Men's Basketball Adds Mashburn Jr. and House for 2021-22
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The University of New Mexico men’s basketball program has added a pair of talented transfers with deep basketball roots to its roster for the 2021-22 season, the team announced Tuesday. The Lobos are set to welcome Minnesota transfer Jamal Mashburn Jr. and Arizona State transfer Jaelen House to The Pit.
Jamal Mashburn Jr. | 6-2/185 | PG | Miami, Fla.
Mashburn Jr. comes to New Mexico after competing in his first collegiate season at Minnesota under Coach Richard Pitino. Mashburn Jr. averaged 8.2 points per game, finishing fifth on the team in scoring as a freshman. He saw action in all 29 contests, starting eight, while averaging 1.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 22.1 minutes per game. His assist total (45) was the third-most on the squad.
In his inaugural season, Mashburn Jr. scored a career-best 19 points at Indiana on Feb. 17, 2021.
Prior to his time at Minnesota, Mashburn Jr. graduated from Brewster Academy where he helped his team to a pair of prep National Championships and was named First-Team All-NEPSAC as a senior.
Mashburn Jr. is the son of former NBA standout Jamal Mashburn, who played for Kentucky before being selected as the fourth overall pick by the Dallas Mavericks in the 1993 NBA Draft. Mashburn, who went on to have a 12-year NBA career, competed at Kentucky under under then-head coach Rick Pitino, father of current Lobo head coach Richard Pitino.
Coach Pitino on Mashburn Jr.: “We are excited about the addition of Jamal Mashburn Jr. to our basketball program. He was one of the better freshmen in the Big Ten towards the end of the year and I am confident that he will hit the ground running on the court and in the classroom from day one.”
Mashburn Jr. on Why He Chose New Mexico: “I chose New Mexico because I want to be able to display my full game and I’ve heard a lot of good things about New Mexico that I want to be a part of. I think I can be a foundational piece to something special.”
Jaelen House | 6-0/155 | PG | Phoenix, Ariz.
House comes to the Lobos after competing for two seasons at Arizona State where he averaged 5.3 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 18.8 minutes per game as a sophomore in 2020-21. He competed in 21 of the Sun Devils’ 25 games shooting 33.8 percent from the field, 39.0 percent from 3-point range and 75.0 percent from the free throw line. In his two seasons at Arizona State, House averaged 4.5 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.4 steals per game.
House registered a career-high 20 points twice as a freshman in 2019 and scored a season-most three triples on March 4, 2021 at Colorado.
Prior to his time at Arizona State, House competed at Shadow Mountain High School where he was named 4A Player of the Year.
House is the son of Eddie House, 11-season NBA standout known in the league for his 3-point shooting. Eddie House was the 37th overall pick of the 2000 NBA Draft by the Miami Heat and went on to win the 2008 NBA Championship with the Celtics. House is also the all-time leading scorer at Arizona State.
Coach Pitino on House: “Jaelen House is a phenomenal addition to our basketball program. He is very good with the ball, makes others better and is an elite level defender. We expect Jaelen to make an immediate impact right away.”
House on Why He Chose New Mexico: “I chose UNM because of the opportunity that this place presents. It was an extremely hard situation to pass up because of the amazing things that come with being a Lobo. Not only on the court, but off the court, the chance of being able to have a direct relationship with the fan base is just so much bigger than basketball.”