Men's Basketball Signs 4-Star Guard Drue Drinnon
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The University of New Mexico men’s basketball program is excited to announce the addition of point guard Drue Drinnon to the 2018-19 roster. Drinnon, rated a 4-star recruit by ESPN, signed a National Letter of Intent and will join the squad in Albuquerque next season.
“Drue is an ideal fit not only into our backcourt, but also into the system we are implementing,” head coach Paul Weir said. “His talents as a guard who can defend the ball, shoot from three and play fast make this a perfect match.
“Even better are his values and scholastic achievements that will make our program better every single day.”
Drinnon, a Smyrna, Georgia native, comes to the Lobos from the University School of Nova Southeastern in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. where he is playing his senior season. Prior to attending NSU, Drinnon helped lead his Pebblebrook High School (Georgia) team the regional championship in 2016-17.
A First-Team All-State honoree as a freshman and sophomore, Drinnon broke 1,000 points within the first 10 games of his sophomore season. He was the all-time leading scorer as a freshman and led his team to its first state playoff appearance in school history, followed by a its first sweet 16 appearance in the following season. As a junior, Drinnon led his Pebblebrook High team to the elite eight.
As a freshman, Drinnon averaged 24 points, six assists, five rebounds and two steals per game, followed up by 25-point, seven-assist, five-rebound and two-steal averages as a sophomore. En route to the elite eight and the 2016-17 Regional Champion title, Drinnon averaged 14 points per game and eight assists.
In addition to competing at the high school level, Drinnon also competed for Southern Stampede and Team Thad. He joined the 1-8 Southern Stampede team and helped the squad to a 15-13 finish on the season.
“Over a span of two weeks, I built a relationship with the coaches (at UNM) and then set up an official visit. When I first got there on the visit, it was love at first sight,” Drinnon said. “It is just the perfect fit all around and will help me achieve my goals and reach my dreams.”
Drinnon will join the Lobos in the 2018-19 season and marks Coach Weir and the rest of the men’s basketball staff’s first signee for next year.