Lobos add mid-year transfer Carlton Bragg
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Head coach Paul Weir and the University of New Mexico men’s basketball program have added mid-year transfer Carlton Bragg to the 2017-18 roster. Bragg comes to the Lobos having played two years at Kansas before sitting out at Arizona State due to NCAA transfer rules. He will join the Lobos this semester.
“This upcoming semester is a tremendous opportunity for Carlton to create a successful next chapter here in New Mexico and we will seek to provide everything we can to help him achieve excellence,” Weir said. “Our culture and work ethic are as established as they’ve been and I can think of no better time for a young man to enter our program with an optimal chance of success. I am hopeful Carlton uses this semester to completely engage himself in our process.”
A Cleveland, Ohio native, Bragg competed at Kansas during the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons where he averaged 4.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 11.1 minutes per game as a Jayhawk. The five-star, 2015 McDonald’s High School All-American was highly recruited out of Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School where he averaged 21.3 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocked shots per game during his senior season. While at Kansas, Bragg was named to the Karl Malone Forward of the Year Watch List in 2016-17.
“I have had a long journey with many life experiences, but I am ready to get to New Mexico and get to work,” Bragg said. “The style of play, the training, the team atmosphere, it’s everything I want to be a part of. I just can’t wait to get there and get started.”
As a freshman, Bragg was the only KU newcomer to play in all 38 games averaging 8.9 minutes, 3.8 points and 2.5 rebounds per contest. He shot 56.1 percent from the field and fired 57.1 percent from 3-point range while posting three games of 10-plus points, including a season-high 12 against Kansas State in the Big 12 Championship Quarterfinals in 2016.
Bragg followed up his inaugural performance with a solid sophomore season, playing in 31 games averaging 13.8 minutes, 5.2 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. He notched a career-high 15 points twice and posted a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds in 27 minutes against Siena on Nov. 18, 2016.
Prior to his time at Kansas, Bragg competed for USA Basketball at the 2015 World University Games. He averaged 3.8 points and 3.8 rebounds in eight games played for USA, winning the gold medal in Gwangju, Korea.
While at Villa Angela-St. Joseph high, Bragg guided his squad to a pair of Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) Division III state titles in 2014 and 2015. He completed his career ranked as the nation’s 14th-best prospect by Rivals.com and 21st on the ESPN100 list. Additionally, he was named the 2015 OHSAA Division III Ohio Player of the Year by the Associated Press.