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New Mexico Basketball: Zane Martin the latest transfer to join the Lobos

By Tristan Freeman

TULSA, OK - MARCH 17: Head coach Paul Weir of the New Mexico State Aggies looks on in the first half against the Baylor Bears during the first round of the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at BOK Center on March 17, 2017 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. (Photo by J Pat Carter/Getty Images)
TULSA, OK - MARCH 17: Head coach Paul Weir of the New Mexico State Aggies looks on in the first half against the Baylor Bears during the first round of the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at BOK Center on March 17, 2017 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. (Photo by J Pat Carter/Getty Images) /
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New Mexico Basketball has gone the transfer route to stay competitive in the Mountain West. Former Towson guard Zane Martin’s commitment is just the latest example.

Considering how the season started, it was a successful first-year for New Mexico Basketball Head Coach Paul Weir. A team who dealt with injuries and other absences finished over .500 and in third place in the Mountain West regular-season standings. The Lobos were just a win away from a shocking appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

After inheriting the 2017-18 roster from the previous regime, Weir has been quickly building his own team. That’s caused an exodus of transfers, with three different players transferring out this Spring. With a few more graduating, New Mexico will look completely different in the 2018-19.

That actually could be a good thing, as the coaching staff has been taking a page out of Nevada’s playbook and going through the transfer market. They’ve already had success, grabbing Vance Jackson from UConn, JaQuan Lyle from Ohio State, and just recently, former five-star forward Carlton Bragg from Kansas via Arizona State. The first two names are able to play after sitting out this past season while Bragg will suit up in January.

99.9% of the potential impact transfers are off the market in early July, with one name left. That was Zane Martin, who last season averaged nearly 20 ppg for Towson. The guard had plenty of offers from high-major programs but in the end stayed with the mid-majors.

This was a huge late pickup for the Lobos. The 6’4 guard will be the replacement for Anthony Mathis on the perimeter and will join both Lyle and Makuach Maluach to form a formidable trio in the future.

This is a smart decision by Weir to go the transfer route. Whether it’s here with New Mexico or even with rival New Mexico State, he knew he was coaching at a place where high-level recruits wouldn’t come straight out of high school. The second-year Lobo leader is taking a page out of Nevada’s Eric Musselman, who at one point had 10 transfers on the 2018-19 roster. The Wolf Pack are a projected top-10 preseason team, so they must be doing something right.

Next: Top eligible transfers for 2018-19 who sat out this past season

Martin won’t be able to play this upcoming season but that’s a good thing for the Lobos. Nevada is the heavy favorite in the Mountain West in 2018-19 but will have six seniors part of it. The Wolf Pack will be much more vulnerable the following season when a fully equipped New Mexico team will have the talent to compete with them head-on. Musselman might have his own personal rival on the transfer trail with Wier steeping his game up, setting up some good potential matchups down the road with these two teams.