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One of the worst-kept secrets in the Amateur Athletic Union circuit -- and in Albuquerque -- became official today.

Chris Walker, former coach of the T-Mac All-Stars AAU team out of Houston, fills the University of New Mexico's last assistant men's coaching spot, the school announced.

Buzz about Walker's future surfaced in June, when some of his T-Mac players started taking interest in UNM. Walker said a couple of T-Mac players, many of whom are top-150 national players from the class of 2008, should follow him to Albuquerque.

Six-foot-9 Isaiah Rusher, a T-Mac alum, has verbally committed to UNM. Three top-100 talents -- forward Will Brown and guards Phillip McDonald and J'Covan Brown -- are expected to make an official visit some time in September, Walker said.

Walker said he wanted to wait until the AAU season concluded to take the job.

"Some people said, 'You going to New Mexico State?'" said Walker, 37, Thursday at the Rudy Davalos Practice Facility. "No, New Mexico. That's just a byproduct of them winning last year and New Mexico not."

If Walker has his way, nobody will mistake the Aggies for the Lobos in the future because of his new team's winning ways.

Walker's connection with his Houston-based players attracted coach Steve Alford, Walker said. But his past college coaching experience is undeniable.

From 1992-2003, Walker served as an assistant coach at Villanova, UMass, Pepperdine, Rhode Island and Loyola-Marymount. The former Villanova point guard played for the storied Wildcats from 1988-92.

Walker will replace Billy Garrett, who left the program in May to attend to his son's illness.

"The bottom line is, I have great relationships with some kids, and this is something to sell," Walker said. "Coach Alford is something to sell."