Johnnie Harris Signs NLI With the Lobos

April 25, 2007

University of New Mexico men’s basketball coach Steve Alford announced the signing of 6-8 forward Johnnie Harris to a National Letter of Intent today. Harris is the third recruit to sign an NLI in the spring signing period. He joins 6-1 guard Dairese Gary and 6-7 guard/forward Darington Hobson in the first recruiting class assembled by new Lobo head coach Steve Alford.

Johnnie Harris • 6-8 • 250 • Forward • Chicago, Ill. • Chipola (Fla.) College
All-conference forward from Chipola College in Mariana, Florida…averaged 7.3 ppg and 4.6 rpg for the Indians who posted a 33-3 record under head coach Greg Heiar…Chipola was ranked No. 1 in the nation for 10 weeks and was runner-up in the 2007 NJCAA Division I Tournament…scored 15 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in the national semifinals against Southern Idaho…averaged 7.9 ppg, 3.5 rpg and shot 75% from the field as a freshman for an Indians squad that finished 29-4 and was ranked No. 1 in the nation for seven weeks…2nd team Panhandle All-Conference as a freshman, winning the Coach’s Award at the postseason banquet…prep standout at Chicago Vocational High School., where he was one of the top 100 players in Illinois as a senior in 2004-05…PERSONAL: Born Jan. 3, 1987.

Head Coach on Johnnie Harris
“Johnnie is a winner and does everything he can to help his team get better. He is a big kid inside who can guard the post and is a great finisher. He has great hands and footwork and gives us a presence inside that we need.”

2007 New Mexico Men’s Basketball Signees

Name	Pos.	HT	WT	Hometown (Last School)
Dairese Gary	G	6-1	205	Elkhart, Ind. (Concord HS)
Johnnie Harris	F	6-8	250	Chicago, Ill. (Chipola (Fla.) College)
Darington Hobson	G/F	6-7	190	Las Vages, Nev. (Decatur (Ill.) Christian HS)

Dairese Gary • 6-1 • 205 • Guard • Elkhart, Ind. • Concord HS
Two-time first team all-area selection from Concord High School in Elkhart, Ind., Gary was the first player to sign with New Mexico under new head coach Steve Alford…a three-star recruit rated the No. 28 point guard in the nation according to Scout.com…led Concord to a 13-7 record as a senior, scoring 21.8 ppg…also averaged 4.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.8 steals per game…shot 56.3% from the floor, 34.7% from 3-pt. range and 69.0% from the foul line…led the Northern Lakes Conference in scoring, posting 19.6 points per game in league action…scored 1,330 points in his high school career, ranking ninth all-time at Concord, the same high school that produced Shawn Kemp…led Concord to the sectional title as a junior with a 22-2 record, averaging 22.3 ppg, four rebounds and two assists…PERSONAL: Born Oct. 21, 1988, Gary is the son of Gregory and Dennise Gary….first name is pronounced da-REESE.

Head Coach Steve Alford on Dairese Gary
“We have been recruiting Dairese for three years. I like his toughness and the way he competes. He is a winner and has such an unselfish attitude. He is going to be a good combo guard for us. He really guards and I think getting somebody like that always benefits your program.”

Darington Hobson • 6-7 • 190 • Guard/Forward • Las Vegas, Nev. • Decatur (Ill.) Christian
Rated a four-start recruit by Scout.com as the 25th best small forward in the country…averaged 19 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists for head coach Alan Huss at Decatur Christian High School in Decatur, Ill…listed as the 116th best prospect in the class of 2007 by Rivals.com…versatile player who can play the small forward, shooting guard or point guard position…was also being recruited by Kentucky…PERSONAL: Born Sept. 29, 1987.

Head Coach on Darington Hobson
“Darington gives us a highly touted recruit who can play different guard positions. He has a great feel for the game and is really focusing on being a point guard. He has the skills and ability to give us a lot of size at the guard position.”