HIGHER HOPES
Nationally ranked 147th, 6-6 wing has Canadian roots
Even the sky might not be the limit for latest UNM men’s basketball signee
The University of New Mexico men’s basketball program announced over the weekend it has received a National Letter of Intent from Emmanuel Kuac, a 6-foot-6 wing and a product of Calgary, Alberta, who is playing his senior high school season in Salt Lake City and reportedly has a lot of hop.
The Journal had reported Kuac’s commitment to the Lobos in October.
Kuac is ranked as the 147th prospect in the nation as a wing by Rivals. com, where he is listed as Emmanuel Andrew.
“Emmanuel was a prospect we followed this past summer with tremendous enthusiasm,” UNM coach Paul Weir said in a statement by the school. “He is an elite athlete with incredible upside that fits exactly how we play. Once we got the opportunity to learn more about him and his personality, we knew he was the perfect fit for our program. We are ecstatic he chose to become a Lobo.”
Weir and UNM assistant coach Jerome Robinson are both Canadian, and Weir over his decade-plus as a New Mexico State assistant and one-year
head coach recruited several Canadians to NMSU. This is his first such successful catch from north of the border for the Lobos.
Kuac told the Journal in October that it was nice that Weir and Robinson are Canadian, but the rapport established beyond that commonality and his official visit to Albuquerque were what sealed the deal.
“UNM was a great environment when I took my visit. I felt a good connection with the players and the coaches,” Kuac said. “I felt like their style of play was very intense and competitive and would help me develop my skill set to move forward and play at the next level. UNM is a school where I can see myself for four years.”
Kuac was born in Nairobi, Kenya and has two siblings, David (19) and Francis (27). He had been ranked a top-five player in Canada and is also the owner of a 40-inch vertical leap, UNM said.
Kuac’s high school coach Dan Cosby told the Journal in October that Kuac is “still raw,” but also that he is “as athletic as any player I’ve had here in the 10 years I’ve been at Kearns (High).”