Tag: New Mexico Recruiting Class

New Mexico Basketball: Lobos Continue to Build 2024 Recruiting Class with Local Addition

New Mexico Head Coach Richard Pitino secures the commitment of local product Dylan Chavez for 2024 class.

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New Mexico Basketball: Lobos Continue to Build 2024 Recruiting Class with Local Addition

New Mexico Lobos receive commitment from local talent Dylan Chavez

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Richard Pitino secures the commitment of local product Dylan Chavez for 2024 class.

The New Mexico Lobos are gearing up for year three of the Richard Pitino era in Albuquerque. After a quicker turnaround than even the lead man would have expected from the program he inherited back in 2021, one of the strongest fanbases in the country has returned to the Pit in droves.

Though sometimes looking too far ahead can be a bit of a risk, it’s never too early to receive the commitment of players you have been recruiting for what is often years at a time. Thursday afternoon at ABC Prep in Albuquerque, Lobo fans received such a recruiting win.

La Cueva High School senior Dylan Chavez chose to stay home & play for his hometown New Mexico Lobos. He’ll join the team for the 2024-2025 season as a preferred walk-on.

The Lobos have a rich history of local players dawning the signature cherry & silver. And walk-ons have made their impact on the program over the years. Guys like Jordan Arroyo, Clay Patterson & Tim Jacobs all stepped into bigger than expected roles over the past decade. Currently on the roster are some more local hoops stars in freshman guard Shane Douma-Sanchez (Del Norte HS) & junior transfer Deraje Agbaosi (Eldorado HS).

So when asked about why he chose to stay home as a non-scholarship player over a handful of division-I offers, Chavez’s answer wouldn’t surprise you “I wanted to stay home, play in front of my family,”.

“I grew up a Lobo fan. My dad and my grandpa would take me to the games as a kid. So I think it’d be awesome to stay home and play for the city I grew up in,” told the Albuquerque Journal.

Fans might remember the 6’6 shooting guard had previously committed to New Mexico State. But decommitted this past spring after the coaching staff was fired in February in the middle of a tumultuous season in Las Cruces.

Chavez joins Pitino’s first commit for the 2024 class, combo guard Kayde Dotson of Beaumont, TX. The three-star combo guard made his announcement back on September 20th via his Instagram. Choosing the Lobos over a dozen of other D-I offers, including Grand Canyon, SMU & in-state rivals New Mexico State.

Coach Pitino and company are also still in contention for three-star Canadian Jovan Milicevic, whom they had on official visit in early September.

So, the hype surrounding New Mexico’s forthcoming season is real. Not only by fans and traditional media who cover the team, but nationwide. Fans have a chance to get their first glance of the Lobos in person on October 14th at 12:00 PM inside the Pit. They’ll have their home opener on November 6th against Texas Southern.

Larry Muniz covers college basketball as a writer for Mountain West Wire and WAC Hoops Digest. Also as a co-host of the college basketball podcast “Hoops Talk W/Jay & Larry”. He is also a USWBA Member.

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