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The way Chris Walker sees it, the key to college basketball recruiting is the relationship between an Amateur Athletic Union coach and his players.

Walker, the newly hired University of New Mexico men's basketball assistant coach, knows this firsthand because he calls a group of Houston-based players his "surrogate sons."

The three years Walker coached the T-Mac All-Star AAU team, mostly the same group of players, included about 240 games and constant out-of-state trips, he said.

AAU ball can strengthen the player-coach bond.

"You can do things that high school coaches aren't allowed to do because of the access you have," said Walker, 37, who was announced as an adition to UNM's staff Thursday. "And AAU ball is the only real time college coaches can watch players, so the coaches get to know the AAU coaches. That's why the parents and kids are so invested in AAU ball."

The future success of the Lobos might hinge on Walker's personality toward teenagers over a three-year span.

At least two T-Mac players could fill out UNM's 2008 recruiting class. Six-foot-9 Isaiah Rusher has verbally committed to UNM. Will Brown, 6-8, said the Lobos top his list. Guards Phillip McDonald and J'Covan Brown are expected to make official visits in September.

McDonald and the Browns are rated top 100 nationally, and Rusher is known as a 240-pound beast on the boards.

The relationship forged by Walker gets these players in UNM's door. The selling of the product has to do the rest.

"They are leaning over the edge right now. We just hope we can push them over," Walker said. "The bottom line is, I have great relationships with these kids, and this is something to sell. Coach (Steve) Alford is something to sell. If I was going to a lower-conference school, I wouldn't do this. I wouldn't take the job, number one, but I wouldn't put them in that situation."

Working as an assistant at a tradition-rich school like New Mexico is far from a stretch for Walker, who has been an assistant coach at Villanova, UMass, Loyola-Marymount, Pepperdine and Rhode Island from 1992-2003. The former Villanova point guard played for the Wildcats from 1988-92.

With or without T-Mac players, Walker, a Houston native, provides experience and crucial Texas connections.

The newest job doesn't allow Walker to speak with his players right now. Those old conversations would now be considered tampering.

Schools like Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Arizona and Kentucky are recruiting some of Walker's T-Mac players.

"There are great people here," Walker said of UNM. "It's pretty tough because this is an adjustment I haven't had to make for four years. Our kids are pretty solid. I made them aware of the rules. But the main thing I told those guys (before I took the job) is if we get better players than the rest of our league is getting, we should win. We have to get guys in here to elevate the program."

Eligibility: Alford has received eligibility clearance for all but one of his incoming players from the 2007-08 class.

UNM is still waiting for the official word on four-star high school guard Darrington Hobson from Decatur (Ill.) Christian School. A Lobos booster said he's been told by UNM that Hobson has passed his classes and is waiting on clearance.

Alford said he should hear word on Hobson in the next day or two.

The Tribune has left a phone message for Hobson and former Decatur coach Alan Huss.

Monquel Pegues, a 6-10 forward from Cape Fear (N.C.) Community College, passed 15 summer credit hours to play for UNM.

Others from this class include Elkhart (Ind.) guard Dairese Gary, Chipola (Fla.) Junior College forward Johnnie Harris and Mayfair (Calif.) guard Jonathan Wills.