New Mexico's Trio of Second-Year Players Are Set to Shock the Mountain West Conference

New Mexico is not the first team that comes to mind when you are thinking about the current landscape of college basketball. However, there could be something special brewing in Albuquerque that is going to catch fans around the country off guard. 

Last season, they performed very well, especially when taking into account just how young their key contributors were. They ranked 67th in KenPom offense and 37th in defense. 

While they missed the NCAA Tournament, they did participate in the NIT Tournament, where they put together a deep run. Defeating Sam Houston in the first round 107-83; George Washington in the Second Round 86-61, and Saint Joseph’s 84-69, in the quarterfinals before falling 74-69 to Tulsa in the Final Four. Despite New Mexico missing the NCAA Tournament themselves, they did beat teams last season like Santa Clara by 27 points, a team that made it to the big dance. 

Arguably the most shocking fact about this is that the Lobos achieved all of this being led by a freshman. Jake Hall was one of the best players in college basketball last season, and many fans do not even know his name. 

Last season, Hall finished with the 4th most threes by a freshman in NCAA Division-1 history with 117, behind only Antonie Davis, Stephen Curry, and Trae Young. 

This was far from the only record that Hall set in his historic freshman campaign, proving to be arguably the greatest season a freshman has had in Mountain West Conference history. His 350 total points in conference play and 17.5 points per game against Mountain West opponents set the record for the most from a freshman in conference history. Along with this, he became the third freshman to ever make the All-Mountain West First Team, joining Kawhi Leonard and Anthony Bennett. 

Hall was also able to take up some real estate in New Mexico’s school record book as well, setting the record for freshman single-game scoring with his 32-point outburst against Utah State. Along with this, he also set a school record for most starts in a single season with 37. 

This was a remarkable and historic season for Hall, and there is a strong chance that we will see an even better and more developed version of him this season. He likely will continue to be the lifeblood of the Lobo’s offense as he works his way up the career rankings for three-pointers made. 

Hall is not the only member of the backcourt returning. Uriah Tenette is also heading into his second season after a strong showing in his freshman year, averaging 10.6 points per game and 1.4 steals per game. 

Incoming Players

New Mexico was able to add a good amount of very promising talent to the team as well, making some pickups in the transfer portal that could easily be key contributors this year. 

• Hudson Mayes - Transferred From UC San Diego 

Hudson Mayes is joining the Lobos after spending his freshman season at UC San Diego. Mayes is an elite rebounder for his size, leading his team in rebounding last year with 5.7 per game despite standing at 6’5” and only starting in 12 games. Along with the rebounding, Mayes will also provide New Mexico with instant and efficient scoring coming off the bench, putting up 11.1 points per game while shooting 54.5% from the field and 35.5% from three. 

• Tunde Vhlberg Fasai - Transferred From William & Mary

Tunde Vhlberg Fasai transferred in from William & Mary where he averaged 11.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.2 steals a game last season. He has a very well rounded game and is an extremely versatile player, standing at 6’8” and able to play any position. His role in New Mexico will likely be as a stretch big, shooting a strong 35.0% from deep last year. 

Last season, the Lobos finished third in the Mountain West, behind only Utah State and San Diego State. However, with both teams now out of the picture due to their transfer to the PAC-12, there is a strong chance that New Mexico wins the conference this season. 

They were a great defensive team last season, they were just too reliant on Hall at times and on the few occasions that his shot was not falling, their offense ground to a halt. This will not be the case this season. While Hall will still carry the bulk of the offensive load, they have many more options with Tenette likely making a leap after his freshman season, Mayes being a reliable scorer off of the bench, and Fasai serving as a lethal stretch four or five. 

This is a dangerous New Mexico team that is flying under the radar. They are likely to run the Mountain West this season, and if they are able to win the conference tournament, they will make a return to March Madness.