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UNM men's basketball: Alford to seek additional visits

Recruiting efforts hampered by NCAA limitation

By Jeremy Fowler
Thursday, May 3, 2007

Steve Alford is running out of ways to fly recruits into Albuquerque.

So he's doing something about it.

The University of New Mexico men's basketball coach said Wednesday he's looking to appeal an NCAA rule that allows his program just four official visits since his late-March arrival.

Programs are allowed 12 official visits per year, Alford said, but former coach Ritchie McKay, who was fired Feb. 22, used eight of them.

McKay also had three players sign with UNM - Ty Abbott, Mickey McConnell and Reggie Huffman - who are no longer bound to the school.

Glancing at the numbers upon arrival made Alford's transition challenging, he said.

"We had more scholarships to give than official visits," said Alford, who had five scholarships to use once Derek Oestreicher left the team two weeks ago. "There's not a fairness to it when you take over a program. We're trying for more visits. Between 2007 and 2008, we're going to have to fill the better part of eight or nine scholarships."

Alford said he isn't sure how long the appeal process will take, but he's talked to UNM officials about it.

How's this for efficiency? Despite the hand-tying situation, Alford is expected to get four signees out of three visits:

Former Iowa commitment Dairese Gary decided to follow Alford, the former Hawkeyes coach, without seeing New Mexico first. He signed in April.

Junior college center Monquel Pegues, expected to sign his letter of intent Friday, will join Darrington Hobson and Johnnie Harris in the group of signees who visited UNM first.

The last visit will likely go to 7-footer Beas Hamga, a highly touted high school prospect who is considering UNM.

"We're very fortunate we're 3-for-3 so far," Alford said.

Maybe the pressure has served Alford well in this late signing period.

The Lobos have wrapped up top-150 high school guards in Hobson and Gary. Recruiting expert Dave Telep of Scout Media Inc. said Hobson has the talent to start for a team in one of the big four conferences.

Pegues is a 6-foot-10, 250-pound beast who scored 18.3 points per game for Cape Fear (N.C.) Community College. Harris, at 6-8, was a key player for national runner-up Chipola (Fla.) Junior College.

Alford said he's pleased with the prospects he's locked up, especially under the stiff circumstances.

"To already have these individuals signed is a great opportunity for us," Alford said. "We barely had five weeks to recruit some of these guys."

Going hard: Big programs with recruiting prowess won't dictate how UNM goes after the players it wants, Alford said.

Exhibit A is Hamga, who has schools like Kentucky and Indiana lobbying for his services.

Alford's policy is to refuse comment on unsigned players.

"Our job is to get our best players and sell the program," Alford said. "We're looking for the guys who will fit well with us and our system. The key is for us to like them, and for them to want to be here."