CHANGE OF HEART
BASKETBALL RECRUIT BACKTRACKS ON PLEDGE TO LOBOS
Highly regarded Class of 2016 basketball recruit Mitch Lightfoot announced Friday he is no longer committed to play for the University of New Mexico and will reopen the recruiting process.
The 6-foot-9 Lightfoot, who was a junior this past season for Arizona’s Division II state champion Gilbert (Ariz.) Christian, had given a verbal commitment to UNM coach Craig Neal during this past season as the Lobos’ first committed player in the class of 2016. Such pledges are non-binding and universities cannot comment on them until a recruit signs a national letter of intent, which class of 2016 players can not do until November of their senior year of high school.
Via his Twitter account, Lightfoot posted Friday, “I have decided to reopen my college basketball recruitment. Excited for what the future holds.”
The ESPN four-star rated Lightfoot told the Journal by text on Friday night UNM has not been eliminated in the recruiting process. “I haven’t closed any doors,” he wrote, adding he wanted to wait until a later time to elaborate. His high school coach, Kurt Keener, told the Arizona Republic that Lightfoot “just wants to explore what is out there.”
COACHING SEARCH: The Lobos are still trying to find a new associate head coach to replace Lamont Smith, who took the head coaching job at
the University of San Diego, and assistant coach to replace Drew Adams, who took an assistant’s job at Bradley.
Neal had offered the job to former UNM assistant Ryan Miller, the Journal has learned, but was turned down. Miller, 39, who worked at UNM from 2007-12, opted instead to stay on as an assistant for a second season at Mountain West rival UNLV. Late Thursday, UNLV received a verbal commitment from one of the nation’s top prep recruits in 7-foot center Stephen Zimmerman, who chose his hometown Rebels over Arizona and Kentucky.
The timetable for UNM’s coaching search, meanwhile, is unclear. A hiring “pause and hold” in the UNM athletics department likely means the assistant position will be on hold until July 1. Filling the associate head coach position, however, will not be affected by the hiring freeze, athletic director Paul Krebs has said.
For various reasons, there has been an entire turnover of the staff since Neal took over the program two years ago, including all new assistant coaches, strength coach, video administrator, operations director and trainer.
WAIVER APPROVED: UNM announced Friday that the MWC has approved the medical hardship waiver request submitted on behalf of soph- omore guard Cullen Neal, meaning the Eldorado High graduate will be a sophomore in eligibiility for 2015-16. Neal suffered an ankle sprain he suffered in the third game against Boston College and did not return in 2014-15.
Hardship waivers, often referred to as medical redshirts, are approved by the conference office for players who, due to documented injury, are deemed unable to return to the court, play fewer than 30 percent of their team’s games and do not appear in a game in the second half of the season. Cullen Neal met those conditions, having been injured in the third game of the season and not returning to play.
Neither Cullen or Craig Neal commented on the decision on Friday, only issuing through UNM a press release announcing the news.
NMJC: Colorado State this week announced the signing of New Mexico Junior College freshman Kimani Jackson, a 6-foot-8 power forward . Jackson, from Arlington, Texas, averaged 8.0 points and 5.8 rebounds for NMJC this past season and also had offers from Fresno State, Tennessee and Old Dominion.
AWARDS BANQUET: Tickets are available for Wednesday’s UNM men’s basketball awards banquet with singleseat options starting at $45. Call Yolanda Rodriguez at 925-5750 or email LoboBB@unm.edu for information.