Nate Garth isn't a practitioner of patience.

Garth, a high school senior point guard from Dallas who committed last week to play for the Lobos, isn't waiting for the University of New Mexico to steadily build its program.

He wants results now.

"I plan on bringing a national championship to New Mexico," Garth said boldly in a phone interview with The Tribune.

He didn't chuckle or qualify his statement.

It was plain, unfiltered confidence about the 2008 class, which includes commitments from five Texas standouts.

Shooting guards Phillip McDonald and Dennis Curtis, power forwards Isaiah Rusher and Will Brown and Garth all have played together or seen each other play. Garth compares their bond to the close-knit starting lineup that led Florida to back-to-back national championships.

"We have five high-major guys, all talent, ability and mind-set to get it done," Garth said. "I'm serious about winning a championship and surprising a whole lot of people. . . . We can do something special, and I plan to lead us to that next level."

All this talk and Garth hasn't even set foot in Albuquerque.

He will change that this weekend, making his official visit to UNM this Friday through Sunday.

Garth will tour the campus, talk with coaches, meet his future teammates and watch the UNM football team take on Sacramento State in University Stadium.

"I didn't need to see the school to know we're about to do something special," he said. "I believe in the coaches and trust them. They paid closer attention to me more than any other coaches out there. I don't care that I ended up with a school that didn't have as big a name as Minnesota. I know I'm going to a good school where big things are going to happen."

Garth orally committed to the University of Minnesota but backed out when coach Tubby Smith's staff didn't pay much attention to him.

He re-opened the recruiting process and fell hard for the Lobos.

Garth also had leaned toward finishing his course work by December and enrolling in Minnesota early, but now he is going to play his full senior year at Hamilton High in Memphis, Tenn. He moved to the school because his father landed a job in the area.

"Right now I only have to take a few classes because I had so many credits, so I'll focus on (advanced placement) classes for college credit and enjoy playing basketball," Garth said. "I'm going to focus on getting better as a player and doing a good job in my classes."

Garth has bounced to three different high schools, but he isn't worried the NCAA Clearinghouse will have a problem approving his high school degree.

"I've been a good student everywhere, and I only moved because of my dad's job," he said. "I'm taking such hard classes, they shouldn't have any reason to question my work."

Garth said he models himself after three vastly different NBA point guards - Jason Kidd, Chauncey Billups and Tony Parker.

"I want to take the best of each of their games," he said. "I won't stop until I can do everything they can do. Then I'll push myself some more."

On top of honing his basketball skills and working up a sweat in the classroom, Garth said he also plans to add a little more meat to his frame.

"I want my playing weight to be 190 pounds, but right now I'm only 165," he said. "I'm going to push myself in the weight room so guys can bounce off of me instead of me bouncing off of them in college. I'll look to add more weight once I get to New Mexico, but I want to get a head start now."

It takes more than bravado to bring a Mountain West Conference championship, much less a national championship, to UNM.

But Garth insists you can't win unless you think big.

"People might think I'm crazy, but they're going to figure out I won't give up until I get what I want," he said. "I set goals, and then I make things happen. We're going to win a lot at New Mexico."