ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The University of New Mexico men’s basketball team kicks off the Spring signing period announcing the addition of transfer Isaiah Maurice. Maurice comes to UNM from South Plains College where he led his squad to the 2018 NJCAA National Championship last season and will join the Lobos for the 2018-19 campaign.
Maurice, who began his college career at Kansas State, averaged 12.9 points and 5.9 rebounds per game last season at South Plains. He competed in 34 contests, starting 23, and fired from 3-point range at a clip of 48.5 percent while shooting 62.0 percent from the field.
Maurice helped lead South Plains to the 2018 NJCAA Men’s Basketball National Championship in March. The Texans earned a 98-95 victory over College of Southern Idaho in which Maurice led the squad with 11 rebounds. He saw 29 minutes on the floor going 8-for-12 from the field, 4-for-6 from the charity stripe, to total 20 points en route to the win.
“We were all ecstatic watching Isaiah’s progress this year under Coach Green at South Plains that culminated with a national championship,” head coach Paul Weir said. “His length and skill fill a tremendous need for our team and we feel he can make an immediate impact. Isaiah’s enthusiasm to be a Lobo is special and we can’t wait for him to get here.”
Prior to his time at South Plains, Maurice spent two seasons at Kansas State, playing in 2016-17 as a redshirt freshman. He saw action in 30 games registering double-digit minutes in nine with a season-high 20 minutes in the Wildcats’ semifinal loss to No. 11/11 West Virginia on March 10, 2017 at the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship. He averaged 5.9 points on 64.3 percent shooting (18-of-28) and 1.7 rebounds in 11.9 minutes per game over the final seven games of the season.
He also experienced intense competition overseas, traveling twice while with the Wildcats in the summers of 2016 and 2017. In the 2016 European Tour, Maurice helped the Wildcats to a 3-2 record over the 10-day tour of Italy and Switzerland. In 2017, he traveled with Athletes in Action for 13 days through Czech Republic and Poland helping his team to a 3-2 record against various National teams.
“WHY HE CHOSE UNM”
Maurice is scheduled to begin classes… and compete in the 2018-19 season. He is expected to have ___ seasons of eligibility.