New Mexico basketball is one of the safer bets to finish toward the top of the Mountain West.
The tradition continues! CBB Review is again ranking the top 100 teams heading into the new college basketball season. Each day, we will reveal the next team until we reach the team slotted at number one. Up next: New Mexico basketball.
The Lobos have rapidly rose through the ranks over Richard Pitino’s first three seasons in Albuquerque. After a modest 13 wins in Pitino’s initial campaign, he improved to 22, and most recently to a 26-10 record, which included a Mountain West Tournament title. In 2024-25, New Mexico looks to continue building.
They have hit a bit of a road block, though. Freshman phenom JT Toppin has transferred up to Texas Tech, and that is quite massive. The Mountain West Rookie of the Year averaged nearly a double-double, eating up opposing front courts on both ends. Guards Jamal Mashburn Jr. and Jaelen House are also gone.
Still, the Lobos bring back a well-rounded group with experience: junior guard Donovan Dent and senior forwards Nelly Junior Joseph and Mustapha Amzil, among others. CJ Noland is a nice add from North Texas, who fits the UNM system well. While that core might not have the same upside as last season, they certainly keep the Lobos’ floor pretty high.
In previous articles, we talked about MWC opponents Colorado State (CBB Rank No. 76) and Utah State (CBB Rank No. 77) and how they are good programs but we are not quite sure what they will bring to the table. New Mexico is a tier higher because we are more familiar with what to expect.
Click here to learn more about our preseason top 100 teams heading into the 2024-25 college basketball season.
Head coach: Richard Pitino (13th season overall, 4th at New Mexico)
2023-24 record: 26-10 (10-8)
2024 postseason finish: Lost to Clemson (77-56) in Round of 64
Notable departures:
- JT Toppin (12.4 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 0.6 APG, 1.9 BPG, 1.1 SPG, 62.3 FG%)
- Jamal Mashburn Jr. (14.1 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 1.5 APG)
- Jaelen House (15.9 PPG, 3.5 APG, 2.9 RPG, 2.3 SPG)
Notable non-conference games:
- vs. UCLA (Nov. 8)
- at St. John’s (Nov. 17)
- vs. Arizona State (Nov. 28)
- vs. USC OR Saint Mary’s (Nov. 29)
- vs. VCU (Dec. 18)
Projected Rotation
PG: Donovan Dent (6-2, 170, Jr.)
2023-24 stats: 14.1 PPG, 5.4 APG, 2.5 RPG, 1.5 SPG, 52.0 FG%
SG: CJ Noland (6-2, 229, Sr.)
2023-24 stats: 10.9 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.0 SPG, 38.4 3P% (North Texas)
SF: Tru Washington (6-4, 195, So.)
2023-24 stats: 6.6 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 1.3 APG, 1.4 SPG
PF: Mustapha Amzil (6-10, 220, Gr.-Sr.)
2023-24 stats: 6.7 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 0.7 APG
C: Nelly Junior Joseph (6-9, 230, Gr.-Sr.)
2023-24 stats: 8.9 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 1.0 APG, 1.4 BPG, 1.1 SPG, 55.0 FG%
6: Filip Borvicanin (6-9, 185, Jr.)
2023-24 stats: 2.3 PPG, 1.6 RPG, 0.8 APG (Arizona)
7: Braden Appelhans (6-7, 185, Rs.-Fr.)
2023-24 stats: 2.5 PPG, 0.6 RPG, 0.3 APG
8: Quinton Webb (6-6, 205, Jr.)
2023-24 stats: 2.0 PPG, 1.4 RPG, 0.1 APG
9: Kayde Dotson (6-2, 170, Sr.)
247Sports Composite unranked recruit
10: Atiki Ally Atiki (6-9, 213, Sr.)
2023-24 stats: 4.0 PPG, 1.8 RPG, 0.3 APG (BYU)
New Mexico Basketball team MVP: Nelly Junior Joseph
The most common pick for this category would probably be Donovan Dent, a guard who has and will continue to put up big numbers in the box score. However, Junior Joseph may very well be the most important player to New Mexico basketball this year.
It starts on the defensive end, where he blocked 5.3% of shots that went up last season, good for third in the Mountain West. Offensively, without having to share the court with JT Toppin anymore, expect Junior Joseph to be featured just as much as Dent.
Junior Joseph is a great post-up threat from both blocks. In 2023-24, he was in the 87th percentile in efficiency from the left block and 84th on the right, per Shot Quality. Although Junior Joseph did not have a great postseason, he averaged a double-double in his last five regular season games, and reached double figures 14 times overall, including a 26-point performance against Utah State.
Junior Joseph has always been an elite rim protector and is prepared to match that production on the offensive end, now that he will be given the opportunity.
New Mexico Basketball make-or-break player: Tru Washington
Washington began his freshman season on a heater, having a stretch of six consecutive games scoring 10+ points in non-conference play. The Mountain West slate eventually hit and the Arizona native struggled mightily, causing his minutes to diminish. Still, we saw sparks of what Washington is capable of.
With Dent and Nolan in the backcourt, and Junior Joseph anchoring the frontcourt, a versatile wing guard (albeit undersized) who can score would complete the starting five. The Lobos just need more consistency out of Washington, but previous trends indicate he is a clear sophomore breakout candidate.
Key analytic: Three-point offense
New Mexico basketball does not commit to shooting the deep ball a lot (last year 29.9% of their shots were threes, the 330th most in D-I) and they don’t do it particularly well (finished with a team three-point field goal percentage of 32.7%, good for 241st nationally). Instead, The Lobos prefer to go fast and beat you to the rim or post you up with their bigs.
That style worked last year with a plethora of scoring options, all of which thrived in these roles. Looking ahead to 2024-25, New Mexico’s depth is not nearly the same. Do not expect this offense to finish in the top 50 nationally per the computer metrics. They will compensate for this through lights-out defense, a staple of Richard Pitino’s program.
New Mexico Basketball 2024-25 projections
Projected conference finish: 3rd in the Mountain West
Projected postseason ceiling: NCAA Tournament Round of 64 Appearance