday tweet from three star small forward Javonte Johnson (6-6 185) revealed his intent to play for the Lobos next season, making him the third commit of the class and third just this month. Johnson like Matos is a top two hundred recruit and looks to be able to play right away next season during a possible transition year for the Lobos, depending on a couple of decisions come spring.
Even with the total anticipated available scholarships for next season filled with these three, history has taught coaches to keep on recruiting to be prepared for anything and Paul Weir and his staff seem to be doing just that. They recently had four star shooting guard Jaylen Clark (6-6 200) on a couple of visits this past month as well as making his top six schools at one point. And three star center Bradley Ezewiro (6-8 230) was here on an a visit during their Cherry and Silver game with Johnson and others.
For many in the state of New Mexico keeping home grown talent in the state for college is big. And many big time past Lobos such as Daniel Faris (Eldorado HS, class of 2005) and Alex Kirk (Los Alamos HS, class of 2010) were from the land of enchantment. Current and past coaching staffs have been able to keep a good amount of local division one caliber guys home. Some recent names include Marlon Cunningham, Cullen Neal, Chad Adams and the previously mentioned Kirk who was the highest rated amongst them with four stars and a top one hundred ranking across multiple recruiting websites.
A big goal for the Weir coaching staff has been bringing in local guys to engage the local community even if they have to come in as preferred walk-ons. Weir has had a total of six players from around the state join his squad as walk-ons with sophomore forward Jordan Arroyo out of Atrisco Heritage Academy in Albuquerque appearing in twelve games last year and averaging 1.4 points a game probably being the most impactful. And though this is all perfectly fine to appease local season ticket holders, most of these guys aren’t logging big minutes.
Paul Weir is hoping to change that with the commitment of four star forward Fedonta “JB” White earlier today via his twitter account. White won’t join the others mentioned in this article being a member of the class of 2021.
The 6-7 185 wing out of Santa Fe High School which is a little over an hour north of Albuquerque has been the target of the coaching staff since his emergence on the club circuit over the last couple of summers with Exum Elite. The Lobos were the first to offer him and kept a strong relationship with through high major visits and offers. White chose New Mexico over offers from Marquette, Utah, Santa Clara, and San Diego State. While receiving interest from schools like Minnesota, Texas Tech, and TCU from high major conferences over the summer.
This is a game changing commitment for Paul Weir and his staff and with White’s commitment comes ties to players he knows from club ball who are being recruited by the Lobos as well. White is friends with 2020 commit Javonte Johnson and 2021 classmate Jalen Weaver, a four star small forward out of Aurora, CO who was seen with him in attendance at the Cherry and Silver game.
Things are looking up for the Lobos and even with the departure of this year’s senior class and possibility of some others leaving, they have the opportunity to bring back several solid impactful players and stay relevant in a growingly competitive Mountain West. Plus there are still 9 days left in October, let’s see what happens.
