Jonathan Wills Signs NLI With New Mexico

May 18, 2007

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University of New Mexico men’s basketball coach Steve Alford announced the signing of 6-5 guard Jonathan Wills to a National Letter of Intent today. Wills is the fifth recruit to sign an NLI in the spring signing period with the Lobos. He joins 6-1 guard Dairese Gary, 6-8 forward Johnnie Harris, 6-7 guard/forward Darington Hobson and 6-10 forward Monquel Pegues in the first recruiting class assembled by new Lobo head coach Steve Alford.

Jonathan Wills • 6-5 • 185 • Guard • Carson, Calif. • Mayfair HS
Rated as a two-start recruit by Scout.com…averaged 20.8 points and 9 rebounds per game for Mayfair High School while leading the team to a 21-7 record…Made over 70 3-pt. FGs and shot over 40% from behind the arc in both his junior and senior seasons…Earned Most Outstanding Player honors at the Redondo-Pacific Shores Classic during his senior year…nominated for the Lakewood, Calif., area men’s basketball player of the year honors following his senior season…Earned second-team All-SCIBCA/AAF honors after his junior year…PERSONAL: Born March 10, 1989….son of Alvin and Jean Wills.

Head Coach on Jonathan Wills
“We feel very fortunate to get a player of Jonathan’s caliber this late in the recruiting process. He gives us size at the wing position and is an excellent shooter. With his length and athletic ability he could also be an excellent defender.”

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)
Monquel Pegues	F	6-10	255	Wilson, N.C. (Cape Fear (N.C.) CC)
Jonathan Wills	G	6-5	185	Carson, Calif. (Mayfair 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.”

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.”