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Up-and-coming hoops stars are buzzing about the Lobos deep in the heart of Texas.

Jimmy Hicks, a Houston recruiting analyst for RCSSports.com, said sophomores and juniors can't stop talking about the University of New Mexico.

"Now, all of a sudden, New Mexico is really cool," Hicks said. "The Lobos are the `It' team. They are the hot flavor right now. Everyone is paying attention when Steve Alford and his staff walks into a gym. They could not be hotter right now."

Alford capped his raid of Texas talent Thursday, securing an oral commitment from point guard Nathen Garth.

He is a 6-foot-3 point guard from Dallas. Garth averaged 18 points and nine assists per game last season at Woodrow Wilson High in Dallas. He will spend his senior season at Hamilton High in Memphis, Tenn. Garth was rated a three-star recruit by Rivals.com and a two-star recruit by Scout.com.

Garth was the first recruit to commit to Tubby Smith in his first year coaching at Minnesota, but Garth backed out to see which other schools might be interested in his services.

UNM coach Steve Alford and assistant coach Chris Walker, who has proven to be a top-flight recruiter in Texas, immediately began courting Garth.

"Nate was really happy with Minnesota, but he changed his mind this summer when the coaches really stopped communicating with him," said Pat Washington, who coached Garth at Woodrow Wilson his junior year. "I'm not surprised he decided to go with New Mexico instead. He trusted Chris Walker and wanted to go to a school where he'd get a chance to play right away."

Garth is the sixth Texan to join the Lobos' lineup. He also snapped up UNM's fifth and final scholarship for the 2008 class.

The other Texans include freshman center Kem Nweke, who will likely redshirt this season after enrolling for fall classes at Southern Alabama before getting a release from his letter of intent and heading to UNM.

The 2008 class features 6-foot-5 shooting guards Phillip McDonald and Curtis Dennis and 6-foot-8 power forwards Isaiah Rusher and Will Brown. All four athletes were on the T-Mac All-Stars, an Amateur Athletic Union team coached by Walker before he took a job with the Lobos.

"At this point, you probably should call them the Tex-New Mex Lobos," Hicks said. "It's amazing how quickly they've gone into Houston and gotten some of the best kids available. These guys are turning down Kansas and Tubby Smith at Minnesota. That's huge."

Garth doesn't have the most recruiting stars next to his name, but Washington is convinced he can help take the Lobos to the next level.

"I think New Mexico is getting an extremely intelligent basketball player who is very, very hard working," Washington said. "He is a goal-oriented kid who has an agenda, but it's a great agenda. He's a very good student who is competitive and wants to succeed at basketball. He'll do whatever it takes to help his team win."

Hicks also spoke highly of Garth's skills.

"Garth is a super catch," he said. "He's very athletic. He's talented, he's quick and he can handle the ball really well. He's the perfect guy to set up two great shooters you've got in Phillip McDonald and Curtis Dennis, not to mention your big guys who can score around the basket."

Garth is attending his third high school, but Washington said the player moved so much because his father got new jobs.

"He's a really good student, and New Mexico will not have any academic trouble with him," Washington said. "He took three Advanced Placement classes his junior year here in Texas and has never even come close to failing a class. He is earning college credit in high school, so I obviously think he can handle college academics."

Garth closes out the Lobos' 2008 recruiting class.

J'Covan Brown, a four-star senior point guard from Port Arthur, Texas, is not expected to cancel his official visit to UNM after Garth's decision.

Hicks said the Lobos are good shape without Brown, who was a longshot for UNM. Brown is leaning heavily toward attending the University of Texas. Hicks said Brown's father hates to fly and the long trek from eastern Texas to Albuquerque would be a major hurdle.

"Trying to get Phillip McDonald and J'Covan Brown in the same class would be like trying hit the jackpot on two scratch-off lotto tickets," Hicks said. "New Mexico is already loaded. They can walk away right now very happy with their 2008 class."

Now Alford and company are focused on staying hot and wooing 2009 recruits.

They are eying two more Texas area standouts while trying to establish a new pipeline to Memphis, where assistant coach Ryan Miller has strong connections.

The Lobos already have offered a scholarship to 5-foot-8 point guard Jamal Fenton and 6-foot-5 small forward Joey Brooks. Both juniors played on Walker's T-Mac All-Stars and are getting high marks from recruiting services.

"It's going to be very tough for New Mexico to top this 2008 class, but they are working on it," Hicks said. "Right now they're really on fire and anything seems possible."