New Mexico Basketball: 2018 guard Drue Drinnon commits to the Lobos
By Connor Hope
Head Coach Paul Weir has inherited a thin New Mexico basketball roster, but he has succeeded on the recruiting trail, landing four-star guard Drue Drinnon.
Even though the 2017-18 season looks grim for New Mexico, recent recruiting successes should have Lobo fans excited for the following few years. 2018 guard Drue Drinnon announced on Oct. 29 that he was committing to New Mexico, adding another solid point guard to next year’s roster.
Drinnon, a four-star recruit out of Georgia, chose New Mexico over multiple high-major programs such as Florida, Georgia and Kansas State. He will be playing his final season at University High School in Fort Lauderdale (FL) after playing his junior season alongside now-Alabama freshman Collin Sexton at Pebblebrook High School (GA).
Nationally, Drinnon is ranked at No. 218 in the country by the 247Sports Composite ranking.
With transfer JaQuan Lyle becoming eligible next season as well, Drinnon will most likely play minutes at the shooting guard position, providing valuable versatility in the Lobo backcourt. In addition, New Mexico will also bring in UConn transfer Vance Jackson, who will be a valuable player in helping Drinnon develop.
Drinnon’s ability to get open off ball screens, shoot the jumper and finish at the basket will make him a good fit for the second guard position. His high basketball IQ and experience at the point guard position will also allow him to share ball-handling duties with Jackson, giving the Lobos a promising two point guard lineup.
Drinnon is a solid prospect all-around for the future of New Mexico and his play on both ends of the floor will help them. In addition, he is the first 2018 commit for the Lobos and hopefully leads to more coming in the future either for this class or the next.
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Next: 2017-18 Mountain West Preview
With Drinnon’s commitment, Head Coach Paul Weir continues to impress at New Mexico without a single game on his resume. He will need his recruits to perform when it comes to in-game action, but his ability to bring in top talent is promising.